Crete is the largest Greek Island and has many amazing places to visit from Samaria Gorge to Elafonissi Beach, but one place you should not miss is Chania, especially Chania Old Town.
When I visited Crete Greece I stayed in Chania explored the city of Chania as well as took day trips to other top spots around the island.
This post is all about the ultimate travel guide to Chania Crete Greece.
Chania Crete Greece Travel Guide
Best Time to Visit Chania
Since Chania is located on the Greek Island of Crete many people travel here during the summer looking for warm and sunny weather. If are wanting the perfect hot weather Chania has to offer you want to visit during the summer between the months of June and September. But with good weather comes lots of tourists so if you are looking to avoid the crowds of tourists I recommend visiting during June or September since these are closer to the shoulder season instead of the peak summer season during July and August.Language and Currency in Chania
Language Spoken in Chania
Since Chania is located in Greece the language spoken here is Greek. Many people that I met during my trip to Chania did speak English so if you do not know Greek like me you will be fine. But it is always appreciated by locals if you know a few common says in their languages so here are a few you might want to learn before your trip to Chania Crete:- Hello = Γειά σου (Geiá sou)
- Goodbye = Αντιο σας (antio sas)
- Thank you = ευχαριστώ (efcharistó)
- Please = σας παρακαλούμε (sas parakaloúme)
Currency Used in Chania
The currency used in Chania Crete is euros. While travelling it can be difficult to calculate money conversions, from your currency to the local currency of the country you are travelling, in your head. I always struggle to remember the conversion which is why I download a money converter app on my phone. There are lots of currency converter apps out there but I highly recommend downloading to your phone before your trip.Best Places to Stay in Chania
While staying in Chania I booked an Airbnb but other accommodation options in Chania include hotels and hostels.
The Airbnb I stayed in during my Chania trip was called “Chania Old Town Catherine & George Studio” and it was the perfect size for me and my friend and it had everything we needed. This Airbnb was on the smaller side but had a kitchen, laundry, and balcony. The hosts were also lovely and picked us up from the bus station and gave us many recommendations of places to visit during our trip to Crete.
If you would prefer to stay in a hostel check out HostelWorld there are lots of hostel options in Chania Greece.
How to Get Around in Chania
Chania is not a very big city, especially the Old Town of Chania, so it is easy to walk around and enjoy the sights by foot. If you want to visit places in Crete a bit further away there are local busses that travel within Chania or there are other busses that take you around the island on long trips. You can rent a car as well but I would recommend making sure you feel comfortable on the roads before you decide on this option as some roads around the island are very twisty and have lots of turns on the side of a cliff and want to make sure everyone is safe during their trip to Crete.Top Sights in Chania
I would recommend spending one whole day exploring the Old Town of Chania. A lot of the top sights in Chania are within walking distance from one another and many are along the water which gives you amazing views during your sightseeing walk. I would recommend you start your walk along one end of the Old Venetian Port of Chania and walk along the port visiting some sights along the way. I recommend you visit:
- Old Venetian Port of Chania
- Lighthouse of Chania
- Kucuk Hasan Mosque
- Firka Venetian Fortress
- Maratime Musuem of Crete
Best Day Trips From Chania
Samaria Gorge
Hiking Samaria Gorge was one of the BEST days I had during my 2-month trip to Europe. This hike is a 16 km trek (one-way) down a beautiful gorge on the southwest side of Crete Greece.
If you are thinking of hiking Samaria Gorge check out my blog post all about “Everything You Need to Know Before Hiking the Samaria Gorge in Crete Greece.”
Elafonissi Beach
Elafonissi Beach is the famous pink sand beach in Crete. I am sure many of you have seen the iconic Elafonissi Beach photo that has vibrant pink sand and clear blue water and this beach is very beautiful but the sand is not as vibrant as many photos show it to be. But I still recommend Elafonissi Beach for a nice beach day.
If you are planning on visiting Elafonissi Beach but have questions like how you get to the beach from Chania, how much are the bus tickets, and more, check out my “4-day Crete Greece Itinerary” blog post as it goes over the day trip to Elafonissi Beach.
Heraklion
Heraklion is another popular city to visit in Crete Greece. Since Heraklion is where one of the main ferry ports of Crete is located many visitors start their Crete trip in Heraklion. If you have the time to spend your first day exploring the city of Heraklion I recommend you do before making your way to Chania. p.s. Heraklion is where one ferry port is located in Crete and Chania is where the second ferry post is. If you can I recommend taking a ferry into Heraklion and exploring for the day then travel to Chania to spend the rest of your trip and take your next ferry from Chania (or the other way around if that works better for your previous and future destinations). That way you visit two major cities in Crete Greece without having to plan a whole day trip to visit.That brings us to the end of the ultimate travel guide to Chania Crete Greece. I loved my time in Crete and I hope you do as well. Crete Greece is an amazing island with tons of things to see so I highly recommend visiting. I hope this travel guide to Chania answers any questions you may have had and makes your trip one you will remember. Have an amazing trip and safe travels!
