Pano Karouzanos night
A mountain-village evening with pickup and drop-off, a free stroll, a traditional dinner with local wine and a live music-and-dance show, in about six hours.
Check this night's dates ↗A big village evening
A village night, not a private dinner
01
A festive evening for a crowd
This is a large group evening. Long tables, a stage, a lot of guests and a lot of noise are the point of it. Guests describe a lively room and a welcome that feels like a village wedding. If you want a quiet table for two, a dinner you arrange in town is the better choice.
02
Music that belongs to the island
Crete has its own music. The lyra, a pear-shaped three-string fiddle played upright on the lap, carries the tune, the laouto keeps the rhythm beneath it, and singers trade improvised couplets called mantinades. The dances that go with it are the leaping pentozali and the linking syrtos.
03
A floor open to guests
Guests are invited to learn a few steps and join in. The dances are line dances, so a newcomer can take a place and follow the feet in front. Watching from your table is fine too.
04
A table from the same hills
Dinner is a traditional meal with local wine, cooked for a large room. Cretan cooking rests on plants and olive oil, and the municipality of Heraklion calls it the most characteristic example of the Mediterranean diet.
The dances of a glendi
What a Cretan glendi is made of
A glendi is the Greek word for a party or celebration, and a Cretan one is built from the same few things: lyra and laouto, dances that guests are invited to join, and couplets sung back and forth.
- Pentozali
The island's signature dance
The pentozali is the trademark folk dance of Crete. Its name means five steps, though it has ten in all, and it is a high-jumping dance that begins at a moderate or fast pace and speeds up. The first dancer in the line improvises while the second stands firm to steady them, then steps to the back.
- Syrtos
The linking line dance
In the syrtos the dancers link hands behind a leader who now and then breaks away to improvise. On Crete it is in 4/4 time and is typically played to an up-tempo lyra melody. Because everyone holds hands, a newcomer can take a place and follow the feet in front.
- Kalamatianos
The dance you may already know
The kalamatianos shares its steps with the syrtos but is in 7/8 time, in a slow, quick, quick rhythm. It is among the most popular dances throughout Greece and Cyprus, danced at weddings and religious festivals.
- Sirtaki
The film dance
The sirtaki was devised for the 1964 film Zorba the Greek, set to a Mikis Theodorakis score, and mixes the syrtos with the rhythms of the hasapiko. It is a 20th-century creation, not an old village dance, but it is the Greek dance many visitors already know.
- Mantinada
The sung couplet
A mantinada is a rhyming couplet of fifteen syllables, often improvised on the spot, usually about love or gentle mockery. It is sung to lyra and laouto, and one verse can draw an answer from another singer.
- Lyra and laouto
The two instruments underneath
The Cretan lyra is a three-stringed, pear-shaped bowed instrument held upright on the knee. The laouto, a long-necked lute, plays beneath it, more rhythm than melody. Lyra, violin and laouto predominate in Cretan music.
Programmes change from night to night. These are the island's core pieces, not a running order, and none is promised for a given date.
From pickup to drop-off
The evening, in order
About six hours in all, with the bus there and back. The booking page lists the pickup stops once you choose a date.
- Pickup
A stop near your hotel
The bus collects guests from hotels and pickup points across Heraklion and the resort coast to the east.
- The road
Up into the mountains
A scenic drive through the hills, well over an hour each way, with live guiding in English, German, French and Polish.
- The village
Free time in Karouzanos
Time to walk the narrow streets, look at the old houses and take in the view of the Cretan mountains.
- The stage
Musicians, dancers and you
Local musicians and dancers perform, and guests are invited to learn the steps and join in.
- The table
Dinner with local wine
A traditional dinner at the village restaurant, with local wine and water. Extra drinks come from a separate bar.
- Home
The bus back
After the show the bus returns to the stops on your booking. Guests mention a change of vehicle on the way.
Instruments, costumes and country
Instruments, costumes and country
Real photographs from Crete: musicians at a festival in Sitia, dancers at a festival in Sokaras, lyras in an Athens museum and Cretan hill country. None shows the Karouzanos evening itself.
The room and the crowd
What the room and the road are like
Five things to know before you commit to a big village evening.
- A big room
- Guests describe food cooked in volume for a large crowd, and a lively, noisy room. It is a group evening, not an intimate one.
- Wine, water and the bar
- Local wine and water come with dinner. Anything extra is bought at a separate bar.
- Photos with the performers
- Guests describe photos taken at the table and sold as prints afterwards, so carry a little cash.
- The road
- The mountain road is winding and the ride is well over an hour each way. If you get travel sick, plan for it.
