Lonely Planet Experiences: Rethymnon Morning History & Local Food Tour

Great architectural walking tour of Rethymnon with stops to sample food. Guide was very knowledgable and had an architectural background making the tour really informative regarding the Turkish and Venetian influences on the city.

The husband and wife team I feel very badly that I don't remember their names! who provided us with an in-depth tour of Rethymnon was exceptional. I've NEVER been on a tour with better service, knowledge, kindness and hospitality! However, they went above and beyond when one woman in our group became ill and had to be taken to the emergency room. The husband took care of navigating the emergency room, made sure she was taken care of, translated everything from English to Greek, and ensured she received excellent medical attention. In the mean time, we continued on with our tour, receiving regular updates about our friend's condition she had a mild concussion complicated by heat exhaustion. The wife was exceptionally knowledgeable about the history of Crete and Rethymnon, and we started the tour at the Martyr's Church, followed by Cretan breads and coffee at the cafe nearby. She then took us to a place where a grandfather, father and son demonstrated making baklava and other sweets, an olive oil store where we learned about the olive oil market, a local cheesemonger, and had wine tasting with local nibbles. Along the way, we learned about the various countries who lived and inhabited the island, pointing out significant architectural additions and the affects of war on the population. At the end of the tour, our guide took us to a hidden gem...a local hotel with a tropical pool, where we enjoyed raki and cooled off from the heat. I cannot thank them enough for their exceptional service...it truly was a fantastic memory from our trip, and I'd give 10 stars if I could!!!

While our tour leader was quite knowledgeable about Rethymnon old town, there really wasn't that much to see. We checked out a few Venetian and Ottoman buildings, walked past a couple of mosques that you couldn't enter, and walked past the fortezza down to the rather small Venetian harbour. The best part of the tour was lunch.

Our guide was really nice. But it was difficult to figure out where to meet her. And starting out tour at 9, none of the shops were open, so we missed some of the places we were supposed to stop. We had a lovely time at lunch. Our guide struggled with English. Ended up ending tour early.

What a fantastic experience. We learned about the history of Rethymnon while eating and drinking our way throughout old town visiting local stores we probably would have just walked by and not even realized the great treats that awaited us inside. The guides were knowledgeable and lots of fun. They really made it interesting. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.

This was my first visit to Rethymno but will definitely go back! My guide was very knowledgeable and got to understand Crete's unique character through the stories behind the monuments and its people. A great walk through the backstreets and tasting local food and wine at spots favored by the locals.

The guide for this tour was very sweet- she was a nice girl just out of university and she tried very hard to show me around and made sure I got the most for my money. However, the tour itself lacked structure and I didn't get any background on Rethymnon's history or it's signifiance. When I asked questions in regards to the history she was able to answer, but the tour itself was more about pointing out landmarks than actually telling you about what your seeing and it's significance.

I discovered the old city of Rethymno having a really good conversation with my guide, who commented on history of the city, the historic places we were visiting main squares, relevant architectural sites, old streets and main churches, etc. and cretan traditions, while tasting traditional products. I really recommend this tour for those who like knowing a city by walking it around. El tour me permitió descubrir la ciudad vieja de Rethymno a través de una muy amigable y cordial conversación en inglés con mi guía, que comentaba aspectos relevantes de la historia de la ciudad, sus sitios históricos que se visitaban plazas, portadas, calles, iglesias, etc. y sus principales tradiciones mientras degustábamos varios productos típicos de la zona. Recomiendo encarecidamente este tour a aquellos a quienes gusta descubrir una ciudad callejeándola.