Chania Old Town Private Tour with pick up
Chania Old Town Private Tour with pick up
This is a private tour with a 7-seater van for a maximum 6 guests. Will pick up from Souda port or hotels near Chania west coast. Chania’s Old Town is being inhabited since the ancient ages of the Minoan Civilization from 5000BC.
Since then it has always been a vivid place of prosperity and growth, influenced through the ages by the various cultures, Romans, Arabs, Jews, Venetians and Ottoman Turks. We will stroll through the historic alleys and see the Byzantine and the Venetian/Ottoman Walls and Fortifications, then walk through the main streets and see the emergence of history from the archeological excavations of the Minoan era to the Medieval and Recent Ages through the old buildings, the churches, the synagogues and the mosques. Also we will visit the Orthodox, the Muslim and the Jewish Quarter and explore how people lived together through times with peace or turbulence.
Book This ExperienceA glimpse of the journey
Your Itinerary
A curated journey through the experience
Old Venetian Harbor
5 Splantzia, which was the Ottoman Turkish quarter, when the Turks settled in Chania.
3 hoursLighthouse of Chania
Chania lighthouse, the jewel of the city, is one of the oldest light houses, not only in Greece and the Mediterranean, but also in the world. The lighthouse is a major attraction in the old port of Chania especially at night when it's lit up. The tower is 21m high and is built on a stone base, located at the end of the old harbour's pier opposite to the fortress of "Firkas". Visitors are not allowed to enter the tower. Chania lighthouse was first constructed by the Venetians around 1595 - 1601, and it took its final form, in the shape of a minaret, during the Egyptian Period (1831 - 1841) in around 1839. After the latest restoration, completed in 2006, it was given the formation of the Venetian period. The minaret look is still evident however. The tower is divided in three diverse parts: the base is octagonal, the middle part has sixteen sides, and the third part is circular. The construction material of the base is of the same origin and quality of the material used for the fortification of the city of Chania by the Venetians.
5 minutesFirkas Fortress
The fortress of Firkas on the northwest side of the port of Chania was constructed between 1610 and 1645 to protect the Venetian harbour entrance from raiders. The fall of the city of Chania in the hands of the Turks in 1645, meant automatically that the fortress belonged to the new conquerors. That is when it got its current name, because “Firka” in Turkish means “barrack”. On the northern side of the Firka fortress were six consecutive domes, that sheltered the large cannons, so that they would face the entrance of the harbor and face any possible attacker. The Firka Fortress was used as a prison since then and up to the Greek civil war of the 20th century. During the Ottoman rule, the Firka Fortress constituted the seat of the military governor of the city. It is the place where the Greek flag was raised, in 1913, the year of the reunion of Crete with Greece. Today, at the entrance of the Fortress is situated the Maritime Museum.
5 minutesCathedral of Eisodion tis Theotokou
The Orthodox Cathedral of Chania or church of Trimartiri is situated in Halidon street little before the old Venetian harbour of Chania. The present temple was built on the place of an older church of Virgin Mary which dated back to the 14th century. In 1645, during the Ottoman occupation, the temple was converted into a soap factory , owned by the Turkish official Moustafa Pasha Giritli. The construction of the church was completed in 1860 in the style of a three aisle Basilica. On the northeast side of the temple there is the high bell-tower. The church features three aisles with the central one dedicated to the Virgin Mary (celebrated on November 21st), the north aisle one dedicated to Saint Nicholas and the southern one to the Three Hierarchs.
5 minutesHassan Pascha Mosque
The old Venetian port of Chania, The first thing every visitor notices at the old Venetian port of Chania, is an old building, one of the first Turkish buildings of the island, the Mosque of Hasan Kucuk or Yali Tzamisi. The mosque was built in honor of Küçük Hassan Pasha, the first Turkish military commander of Chania, while the Yali Tzamisi name is interpreted as "mosque of the sea". The building is an example of Islamic architecture Renaissance designed form an Armenian architect, dating from the second half of the 17th century. The mosque operated as Muslim church until 1923. It is a cubic building covered by a large dome supported by four stone arches, while the west and north side is surrounded by an arcade roofed with seven small domes. In the southwest corner there was a minaret from which saved only the base. Today the building operates as an exhibition for cultural events and visual art exhibitions.
5 minutesMunicipal Market of Chani
The Municipal Market of Chania, is the "heart" of the city. Its foundation started on August 14, 1911, at the place that was the main rampart of the fortification during the Venetian period, and the construction of the building was completed during the second half of 1913. The Municipal Market is cross shaped and has four doors, one in each ward, that close to provide security at the shops that are hosted there. Today at the building of the Municipal Market are hosted many shops that sell local products and souvenirs. The Municipal Market constitutes an architectural jewel for Chania and is one of the most impressive markets in Balkans.
5 minutesChurch of Agios Nikolaos
The church of Agios Nikolaos, which was built around 1320, during the Venetian Period, was originally a part of the monastery of the Dominican Order. It is quite special as it is equipped with a tower as well as a minaret. During the Venetian period it constituted the most important church in the city. After the predominance of the Turks in Chania the temple was turned into a mosque and was named Hiougkar Tzamisi (mosque of the Emperor), in honor of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Its importance is highlighted by the existence of two balconies instead of one on the minaret. In 1928, after being seized by the Christians orthodox, the mosque was once again turned into a church, dedicated to Agios Nikolaos.
5 minutesVenetian Neoria
During the Venetian occupation (1204 – 1669) the need for closer presence of Venetian fleet in Crete , forced Venice to build Neoria(arsenali), where ships were repaired during the winter. As early as 1467, Venice ordered the construction of a number of shipyards , two per towns of Chania and Rethymnon . The first two shipyards in Chania completed in 1526. The 1593 had been constructed 16 shipyards, but needed repair. In 1599 completed the southern complex with the construction of 17 Neoria. In 1607, along with the extension of the north bastion, construction begins on the inlet port to the east another five shipyards, which are known as Neoriο of Moro, by the name of General Intendant who proposed. From these only two were completed, until the beginning of the third arch. Later, this third Drydock housed with simple roof, which collapsed in the 1941 bombing. During the Turkish occupation the lack of maintenance of the harbor and degradation role contributed to abandon the initial use of the shipyards and converted mainly in military warehouses . From large complex with 17 shipyards gradually were demolished and were cut down to nine. Today survives a group of 7 Neoria and another to the west, the Grand Arsenal (now Center of Mediterranean Architecture ) .
5 minutesEtz Hayyim Synagogue
Etz Hayyim was converted into a Synagogue in the 17th century, when the Jewish community of Chania purchased the Church of St. Catherine, an empty 15th-century Venetian church. The synagogue, which suffered serious bombardment losses, was abandoned after the end of World War II and reopened in 1999, with the intervention and support of the World Monument Fund (WMF), in co-operation with the Central Israeli Council of Greece. Nowdays the Etz Hayyim Synagogue is the only active synagogue that has survived on the island.
5 minutesIncluded
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- Guiding Services
Not Included
- 20 euro for lunch per person in a local restaurant (optional)
- Shopping around Chania Old Town (optional)
Good to Know
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- You must be able to get in and get out of the car. Some places are not wheelchair accessible and we have to follow different route
- In case of traveller's serious health problems or other medical concerns please notify us
- Most travelers can participate
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tickets & Cancellation
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.