Athenian Hills Walking Tour - Your introduction to Athens
Description
Travelers usually ignore the lovely hills of Athens in favor of concentrating mostly on the Acropolis site. I am able to provide a detailed explanation of each of them, including its history, and suggest lovely locations for stunning photographs. As a native of Athens I know well the most of the good places and secret corners of it. Walking and photography is my passion. I want to share this experience with my guests. I spent a lot of time on each of the hills and brought people with me leaving a great last impression. Athens is not easy to explore, the touristic infrastructure here is not so well developed (except for Acropolis and archeological sites around), so it's easy to lose a lot of curious places. I am here to help you to discover this city at a maximum level. This year-round hiking and walking tour is ideal for small groups or solo travelers.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll explore the old walls that are left from ancient Athens. You'll also visit the Eastern Roman church of St. Dimitrios. Then, we'll walk through the Dimitrios Pikionis square, which offers a wonderful view of the Acropolis. Finally, we'll head to the top of the hill to see the Monument of Philopappos and enjoy the beautiful views all around and taking photos.
We will explore the Pnyx Hill (just next to Filopappou) - the place of Athenian Democracy. This is where Athenian citizens gathered to discuss laws, make decisions, and participate in the governance of their city. We will see the ancient speaker's platform (Vèma) and will pass near the telescope of the modern National Observatory of Athens.
As we make our way towards Ardittós Hill, we'll walk by the remarkably well-preserved and still-used Roman theater built by Herodes Atticus.
Reaching the top of Ardittós Hill, we'll be rewarded with a fantastic view of the Panathenaic Stadium – an ancient stadium that was fully reconstructed for the first modern Olympic Games. We'll then take a stroll around the stadium before heading to our final stop, where we can enjoy a breathtaking panorama of all the amazing places we've explored on our tour.
As an optional final stop on our way back, we'll see the beautiful neoclassical Zappeion building, which was established by Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas and notably built to host events for the modern Olympic Games. Kindly note, that we will not enter inside the building, it is open only for events and exhibitions.
Passing through a Plaka district we will enjoy the beauty of Lysikrates Monument. This monument stands as a reminder of ancient Athenian musical competitions.
As we begin our tour and head towards Philopappou Hill, we'll walk through Koukaki, a neighborhood where you'll see a mix of beautiful old neoclassical buildings right next to more modern styles of architecture.
We'll experience the charming and lively Mets neighborhood, nestled at the base of Ardittos Hill. This area has a wonderful old-world feel, with its beautiful neoclassical buildings that remind you of 19th-century Athens. From there, we'll take a special, less-known path used by locals to enter Ardittos Hill.
Leaving Pnyx Hill, we'll stroll along the Dionysiou Areopagitou promenade. As we walk, we'll admire the ancient Athenian ruins alongside elegant neoclassical buildings. Our path will also take us by the Roman Cistern and the sanctuary of the Nymphs.
As we leave Plaka, we'll walk under the impressive Arch of Hadrian. We'll then pass close to the majestic Temple of Olympian Zeus before making our way to the Mets district via Vassilisis Olga's Street.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(8)
Very informative and paced well. Excellent guide, friendly and interesting. Very good walk
Thank you!🌞 Glad you enjoyed the walk. Really appreciate the kind words!
I highly recommend this tour. The route includes a large number of interesting places. Athanasios knows the history of Athens well and is simply a pleasant interlocutor.
Михаил, большое спасибо за отзыв! Мне было очень приятно пройти этот маршрут вместе с вами. Рад, что тур по холмам оставил такие хорошие впечатления! Буду всегда рад новым встречам в Афинах!
We were honestly shocked that we could cover so much history and so many incredible sights in just 4 short hours…. It made my tour with Alternative Athens feel like a great value, with a ton more information and a much deeper understanding of the city than I could have hoped for.! Thank you!
Our Athens excursion was outstanding from start to finish. The route was perfectly planned, the views were incredible, and every recommendation we received was truly the best choice. We were able to experience the top highlights of Athens comfortably and without any stress.The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and shared so many interesting details that made the city come alive. The timing, organization, and photo stops were all perfect. Thank you, Athanasius, for an unforgettable experience — we would absolutely recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Athens!
Thank you so much for such a glowing review! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the route, the views, and that everything ran smoothly for you. It was a true pleasure guiding you around the hills and making the city's history come alive. Thanks again for the recommendation, and I hope to see you back in Athens one day!
If your first stop in Athens is the Acropolis (as it should be!), you've likely had a guide pointing out this hill and that one, the birthplace of democracy and the ridge where you can glimpse the Olympic stadium. You look around, maybe snap a few photos, but the question remains: What does it all mean? How does this patchwork of hills truly connect to Athens' history and the magnificent rock of the Acropolis itself? This is exactly why the hill walking tour with Thanos is an absolute must if you have an extra few days in Athens. Our few hours with him were fantastic. We walked up to the top of all those very same viewpoints we had just seen from the Acropolis, and the experience of looking back at the Acropolis from different angles was truly amazing. Thanos is intensely passionate about Greek history, and his storytelling is captivating. He makes the hills, the streets, and the legends of long-ago kings and gods come alive! Suddenly, the landscape isn't just a backdrop, it's the stage where democracy was debated and legends were born. Highly recommend this tour! It's the perfect way to contextualise your Acropolis visit and gain a deeper understanding of the city's ancient roots. Tip: a decent level of fitness and good walking shoes is required for this tour! Remember you are going to be walking UP hills. But you will have definitely earned your gyros for lunch!
Dear Kristy, thank you so much for this wonderful review! I’m really happy to hear you enjoyed exploring Athens from its hills and hidden viewpoints . It was a pleasure sharing the stories behind these places with you. I’m glad you felt the connection between the myths, the history, and the Acropolis itself. Wishing you many more inspiring travels. — Thanos
This tour was everything I expected & more. Thanus is passionate about the history of Greece. Topped off with a coffee together where we chatted amongst the locals about my other travels in Greece & got some good ideas & advice. His focus on small groups gives everyone the chance to engage. Thank you 🙏
Dear Maxine, thank you so much for your kind words! It was a pleasure showing you around and sharing my passion for Greek history. And I really enjoyed our coffee after the tour—I'm glad I could offer some helpful tips! Hope to see you again in Greece. Best regards, Thanos
This tour was fantastic! Thanos was very friendly, knowledgeable and went above and beyond with showing us local sites and restaurants! It was just myself and my husband on this tour and it was really great to have the small tour experience. I highly recommend!
Dear Julie, Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a real pleasure having you on the tour. I'm thrilled you both enjoyed the experience and hope you had a wonderful time exploring the local spots! Wish you all the best! Thanos
My wife and I had the pleasure of spending three hours with Thanos- all by ourselves! He is a personable, cordial, knowledgeable guide whose humble demeanor was endearing to us. We went all over the historic city center walking more than five miles. Went up some very steep hills and walked on uneven terrain. If you are physically fit and want a five-star personal experience, this is the tour for you. If you are not physically fit or have balance issues, consider a different tour. Many people use large tour companies and see the historical highlights only (as we did before doing this personalized tour). This tour is much different. Treat yourself to a wonderful experience!!!!!
Dear Kevin, thank you so much for the wonderful review! I'm so glad you and your wife enjoyed the private tour and our walk through the historic city center. It was a real pleasure showing you around and sharing my love for Athens. I truly appreciate you highlighting the physical nature of the tour—it's helpful for future guests to know what to expect. I hope you'll visit Athens again soon! Best regards, Thanos
