Athens Classical City Tour

Scent of the city: the Must – See sights

Available departures

Our tours take place all year long, in all weather, rain or shine.
The tours do not take place on the following public Holidays: 25 , 26 December, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, May 1st and March 25, the Greek Independence Day.
Kindly be advised that all services are subject to availability, your request shall be secured only following receipt of a confirmation email from us and clearance of your deposit.

To ask a question or make a booking request please contact us.

Athens

Athens, the capital of Attica and Greece, has uninterruptedly been inhabited for the last 6000 years, a period that includes wars, invasions, occupation, revolutions, decline and rebirth. Some of the worlds’ greatest scholars have named it “the cradle of Democracy”, mainly because of the political and cultural conditions that applied in the 5th century, in Find out more about our tours in the area

Athens & Surrounding Areas

Human settlements are recorded as early as the 5th millennium BC. Traces of settlements on the Acropolis hill are taking us back to the Bronze Age (3000-1100 BC); those inhabitants were not of Greek origin but bore the mythic name Pelasgi. It was not until the early 2nd millennium BC that the first Greek tribes, Find out more about our tours in the area

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In Brief

Follow the footsteps of the Olympian Gods and Pericles's in a pilgrimage to the 5th century B.C. and " the Golden age of Athens"

Athens!! The city that has being uninterruptedly inhabited for the last 3000 years, is nowadays a sprawling metropolis of almost 5 million people. Its streets are noisy, hectic, even chaotic at times, while the ongoing financial crisis has “left its stamp” on the daily life, as it is depicted on the numerous closed stores in several locations in the center.

Still, Athens retains a very unique flair and it remains a city of keen contradictions, where ancient, medieval and modern facets blend harmoniously. Some of the worlds’ greatest scholars have named it “the cradle of Democracy”, mainly because of the political and cultural conditions that applied in the 5th century, in the Greek City- State.

A stroll along the ruins - following the steps of the Olympian Gods as well as these of glorious Generals, Great philosophers, brilliant architects and inspired sculptors or just common people- will take you on an unforgettable time-travel, from the present times to the Golden century of Pericles, the longest-lasting democratic leader during the Golden Age, 2.500 years ago.

If there is a landmark that you shouldn’t miss out, this is the Acropolis of Athens, the undisputed symbol of the emergence of Western civilization. Light is the word that comes to mind when one looks up at the sacred rock of the Acropolis. Submerged in the mystical aura of the ancient world, crowned with the impressive temple of Parthenon, the Acropolis is located on a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft.) above sea level, covering an area of about 3 hectares (7.4 acres).

Road Map

After meeting you at the designated point, we will begin your Private tour in Athens, setting off from the Parthenon, an architectural masterpiece where design, sculpture and painting follow the principles of the Golden Rule. Your ascent to the hill will give you the chance to closely admire some other monuments of exceptional artwork, with most notable, the Temple of Athena Nike (Victorious), the Erechtheion with its Porch of Maidens the famous Caryatids. Coming down the hill, after passing the Propylaea, don’t forget to take a look at a steep, prominent rock on your right hand side, the Mars Hill- High Court (Areopagus), where Apostle Paul made his speech to the Athenians, on his way to preach the Holy Gospel.
Following the visit to the Acropolis, we will continue to the open, horseshoe-shaped Panathinaiko Stadium, which was the venue of the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896. Then, we will pass from the temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch, Zappeion mansion, Lycabettus hill and finally, the Greek Parliament with the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, where we will make a short stop for you to see the Changing of the Guards, the “Evzones”, a special unit of the Greek Army that guards the Monument and the Presidential Residence at a short distance.
Having taken photos of this majestic ceremony, we continue by car to pass from the Athenian Trilogy, which includes the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens and the National Library, St. Paul’s Catholic Cathedral, the building of Greece’s first Parliament, the Constitution Square and the Russian Orthodox Church. We will later enter Plaka, the historic part of Athens, which depicts the city’s flair shortly after the end of World War II and during the early 1950s until late 1960s.
After the hustle and bustle of the city’s center, it's the perfect timing for a gastronomic tour in the famed Mediterranean cuisine, which will definitely satisfy your palette. For this culinary experience, we couldn’t choose a better place for you than a picturesque local restaurantby the seaside.

