Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour
Description
If you want to visit Athens but have only 5 hours, this is your best option. See the highlights of Athens skipping traffic on a private tour, feeling like a traveler.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore the best of Athens in just a few hours—marvel at the Acropolis and Parthenon, visit the Temple of Zeus and Panathenaic Stadium, witness the changing of the guard, and enjoy sweeping city views from Lycabettus Hill. Finish at either the Ancient Agora or the acclaimed Acropolis Museum for a perfect taste of ancient and modern Athens.
Sightseeing in Athens starts with the hill of Acropolis which will make your day. On the historical hill, you will have the opportunity to see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of the Athena Nike, the monumental gateway (Propylaea), the Erechtheum and of course the famous Parthenon, the main temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena.
Parthenon, the main temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena. The eternal symbol of the Athenian Democracy and the Western Civilization.
The Propylaea is the monumental entrances to the sacred area dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of the city. Built by the architect Mnesicles with Pentelic marble, their design was avant-garde. To the south-west of the Propylaea, on a rampart protecting the main entrance to the Acropolis, is the Ionian temple of Apteros Nike.
Temple of Poseidon and Athena, the strangest and most sacred place in ancient Athens.
Temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Nike or Wingless Victory.
The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major theatre in Athens, considered to be the world's first theatre, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Roman theater structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The building was completed in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950.
After the Acropolis, we will head towards the Temple of Zeus, the biggest temple in antiquity, devoted to the King of the Gods, by way of Hadrian's Arch.
We will visit Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.
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 Hellenic Parliament, in Greek known as Voulí ton Ellínon is the parliament of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The Parliament is the supreme democratic institution that represents the citizens through an elected body of Members of Parliament.
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.
The Academy Building constitutes one of three parts in an “architectural trilogy”. It was founded with the Constitutional Decree of March 18th, 1926, as an Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. The splendid Athens University was designed by the Danish architect Christian Hansen and completed in 1864.
The National Library of Greece was built at the end of the 19th century, as the last of the Architectural Trilogy of Athens, a group of three neoclassical buildings which also includes the Academy and the University. The building was designed by Theophil Hansen.
Then moving into the historical center of the city we will drive up the highest hill of Athens, Lycabettus Hill, where you’ll have the best panoramic view of the city, from the hill of Acropolis to the Aegean Sea.
You will visit the Ancient Agora, which is considered the birthplace of democracy, philosophy and free speech.
Instead of visiting the Ancient Agora, you can choose to visit the new Acropolis Museum. As you enter the museum grounds, look through the plexiglass floor to see the ruins of an ancient Athenian neighborhood, which were artfully incorporated into the museum design after being uncovered during excavations. This dazzling modernist museum at the foot of the Acropolis’ southern slope showcases its surviving treasures still in Greek possession. While the collection covers the Archaic and Roman periods, the emphasis is on the Acropolis of the 5th century BCE, considered the apotheosis of Greece’s artistic achievement. Built in 2009, this museum was voted as the best mono-thematic museum for 2019.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up time adjustable upon your request.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The drivers are not licensed to accompany you inside any site or museum. If you require a licensed guide to tour the sites with you, you need to hire one additionally. If you have any questions you can contact us on the phone number provided by Viator.
- Please contact us after your booking if you are using a wheelchair or if you are travelling with infants
- Connection error The product selected is out of date or invalid. Please select a valid product from your booking software.
- Acropolis and Ancient Agora tickets (when included) are booked for a specific entry time. Delays may result in losing your tickets and new tickets will need to be purchased at your own expense, subject to availability.
- Please carefully check the Inclusions & Exclusions of your booking.
- For private tours, the driver will wait up to 30 minutes at the pickup point. After 30 minutes without contact, the booking will be considered a No-Show.
Reviews(426)
Our driver Theodore was prompt in picking my family of 9 up at the hotel. He took us to the Acropolis and around town showing us the sights. We were a bit exhausted from traveling and we wanted to eat so he proposed a great restaurant in town called Arcadia. He was a great guide and very courteous and accommodating. Thank you again!
The tour guide was excellent and nothing was too much trouble. Stefanos was so knowledgeable with the history of Athens and knew the best spots to take us.
Our Private Athens tour from cruise port was amazing! We hit all the highlights and beat most of the tours to each spot! Arris our guide was amazing with our children and was able to connect with them and gave them all the history about each site at their level! Highly recommend for your trip to Athens!
Our family was a mix of grandparents and kids as we did a big family trip and Stefanos was excellent! He was incredibly passionate, taught us a lot and showed us everything we wanted to see. He was always ready and waiting for us with an air conditioned vehicle and ice cold water which was necessary in the hot July heat! We truly learned a lot and would have booked with him for other tours if we needed it. Highly recommend!
Theodore was a brilliant driver and host and we had an amazing trip. Great information from our guide Alina, and obviously the Acropolis is a site not to be missed. Wish we could stay longer to do justice to all the other great attractions Athens has to offer but we’ll be back soon. The warm welcome of the Greeks is always hugely appreciated and difficult to match. Thank you to our wonderful guides.
We had a fantastic day in Athens with Theodore. He was waiting for us at the cruise port holding a sign with our names, so finding him was easy. His car was spotless, comfortable, and stocked with cold bottles of water, which was a nice touch on a hot day. Before we even arrived, he booked our Acropolis tickets for us, which made everything so much easier. Throughout the day, he shared so much history and so many interesting stories about Athens that we learned far more than we expected. He took us to all the main sights as well as a few places we probably wouldn’t have found on our own. After the tour, he dropped us at a great restaurant, waited while we had lunch, and then took us to the airport. The whole day was relaxed, well organized, and never felt rushed. Booking was incredibly easy too. I contacted them through WhatsApp on their website, and they replied within a minute. If you’re arriving in Athens on a cruise and want a private tour, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Theodore and his team. It was one of the best experiences of our trip.
When you book ask for your best Greek friend Panos to be your guide. Im telling you just do it. We had a great time. We saw everything like VIPs. Panos was very knowledgeable so we learned a lot too. Just an awesome guy to hang out with and tour the Sites. Do yourself a favor if booking a private tour.
Great Day touring Athens with our Guide, Dimitris from Olive Sea Travel. My wife and I spent 5 Hours seeing the expected must sees & the neighborhoods that make up the great fabric of Athens. Dimitris is very knowledgeable about the City’s History & a Joy to share some time together with him. I definitely recommend his services. You will learn some History and enjoy your visit to Athens!
We had an amazing half-day private highlights tour of Athens with Stefanos. He was, without a doubt, the most knowledgeable guide we’ve ever had. His passion for Athens, its history, and Greek culture really shone through and made every stop interesting and engaging. Stefanos also has a fantastic sense of humor, which made the tour fun and enjoyable from start to finish. He was an excellent driver, and we always felt safe and comfortable as we explored the city. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does and takes great pride in giving his guests the best possible experience. If you’re looking for a private tour in Athens, we highly recommend requesting Stefanos. He made our visit unforgettable, and we left with a much deeper appreciation for this incredible city. Thank you, Stefanos!
Our guide Stefanos was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. In addition to being able to answer every question our 9 year old Greek mythology expert could come up with, he made it entertaining and understandable. He even gave us great recommendations for pastry shops and restaurants for the beat local food.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with Stefanos! We're thrilled he provided an enjoyable and informative tour for your family and even offered local recommendations. We hope to welcome you again on another great adventure!