- Languages
- Live guiding is offered in English, German, French and Polish. The music and dance need no common language.
Pano or Kato Karouzanos
Two Cretan nights from Heraklion, side by side
| The evening | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Pano Karouzanos night | A mountain-village evening with pickup and drop-off, a free stroll, a traditional dinner with local wine and a live music-and-dance show, in about six hours. | Couples and groups who want the full village trip, pickup included. |
| Kato Karouzanos night | A Mediterranean buffet with unlimited wine and water and a dance show with lyra and laouto. Pickup comes with some options, and the booking page shows how long each option runs. Not suitable for wheelchair users. | Travellers who prefer a buffet and want to choose a pickup option. |
Two Cretan nights from Heraklion
The village night and its neighbour
This site follows the Pano Karouzanos night. The Kato Karouzanos night is the other village evening that leaves Heraklion, and its card sits beside the first so you can compare dates and options.
Kato Karouzanos night
A Mediterranean buffet with unlimited wine and water and a dance show with lyra and laouto. Pickup comes with some options, and the booking page shows how long each option runs. Not suitable for wheelchair users.
Check this night's dates ↗More things to do around Heraklion
Getting ready for the night
Plan the village night
Pick the date first
Choose a day in the booking calendar before you plan anything else. Your pickup details and the total for your party appear for that date.
Read your pickup details
Each hotel or pickup point has its own stop. When yours is missing from the list, write to the operator after booking and ask for a stop along the route.
Wear shoes you can dance in
The evening includes a stroll through narrow streets and a floor where guests are invited to dance. Bring a light layer for after dark.
Carry a little cash
Extra drinks come from a separate bar, and photos with the performers are sold as prints. Wine and water come with dinner.
Plan for the road
The mountain road is winding and the ride is well over an hour each way. Take your usual remedy before boarding if you get travel sick.
Keep the evening free
The trip takes about six hours from pickup to drop-off, so avoid an early start the next morning.
More on the Cretan night
Guides to the Cretan night
- 01 Choosing and booking Cretan night in Heraklion: which one to book How the two village nights from Heraklion differ, what the Pano Karouzanos ticket covers, how pickup works and who the evening is not for. Read this Cretan guide →
- 02 The art behind the evening Cretan music and dance: what you will hear The lyra, the laouto, the pentozali, the syrtos and the sung couplets called mantinades, explained for first-time listeners at a Cretan night. Read this Cretan guide →
- 03 Before you go What to wear and bring to a Cretan night Shoes, layers, cash, a charged phone and a plan for the winding road: the small things that make a long village evening easier. Read this Cretan guide →
- 04 Getting there and back Cretan night pickup: the bus and getting home How pickup works, which resort areas are covered, what the long drive is like and what to do if your hotel is not on the list. Read this Cretan guide →
- 05 Food and drink Raki, wine and the Cretan village table The Cretan way of eating, the wine that comes with dinner, what raki is and when it appears, and what to do if you eat a restricted diet. Read this Cretan guide →
- 06 Planning your day Heraklion by day, a Cretan village by night The Venetian harbour, Knossos and the archaeological museum for the daytime, and how to leave room for a six-hour village evening. Read this Cretan guide →
FAQ
Questions before you book the village night
Is Cretan Night a private dinner?
No. It is a large group evening with long tables, a stage and a crowd. Guests describe a lively room and a welcome that feels like a village wedding. For a private table, arrange a dinner in town yourself.
How long does the evening last?
About six hours from pickup to drop-off, including a bus ride of well over an hour each way. The booking page shows the start for your date.
Is pickup from my hotel included?
Yes. Collection and drop-off at hotels and pickup points come with the ticket, and the stops for your chosen date are shown on the booking page. If your hotel is missing, write to the operator once you have booked.
Are drinks included?
Local wine comes with dinner, and guests describe water on the table too. Anything extra is bought at a separate bar, so carry a little cash.
Must I join the dancing?
No. Guests are invited to learn a few steps and join in, and many do, but watching from your table is fine.
Which languages is the guiding in?
Live guiding is offered in English, German, French and Polish. The music and dance need no common language.
Is this the same as the Kato Karouzanos night?
No. It is a different village night with a different restaurant and operator. It serves a buffet and offers pickup with some options. Its card sits beside this one so you can compare them.
How do I cancel?
Yes, until 24 hours before the start, and your money comes back in full. That applies to bookings made through GetYourGuide. Pay-later means you can hold a date without paying now.
One long table, a lyra, a laouto and a village that dances.
Book the Cretan night ↗The fare shown is for one person. Pick your date and the booking page adds up your whole group in your currency.