Old Venetian Harbor
Old Venetian Harbor
4.5
About
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Old Venetian Harbor
See what travellers are saying
  • Sand M
    Perth, United Kingdom733 contributions
    Pretty as a picture
    We went to this part of Crete during an excursion. What an absolutely beautiful place this is. No photographs do it any justice. It is a bustling town with shops galore. A shopper and tourist paradise where you can shop till you drop or eat till the cows come home. Had a fabulous time here and would definitely return
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 January 2023
  • Mohamed B
    7 contributions
    Enchanting Historic Port Town
    Chania is a charming and historic port town in the northwest of Crete that captivated us from the moment we arrived. The old town, surrounded by Venetian walls, is a maze of narrow streets filled with colorful buildings, boutiques, and tavernas. The harbor front is a bustling hub of activity, with traditional fishing boats and restaurants serving up fresh seafood. The highlight of our visit was the restored Ottoman quarter, with its beautiful architecture and quaint streets filled with shops and cafes. Overall, Chania is a must-visit destination for anyone looking for a touch of old-world charm in Crete.
    Visited January 2023
    Written 31 January 2023
  • A ~
    Birmingham, United Kingdom27 contributions
    Lovely to walk around with great views and sunsets
    Loved walking around here! We liked the inner harbour more as it was quieter and the restaurants were better quality and value. We also loved the Venetian Quarter by the outer harbour - such beautiful, quaint narrow streets and good restaurants and bars.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 May 2023
  • CHARLESKH55
    Tonbridge, United Kingdom3,463 contributions
    Days and nights out.
    My wife and myself have been here few times over the years we like the place, always something new to look at, narrow streets with houses that are being renovated the restaurants, shops the views. There’s a lot to see and do, the main bus station is a short walk from the Harbour about 15 minutes and local buses from 1866 Sq. There’s also a taxi rank.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 22 May 2023
  • Kimberly
    Atlanta, Georgia168 contributions
    Historical, inexpensive, great views.
    Historically significant, inexpensive, and worth a peek. It was 2 euros for the over 65 crowd and 4 euros for everyone else. It is a massive structure and there are some recovered items on the lower floor although there is no explanation of the items. The best part is the open top floor with its detail and expansive views.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 30 July 2023
  • Natasa K
    Thessaloniki Region, Greece37 contributions
    From an old era....
    Beautiful and very picturesque place. You just can't get enough of strolling through the alleys and browsing the various shops. You can also find several restaurants and bars for food and drinks. Throughout our stay in Crete and no matter where we went during the day, we always ended up taking a walk in the old town and the venecian harbor!
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 September 2023
  • John B
    Reading, United Kingdom102 contributions
    Great place to visit but beware if driving
    This place is quite something. The oldest standing lighthouse in the Mediterranean sits at the harbour entrance and you can walk right up to it along the sea wall. Plenty of boat trips to choose from, or rent a small motor boat. Cafes and restaurants line the harbour and the place has a nice buzz to it. If you are driving in, beware! It’s a tough spot to find parking and the roads are really narrow, so don’t attempt it in an SUV. That said, we loved the place and intend to go back.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 September 2023
  • Springer114
    Herefordshire, United Kingdom585 contributions
    Excellent to explore
    What a lovely place to spend a few days exploring the streets,buildings,alleyway’s ,restaurants,bars and small independent shops. Everywhere is very friendly and most very accessible. You can walk and explore and walk more and on the way you can refresh at so many lovely cafes and restaurants totally recommend to anyone who loves exploring city’s
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
6 587 reviews
Excellent
4 528
Very good
1 728
Average
277
Poor
36
Terrible
18

Iris S
Bath, UK10 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Beautiful, lovely little shops too. On a trip and couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked to but we’ll worth a visit
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rr177
Waterbury, CT765 contributions
Sep 2023 • Friends
Beautiful old town by the water with many shops and restaurants. It was a fun day visiting Chania. I recommend a visit for a few hours.
Written 8 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hotelwise16
Oakville, Canada154 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
What an incredibly scenic and charming place for a seaside stroll. We stopped at one of the waterside restaurants and enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking the historic harbor.
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shaun1013
Isle of Portland, UK63 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Very pleasant in the evening . Nice meal and a few quiet drinks. Very relaxing and even though it was mid October .. still quite warm
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew
13 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Lovely spot. The whole of old town is a great tourist spot but we really enjoyed sitting on a bench In the harbour with gentle ripples of water lapping away at the pavement a couple of feet away. Grab an empty (and free) bench and just people watch and chill.
Written 18 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Springer114
Herefordshire, UK585 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
What a lovely place to spend a few days exploring the streets,buildings,alleyway’s ,restaurants,bars and small independent shops. Everywhere is very friendly and most very accessible. You can walk and explore and walk more and on the way you can refresh at so many lovely cafes and restaurants totally recommend to anyone who loves exploring city’s
Written 12 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lee A
Philadelphia, PA276 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
What a fantastic historic harbor! The buildings are beautiful and there are lots of little pedestrian side streets to wander--plus terrific shops and restaurants. It is such a lovely view at night as well.
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John B
Reading, UK102 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This place is quite something. The oldest standing lighthouse in the Mediterranean sits at the harbour entrance and you can walk right up to it along the sea wall.

Plenty of boat trips to choose from, or rent a small motor boat.

Cafes and restaurants line the harbour and the place has a nice buzz to it.

If you are driving in, beware! It’s a tough spot to find parking and the roads are really narrow, so don’t attempt it in an SUV. That said, we loved the place and intend to go back.
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natasa K
Thessaloniki Region, Greece37 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Beautiful and very picturesque place. You just can't get enough of strolling through the alleys and browsing the various shops. You can also find several restaurants and bars for food and drinks.
Throughout our stay in Crete and no matter where we went during the day, we always ended up taking a walk in the old town and the venecian harbor!
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Faye B
Stevenage, UK14 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Lovely place lots to see and do lots of eating and drinking places but can be expensive very picturesque and nice to see the turtle in the water
Written 30 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 3,355
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

OLD VENETIAN HARBOR: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Old Venetian Harbor

According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Old Venetian Harbor: