Acropolis of Athens Historical Tour For History Enthusiasts
Description
All the must-see attractions of the Acropolis — with a ton more history! This tour is engaging and longer than other tours, offering a denser in terms of content and a more holistic understanding of the history of Acropolis and of its true value to our civilization. Through this, it creates a meaningful experience that offers important lessons for us as humans and as citizens.
Tour Options
Itinerary
As in every good story, everything begins with an introduction. It's not easy to tell the story of one of the most historically rich cities in the world. Yet, we aim to give our guests a broader perspective. That's why, at the beginning of the tour, we offer a concise lesson on the creation of human civilization, and then we place ancient Greek civilization — and Athens in particular — within that framework, so that people can truly understand its importance and contribution.
The first monument we will see on our way up to the Acropolis is the Theatre of Dionysus — the first theatre in human history. This is where theatre and drama as a practice were born, and where the earliest plays — tragedies and comedies — were performed in front of the Athenian public. These plays were written by some of the most famous writers of all time, including Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus.
Our next stop will be the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which was built by the city's benefactor and famous philosopher of the 2nd century AD in memory of his deceased wife.
Arriving at the main entrance of the Acropolis sanctuary, we will see the Temple of Athena Nike, dedicated to the goddess of victory.
Next, we will admire the view of the historically important surrounding hills, and walk up the main stairway leading to the interior of the sanctuary, all while taking in the monumental gateway of the Acropolis.
Our penultimate stop will be the Erechtheion, the temple of myths and legends, located at the center of the Acropolis sanctuary and famous for its unique sculptures.
At the end, we will finally admire 'the jewel in the crown' — the Parthenon. A gift to Athens' patron goddess, it is the masterpiece of Classical-period ancient Greek architecture and the greatest technical achievement of the democratic state — the symbol of Western civilization.
After having analyzed the Acropolis, we are going to have a short break for pictures for 20 minutes. After that, we are going to exit the Acropolis archaeological site and we will visit the Areopago hill where we are going to have the epilogue of the tour with the view of the ancient athenian Agora.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for young children who get bored easily and do not have any interest in history
Reviews(73)
Highly recommended tour if you know what you’re booking. Harris (Charalambos), our extremely passionate guide, met us at a convenient spot right in front of the Acropolis Museum (recommended as a preview visit to get the context of what you’re about to see) and led us on an extensive journey through 3000+ years of history at this amazing site. We started with a comprehensive introduction to the formation and evolution of Greek and Athenian society before entering the site and learning about the significance of each individual structure and how it fit into the history of the Acropolis and the wider world. He helped the visit flow on an oppressively hot day by finding breezy and shady spots and showing us where to fill water bottles and take the best photos, kept us interested with quizzes and rewards, and even helpfully walked us to our dinner afterwards, while sharing historical anecdotes and philosophical tidbits along the way. His enthusiasm for this unique place really shines through!
If you are really interested in history, don’t miss this opportunity. Greece has such a long and complex history, but our excellent guide Harris/Haralampos managed to summarize it starting with the Bronze Age, providing a thorough understanding of the context that led to the great architectural, cultural and historical significance of the Acropolis, including the many attempts at its demise. We owe so much to the Greeks. Unfortunately their other achievements and contributions to our societies like from their Byzantine era are mostly ignored in the West. Highly recommend this Acropolis tour.
I do recommend a tour with Harris for anyone with an interest in Greek history and mythology. We’re looking forward for the next time in Athens🌞🐈⬛
I cannot recommend this experience or the tour guide highly enough! Be prepared for much more than a visual experience. This is far more sightseeing things you’ve seen on television or vaguely remember from history class come to life. There is a real element of immersion here. The discussion and timeline go way beyond the parthenon or temple of Poseidon. It easily turns into discussions of philosophy and the underpinnings of western civilization. When you take this tour prepared to be engaged.
Incredible guide full of knowledge. He explained everything in detail, the history, the interesting curiosities. He was fun to be with, made jokes and we enjoyed every moment of the trip. His sense of humour fit us all. He paid attention to detail, was responsive to our requests. The place much bigger than we expected. One of the must see places in the world.
Charalampos of AthensHistoricExperiences took us on a 4000+ year, 20 km, 14 hour walking tour of Athen and Greek history. The breadth and depth of knowledge, insights and understanding shared by ”Harris” was fantastic and sets the bar high. We covered several public and private museums and sights. We want to give our deepest appreciation and recommend this tour to any traveller who plan to do an Athen historic tour.
I'm in Athens for work and I partecipated at the tour with a group of collegues of different nationalites. We was with Harris, that led the tour perfectly in english and it was all very clear, by the way... The passion for what one does is a universal language! If you are searching for a not ordinary tour, this is the right choice. It was wonderful and enriching: Harris' passion for history is contagious. He related his knowoledge of ancient history to present facts and to out work, motivating us to do our best as educator fugures. A nice thing for the lovers of history (of many): Harris sent us bibliographic resources! Choose this experience and enjoy it 😁
Excellent guide! Haralampos accompanied us for more than 4 hours even though the tour was only supposed to last 3. The explanations and commentary revealed a passionate historian guide who knew how to convey his passion and interest in this magical place that is the Acropolis to me. He also knew how to put it into context and comment on the repercussions of the monument, its history, and the civilizations that protected, destroyed, or preserved it. I highly recommend this company and this guide in particular.
Our guide, Harris/Haralamoos, had multiple graduate degrees and was hands down the most knowledgeable guide I’ve ever had. He made it fun also by having some of us guess answers and giving candies for rewards. He’s given the topics a great deal of philosophical thought and adds his own flavor all of which makes the journey digestible, memorable, and meaningful. Deep thanks!
From beginning to end the tour was absolutely fascinating! Our guide, Haralampos (Harris), was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about sharing everything about Greek history. He was also funny, patient, and made the entire group feel welcome. As a travel advisor, I would highly recommend this tour for a rich cultural experience. Fantastic job!
