Chania Old Town and Cretan Landscape Tour (price per group of 6)

This is a private tour with a 7-seater van for a maximum 6 guests (price is for 6 persons).
Chania since the ancient times was a melting pot of civilizations and cultures, each invader and new town resident leaving its mark on history, architecture and culture. Chania is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe dating back to Minoan civilization around 5000BC.
In this tour we will go through the waterfront, alleyways, fortifications, viewpoints and marks of the past. After walking for 2 hours through the city I will drive through scenic Therisso gorge, to a small village inside the mountains where there is an amazing restaurant. Everything is cooked on fire and eating is an experience. Lunch is around 20 euro per person and not included. Then we will return through a road with panoramic view of Chania, Souda bay and the north coast. On the way through nature I will make some stops to take photos and will tell you stories of revolutions, myths, traditions and Cretan culture.

We will walk around Chania old town for about 2 hours at the Jewish, Christian, Muslim sections of the city. Will explore the sights of different eras on the city and their history.

Chania lighthouse is the oldest light house in the Mediterranean, built in 1864. The lighthouse is the main landmark of Chania. 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 lighthouse. Chania lighthouse was first constructed by the Venetians around 1600, destroyed in the siege of Chania and it took its final form, in the shape of a minaret, during the Egyptian occupation. It was restored in 1996.

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.

The Orthodox Cathedral of Chania or church of Trimartiri is situated in Halidon street. 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 reconstruction of the church was completed in 1860 in the style of a three aisle Basilica, and was donated by the local pasha to the local community. 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.

3 euro entrance fee per person. 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, was abandoned after the end of World War with the perishing of the Jewish community and reopened in 1999, with the 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.

Chania is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The Minoan civilisation dates before 3000BC and it somehow violently ended in 1250BC when there was a destructive earthquake and Tsunami. Many researches believe that the Minoan civilisation was destroyed after the eruption of Santorini volcano. At Kasteli hill archaeological excavations the foundations of buildings, streets and sewage networks can be seen. The excavations are ongoing. Kydonia was the name of Chania during the Minoan era.

Drive for one hour through Therisso gorge and make stops inside, at a church and some panoramic viewpoints.

Eat at an amazing restaurant for 2 hours. Lunch around 20 euro per person, not included. Optionally walk around the farm.

Return to Chania or Souda in an hour through a road with panoramic view.

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Total duration time varies in the travel time.

• Chania Old Town and Cretan Landscape Tour (price per group of 6)
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  Pickup included

• Guided tour

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• This Tour is Provided by Niriis Tours.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/Athens.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 6 Travelers is accepted for booking.