Irákleion: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Irákleion is a city of 137,154 people in Greece (Crete), 60 m (197 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Irákleion runs from about 9 h 49 min a day in late December to 14 h 36 min in late June (computed for 35.33° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Irákleion is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,904 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Chania International Airport (CHQ, 93 km), Sitia Airport (JSH, 88 km).
Flights to Irákleion: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Irákleion · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- İzmir, 386 km (Turkey) — flights · buses · car rental
- Athens, 321 km — buses · car rental
- Karabağlar, 383 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Bornova, 397 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Karşıyaka, 390 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Konak, 383 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Çiğli, 392 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Piraeus, 320 km — buses · car rental
- Aydın, 369 km (Turkey) — buses · car rental
- Tobruk, 377 km (Libya)
Twin towns and sister cities: Constanța, Odesa, Pernik, Toledo, Nizhny Novgorod.
Common questions
Which airport serves Irákleion?
Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER), 4 km (2 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Irákleion?
About 137,154 people live in Irákleion, across 109 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Irákleion in?
Europe/Athens, currently UTC+3.
What currency is used in Irákleion?
The Euro (EUR). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Irákleion?
İzmir (386 km), Athens (321 km), Karabağlar (383 km), Bornova (397 km), Karşıyaka (390 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.