Private Chania Old Town Artisans Walking Tour

We had a wonderful tour of Chania with Sophia, who is a brilliant guide. Chania is a lovely place but it was made more special with Sophia’s knowledge of its history and the best places to visit. She took us to some places that we would not have discovered ourselves, where we could see and try local products. We wanted some authentic Cretan food for lunch and she knew the perfect spot. It was a very rewarding experience and I highly recommend the trips that Sophia and Wonderers have to offer.

Super informative, friendly, and vast knowledge of Cretean history and the area of Chania. We highly recommend!

Sophia was amazing. I’m sure all her tours are great, but the one we took was phenomenal. She introduced us to so many great artesian. The next day we went back and purchased many items from these Cretean craftsman . This is definitely a tour not to be missed.

Sophia was amazing. The tour was great. She explained alot of the culture of Crete and we were able to see many amazing things in Chania.

We really enjoyed the city tour with Yorgos — everything went perfectly! The tour was well organized, very informative, and full of interesting insights about Chania. It was a wonderful experience, and we all had a great time. Highly recommended!

Anna was a very wonderful, warm, and knowledgable guide for this walk through Chania. I would highly recommend this tour as well. My wife and I booked a private tour. It was very affordable and allowed us some flexibility as well as separation from the cruise excursions. Anna took us through all of the neighborhoods and explained the historic sites and layers that exist in this wonderful and historic city but did so through the context of various artisans and crafts from the unique bougatsa pie and filo making to knife making and exquisite weaving and embroidery. We stopped for a multitude of treats and tastings along the way. She had great photo spots and we even did a little exploring off the itinerary. Bravo! Recommended with no reservations!

We had a wonderful tour with our very knowledgeable guide Yorgos. It was amazing how much Yorgos knew of the history of Crete. He showed us artisans making phyllo dough and creating breakfast delights as well as traditional handmade knives created into useful tools of today. We learned all about Crete's historical evolution and marveled how the Cretan's incorporate it's historical ruins and buildings into useful, yet well preserved commercial shopping areas for all to enjoy. It was a very wonderful tour and well worth the time and price.

We were very happy to be on this private walking tour of Chania. Sophia was a wonderful guide, very considerate and accommodating. We got to see some local craftspeople we would have never discovered on our own. She knew where to get quality crafts at reasonable prices and frankly, I think she knew everyone in town!

Had a wonderful time with our guide Sophie! She was amazing! She took the time to show us all the artist in the area and we learned lots! I highly recommend this fun walking tour!

Sophia is a great guide, passionate about Crete and its traditions. Great communicator willing to be very flexible to accommodate her clients. I highly recommend this tour.

After an initial introduction at our hotel lobby we spent the next several hours touring much of the old town visiting various food vendors, artisans and shops with our tour guide Sophia. Not only did we receive a passionate, detailed history of Chania but also experienced food tastings that were unique and superb (the best baclava we've ever had) and an appreciation of the various artisans and shopkeepers that were so uniquely Cretan. For lunch we stopped at a restaurant shaded by trees, filled with locals enjoying the food and company. Spending the day with Sophia was like spending the day with a warm, knowledgeable local friend. We have toured many cities including many of Europe's major cities, often use tour guides and are critical New Yorkers and this tour was very special for many reasons. Our highest recommendation.

Thank you very much Sophia for your patience, guidance, and recommendations!!! We loved hearing the history of Chania and its many significant architectural sites. We highly recommend Sophia as your walking guide as she very knowledgeable, friendly, and hospitable. Time and company well spent 😊

Excellent walking tour of Chania with our guide Sophia. She took us down quaint streets that we would not have been able to find on our own. We made some stops at some local artisans and also grabbed a few bites of the local food along the way. Sophia left a lasting impression - she gave us many tips on where to go and where to eat and drink for the remainder of our trip in Crete and Athens, which was truly invaluable. 10/10 would recommend!

I made a HUGE boo boo and accidentally booked the tour for the day BEFORE we arrived in Chania, and only realized when our guide Sophia messaged me on WhatsApp saying she was ready for us. Sophia was EXTREMELY accommodating and shuffled times around so we could still have a tour with her the next day. She was prepped with a book of photos to give us a private history lesson as we snacked, along with TONS of tailored recommendations on what to do and eat. She was super lovely to chat with, and we appreciated hearing her perspective as a local!

Highly recommend this tour. We went with our two young adult children and Sophia was a fabulous guide. Full of information and personality. She helped to steer our tour to highlight our interests. We loved all the sources she gave us and she found wonderful photo opportunities. It was a fascinating review of the history, culture, and artisans of this area. We hope to be able to come back for a much longer stay next time and I know Sophia will have more to teach us. The filo making demonstration was absolutely a must for any “foodies”. We ate delicious food along the way and there was never any pressure. Sophia was a delight and I can’t imagine taking this tour with anyone else.

Had a wonderful artisan tour with Sofia of Chania. She was amazing. Very detailed, met the local artisans, bought some unique items, ate authentic bougatsa and learned about the history. She spent a lot of time with us and was never rushed. She went above and beyond a normal tour and wasn’t concerned about the time. Highly recommend her.

Sophia was very personable and knowledgeable. She explained the history of Chania and showed us all the beautiful sights of the town. She included several little shops that had locally produced goods. We throughly enjoyed the tour!

