Published on Sep, 2021
I have walked thru Samaria Gorge way back in 1998 and this time, I decided to relive this experience with my son, so I booked this tour thru Viator. A little screwup on the day of our departure, where the tour agency van went to the wrong address and we were waiting and waiting and then call the agency, only to be told that the van had passed by and we were asked to go to another place to be picked up. Fortunately, a Greek Security Forces soldier, who was waiting the bus stop (where we were waiting), stepped and kindly helped us (a big thanks to him) by talking to the company and explaining where we were and asked them to pick us up, which they did. We were then taken to another place to board the bus and from there bussed to the top of the mountain to the entrance of the Samaria Gorge National Park, from where we made our way into the Gorge and thru it for 16kms till we reached the port for our return trip by boat back home. The hike was tough and it was a hot, hot day, so it slowed us down a bit but we were ably looked after by our guide Nikos who was there with us from the time we boarded the bus and did all the explanations, and from there into the gorge till we reached the exit and then back to bus. Nikos shepherded us all along, making sure that his group was all present and was helpful with tips and tricks to walk thru the canyon till we reached the exit. His presence was reassuring and we felt a sense of security. All in all, a great hike and highly recommend the agency.
