Crete Bus Independent transit guide Bus guide

Island capital

Heraklion

Heraklion Urban Buses publishes city itineraries, tickets and telematics; KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi publishes intercity coaches towards Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, the resort coast and the south. The two are separate systems with separate tickets.

By bus

Getting to Heraklion

Heraklion Urban Buses publishes city itineraries, tickets and telematics; KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi publishes intercity coaches towards Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, the resort coast and the south. The two are separate systems with separate tickets.

  • Use the urban operator's itineraries for travel within the city and suburbs.
  • For journeys leaving Heraklion east or south, open the current KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi pages.
  • Westward along the north coast, the trunk corridor towards Rethymno and Chania involves KTEL publications — check the responsible company for your leg.

Source: Heraklion Urban Buses: Official urban itineraries, tickets and telematics · KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi S.A.: Official routes, timetables and fares for east and south Crete · Municipality of Heraklion: Visitor guidance: local transportation

Open Heraklion Urban Buses

Before you go

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Worth your time

What Heraklion does best

Heraklion works best when the city and intercity layers stay separate in your plan. The city's own operator publishes urban routes and tickets, while KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi publishes the coaches that leave for the east and south of the island. Open the current source for each part rather than expecting one page to describe the whole journey.

City-centre arrival

Identify the stop named by the current operator result, then compare it with the harbour, museum or market area you actually need.

Knossos connection

The Minoan palace site sits just south of the city; check the urban operator's current itineraries for the route serving it.

Onward intercity travel

A city bus and a KTEL coach are separate journey layers; keep both official pages open until the connection is clear.

Good to know

  • Use the exact stop names shown by the operator when comparing a route result with your map.
  • Do not assume a city ticket applies to a KTEL intercity coach.
  • This guide does not provide live departure information; use the official operator tools.

Optional experiences

Pairs well with the bus

Curated for this destination. The full list lives on the experiences page.

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History and culture Knossos, near Heraklion

Palace of Knossos entrance ticket

Pre-book entry to the Minoan palace site just south of Heraklion and explore at your own pace.

Getting there: Knossos is reached from Heraklion; check Heraklion Urban Buses for the current city route before booking a time slot.

Check availability on GetYourGuide
City and culture Heraklion

Explore Heraklion experiences

Browse current museum, food and guided-experience choices in and around Heraklion.

Getting there: Plan the city or intercity journey first, then confirm the experience meeting point and current booking details on GetYourGuide.

Browse on GetYourGuide

Keep exploring

Western hub Chania Use Chania Urban Buses inside the city, and KTEL Chania–Rethymno for the west's intercity corridors. Plan the ride Where the networks meet Rethymno Rethymno sits between the two KTEL companies — check which one publishes your leg. Plan the ride Gateway to Lasithi Agios Nikolaos KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi publishes the corridors serving Agios Nikolaos and the east. Plan the ride