Private Tour on Chania's Old Town and Countryside

Private Tour on Chania's Old Town and Countryside

In this unique tour we will have a thoroughgoing exploration of Chania area, exploring the rich history of Chania Old Town, combined with admiring the drive crossing a gorge, alongside with the beautiful countryside and the mountains, and an amazing gastronomical experience. We will walk through the narrow streets of Chania and enjoy centuries old buildings through the Venetian and Ottoman era. We will visit the traces of the Minoan civilization dating back to 3000BC and the remains of the Byzantine rule. I will narrate you Chania’s history and monuments and take panoramic pictures of the Old Town. We will continue driving through the gorge, picturesque villages and marvelous landscapes while I will pinpoint interesting things and talk you through Cretan culture and history. A stop will be made for an hour and a half in a restaurant to enjoy a meal cooked only on wood fire. Finally we will drive back through a panoramic windy road with spectacular views of Chania and Souda bay.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Old Venetian Harbor, Agiou Markou 8 Akti Tompazi, Chania Town, Crete 731 32 Greece

The old town of Chania with the beautiful Venetian harbor is the heart of the city of Chania and its prefecture that beats loudly during the summer.
Numerous people, tourists and residents of Chania, people of all ages, come here and collect what the historic old town and the enchanting Venetian harbor has to offer.
You will come across archaeological excavations have brought to light many findings, including floor plans of entire buildings that prove that Chania is built on the site of an important ancient Cretan city named Cydonia, and according to tradition, Cydonia was the third largest city founded the king Minos in Crete in 3650-3000 BC
Since then, Kydonia is inhabited in all the later phases of history. It either grew or declined at times. It went through wars, looting and conquests. Her name is paraphrased in Chania. Destroyed and rebuilt many times today the old town of Chania saves intense marks since Crete was the Venetian colony (1252-1645), with the necessary additions made in the next period of the conquest of Crete by the Ottomans (1645- 1898) and the years of the Egyptian rule (1831-1841) that took place during the Ottoman domination.
Observe the architecture of buildings that reflects the different culture and religion of different cultures.
Many buildings were and remain houses, while others house shops. Several, mainly Venetian mansions, have been converted into hotels, while other buildings have been converted into museums and venues that host cultural exhibitions.
All are monuments that are there to lead you through the paths of the history of the place.
Get to know the history of the old city of Chania, which consists of historic districts, squares and neighborhoods.
1 Kasteli, the hill where the history of the city of Chania began to be written, and always constituted the acropolis or the core of the city.
2 Topana, which was the prestigious district of the city.
3 Hebrew, where the Jews who settled in Chania created their own neighborhood.
4 The Fountain, that was the square where the Christians of the city, during the Ottoman domination, and the most central square of Chania in the later years.
5 Splantzia, which was the Ottoman Turkish quarter, when the Turks settled in Chania.


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Chania Venetian Lighthouse, Old Port, Chania Town, Crete Greece

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.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Firkas Fortress, Old Harbor, Chania Town, Crete 731 31 Greece

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.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Cathedral of Eisodion tis Theotokou, Pl. Athinagora, Chania Town, Crete Greece

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.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Hassan Pascha Mosque, Tzami Kioutsouk Chasan, Chania Town, Crete Greece

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.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: gorges of Theriso, Theriso, Crete Greece

The Gorge of Theriso is located near the city of Chania. The main gorge is six kilometers long and we will go through it by our minivan. The vertical cliffs are impressive and the lush vegetation along with its wildlife is truly a site to see.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Theriso 731 00, Greece

The historical beautiful village of Therisos, that is built at the foot of the White Mountains at an altitude of 580 meters, is definitely worth the visit alongside with its 15th century built church. Here, in the historic village of Theriso was organized the Revolutionary Assembly of the island of Crete in the village that ousted Prince George of Greece and precipitated the independence of Crete and its union with Greece.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: NTOUNIAS (Dounias)- Gastronomy Centre Cretan Diet, ΧΑΝΙΑ 731 00, Greece

Mountain Restaurant of Dounias
Dounias eatery located in Drakonas Village on the foot of the unspoiled White Mountains of Chania, at 600 metres altitude, the traditional taverna is a centre of gastronomy and slow food. The famous Cretan diet, long-known for its health-giving properties, is followed to the letter by the owner Stelios Trilirakis, who uses only locally produced raw materials (vegetables etc.) and cooks in wood stoves and yes you can see them and as well take pictures of them. Vegetables, fruits, olives and the virgin olive oil come from the family’s groves, and meat and poultry are sourced from their own farm. Herbs such as oregano, rosemary, dictum, chamomile and many others are picked from nearby slopes of White Mountains, giving a special flavor to traditional dishes such as Greek salad, rabbit casseroles, lamb with honey and meat dishes with pilaf rice. Slow food, be prepared to wait, however it worths every minute! Authenticity cannot be judged, it can only be appreciated and supported. Even the view of the trip to get to Dounias is half of the attraction especially if you are new to Crete. Make sure to leave with enough sunlight to enjoy the mountain road and to enjoy the view from the restaurant. The food is all home grown and home cooked and the owner and his wife very proudly tell you of the process they go through for each, and are even more proud of their home made wine and home made raki (the raki is brilliant).

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Etz Hayyim Synagogue, Kondylaki St., Chania Greece

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.

Duration: 10 minutes