Athens:Half day tour to Acropolis and the must-see historical sites and downtown

The Acropolis of Athens is a rocky hill 156 meters above sea level and approximately 70 meters above the level of the city of Athens. The Parthenon is a temple built in honor of the goddess Athena, patroness of the city of Athens. Τhe architects who worked were Iktinos, Kallikratis, and possibly Phidias (5th century BC). Finally, we will see the Erechtheion with the famous Karyatidis and the Propylaea.

The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC, although decorations of the Parthenon continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art.

The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek Ionic temple on the north side of the Acropolis, which was primarily dedicated to the goddess Athena.

The Temple of Athena Nike is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens, dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike.

The Theatre of Dionysus is an ancient Greek theatre in Athens. It is built on the south slope of the Acropolis hill, originally part of the sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus also called Herodion is a stone Roman theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis.

The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. The Acropolis Museum also lies over the ruins of part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. The museum was founded in 2003 while the Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on 20 June 2009. More than 4,250 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.

Panathenaic Stadium or else known as Kallimarmaro stadium – the oldest in operation stadium of the world, where the Olympics Games have been held three times. It is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble.

Like the Acropolis, the temple of Olympian Zeus has been a distinctive Athenian landmark since time immemorial. The Pillars of Olympian Zeus, the outdoor ancient temple of Athena. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a half-complete temple dedicated to Zeus, chief of Olympian Gods. It’s impressive history and destruction make the site interesting to study and its size a popular tourist attraction. It’s surrounded by other monuments, such as the Kallimarmaro stadium, the Hadrian’s Arch, and Zappeion Megaron. It’s within walking distance from the Athens center, 500 m east of the Acropolis and south from the Syntagma Square.

The Arch of Hadrian, most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate, is a monumental gateway resembling—in some respects—a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

The Zappeion is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private and is one of the city's most renowned modern landmarks.

The National Garden or Royal Garden is a public park (38 acres) in the center of the Greek capital. It is located directly behind the Greek Parliament building (The Old Palace) and continues to the South to the area where the Zappeion is located, across from the Kalimarmaro. The Garden also encloses some ancient ruins, side are the busts of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece, and of the Philhellene Jean-Gabriel Eynard, of the celebrated Greek poets Dionysios Solomos, author of the Greek National Hymn, and Aristotelis Valaoritis.

The Hellenic Parliament is the Parliament of Greece, an imposing building located in the Parliament House (Old Royal Palace), overlooking Constitution Square in Athens. The Greek Parliament, the old Palace of king Othon which is located in Syntagma Square and the Unknown Soldier Monument which is guarded 24 hours a day by the Presidential Guard.

Syntagma Square is the central square of Athens. The square is named after the Constitution that Otto, the first King of Greece, was obliged to grant after a popular and military uprising on 3 September 1843. It is located in front of the 19th-century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. Syntagma Square is the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the heart of commercial activity and Greek politics.

We will see the changing of the guard (Euzones) in front of the old palace, which is today Parliament House, above the central square of Athens.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is an integral part of the modern Greek intellectual tradition, life, and international presence. It successfully combines an old established name and authority with dynamic development and creative participation in modern letters and science. It is the oldest University in the country, founded by the Royal Decree of 22 April 1837 under the name “Othonian University”, as the first king of modern Greece, Otto of Bavaria, was its founder. Initially, it consisted of four Schools (of Theology, Law, Medicine, and Philosophy, the latter still comprising at that time Mathematics and Applied Sciences) with a total of 52 students. Its first seat was a neo-classical house on the north slope of the Akropolis hill, originally the home of the architect Stamatis Kleanthis (today the Museum of the University’s History is housed there).

The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle traces back to the historical Academy of Plato, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy's main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.

National Library (Vallianeion) This glorious neoclassical reading room once housed over 2 million books and manuscripts, among them 5.200 manuscripts that include over 300 Greek New Testament manuscripts and hand-written renditions of works by Aristotle, Plato and Homer.

Plaka is the oldest and most charming district in Athens. It lies right below the Acropolis Winding medieval alleyways with romantic narrow steps, neoclassical mansions and houses with red tiles and balconies with colorful flowers characterize the neighborhood The Greek literature often called Plaka the neighborhood of the Gods Typical Greek taverns and street cafés serving ice-cold frappés are also characteristics of the area.

Lively Monastiraki is known for iconic landmarks including the ruins of Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos, with a museum exhibiting Athenian artifacts.

Once the most luxurious public building in the city, Hadrian’s Library was erected around AD 132. It has an internal courtyard and pool bordered by 100 columns.

The Stoa of Attalos was a stoa in the Agora of Athens, Greece. It was built by and named after King Attalos II of Pergamon, who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.

The agora was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of the polis. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly".