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Maori Haka - Battle of Crete Tour

WWII – The Battle of Crete Combo Tour

from
1,700

Discover the greatness of Cretan history and learn about one of the most critical battles in WWII. Visit the battlegrounds of Crete, the war cemeteries & monuments, private collections with original relics and discover the unknown stories of the Battle of Crete!

 

This is a multi-day tour for people who seek a unique experience during the quiet period of Crete. This itinerary includes:

 

Airport transfer services
Seven overnights with breakfast
Exploration of the original battlegrounds
Visits to the islands war cemeteries
Tours in Chania, Rethymno & Heraklion
Guided tours & analytic descriptions of the battle
Private collections with original relics

 

Please e-mail us for availability and rates

Get a quote on info@fabulouscrete.com

You can also customize this package and create with us a tailor-made itinerary
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  • Vacation Style Holiday Type
    Culture, Discovery, Guided Tours, History
  • Activity Level
  • Group Size Small Group
    14
All about the WWII – The Battle of Crete Combo Tour.

Tour Highlights

  • Visit the Maleme airfield from above and Tavronitis historical bridge
  • Discover the battle of Galatas
  • War monuments around the area of the battle
  • Explore the WWII exhibitions in small museums and secret shelters
  • Visit the German and Allies war cemeteries
  • Analytic details about the historical battle of Crete
  • Explore the “White Mountains Trail”
  • Heraklion & Rethimnon regions

Intro

On May 20th 1941, the world’s history changed forever. Crete’s battle, or “operation Mercury” was one of the most important war theatres of WWII. In July 1941, two months after Crete’s fall, General Kurt Student, the German Airborne leader, was called to Adolf Hitler’s base at Wolfschanze. Student with some senior paratroop officers who had survived the Crete battle, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross. The Fuhrer congratulated the Airborne warriors for the victory. This was quite encouraging for the experienced general. Already his Airborne Corps was nearly back up to strength. He had ambitious plans for further operations In the Mediterranean against Cyprus, Egypt, and Malta. But after lunch, over coffee, Hitler shattered his hopes.

Turning to Student, the Fuhrer said quietly: “Of course, General you know that after Crete we shall never do another Airborne operation. The parachute arm relies entirely on surprise. That surprise factor has now exhausted itself…the day of the Paratroops is over”.

The general historical facts of the battle of Crete are known. Together we will discover the original details and the unknown stories behind the scenes. You will have the chance to tour around the places where heroism and hope was a life goal for the Cretan partisans and the Greek, British, Australian and New Zeeland troops. The battle of Crete changed the world in many different ways. Join us and explore the legendary and glorious WWII history of Crete.

If you wish to explore more options return to the Cultural & Historical Tours page.

The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
  • Accommodation for 7 nights in luxurious hotels
  • 7 Full breakfasts
  • Airport transfers and all transfers as per the itinerary by luxury Vehicles and English speaking chauffeur
  • 1 keepsake itinerary with maps and ample information about visited locations
  • English speaking, local guide
  • All entrance fees
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
  • Flights
  • Meals and Drinks not Specified
  • Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc
  • Tips and Gratuities (Guides, Restaurants, etc)
  • Travel Insurance (Strongly recommended)
  • Cancellation Insurance
  1. Day One Arrival day

    Welcome to the island of Crete! Our friendly driver will pick you up from the airport and drop you off at your nice and elegant hotel in Chania. Relax, settle in and take some rest from your long journey. There are plenty of things to discover in the next days, so get ready.

  2. Day Two Get in touch with the Greek - Cretan culture and history

    On our first day, we will tour around Chania. The signs of the battle are remained, as you will see, many buildings are still ruins because of the German Luftwaffe attack those days. We will start from the beginning of WWII and how the war affected East-South Europe, Greece and Crete. We will analyze the operation “Marita”, the glorious Greek-Italian war of 1940 and under what circumstances the operation “Mercury” began.

  3. Day Three Discover the most important war theatre of the battle

    After your breakfast, you will have the chance to see the key-location of the battle of Crete. A few kilometres from your hotel is Maleme, Tavronitis and Galatas. On the 20th and 21st of May 1941, the Nazis bombed hardly specific locations of Chania. One of them, and the most important, was the airfield of Maleme. You will discover the most crucial war theatre in the battle.

     

  4. Day Four Explore more locations and see how the allies lost the battle

    Today we will explore the other side of Chania. Another German target of the first days. We will explore more key-locations in Chania and learn everything about facts and the secrets of the battle. We will also explain what happened to the other two Crete regions, Rethimno and Heraklion, during the battle days.

  5. Day Five The beginning of the end – The White Mountains Trail

    The end of the battle is close, and general Fryberg orders all his troops to withdraw. He has an escape plan. That was a life bet for Fryberg and Wevel to save the allies during the retreat. The Cretan partisans helped and led the allied troops through the mountains to the South harbours, where the warships were waiting for them. The narrow mountain paths were extremely dangerous and unknown, but not for the locals. Today we will discover the area where the allies escaped.

  6. Day Six The German – Italian occupation in Crete

    The battle of Crete never ended. Cretan partisans, British commandos and soldiers who survived and escaped to the mountains are still fighting the Nazis. Many secret operations and sabotage made the Germans always to worry about their lives. After many brave actions against the Germans in Crete, no German or Italian officer around Europe felt safe again. We will explore many areas in Crete where important operations took place.

  7. Day Seven The reprisals

    In the first days of the German occupation, terrible things happened in Crete. The Nazis took hard and painful revenge from the locals. Cretans paid a massive price for their resistance during the battle with a lot of blood and sacrifices. Some of the first mass executions of innocent people happened at Alikianos, Kontomari, Kandanos and many other villages around Crete. The Germans hit hard and quickly. Too many men, women and children died in organized mass executions by Nazi bullets. We will drive around the monuments dedicated to those heroes who gave their lives to protect their homeland and families for Freedom, Peace and Democracy. We will analyze Crete’s life during the German occupation, and in the evening, we will enjoy our farewell dinner.

  8. Day Eight Time to say goodbye

    Our trip is nearly ended! We will meet at your hotel for the last farewell and our driver will drop you off at the airport. It was a week full of history, memories and cultural heritage. We are sure that we will see you again in one of our common interest travels.

Battle of Crete Tour
Battle of Crete Tour