Buses at Heraklion Airport (HER)

The Heraklion Airport bus is the cheapest way to leave the terminal at Heraklion International Airport "Nikos Kazantzakis" (HER), and it runs several times an hour. The city bus stop sits a short walk from the terminal, a ticket to Heraklion centre costs €1.30 bought in advance or €2.30 from the driver, and the ride takes about 20 minutes. Intercity KTEL coaches to the resorts and to the rest of Crete leave from the city bus station rather than from the airport kerb. Below: where to stand, what to pay, how late the last bus runs, and when the bus is genuinely the wrong choice.

Where the bus stops at Heraklion Airport

Leave the terminal through the main doors, turn right, follow the road round to the left, and the bus stops are there. It is a walk of well under five minutes with luggage. The urban operator also runs a small airport departure point staffed roughly from 05:30 to 21:00, with its own phone line (2810 220795) if you need to ask about a specific run.

Contemporary building exterior with buses at night, highlighting urban transport hub.

One detail that trips people up: read the destination board on the front of the bus, not the route number. Buses heading into town display ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ or IRAKLIO. Travel guides still list different route numbers, and the operator itself does not publish an airport line number on its itineraries page. The destination display is the reliable signal.

City bus to Heraklion centre: what a ticket costs

Fares are set by Astiko KTEL Herakliou, the urban operator, and they are zoned. The rates below took effect on 23 March 2026. The airport sits inside Zone A, the city within a 5 km radius, and buying before you board is always cheaper:

Illuminated bus station with parked buses in an urban setting at dusk.

Zone A single: €1.30 in advance, €2.30 on board
Zone B single (suburbs beyond 5 km): €1.80 in advance, €2.80 on board
All-day ticket: €5.00 · 24-hour ticket: €6.00
3-day: €15.00 · 7-day: €30.00
Packet of 10+1 Zone A tickets: €13.00
Students and pupils, Zone A: €0.80 in advance, €1.30 on board

You can buy through the operator's mobile app, at a kiosk or ticket shop, or from the driver at the higher price. Carry coins: cash is normal on board, and card acceptance is not something to count on. There are ATMs and a currency exchange desk in the terminal if you land without euros.

Compare that with the alternatives before you decide. A taxi into town runs about €19 by day, so for a couple with light bags the maths is close once two bus tickets are bought at the driver's price. For four people, the taxi usually wins on convenience and loses on cost only slightly.

Heraklion Airport bus times: frequency and the last departure

Operators and airport guides put the city service at roughly every 10 to 15 minutes, from about 06:00 until approximately midnight, year round, with seasonal adjustments. Journey time into the centre is about 20 minutes, longer at 09:00 or 18:00 in August when the coastal road backs up.

A striking aerial view of blue buses perfectly aligned in rows, showcasing urban transportation.

Two consequences worth planning around:

There is no night bus. Land at 01:30 and the choice is a taxi, a booked transfer, or waiting in the terminal. See rest zones at HER if you decide to wait.
Early flights need a different plan. If your flight leaves at 06:00 you should already be at the airport before the first bus rolls out. Work backwards from how much time to allow before boarding.

Intercity buses east: Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos

Long-distance routes on this half of the island belong to KTEL Heraklio-Lasithi. The relevant service runs Heraklion, Kokkini Hani, Gouves, Hersonissos, Stalida, Malia, with departures from early morning until late evening, and the operator refreshed its timetables at the end of June 2026.

Row of colorful buses parked outdoors in an urban lot with a clear sky.

Fares quoted by the operator for the popular hops:

Malia: about €4.20
Hersonissos: served by the same route, a little less
Agios Nikolaos: about €7.70

The practical catch is where you board. Some coaches pass the airport, but the dependable place to catch them is the city bus station, which is why many arriving passengers ride the city bus in first and change there. Budget an extra 30 to 40 minutes for that hop, and check the current departure list by phone (+30 2810 245020) or on the operator's site if your onward bus is one of the last of the day.

Going west: Rethymno and Chania

Western Crete is a different company again, KTEL Chania-Rethymno, and those coaches leave from the central bus station in Heraklion. Indicative one-way fares and times:

Scenic view of Chania harbor featuring traditional buildings and mountains in Greece.

