Knossos Palace in December

Why this matters when planning

In December the dates matter more than the hours. The palace keeps the same 08:00 to 17:00 day it has kept since 1 November, so the questions for this month are which days it is shut and which are free. Hellenic Heritage, which runs the site and sells the tickets, lists 25 and 26 December as closed. It publishes no shorter hours for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, but holiday arrangements in Greece can change at short notice, so look at the official Knossos page on the morning you go.

The free Sundays fall either side of the holiday, on 6 and 20 December 2026. Entry costs nothing on those days, but you still book a ticket for an entry time on tickets.hh.gr. On any other day the ticket is €20 and the reduced ticket €10, and EU citizens under 25 enter free. Our Knossos tickets and prices guide lists who qualifies for each.

If Christmas week is your only window, put the palace on 24, 27 or later in the month and keep 25 and 26 December for something else. Greek state museums, the Heraklion Archaeological Museum among them, normally close on the same two days.

Recommended approach

Treat a guide over Christmas as a separate booking. Before you pay, check that the guide is licensed, whether the €20 admission is included, how big the group is and where you meet. Then confirm the departure for your exact date, because some guides take the holiday week off even when the site is open.

The Knossos Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Walking Tour costs $100 per person with the ticket included, lasts about 90 minutes and has 4.9/5 from more than 1,500 reviews. The private tour with a licensed archaeologist costs $236 for up to two people, also with the ticket, and has 4.9/5 from more than 700 reviews. Take the shared walk if you are travelling alone or want the lower price; take the private tour if you are two and would rather ask questions at your own pace. Both can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, which helps in a month when a wet morning can change your plans.

An entrance-only ticket suits visitors who want to set their own pace and read the site with a guidebook. Book it on tickets.hh.gr and check the visitor route there before you set out.

City bus line 2 takes about 20 minutes from central Heraklion. Around Christmas and New Year, check the holiday timetable and the time of the last bus back. A taxi takes about 15 minutes; agree in the quote whether the driver waits and brings you back. With children or luggage, allow extra time for boarding and the walk from the stop.

Winter considerations

December is quiet. Knossos had 8,430 visitors in December 2025, about 270 a day, against roughly 5,500 a day in August. You can look into the Throne Room or down the Grand Staircase without a queue behind you.

It is also one of the wettest months. Rain falls on about 15 days in Heraklion, against about 11 in November, and the average high drops to 16.9°C. The palace is an open-air ruin with almost no shelter. After rain the old paving and steps get slippery, so wear shoes with grip and carry a waterproof layer. Thunderstorms and strong wind can close the site at short notice, so the opening hours are no guarantee on a stormy day. Our page on visiting Knossos in winter has a full wet-day plan.

On a showery day, start at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and move on to the palace if the afternoon clears. The museum holds the original frescoes and finds from Knossos, which helps you read the parts of the palace that were reconstructed in the twentieth century. It keeps shorter winter hours than the palace, so check them on its website before you plan a day around both. Each site has its own €20 ticket.

Frequently asked questions

Is Knossos open at Christmas?

Not on 25 or 26 December 2026; those are the site’s two Christmas closing days. It is open 08:00 to 17:00 on every other day in December. No special hours are published for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, so check the official page on the day.

Can you visit without an organised tour?

Yes. You need a ticket for an entry time from tickets.hh.gr, and you can walk the site on your own. City bus line 2 runs from Heraklion in about 20 minutes, or take a taxi; check holiday bus times over Christmas week.

How much time should you allow?

Plan 90 minutes to two hours at the palace; specialist tours and photography take longer. With last entry at 16:40 and closing at 17:00, arrive by about 15:00 for a full visit.

What happens if it rains?

Light rain does not stop a visit, but the site has almost no shelter and the paving gets slippery. Heavy rain, thunderstorms or strong wind can close it, so check the forecast and any closure notice before you travel.

Is it possible to save on admission?

Yes. Come on Sunday 6 or 20 December 2026, when entry is free for everyone. EU citizens under 25 enter free every day, and EU citizens over 65 pay the €10 reduced price. Carry a passport or ID card.

Final planning advice

Pick a dry morning that is not 25 or 26 December, enter by mid-morning and keep the museum for the showers. If you book a guide for Christmas week, confirm the date with the operator before you travel.

Practical visit checklist

• Check the official page for holiday closures and any weather closure on the morning you go.
• Choose between an entrance-only ticket, a guided tour with the ticket included, or a private guide.
• Look up the holiday bus timetable and the last bus back if you are not driving.
• Carry a passport or ID card if you are claiming a free or reduced ticket.
• Leave spare time for rain and holiday traffic, especially before a flight or ferry.

Reliable planning resources

• Hellenic Heritage — Knossos Palace
• Official Knossos tickets (tickets.hh.gr)
• Heraklion Urban Bus
• Heraklion Archaeological Museum
• KTEL Heraklio–Lasithi regional buses