Naxos Half Day History and Culture Guided Tour
Description
Join this tour and get the opportunity to see many of the most emblematic sights of Naxos in only 4 hours! Learn about the island’s history, pose using its iconic monuments as your background and explore the villages of Chalki and Damalas! Highlights: Visit Demeter's Temple, a sanctuary dated back in the 6th Century BC. Explore Chalki, one of the most beautiful villages of Naxos Photoshoot the impressive contemporary marble quarries Walk in Flerio Valley and see the infamous Kouros Statue Buy unique souvenirs at a traditional pottery worskshop
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at Naxos Bus Transfer Office, right outside Naxos Port and drive directly to your first stop, Demeter’s Temple. Admire the impressive restored sanctuary, take amazing pictures and visit the small on site museum. *On Tuesdays and on the 1st of May the Temple of Demeter is closed and instead you will visit the village of Filoti. Also, the Demeter's Temple closes early (noon) in case of predicted heat wave. In that case, the tour that departs in the afternoon (13.00) visits Filoti village instead of Demeter's Temple
Continue to the charming village of Damalas, a tiny community of about 100 residents nestled among the olive groves of Tragea. Here, local potter Manolis will welcome you into his workshop, demonstrate his traditional techniques on the wheel, and share the secrets of his craft.
Your next destination is Chalki, the island’s former capital and once its main commercial center. Enjoy approximately 50 minutes of free time to wander its colorful alleys, shop for unique handmade souvenirs, visit the historic Vallindras Kitron Distillery, or simply relax with a coffee in one of the village’s cozy cafés.
Continue driving through old olive groves and reach Panagia Drosiani, a church of unique architectural style devoted to Virgin Mary- considered among the oldest in the Balkans! Here you will make a short stop to take pictures and if the church is open, also pay a quick visit to admire its unique frescoes.
Right outside the village of Kinidaros you will make a short stop by the road to photo shoot the impressive contemporary marble quarries.
Walk through the lush gardens of Flerio valley and "meet" the Kouros Statue, one of the most striking examples of Naxian marble art.
On Tuesdays and on the 1t of May the Temple of Demeter is closed and instead you will visit Filoti! You will get free time to explore the village by yourselves. Don't miss the main church and the neighboring folklore museum, exhibited in an old traditional house.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- On Tuesdays and on the 1st of May the Temple of Demeter is closed and instead you will visit Filoti village.
- The tour guide is not licensed and thus not allowed to guide you inside Demeter's Temple and Panagia Drosiani Church. You will get all the information about the monuments before you enter.
- This tour will take place rain or shine
- The tour begins and ends right outside Naxos Port. Luggage storage is provided for the participants free of charge.
- Pickup service (only-not dropoff) is provided for the guests who book the morning departure of 08.30. This service is available only from specific pickup spots in the areas of Plaka, Ag.Anna, Ag.Prokopios, Stelida and Naxos Town. Upon booking, please provide your accommodation info and you will be notified about the closest pickup spot to you.
- You will have to climb steps and walk uphill in order to visit the Temple of Demeter
- The Demeter's Temple closes early (noon) in case of predicted heat wave. In that case, the tour that departs in the afternoon (13.00) visits Filoti village instead of Demeter's Temple
- It is customary upon the visit to a church to donate a small amount of 1€-5€. These money are used for the operational costs of the church and very often for donations on behalf of the church to people/ families of the community that are in need.
- • You will have to climb steps and walk uphills in order to visit the Temple of Demeter. The tour follows a relatively brisk pace, so it may be challenging and is not recommended for guests with mobility impairments.
Reviews(545)
Very good and interesting trip, but we found it difficult to understand the guide’s English. He was very knowledgeable about everything in the bits we did understand.
Wonderful half day, we learnt a lot. Relaxing, diverse set of places we visited. Note that they move you along at quite a pace but this is so you can experience as much of Naxos as possible in only a half day.
A brilliant tour. Naxos is a beautiful island with a very rich history. All of the sites visited are worthwhile. Thanos is an excellent guide - very passionate about the island, its history, and communicates in a very interesting and personable way. Highly recommended!!
Excellent tour! If you like culture and history, this tour is for you - it was one of the highlights of our visit to Naxos. The 4-hour tour takes you around the island, giving you a great understanding of the people, culture, and history that make this island so special. Roula was an excellent tour guide - very helpful, knowledgeable, engaging, and attentive to our needs. George was an excellent driver and I felt very safe in his hands for the whole trip as he navigated the hairpin mountain turns and "two-way" village streets. It was a great value for the price.
The tour was amazing. Thanos and George were excellent guide and driver. Excellent information. Great humor. Wonderful stories. Fabulous places. The timing was perfect and the tour was so special. We loved it!
Thassos and George made this trip very entertaining,lovely guys and very informative! Well done 💯
Excellent tour with very knowledgeable tour guide. Comfortable air conditioned bus. Would definitely recommend this trip.
For €30 it was a great way to get some insight into Naxos’s history. Demetrius was our knowledgeable guide and George our driver, we learnt a lot and got to see a number of important places and architecture. Both looked after us very well.
A lovely but slightly too long tour. I would not advise anyone with younger kids (under 12) to take this tour. It caters mostly to adults.
We were on Naxos for just 3 days and this was a perfect way to see the historical sights while learning more about the culture of Naxos. Our guide, Dimitrios, was great in explaining everything. This is the perfect tour for a half day!
