The Nice Places
Chania

Crete · Greece

Chania

April–October
Best season
$$
Budget

Why you'll love it

Chania

Chania is a sun-warmed harbour city where Venetian lanes, Cretan tables and the wild landscapes of western Crete meet within an easy drive of the sea and mountains.

Best time to visit
Late spring and early autumn bring warm seas, open terraces and fewer crowds; summer is livelier and hotter.
Ideal trip length
4–7 days
Getting around
The Old Town is best explored on foot; rent a car for Tersanas, Kaliviani, Drakona and the beaches of western Crete.
WalkingBusCarBoat
Arriving
Chania International Airport is about 20 minutes from the Old Town by taxi or car.

Filter places

The essentials

Highlights

Start here — the places we tell every friend heading your way.

Sinagogi Open Air Bar
Drinks

Sinagogi Open Air Bar

A roofless Venetian-era bar where jasmine, stone arches and serious cocktails make summer nights feel cinematic.

Old Town
Ela Taverna
Restaurants

Ela Taverna

Traditional Cretan cooking and live music inside a many-layered Old Town building with centuries of history.

Old Town
To Mprikaki (Το Μπρικάκι)
Cafés

To Mprikaki (Το Μπρικάκι)

An easygoing all-day cafe-bar for brunch, cocktails and people-watching on one of Chania's liveliest lanes.

Old Town
Krio Vrisali
Restaurants

Krio Vrisali

Generous Cretan favourites, warm service and a leafy courtyard just beyond the Old Town crowds.

Old Town / City Centre
T-Bay Tersanas
Restaurants

T-Bay Tersanas

Fresh fish, a calm cove and tables almost at the water's edge on the Akrotiri peninsula.

Tersanas
Gramvousa Restaurant
Restaurants

Gramvousa Restaurant

Farm-grown ingredients and traditional fire-led cooking turn a stop near Balos into a destination in its own right.

Kaliviani
Ntounias
Restaurants

Ntounias

Crete's slow-food philosophy made tangible in clay pots, wood smoke and a mountain farm above Chania.

Drakona