Athens Shore Excursion: Acropolis Walking Tour
Description
The moment your cruise ship arrives in port in Athens (Piraeus), your shore excursion to the Acropolis begins. Discover Athens' ancient history on this fascinating city walking tour with a local guide. Venture inside the Acropolis, see the Parthenon and admire how this ancient monument towers above the city. As you soak up the local scene, you'll also see such sites as the House of Parliament, the Zappeion and the Zeus Temple. Free time in Plaka district is provided too.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Change of the Guards in front of the Greek Parliament
Walkthrough the National Gardens of Athens, enjoy the serenity in the heart of the city and the story behind them
Pass by Zappeion Megaron
Temple of Zeus
Acropolis and all its monuments
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up from the cruise ship terminal
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT BABY STROLLERS: baby strollers are not allowed on the Acropolis archaeological site and that there is no cloakroom at the side entrance we use to enter. For your own convenience, it is recommended to use a baby pouch instead of a baby stroller
- Comfortable walking shoes, sun-screen and a hat are recommended
- Dress according to weather
- Bring a bottle of water
- Strict Acropolis entry times mean we can't wait for latecomers. No refunds will be given.
- All visitors undergo airport-style security; expect peak season waits of up to 30+ minutes.
- Cutoff times sync with Athens local time.
- Tours run rain or shine.
- If you have selected the “Book WITH Ticket” option, everything is included, and you will collect the admission tickets from our staff during check-in for the tour at the meeting point. We will be prepurchasing the tickets for you for the specific timezone.
- If you have selected the WITHOUT Ticket option, follow the instructions on your voucher to purchase the Acropolis Tickets
Reviews(133)
Our guide Apollon (?) was great when it came time to tackle the Acropolis. He made sure to break up the climb into segments, stopping under shade each time while he gave us more info on what we were seeing. I had my doubts about making it to the top (& back down!) at 70 with a bad back and bum ankle but I was able to do it!
Go Phyllis! Reaching the top of the Acropolis is an achievement for anyone, but doing it with a bad back and a bum ankle makes you an absolute rockstar. We are so incredibly proud of you, and we're happy that Apollon (you got his name right!) paced the stroll so perfectly with those shady history breaks to help you conquer it. Thank you for proving that age and minor setbacks can't stop you from experiencing the magic of Athens! Warmly, Athens Walking Tours Team
It was a great pleasure to be on the tour with our guide Artemis. She was friendly, knowledgeable and humorous; qualities we greatly appreciate. We got both an insight into the history of Athens, the Greek mythology and her personal relationship to, for example, the classic marathon race from Marathon to Athens. I had the desire to go home and look for the notes from ancient science, which I have not thought of in the last 40 years.
Hi Grethe, thank you for the wonderful review! It was a pleasure to have you with us. We’re pleased that Artemis’s knowledge, humor, and personal stories—especially her connection to the historic Marathon run—made such an impression. Hearing that she inspired you to revisit your history notes after 40 years is the ultimate compliment! We are so glad you enjoyed the journey through time with us. Warmly, Athens Walking Tours Team
We were on a cruise pickup tour. Our son has a disability, and uses waking sticks. He was fine with the Athens walk, but struggled to climb up the Acropolis. He, and a few others from our group, chose not to continue. The guide showed them where to wait while the rest carried on to the top. We later found out that there is actually lift access to the top. Why didn’t our ‘expert’ guide know this ????
Thank you for your feedback. We do state in our tour description that the Acropolis is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, as the site involves many stairs and uneven terrain. While there is indeed a lift at the Acropolis, it is not always accessible—it operates under specific conditions and requires prior arrangements with the site authorities. For this reason, your guide may not have advised using it at the time. In the case of private tours, if we are informed in advance, we can help arrange access to the lift whenever possible. However, for small group tours the itinerary is set, and such arrangements cannot be made on the spot. We hope this clarifies the situation and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Warm regards, Athens Walking Tours Team
A lot of walking but well worth it. The guide was well informed and we saw lots around the area we walked
Thank you, Debra, for your lovely feedback! We’re so glad you found the walk worthwhile and enriching. Our guides love sharing their knowledge while making sure you see the very best of the Acropolis and its surroundings. Delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience!
Loved acropolis. Guides were great. Little disorganized with taxi and meeting spot at metro. The jewelry store mentioned at meeting spot was nowhere to be found. Must be a new jewelry store name that wasn’t updated. Other than that it was a great tour.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback, Tina! We’re pleased you loved the Acropolis and enjoyed the tour with our guides. We apologize for any confusion with the taxi and meeting spot. Thank you for choosing us, we’d love the chance to welcome you back for another memorable experience!
