Chania Walking Tour

Walk through Chania’s irresistible Old Town admiring the architecture, becoming immersed in Crete’s history, and later, enjoying the bounty of shops around the harbor.

Depart from the pier and make the brief drive into the heart of Chania, where you will begin your walking tour. Along the way, the guide will point out the most notable attractions and elaborate on the city’s founding, often through anecdotes. Once the capital of Crete, Chania was originally constructed around a Venetian port in what is now the Old Town.

Over the centuries, various civilizations have conquered and occupied Crete and left their marks architecturally on Chania. While navigating through the charming labyrinth of streets, you will see elegant Venetian buildings, Turkish fountains, Jewish quarters, Christian churches, mosques and synagogues. You will also have the opportunity to browse the Market Hall. Built in the shape of a cross in 1913 to celebrate Crete’s reunification with Greece, the shopping venue is filled with elaborate stalls overflowing with merchandise as varied as handbags, herbs and sponges.

The guided portion of your tour ends around the harbor, a delightfully lively area featuring countless tavernas, galleries and shops where you’re welcome to watch the tradesmen work. Fresh seafood dishes are a specialty in most of the cafés, so you might consider spending your free time doing nothing more ambitious than casually dining and lingering over a glass of Cretan wine. You might even catch sight of the Arabian lighthouse at the harbor’s entrance. Afterwards, you will rejoin your coach drive back to the pier.