Chania: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Chania was ruled by Venice, then by the Ottomans, and its old town still holds churches, mosques and a synagogue a few minutes' walk apart. Jews lived here from antiquity until 1944, when the whole community was deported. This walk takes about three hours through the old town, ending on the harbour at sunset. Dress modestly for the synagogue and the churches.

A short history of Chania

Beneath the Kastelli quarter lay Kydonia, an important Minoan city. In 1252 the Venetians built a fortified town here and called it La Canea, and in 1645 the Ottomans captured it. In 1864 Eleftherios Venizelos, who led the union of Crete with Greece in 1913, was born in the nearby village of Mournies, and Chania was the island's capital until 1971. In May 1941 the Germans fought around it in the Battle of Crete. An ancient Romaniote community lived in the city, and in 1944 the Germans put the Jews of Chania aboard the ship Tanais, which was sunk on the way; none of its passengers survived. Their Etz Hayyim synagogue was restored and reopened in 1999.

The ten best sights in Chania

1
Venetian Harbour
The postcard of Crete; walk out to the lighthouse in the evening
2
Lighthouse
At the end of the long breakwater, about 20 minutes from the old town
3
Etz Hayyim Synagogue
The only surviving synagogue on Crete, in the old Jewish quarter; open to visitors, services on Shabbat
4
Firkas Fortress and Maritime Museum
The harbour bastion where Crete joined Greece; the maritime museum inside
5
Kucuk Hasan Mosque
The domed mosque on the harbour, now used for exhibitions
6
Venetian Arsenals
Vaulted shipyards on the harbour; one holds a reconstructed Minoan ship
7
Archaeological Museum of Chania
New museum in Chalepa, 10 minutes by taxi; Minoan to Roman finds
8
Byzantine Collection
Icons and mosaics in a small Venetian church below Firkas
9
Agios Nikolaos, Splantzia
A church with both a minaret and a bell tower
10
Chania Cathedral
The Orthodox cathedral on Halidon street, at the edge of the old Jewish quarter

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Chania →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Chania:

Free walking tours in Chania

Harbour of three faiths

Chania Municipal Market · The market was built in 1911–1913 in the shape of a cross, modelled on the covered market of Marseille, and opened in the year Crete united with Greece. It stands on the line of the old Venetian walls, part of which was knocked down to make room.
Etz Hayyim Synagogue · In May 1944 the Germans arrested the Jews of Chania, about 265 people; on 9 June the ship Tanais carrying them was sunk at sea, and none survived. The synagogue, in a former Venetian church, was restored and rededicated in 1999, and their names are on a memorial in its courtyard.
Chania Cathedral · The cathedral of the Three Martyrs was built in the 1860s on the site of an older church that the Ottomans had used as a soap factory. The Sultan paid towards its rebuilding, an unusual gesture recorded in the town's history.
Splantzia Square · Splantzia was the heart of the Turkish quarter. The great plane tree in the square served as a gallows in the Ottoman period, and in 1821 the bishop of Kissamos, Melchisedek Despotakis, was hanged from it.
Agios Nikolaos, Splantzia · The Dominicans built the church in the 14th century; the Ottomans made it the town's main mosque and added a minaret, and when it became a church again a bell tower was added too. It is one of the few buildings in Greece with both.
Kucuk Hasan Mosque · Built in 1645 right after the Ottoman conquest, it is the oldest Ottoman building in Crete. Its many small domes face the harbour, and it is now used for art exhibitions.

The Venetian harbour

The Venetians built Chania's harbour, its shipyards and its walls, and the waterfront still follows their plan. Behind it, the Topanas quarter keeps their houses, and the bastion at its western end is where Crete's union with Greece was declared. This walk is about two hours, best from late afternoon. Finish at the lighthouse as the lights come on.

Skridlof street · Skridlof is the leather street, lined with shops that sell sandals, belts and bags, many made in workshops nearby. It is named after a Russian admiral, Skrydlov, who commanded at Chania during the international occupation of the 1890s.
Topanas · The name comes from the Turkish tophane, an artillery store, which stood in this quarter. Under Venice it was the district of the nobles, and many of their palazzi survive as guesthouses.
Byzantine Collection · The collection is housed in the Venetian church of San Salvatore, and shows icons, coins and mosaics from Byzantine and later Crete. It is small enough to see in half an hour.
Firkas Fortress · On 1 December 1913 the Greek flag was raised here for the first time, marking the union of Crete with Greece. The bastion now holds the Maritime Museum of Crete, with ship models from antiquity to the Second World War.
Venetian Arsenals · The Venetians built a long row of vaulted shipyards here in the 16th and 17th centuries to build and repair their galleys. One of the surviving halls holds Minoa, a reconstructed Bronze Age ship that was rowed from Crete to Athens in 2004.
Lighthouse · The Venetians built the first lighthouse here; the present tower was rebuilt in the 1830s, when Crete was ruled from Egypt, which is why it looks a little like a minaret.

