Chania Travelers Recommend

Probably Crete’s prettiest city, Chania offers the classic Cretan combo of food, wine, sparkling sea, and rugged hills. Venetian and Turkish architecture still adorns the streets of Chania Old Town and the 14th-century Old Venetian Harbor. With one day in Chania, you can soak up the history and savor a taste of Crete. Here’s how.

Morning: City Sights

Start the day by discovering Chania’s signature charms on a history-led tour, whether on foot, by bike, on a Segway, or by Trikke electric 3-wheeler. Explore the Old Venetian Harbor, where fishing boats still bob beside the Venetian Lighthouse, as well as the Great Arsenal, the Firkas Fortress, and the Ottoman-era Hassan Pasha Mosque. Soak up the Old Town, from the Byzantine and Venetian walls to the historic synagogue, Franciscan monastery, and Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. Don’t miss the 5,000-year-old Kasteli ruins. Along the way, browse goods from art and jewelry to leatherware and carpets at a wealth of boutiques.

Afternoon: Food Frenzy

For lunch, take a cooking course, perhaps one focused on Cretan favorites such as cheese pies, hearty stews, and dakos, the island’s answer to Italy’s bruschetta. Alternatively, opt for a more general Greek theme, covering international favorites such as tzatziki, or delve into the recipes of the ancient world. Next, discover the olive, cultivated on Crete for more than 5,000 years. Tour an olive grove, learn about the harvest, see the traditional presses that Cretans still use to produce their oil, and sample a wealth of flavors, scents, and colors on a tutored tasting at a local workshop.

Night: Wine Wandering

As afternoon turns to evening, continue your culinary explorations. Consider a food tour that explores the rich world of mezedes, Greece’s answer to tapas, and wanders between traditional kafeneio pubs and the stylish bars and restaurants that are taking over the Old Town. Discover Crete’s rich winemaking heritage and history on a tasting of local wines, such as the aromatic white known as thrapsathiri, the fresh and delicate vilana, honeyed moschato spinas, or typical full-bodied reds. Wrap up the night with a shot of raki, the aniseed-flavored local liquor that’s the defining taste of Crete.

With two days in Chania, you can discover this historic port city, taste Cretan wines and regional olive oil, and feast on local food, and you’ll still have time to enjoy a day trip to a sweeping beach or into the rugged hills of Crete. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: A Taste of History

Morning: Start with a tour of historic Chania, on foot, by bike, by Segway, or by Trikke 3-wheeler. Take in the Old Venetian Harbor, with its lighthouse, mosque, fortress, and Venetian warehouses. Then explore the Old Town, from the 5,000-year-old Kasteli ruins to the medieval walls and historic synagogue.

Afternoon: Choose between two culinary options this afternoon. Get out into the hillside vineyards and olive groves on an olive-oil-and-wine tour, with snacks along the way. Or join a cooking class to master Cretan classics including succulent cheese pies, hearty stews, and dakos, the bread-and-tomato favorite.

Evening: Watch the sun set over the Sea of Crete as you continue your foodie adventures. Discover the joys of mezedes, the Greek answer to tapas, while you explore Chania’s modern bars and restaurants on a foodie walking tour. Top off the evening with a contemporary cocktail.

Day 2: Island Adventures

Day: On your second day in Chania, get out of the city to discover more of Crete: the beach or the rugged hills. Discover the charming villages scattered around the Apokoronas region, with hidden churches, Ottoman fortresses, and families making cheese and olive oil as they have for generations. Alternatively, head farther afield to one of Europe’s best beaches, offshore Elafonisi Beach, with pale-pink sands, turquoise water, and a nature reserve. The rugged Gramvousa Peninsula boasts some of Crete’s most scenic stretches of sand, including the popular Balos Lagoon.

Night: Cretans have been making wine for thousands of years, so wrap up your stay in Chania with a wine tasting accompanied by local specialties. Sample whites from the intense, sweet moschato spinas through delicate vilana to aromatic thrapsathiri, or the mellow flavors of kotsifali reds.

In Chania, you’ll want to soak up the sights of the city proper, including the Old Venetian Harbor and Chania Old Town; taste wine and olive oil; and feast on Cretan food. But with three days, you’ll also have time to enjoy adventures farther afield, from hiking the Samaria Gorge to lounging on the pink sands of Elafonisi Beach. Read on to find out how.

Day 1: Flavors of the Past

Spend your first day in Chania immersing yourself in this historic little city with its rich food-and-wine culture. Start by taking in ancient sights with a guide who can put the different historical eras in context, exploring by bike, Segway, electric 3-wheeler, or even on foot. Soak up the 14th-century Old Venetian Harbor, with its mosque, fortress, lighthouse, and medieval warehouses, and Chania Old Town, home to Byzantine walls and the 5,000-year-old Kasteli ruins. For lunch, unwind with a cooking class that trains you in the art of Cretan classics, such as cheese pies, hearty stews, and dakos (essentially Greek bruschetta), then enter the rich world of island olive oil on a factory tour. After soaking up a Cretan sunset, continue your foodie adventures as you snack and sip your way through Chania’s wealth of mezedes.

Day 2: Inland Adventures

On your second day, take the opportunity to explore farther afield, heading inland to rugged landscapes and timeless villages. Test your muscles on the 10-mile (16-kilometer) hike through the Samaria Gorge, one of Europe’s most dramatic fissures, which narrows to just 10 feet (3 meters) wide at one point. Travel back in time to World War II as you tour key sites of the Battle of Crete, where Greek and Allied forces and partisans did battle against the Nazis. Blend natural beauty with traditional food and lifestyles among the White Mountains in the Sfakia region or in the scenic villages of Apokoronas, or head out on a 4WD safari in search of the finest olive oil and wine. Wrap up your day with a seafood feast in a waterfront taverna, capped off with Crete’s signature raki (aniseed liquor).

Day 3: Life’s a Beach

Chania itself offers a wealth of water activities: snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, scuba diving caves and wrecks, and relaxing on sand or rocky beaches. But to truly discover the joy of the Sea of Crete, devote your last day to a day trip. Try Elafonisi Beach, where pale-pink sands, turquoise waters, and a pristine nature reserve make it a regular on European best-beaches lists. Adventure through the rugged Gramvousa Peninsula, stopping at beaches including the slender sand spit of Balos Lagoon. Or take a 4WD safari into the region around Georgioupolis, including a visit to a secluded beach. Head back to the city and spend your last evening discovering Crete’s rich tradition of wines, from sweet, dessert-style whites to full-bodied reds, accompanied by a selection of local cheeses.