Highlights

The Acropolis Hill where you will be able to see:
- Propylaea, which is the monumental entrance to the sacred hill
- The Parthenon, which was dedicated to the ancient Greek Goddess Athena (constructed between 447-432 B.C.)
- The Ionic temple of the Apteros Nike (Wingless Victory), one of the many monuments dedicated to Goddess Athena
- Erechtheion with its elegant Caryatids, a temple which was dedicated to Athena Polias,,
- Areopagus or The Court of Cassation (Mars Hill)
- Herodian Theater (erected in 161 AD during the Roman era)
- The ruins of the Greek Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus on the south side of the Acropolis
The Temple of Olympian Zeus (which was one of the largest ancient Corinthian- style temples in Greece) and Hadrian’s Arch.
The Panathenaic Stadium (erected in 338 BC as part of the public works carried out in the city of Athens by the orator Lykourgos, renovated in 1896 for the first modern Olympic games)
Lycabettus Hill (The highest hill in Athens, standing at 270 m. above sea level, offering a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the Acropolis hill)
The former Royal Palace, now housing the Greek Parliament
The Monument of The Unknown Soldier & The Change of The Guards in front of the Parliament
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral
The “Neoclassical Trilogy” [The Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Library, the First University of Athens] and finally,
Plaka (Drive through the historic part of Athens, as it was after the end of World War II and the early 1950s)
- It is one of the most picturesque quarters of the city.
- It is a residential, stone-paved area, with narrow streets and medium height houses with small gardens filled with flowers
- On the main commercial street you can find from carpets and artifacts to folk art and jewelry of exceptional quality and design, all at reasonable prices.

Useful info

Our tour packages don’t include a professional licensed tour guide, in order to be more affordable to our clients. However your driver will provide substantial & enough information for all the locations that you'll visit, within the car or outside the sites.

Notice that you could choose from the below choices.

a/ You can have your driver - tour Leader to accompany you. ( No additional cost)

b/ We can provide upon request a Professional tour guide.

c/ For tours that are taking place outside Athens we can always book a local tour guide in each place of visit , upon your request.

Whatever your choice might be, kindly send your request and we will inform you of the additional cost if that exists!

In case you'd like to be picked up by us at Athens International Airport "El Venizelos", we offer you transportation in significantly better price. Our representative will be waiting for you at the Arrival Hall, holding a sign with your name written on it. He will help you with your luggage, escort you to the car and provide you with mineral water & tissues to freshen up.

	Itinerary [total duration approx. 5 hours] Suggested start time: 8:00 am / in the summer, 8:30 am /in winter
	Car Type: For your chauffeured transportation, we provide fully air-conditioned vehicles that meet all technical and security standards. Depending on the number of participants, you can choose: a/ Sedan- type vehicle, new Octavia 7 or Mercedes, capacity 1 to 4 pax (depending on availability) b/ Mini Van, capacity 4 to 8 pax (depending on availability) c/ SUV- type vehicle, capacity 1 to 5 pax (depending on availability) Notes: 1) Child safety seats available upon request 2) Luggage restrictions may apply
	Activity level: Moderate.
	Dress Code: As your visit involves a fair bit of walking, mainly uphill, and marble stones can be quite slippery, it is advisable to wear *comfortable, rubber-soled shoes.* During the summer months, a hat and light colored garments will also be required for this tour.
	Max Group Size: 12-14 persons

Did you know?

In ancient Greek, the word “tyrant” means the "monarch, absolute ruler”.
The transportation of the historic artifacts from the Acropolis rock to the New Acropolis Museum (NAM) took 4 months.
No two structures on the Acropolis hill overlap, so each one seems like a painting whose background consists entirely of the blue Attic sky.