Maps of Heraklion Airport (HER)

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is one compact passenger terminal with almost everything on the main level, which is why it needs less map-reading than its passenger numbers suggest: 9,384,233 travellers came through in 2024, up 7.6 % on the year before. There are no concourses to choose between and no shuttle between piers. Everything below is the layout in words, the position of the airport on Crete, and what you actually walk past in each direction.

Where the airport sits on Crete

HER is on the north coast, about 5 km east of Heraklion city centre, at 35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E and 35 m above sea level. The coastal road runs west into the city and east towards the resorts, which is the only orientation most arrivals need: the sea is on one side, the hills on the other.

Approximate road distances from the terminal, which are what matter when you are deciding between a taxi, the bus and a transfer:

• Heraklion city centre: 5 km, a 10 to 15 minute drive
• Hersonissos: 22 km
• Malia: 32 km
• Agios Nikolaos: 60 km
• Elounda: 68 km
• Rethymno: 80 km
• Chania: 135 to 145 km

For what each of those costs by taxi, bus or transfer, see the transport guide; for the city specifically, getting from the airport to the city centre.

The other airports on Crete

A common reason people look for a map of “Crete airport” is to work out which one they should be flying into, because the island has more than one:

• Heraklion (HER) sits in the middle of that coastline and is the island’s main gateway and the second-busiest airport in Greece after Athens.
• Chania (CHQ), at the western end, 135 to 145 km away by road. If your hotel is in the west, flying into Chania saves a two-hour drive once you have landed. The two are compared in detail on the Heraklion versus Chania page.
• Sitia (JSH), at the far eastern end, is a small regional airport with a thin schedule, worth considering only for a stay in that corner of the island.

A fourth is on the way: a new airport is under construction at Kastelli, 39 km south-east of Heraklion, intended to replace the current site. Its opening date has moved more than once, so treat any specific year you read with caution. Until it opens, everything on this page describes the coastal Nikos Kazantzakis terminal.

Is there an official terminal map or PDF?

Several travel sites offer a “Heraklion Airport terminal map PDF”. Those are their own redrawings, not an official document, and they go out of date whenever a shop moves or a gate is renumbered. We do not reproduce or host an airport plan here either: the terminal layout belongs to the airport, not to us.

What works better in practice is the sequence in words, below. Inside the terminal the signage is bilingual, Greek and English, and because almost everything is on the main level you can usually see the next step from where you are standing.

Departures, step by step

What you pass through, in order, on the way out:

• Forecourt and doors. Drop-off is at the kerb in front of the terminal; the car park is directly opposite, a two to three minute walk (see the parking guide).
• Check-in desks. Immediately inside the departures area, with the airline allocation shown on the screens above them. Landside there is also a cafe, small shops and the car-hire desks.
• Security. A single control point for all departures. Once through it you cannot go back landside, so finish anything on that side first.
• Passport control. Only for flights leaving the Schengen area, so most UK and other non-Schengen departures. Schengen flights go straight from security to the gates.
• Gates, shops and food. Airside you will find the duty-free and shops, cafes and food and the lounges. The gates are a short walk from security, and boarding for some stands is by bus across the apron rather than a jet bridge.

The terminals page covers the departures and arrivals halls in more detail.

Arrivals, step by step

In the other direction the order is: aircraft or apron bus to the terminal, then passport control if you are arriving from outside the Schengen area, then baggage reclaim, then the arrivals hall.

The arrivals hall opens straight onto the forecourt, and everything you need is within sight of the doors: the taxi rank at the kerb, the city bus stop a short walk to the right, the car-hire desks, and the parking area opposite. There is no metro and no train, because Crete has no railway at all.

Landside and airside: the one thing to get right

The terminal splits into two zones, and the split matters more than any floor plan. Landside is everything before security: check-in, the cafe, car hire, the exits, the greeters waiting for arrivals. Airside is everything after: gates, duty-free, the lounges, the bulk of the food. Left luggage and the meeting points are landside, so bags going into storage for a few hours have to be dropped before you go through (see the left luggage page). Crossing from landside to airside is one-way; plan the last coffee, the last cash withdrawal and the last goodbye accordingly.

Runways, and why it feels busier than it looks

The airport works two runways: the main strip is 2,714 m long and takes the jets, alongside a shorter 1,566 m one. It is a shared civil and military site owned by the Greek State, which is why you may see aircraft on the apron that have nothing to do with your flight.

Ten million passengers a year through one compact terminal is what produces the summer crush: the building is compact and the walking distances are short, but at the morning and evening departure peaks the queues at security are the bottleneck, not the distances. Work backwards from how early to arrive rather than from how long it takes to walk to the gate.

Moving around with luggage or reduced mobility

Short distances make HER straightforward with trolleys, pushchairs or a wheelchair: there are no long inter-terminal transfers and no unavoidable stairs between check-in and the gates. Assistance is free but has to be requested through your airline in advance, normally at least 48 hours before the flight. The details are on the reduced mobility page.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Heraklion Airport?
On the north coast of Crete, about 5 km east of Heraklion city centre, at 35°20′23″N 25°10′49″E.

How many terminals does Heraklion Airport have?
One terminal. Almost everything is on the main level, and two of the eleven departure exits are on the floor above.

Is there an official Heraklion Airport map PDF?
The plans offered as “official PDFs” by travel sites are their own redrawings. For a terminal this compact the sequence of check-in, security, passport control and gates is more useful than a floor plan.

How many airports does Crete have?
Three in use: Heraklion (HER), Chania (CHQ) at the western end and Sitia (JSH) in the east. A replacement for Heraklion is being built at Kastelli.

How many runways does Heraklion Airport have?
Two. The main one is 2,714 m long and the second 1,566 m.

Where is the car park?
Directly in front of the terminal, a two to three minute walk from the doors.

Where are the shops and restaurants?
Mostly airside, after security, with a cafe and small shops landside as well.

Is there a train to Heraklion Airport?
No. Crete has no railway; the options are the city bus, a taxi, a pre-booked transfer or a hire car.