Experience the unique beauty and culture of Chania
Chania has everything: ancient ruins, centuries-old monuments, strong local traditions, and exquisite cuisine that you get to taste during the tour. Leave your guidebook aside and follow your local guide into traditional neighborhoods and lesser-known corners – each spot, every backstreet you’ll pass along has a story to tell!

Highlights

• Meet local artisans in their workshop, learn about their work and even try your own skills.
• Explore the town’s century-old market with a local – Cretan products and groceries.
• Watch how phyllo is handmade by one of Greece’s last pastry masters.
• Stroll around the old Ottoman and Jewish Quarters and discover the “Street of the Knives” as well as other off-the-beaten-path corners.
• Taste local mezedes and sip raki in a historic neighborhood.

Full Itinerary
Since the Neolithic period when the first city’s settlement was founded a stone’s throw away from the Venetian harbour, Chania has had an extended history recorded with empires such as Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Ottomans, and Germans trying to conquer its land. Its strategic geographical position was the reason why Cretans have always had to fight for freedom and independence, being proud of their ancestor’s land. However, this turbulent past has transformed Chania into a city with an entrancing story!

Follow this laid-back walking tour of Chania and find what makes Crete’s cultural capital so marvelous. Explore with us some of the Old Town’s best sights, and visit a mix of famous spots, historic haunts, and hidden gems while discovering the lesser-known Ottoman and Jewish quarters. Get ready to experience Chania with all your senses!

We’ll begin your Chania tour at the Dimotiki Agora (Municipal Market), which denotes the boundary between the old and new town. Established in 1913, the year of Crete’s unification with Greece, the Agora hosts more than 70 family-owned businesses selling mostly local groceries and products. Sample local delicacies while exploring the market and find out why Crete is home to one of the healthiest diets in the world.

After fulfilling your taste buds, we’ll stroll around the old town district by passing through its maze of hidden back streets and narrow laneways, visiting Venetian and Ottoman monuments, and discovering doors to secret gardens! Hear stories, myths, and legends about kings, sailors, merchants, heroes, lovers, and artists. Figure out how this city has been a crossroad between the West and East for centuries!

Next, you’ll have the unique chance to see local craftsmen producing their handmade products. Hear their stories — and possibly test your skills!

Continuing your tour, meander through the old Jewish and Ottoman neighbourhoods and learn how multiculturalism has changed locals’ life through the centuries.

Finally, after walking along the historic harbour’s promenade, you’ll relax your muscles in a local-favourite spot where you’ll enjoy an enticing table with Cretan mezedes (local tapas).

Our tour will come to an end either here where it’s the perfect place to continue your own exploration through the city, or we could take you back to the starting point. Before we part ways, don’t forget to ask your local guide for more hints and tips on how to get the best of your trip to amazing Chania.