Explore the Labyrinth of Knossos on a guided walking tour. Learn about the mythical Palace of Legendary King Minos, Princess Ariadne, Minotaur, and Labyrinth. Enjoy skip-the-line entry and a transfer from your hotel (if option selected, Add-on service)
Meet your guide and head to the Palace of Knossos. Explore the site that covers an area of 20,000 square meters. See the oldest throne of Europe, some of the oldest drainage systems in the world, the oldest theater within Europe, and a sophisticated building and center of the Minoan civilization of the Bronze Era.
Admire the level of sophistication and technological skills and abilities of the people known as the Minoans. See areas of cult, workshops, temples, shrines, storage areas, cleansing rooms, bathing areas, and toilets.
Knossos, a complex of more than 1,500 interlocking rooms, was an astonishing palace, built for a mighty king of the Bronze Age. As you wander through the labyrinthine ruins, see the original throne of Minos, the mystifying sanctuaries, the luxurious domestic quarters of the royal family, the once bursting with Crete’s treasures pantries, and the astonishing water-management systems.
Learn about the history of the palace. The first palace of Knossos was erected soon after 2000 BC. In 1700 BC, a catastrophic earthquake destroyed the palace. A new palace was then immediately built, the most significant and monumental of all and for more than 300 years it represented the pre-eminent center of power in Bronze Age Crete.
The new palace was an imposing complex with important architectural innovations, splendid frescoes adorning the walls, hundreds of rooms distributed in four storeys, impressive storage areas, specialized workshops, and spacious courts hosting ceremonies and feasts.