Incredible Walking Tour of Chania Crete with Viking Cruise
Author: Janice Vazquez | Last updated: December 4, 2023
On the 8th day of the 10-day Viking Greek Odyssey Cruise, I arrived in Crete, Greece. We booked the complimentary shore excursion, Scenic Chania by Foot.
As we made our way to the first attraction via the shuttle bus, the tour guide gave us a nice overview of Crete. Crete is the largest and most densely populated among the Greek islands, famed for its remarkable terrain characterized by high mountain range, sprawling valleys, intricate caves, rugged gorges, and serene lakes. The tour guide then dove into fun facts about Crete such as:
- 5th largest city in Greece
- Surrounded by the three continents in about equidistant to Europe, Asia, and Africa
- Oldest Olive Tree in Crete is 3,000 years old
Walking Tour of Chania, Crete
The shuttle bus dropped us off at the Old Chania Market, a historic space with vendors selling cheese, meat & local specialties. However, its currently under renovation, so we didn’t get a chance to visit it. Next to the old market, was a map of Old Town Chania.
1. Leather Lane
Our first stop was Leather Lane (aka Skrydlof Street), a small street where shoemakers used to have their workshops in Chania. Nowadays, almost no one makes shoes by hand, so these old workshops have been converted into shops selling an array of locally produced leather goods in Chania.
2. Presentation of the Virgin Mary Metropolitan Church
On our second stop, we ventured to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary Metropolitan Church. The church consists of three aisles with the central aisle devoted to the Presentation of the Virgin, the south aisle devoted to the Three Hierarchs, and the north aisle devoted to Saint Nicholas.
3. Byzantine Walls of Chania
For our third stop, we saw the Byzantine Walls of Chania, which were initially constructed during the Byzantines period in the 7th century AD and later fortified by the Venetian occupation.
4. Archaeological ruins of Minoan Kidonia
For our fourth and final stop, we stopped by the Archaeological ruins of Minoan Kidonia, an ancient site that dates back to the Minoan period spanning from 3000 BC to 1450 BC.
This particular attraction was my favorite attraction as it offered an intriguing insight into the life and culture of the Minoans.
Following the archaeological site, our tour guide led us to the Old Port of Venetian, an area where we came across a variety of shops and restaurants. Additionally, she kindly pointed out the nicest and cleanest public restrooms in Chania.
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