Let me start by saying Annie was an incredible guide and if I was just rating her I would give her a 5 star. But I am rating the company so I will give a 3 star. There were 20 people in the group which is larger than advertised. The tour started walking through the garden in the cool of the day. That was so silly to walk there. It had almost no historic value. Why be there when it was cooler and be on the top of the accropolis when it was extremely hot? It would have been better for the company to get an earlier entrance. The skip the line did work well but it was at 11 am and so hot it was most unbearable. Annie tried to keep us in the shade but that is difficult. Annie taught to different locations and countries and did an excellent job. The tour should skip the garden and go to other historical places and walking past the prime ministers home was not necessary either.
Thank you for your review and for your kind words about Annie – we're thrilled to hear she did such a great job guiding the tour! We’d like to clarify a few things about the tour and how it's structured. First, our group size has a maximum capacity of 24 guests, and in your case, the group did not exceed that limit. We also offer specific tours that focus solely on the Acropolis, for those who prefer to dedicate their time there. The tour you experienced was the City Tour, which includes both a visit to the Acropolis and other significant parts of Athens, like the changing of the guards and a walk through the city. This allows guests to get a well-rounded glimpse of the city’s rich culture and history. We start the tour in the garden and other areas early to make the most of the cooler hours before reaching the Acropolis, and it’s important to note that once we finish at the Acropolis, guests cannot reenter with the same ticket. Almost all our guests appreciate being able to spend additional time there at the end of the tour. We understand your concerns about the heat and will take your feedback into consideration for future improvements. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience!
A real archeologist lead our tour. What a treat. He paced the tour well enough to allow my 76 year old mother to pull off the ascent up the Acropolis. Bus met us at the cruise port, well organized and air conditioned. Back in time to get back for our cruise departing. Would totally do again.
Kris, we're glad you had a great and organized experience on our Athens Shore Excursion: Acropolis Walking Tour! Thanks for praising our guide as a real archeologist leading your tour, we are happy they provided expert insights as we strive for. It's an extra pleasure to read that the tour paced well enough for your 76-year-old mother to enjoy the ascent up the Acropolis. We aim to create memorable and convenient experiences for all our guests, regardless of age or fitness level. Thank you for choosing us for your shore excursion and for sharing your feedback. We hope to see you again soon for another adventure!
Wish we had booked a tour that was less history lesson. Too much walking to the Acropolis. Wish we had booked the other entrance. Less demanding
Dear Fred, Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your comments and take them seriously as we strive to improve our tours. While our tour does involve walking to and within the Acropolis, we strive to maintain a comfortable and relaxed pace, making it accessible for most guests. We're pleased that many of our clients, regardless of age or physical ability, find the tour enjoyable. We understand that each person is unique, and we always encourage our guests to share any specific needs or concerns with us prior to the tour. This allows us to suggest alternative tours or even a private tour option tailored to your preferences. We hope that despite the walking you did enjoy the information shared during the tour.
Our walking tour started great with clear communication as to where to meet. Traffic while on the bus was crazy busy, but we were excited about the tour thinking Athena would be our guide. Unfortunately at the bus station we were passed off to another tour guide. Being an elementary teacher, I know from many field trips that the guide makes or breaks the trip. In our case, our guide was mediocre, disinterested and not engaging. He did make sure he stopped to talk in places with shade, but there was not adequate restroom and picture taking opportunities . We enjoyed the sights, but it was not an interesting learning experience.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent walking tour with us. We are thrilled to hear that you had a positive initial experience with Athena, our outstanding operations and hosting agent. Athena consistently receives high praise for her exceptional service, and we're glad you found her amazing as well. We sincerely apologize for the disappointment you experienced with the tour guide you were assigned. We understand how crucial a guide is to the overall experience, especially given your background as an elementary teacher. Your feedback about the guide's engagement and the lack of adequate restroom and picture-taking opportunities is invaluable to us, and we will certainly address these concerns to ensure a more enjoyable and informative experience for future guests. We appreciate your understanding and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more enriching tour experience in the future.
Wonderful tour to get a quick overview of Athens and visit the Acropolis. The tour guide was an encyclopedia of knowledge, with the right amount of entertainment and cynicism. It was very hot and he broke down the stops to make sure we had breaks in the Acropolis climb and as much shade as possible when he was providing information. We also had approximately two hours of free time to have lunch and visit la Plaka. Easy port pick-up. Well organized. Great day!
Dear Isabelle, Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the Athens Shore Excursion and found the guide knowledgeable and entertaining. We’re happy to know you found the tour well organized and that you had a wonderful day. Hope to see you on another tour soon!
