Sightseeing With Tastings Combo

Sightseeing With Tastings Combo, 4 hours, rated 4.9 across 156 traveller reviews.

Overview

This four-hour walking tour pairs Chania's Old Town sights with a steady stream of Cretan food and drink, run by Crete Local Adventures. It starts at the Kydon, The Heart City Hotel on Plateia Sofokli Venizelou and works through the Municipal Market, the back streets of the old town, artisan workshops, and the old Ottoman and Jewish quarters before ending with a table of mezedes and raki near the historic harbor. Guides tell stories of kings, sailors, merchants and artists along the way, and the final stop doubles as a place to carry on exploring or head back toward the start with the guide.

The eating is built into the route rather than saved for the end. Tastings along the way include Greek coffee, local sweets, olives, honey, olive oil and mezedes, with raki served at the final table. The tour also visits a workshop making traditional handmade Cretan knives, one of the last of its kind, where the knife maker shares his own stories.

It suits travellers who want history and food in a single four-hour walk and who are happy on foot for several hours. Another reviewer notes the guide adjusted the route for a parent with limited walking ability, and the operator asks only for comfortable shoes.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Kydon HotelThe tour begins at the Kydon, The Heart City Hotel at Plateia Sofokli Venizelou and Stratigou Tzanakaki 2, Chania 731 34.
2. Municipal MarketAround two hours at the Dimotiki Agora, opened in 1913, with food tastings, a market visit and regional food among more than 70 family-owned stalls.
3. Old Town coffee stopA 30-minute stop in the Old Town of Chania with Greek coffee.
4. Hidden gem visitA further 30-minute hidden gem visit, part of a route that also includes artisan workshops and the old quarters.
5. Finish and returnThe tour ends at the mezedes table near the historic harbor promenade. Travellers can continue on their own or be escorted back to the starting point.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points worth knowing before booking this walk.

• Wear good shoes. The listing asks for comfortable shoes, and the route covers the market, back streets and old quarters on foot over four hours. One reviewer described the pace as pleasant and the tour as calm and relaxing.
• Come hungry. Multiple reviewers say the food was plentiful, with one calling it very very plentiful. Tastings include coffee, sweets, olives, honey, olive oil, mezedes and raki, so eating beforehand is unnecessary.
• Guides carry it. Reviews again and again praise the guides' knowledge and passion for Crete, and one reviewer described it as feeling like spending the morning and afternoon with a friend. The guides invite questions and offer suggestions for the rest of the trip before parting ways.
• No hotel pickup. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. The meeting point is the Kydon, The Heart City Hotel, and the tour can end either at the harbor stop or back at the start.
• Ask for tips. One reviewer did the tour on day one specifically to learn which food spots to return to. The guides invite questions and offer suggestions for the rest of the trip before parting ways.
• Dietary needs. Vegetarian and other dietary restrictions can be accommodated if the local partner is told in advance. Anyone under 18 receives non-alcoholic drinks instead of raki.

Common issues. There is no hotel pickup, so travellers make their own way to the Kydon Hotel meeting point, and the walk covers a lot of ground, which matters for anyone with limited mobility though one reviewer said the guide tailored the route to a parent's walking limits. The Municipal Market is under construction until July, and in June the tour uses alternative venues. Extra food, drink and personal expenses beyond the included tastings are not covered, nor are gratuities, which are optional. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start.

Common Questions