Akrotiri: monks, war and a cove

East of Chania the Akrotiri peninsula juts into the sea, with the airport in the middle and monasteries and coves at its edges. On its way back the route passes the hill where Crete's great statesman is buried and the cemetery of the soldiers who fell defending the island in 1941. About half a day by car. Gouverneto has strict dress rules and closes at midday.

Venizelos Graves · Eleftherios Venizelos, the Cretan who led Greece as prime minister and brought the island into the Greek state, is buried here with his son Sophocles. In 1897 Cretan rebels raised the Greek flag on this hill, and foreign warships shelled it.
Agia Triada Monastery · Two Venetian brothers of the Tzagarolo family, who had converted to Orthodoxy, founded the monastery in 1634, and its church front has Italian Renaissance columns. The monks still make wine and olive oil, sold in the shop.
Gouverneto Monastery · The fortified monastery dates from the 16th century. A rough path leads down from it past the Bear Cave, with a rock formation said to look like a bear, to the ruined monastery of Katholiko in a gorge by the sea.
Seitan Limania · The name means 'Satan's harbours' in Turkish, perhaps because the narrow inlets were dangerous to sail into. The tiny beach at the end of the fjord-like cove is reached by a steep scramble down.
Stavros beach · The final scene of the 1964 film 'Zorba the Greek', where Anthony Quinn dances the sirtaki on the shore, was filmed on this beach under the mountain.
Souda Bay War Cemetery · About 1,500 Commonwealth soldiers lie here, most of them killed in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, when German paratroopers invaded the island. The cemetery stands on the shore of Souda Bay.

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Getting to Chania and getting around

Chania International Airport · 20 minutes from town on the Akrotiri peninsula; buses to the KTEL station
KTEL bus station · Buses to Rethymno, Kissamos, Omalos for Samaria, and the south coast
Souda port · Overnight ferries to Piraeus leave from Souda Bay, 15 minutes east

Cheap eats in Chania

Chania is the food capital of western Crete: bougatsa with mizithra for breakfast, kalitsounia pies, boureki baked with courgette and potato, and lamb with wild greens in the villages. The old town is full of gyros counters and a few legendary one-dish shops. Prices are in euros; eat away from the harbour front for better value.

Bougatsa Iordanis · One dish only: cheese bougatsa, about €4-5 a portion
Cretan Pies · Kalitsounia and other pies, about €2-4
Thraka · Souvlaki and gyros from the charcoal, about €3.50-6
Grigoros Grill · Fast gyros pita on Kydonias street, about €3.50-5
Throubi sti ladokolla · Meat and fish on wax paper, a cheap local favourite, about €6-12
Chania Municipal Market · Cheese, honey and snacks inside the market, a few euros

Museums in Chania

Archaeological Museum of Chania · New building, finds from all of western Crete
Maritime Museum of Crete · Ship models and naval history in the Firkas bastion
Minoa ship, Arsenals · A rowed Bronze Age ship rebuilt with ancient methods
Byzantine Collection · Icons and mosaics in a Venetian church
Etz Hayyim Synagogue · The story of Chania's Jews, and a living synagogue

Nature and day trips near Chania

Samaria Gorge · 16 km from Omalos down to Agia Roumeli; boat back
Omalos Plateau · High plateau at the gorge entrance; cool even in summer
Seitan Limania · Turquoise inlet between cliffs
Stavros beach · Shallow lagoon under a mountain
Nea Chora beach · Town beach with fish tavernas

Holy places in Chania

Etz Hayyim Synagogue · Modest dress; check visiting hours, closed on Shabbat to tourists
Kucuk Hasan Mosque · The first Ottoman mosque of Crete, on the harbour
Agios Nikolaos, Splantzia · Minaret and bell tower on one church
Agia Triada Monastery · Renaissance front, wine and oil
Gouverneto Monastery · Fortified monastery and cave chapels

Where to eat in Chania

Tsita · Small Cretan taverna in the old town
Mesogeiako · Mediterranean plates on a lively lane
Taverna Apovrado · Home cooking away from the harbour crowds
To Kokkino Podilato · Meze in the old town
Ellotia · Dinner in a lane near the harbour

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Frequently asked questions about Chania

What is there to see in Chania?

The top sights in Chania are Venetian Harbour, Lighthouse and Etz Hayyim Synagogue. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Chania?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Chania without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Chania?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Chania, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Harbour of three faiths.

How do you get to Chania and get around?

The main ways are Chania International Airport, KTEL bus station and Souda port. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Chania, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Chania that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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