Heraklion Airport

About Heraklion Airport

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is Crete’s main gateway and one of Greece’s busiest airports in summer, handling heavy scheduled and charter traffic from across Europe alongside domestic links to Athens and other islands. It sits about 5 km east of Iraklio (the city almost universally known abroad as Heraklion), close enough that the drive to the centre is one of the shortest of any major Greek holiday airport.

A new airport is under construction inland at Kastelli to eventually replace Nikos Kazantzakis, but the current airport remains fully operational for now, with all flights, transfers and pickups running as usual.

Getting from Heraklion Airport to Iraklio (Heraklion)

A pre-booked transfer to the city centre takes around 12 minutes along the coast road, longer through central traffic at peak times in July and August. Buses connect the airport to the city and onward to the eastern resort strip, but a private transfer waiting at arrivals is the more predictable choice for a late flight, an early hotel check-in or a group with luggage heading straight to a resort further along the coast.

Terminals and pickup points

Heraklion Airport operates from a single terminal building serving all flights. Pre-booked transfer drivers wait in the arrivals hall with a name sign confirmed in your booking, just past baggage claim.

Common transfer routes from Heraklion Airport

Typical routes from HER include:

• HER to the city centre and old harbour, around 12 minutes.
• HER to Hersonissos, around 25 to 30 minutes.
• HER to Malia, around 35 to 40 minutes.
• HER to Agios Nikolaos, around 50 to 60 minutes.
• HER to Rethymno, around 70 to 80 minutes.
• HER to the Palace of Knossos, around 15 to 20 minutes.

A transfer that stops at Knossos on the way to a hotel is a popular way to fit in Crete’s best-known archaeological site on arrival day, before settling in at a resort further along the coast.

Booking your Heraklion Airport transfer

Compare licensed Cretan operators on this site for any HER route. You get one fixed price up front, meet-and-greet at the terminal, flight tracking and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, iDEAL, Wero and PayPal are all accepted.

For resorts east toward Malia and Agios Nikolaos, booking a vehicle 24 to 48 hours ahead is worthwhile in peak season, when Heraklion runs close to capacity on charter days.