Old town and historic sights
The best places for old town and historic sights are Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Key West, Nassau, Athens and Santorini. Rhodes has the walled Medieval City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thessaloniki has Byzantine churches close together on foot, and Key West has its Old Town historic district of homes, courtyards and gardens.
Where it's best
The Medieval City of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage walled town built by the Hospitallers, with the Street of the Knights and the Jewish Quarter to find on foot or with a guide. Lindos, a separate village, has winding backstreets of whitewashed Captains' houses.
Aristotelous Square is the start of a walk up the promenade toward the Roman Forum. The Rotunda, Agia Sophia and Agios Dimitrios are within easy reach of one another, and Ano Poli has stone-paved streets and old houses on the slope.
Old Town is best seen on foot, with homes, courtyards and gardens one street at a time. The City Cemetery and the Harry S. Truman Little White House on Front Street add history.
Downtown Nassau has about 20 square blocks of monuments, murals and museums to walk. Fort Fincastle, the Queen's Staircase and Christ Church Cathedral, built in 1841, are historic sites in and above downtown.
Plaka is the old neighborhood at the foot of the Acropolis, with restored 19th-century neoclassical houses, pedestrian streets and Roman-era ruins. The Ancient Agora can be paired with a stroll into Plaka. In Piraeus, Kastella is a hilltop quarter of picturesque alleys above the harbor.
Fira's white cobblestone lanes cling to the caldera rim, with tavernas, cafes and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera. Oia has whitewashed streets and traditional architecture along the cliff.
Mykonos Town is a maze of whitewashed lanes with churches, windmills and old houses. Panagia Paraportiani in the Kastro district is a whitewashed Byzantine church, and Ano Mera has a monastery founded in 1542.
Fort Zoutman and the Willem III Tower are the oldest buildings in Aruba, in downtown Oranjestad. The Town Hall and the Protestant Church, built in 1950, are also sights in the capital.
Downtown Juneau has a few square miles of buildings celebrating Native heritage, museums and an arts center, best explored on foot. The Alaska State Capitol was completed in 1931, and Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1893, is southeast Alaska's oldest continuously operating church.
Pedro St. James is a restored 1780 Great House, the oldest surviving stone structure in the Cayman Islands and a national historic site. Mission House in Bodden Town shows early settlers' daily life, and George Town is the capital's downtown with a harbor front.
Charlotte Amalie has the Danish-built Fort Christian and the 99 Steps, built in the mid 18th century. St. Thomas Synagogue is the second oldest synagogue under the US flag.
Oak Ridge has brightly colored wooden houses on stilts along the shore. Port Royal National Park, once home to English pirates, and Fort Consolation above Coxen Hole recall the island's pirate and colonial past.
Rincón is Bonaire's oldest settlement, established in 1527, and a local guide can tell its history. Landhuis Bolivia is a ruined plantation complex on the east coast showing 18th and 19th century plantation life.
Creek Street is a boardwalk of wooden buildings on stilts over Ketchikan Creek, recalling its red light district past. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District.
Six blocks of downtown Skagway along Broadway are a National Historic District of 1898 Gold Rush buildings. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park includes much of the historic downtown, and the Gold Rush Cemetery holds Soapy Smith's grave.
Pigeon Island has a 16th-century castle built by Barbaros Hayrettin, with stairs to climb and a restored museum. Doğanbey is a historic Aegean town of old Greek houses.
St. John's Cathedral, built in 1812, is one of the oldest buildings in Belize City. Government House, the former residence of the British Governor General, is now a House of Culture open to visitors.
Downtown San Miguel is centered on the main square, where history walking tours and open-top city tours begin.
Tours to book
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
In-Depth Pedro St. James Castle & Botanical Gardens