We did so much with Sophia, pottery making, olive oil factory, old villages, monasteries, beaches and cookery class the traditional way with a twist. Omg what an amazing memorable time we had. If you are going to Crete, definitely message Sophia, she will sort it all out for you. She's so professional and engaging and can't wait to go back.

My husband and I had less than 12h to explore Chania as part of an eastern Mediterranean cruise. We are so glad that we put our trust in Wonderers. Sophia, our guide, was amazing. We began with watching 4th generations bakers (artisans?) make bougatsa before sampling their creations. (We may have gotten a second portion, and I still dream about this delicious cheesy pastry.) Sophia then navigated us through the backstreets of Chania gradually revealing its history and aspects of its culture. Chania has a complicated past, as we saw with a church containing a bell tower and minaret to stories of Nazi occupation. Still, despite all of this, Chania continues to support its local artisan culture - handmade knives, olive oil, thyme honey, and mountain tea. Sophia quickly gained our trust and took us to local places (some off the main paths) with great quality products. We greatly appreciated meeting the knife maker and seeing how he made his beautiful creations. In the end, we walked away with a greater appreciation for Crete (along with tea, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and several knives). We cannot say enough good things about Sophia and our tour. We hope that one day, we will be able to bring our extended family to Crete for a week long vacation and partner with Wonderers and Sophia to show us more about Chania and this beautiful island.

Amazing walking tour of Old Town with Sophia! She’s very knowledgeable, attentive and accommodating. She took us to where the locals eat and the food was great! This is a tour we recommend you do on your first day in Chania. Old town is beautiful, very clean and the locals are very welcoming and hospitable.

Sophia took my husband and I on a private tour of the Apokoronas Countryside, near Chania. The tour itself was well planned and worry free for us! Delicious cheese, olive oil, wines, & spectacular views. Each stop was a delight. We would highly recommend this tour, or any others by Wonderers. Not only was our guide knowledgeable, but the spots she knew as a Cretan native were hidden gems we never would have discovered on our own, with rich history. She knew the locals everywhere we visited, and also helped us with recommendations of other places to check out (and where to eat/ drink) during the rest of our visit. Genuinely the best tour guide either of us had ever experienced! Sophia was also just an all-around awesome person to spend a day with. We certainly will book with them on a future trip to Crete.

Amazing guide and amazing trip! I saw very interesting places, learned about local habits, history and nature! I recommend to everyone

We had a fabulous introduction to Chania with this bespoke tour company. Our guide was the lovely Sophia who speaks very good English. She shared authentic local knowledge with us that showed respect to this unique place in the world. We were lucky to be joined by her friend, the very knowledgeable Stephanos. Sophia and Stephanos showed us around the old town pointing out plentiful remnants of the old city's Venetian and Ottoman history. We were also taken to a little known place with the best view of the harbour. We liked it so much that we went back the next day with a picnic and cards. We met actual artisans that Sophia knows. We were introduced to a family making ceramics (including an ingenious way to store salt/pepper/dry herbs), another making handmade knives and the husband of a woman who is well known for her intricate embroidery that has been displayed in important buildings. We also got to try fresh olive oil, delicious honey, and a favourite - honey with raki. A highlight was going inside the home of one of the few Cretean residents left in the old town. If you are going to Crete, Chania has to be top of your list. Wonderers will help you make the most of your time here.

We are amazed by this discovery of landscapes, flavors, so much kindness from the people we met. Incredible know-how. Thank you to the Wonderers team for being able to unearth such wonders ! It’s unforgettable! Special thanks to wonderful Anna 🌟

If you are looking to go off the beaten track and have a taste of authentic of life outside the tourist trail, then my partner Steven and I can strongly recommend wonderers.gr. Our guide Sophia went out of her way to both share her local knowledge as well as to introduce us to some wonderful locals that we could not have connected with in any other way. From the bell maker and the regenerative farmer to the ceramic maker and the local lunch, our day was packed with wonderful memories.

Olga was an amazing tour guide! She defined “hospitality” - literally and figuratively. Olga walked us through the old town and gave thorough explanations of it’s origins. To tie it all together, she shared personal stories of her own upbringing and walked us through unique stores that showcased Chania’s rich culture and history. This is a great tour to start your stay in Chania/Crete! Olga provided many recommendations for neighborhoods, shops, and places to eat. She even followed up on WhatsApp once our tour ended, to share the names/links/map pins for these suggestions, as well as follow up on historical information. Thanks Olga, for making this experience a major highlight of our trip! Judy, Josh, Rachel and Adam Sent from AOL on Android

We had a wonderful Artisan Tour with our guide Anna in Chania. She was charming and very knowledgeable- guiding us through old town and introducing us to local artists and their wares. We met a 3rd generation knife maker, beautiful ceramics, incredible Cretan embroideries, authentic 3rd generation leather maker, block print accessories and hats, sampled bougatsa and saw how it was made, phyllo dough made in a centuries old way. We also visited the old harbor and buildings with Byzantine, ottoman, Venetian and Turkish influences. She was very knowledgeable about historical periods and references! When our tour was done she also gave us hints on other things to do outside of the city! She was delightful and the tour was very interesting!

Very nice guided tour of the old town of Chania. Very interesting and informative. history, local crafts, architecture, ... We discover and taste good things! I really enjoyed this visit and recommend it.