Rethymno: around €9, about 1 hour 15 minutes
Chania: around €15 to €16, roughly 2 hours on the express

For Chania specifically, remember that Crete has a second airport: if your holiday is based in the west, check flights to Chania (CHQ) before committing to a two-hour bus at the end of a travel day. Seats on the western routes can be reserved online, which is worth doing on summer weekends.

Bus, taxi or transfer: which is right for your trip

Bus: cheapest by a wide margin, good for one or two people with hand luggage heading into Heraklion or along the north coast in daylight hours.
Taxi: best for the city, the ferry port, and nearby resorts, and for anyone landing without a plan. No timetable to catch. Fares and fixed zone prices are on our taxi page.
Pre-booked transfer: best for night arrivals, for families with four suitcases, and for long runs west where a coach plus a change eats half a day. Details on the private transfer guide.
Hotel shuttle: some hotels near the airport collect guests themselves, which beats all of the above when it is included. See shuttle options.

All of the options, including car hire, sit side by side on the transport page.

Luggage, tickets and other practical limits

A few things the timetable does not tell you:

Luggage on the city bus goes with you, not underneath. Two large suitcases in a crowded bus at 18:00 in August is unpleasant for you and everybody else. Intercity coaches have proper holds.
Validate your ticket when you board if you bought it in advance. Inspectors do check, and fines are not a tourist myth.
No luggage lockers exist in the terminal. The independent left-luggage point sits by that same city bus station, roughly 80 metres from the main entrance, so a bus trip into town and a bag drop can be combined: see left luggage at HER.
Fares are regulated, timetables are seasonal. The urban fares here are the rates in force since 23 March 2026 and the intercity figures are what the operators publish now, so check the current schedule before you travel. Official pages: urban bus tickets and the March 2026 fare announcement, KTEL Heraklio-Lasithi timetables, KTEL Chania-Rethymno.

When the bus is the wrong choice

Being honest about it saves people a bad first hour on holiday. Skip the bus if you land after midnight or before 06:00, if you are travelling with small children plus a pushchair, if you have more bags than hands, if your accommodation is somewhere the coastal route does not reach, or if you are connecting to a ferry with a tight departure. In every one of those cases the €20 to €40 you save is not worth the hour you lose.

The bus is excellent, though, for exactly what it was built for: a cheap, frequent, 20-minute ride between the airport and the city, several times an hour, all year.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a bus from Heraklion Airport to the city centre?
Yes. The urban bus stop is a short walk from the terminal, buses run roughly every 10 to 15 minutes from about 06:00 to midnight, and the ride takes about 20 minutes.

What does the Heraklion Airport bus ticket cost?
€1.30 if you buy the Zone A ticket in advance, €2.30 if you buy it from the driver. These are the rates in force since 23 March 2026, and students and pupils pay €0.80 in advance.

Where is the bus stop at Heraklion Airport?
Out of the main terminal doors, turn right and follow the road round to the left. The stops are grouped together there, under five minutes on foot.

Which bus number goes to Heraklion Airport?
Read the destination sign rather than the number: buses to town show ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ or IRAKLIO. Third-party guides quote different line numbers and the operator does not publish an airport line number, so the sign is the reliable signal.

Can I pay the driver by card?
Do not count on it. Cash in euros is the norm on board, and buying in advance through the app or a kiosk is cheaper anyway.

Is there a night bus from Heraklion Airport?
No. The service stops at approximately midnight and starts again about 06:00, with seasonal variation. Late arrivals need a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

Which bus goes to Hersonissos and Malia?
Take the KTEL Heraklio-Lasithi coastal route. Malia is quoted at about €4.20 and Hersonissos slightly less. The dependable boarding point is the city bus station, so most passengers ride the city bus in first.

What does a ticket to Agios Nikolaos cost?
About €7.70 on the KTEL intercity service, from the city bus station.

Are there direct coaches to Chania or Rethymno?
Not directly from the airport. Those coaches belong to KTEL Chania-Rethymno and leave from the central bus station: roughly €9 to Rethymno, about €15 to €16 to Chania.

What is the journey time into Heraklion?
About 20 minutes, and noticeably longer during morning and evening traffic in high season.

Can I take large suitcases on the city bus?
They travel in the cabin with you, not in a hold, which is awkward on a full summer bus. Intercity coaches have luggage compartments.

Is a day ticket worth buying?
An all-day ticket is €5.00 and a 24-hour ticket €6.00. It pays off from four single journeys, so it suits a day of sightseeing rather than a straight airport run.