Drive to Heraklion airport or Heraklion port

From Heraklion Airport, to travel to any town or resort in Crete (Chania, Rethymnon, Agios Nikolaos, Hersonissos, Malia, etc.), you do not need to go through Heraklion, certainly delaying the start of your holiday due to the heavy traffic you may meet.

The best way to leave Heraklion Airport is to use the National Road. On leaving Heraklion Airport, follow the wide road which runs from the airport exit to the National Road (red arrows on the map)

The first exit onto the National Road will take you into the lane heading to Rethymnon and Chania, while the second, a few metres further along, will take you into the Agios Nikolaos lane.

If you are coming from east Crete (Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, Ierapetra, Sitia), to reach Heraklion Airport you need to follow the Agios Nikolaos - Heraklion National Road.

Shortly before you get to the city of Heraklion, you will see the exit to Heraklion Airport on your right (exit No 1 on the map).

Take the exit, and Heraklion Airport is half a kilometre further on.

To reach Heraklion Airport from Chania, you need to leave the city of Chania on the National Road and drive east towards Rethymnon and Heraklion.
The National Road passes outside Rethymnon (60 kilometres from Chania) and continues to Heraklion, 130 kilometres from Chania.
When you reach Heraklion, it is better to avoid going through the city to reach Heraklion Airport, avoiding the increased traffic.
Stay on the National Road and pass all exits (3 exits) to Heraklion, until you see the sign to Heraklion Airport on your right. This exit (No 1) will take you straight to the airport entrance, just a short distance from the National Road.

To reach Heraklion city centre from Heraklion Airport, you need to head right along the road running parallel to the airport from the airport exit (road marked with red dots on the map).

This road will lead you into Ikarou Avenue. Ikarou Avenue ends at the main square of Heraklion, Eleftherias Square, where the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion is.

Shortly before you reach the Museum, you will see the municipal car park on your left. From here it’s just a short walk to the city centre.

If you come from west Crete, take the first exit from the highway. This exit is marked as No 2 on the map below. Drive north and then follow the coastal road to Heraklion port.

If you come from the east, take the exit which is marked as No3 on the map below. Drive north and turn left at the end of the road. Keep driving on the coastal road until the first traffic lights, where you will enter Heraklion port.