Half Day Private Athens Shore Excursion





Description
Athens is a city that really has to be explained in the right way, as every little corner can hide stories and intrigues you in a way may never think of. This shore excursion guides you in a great way in one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, the city of Athens, giving you the chance to discover all the must-sees during your limited time. Our 25 years experience and expertise can help you make the most out of your limited time in Athens.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This shore excursion will take you to all the must-see sights of Athens. During your Acropolis visit (approx. 2 hrs) you will see: - Propylaea, - The Parthenon - Erechtheion - The Temple of Athena Nike, Looking down from the Acropolis you'll see the two ancient theaters in its shadow: - The Theater of Dionysus , the oldest Greek theater (built in the 5th century BC), - Odeon of Herod Atticus, erected in AD 161. The site hosts performances for the summer Athens Festival.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greece capital Athens. It was dedicated to "Olympian" Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period the temple -that included 104 colossal columns- was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.
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 has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the adventus (arrival) of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city. There were two inscriptions on the arch, facing in opposite directions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens.
The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens,it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games.The stadium was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896. It was used for various purposes in the 20th century and was once again used as an Olympic venue in 2004. It is the finishing point for the annual Athens Classic Marathon.It is also the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.
Lycabettus hill also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos is a Cretaceous limestone hill in Athens, Greece at 300 meters (908 feet) above sea level. Pine trees cover its base, and at its two peaks are the 19th century Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant.
One of the most unique experiences is the changing of the guards in Athens. The presidential guards or Evzones, guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Hellenic Parliament building around the clock, through the coldest winter night or hottest summer day. Evzones are an elite unit of the Greek army and it is a very high honour for a Greek guard to be selected as an Evzone
One of the most high profile museums built in Europe in the 21st century, The New Acropolis Museum holds the historic archaeological treasures of the Acropolis of Athens. Although opened in 2009. A world-class museum of vast proportions, The New Acropolis Museum stands today as one of the most significant museums of ancient times. Offering a unique look into the past of Greece and is a must for any traveller in this age-old city.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Accommodation Piraeus area, Port and Cruise Terminal (Included). Meeting point: The driver will meet you at the port holding a sign with your name on Accommodation in Athens and Athens Suburbs Pickup/drop off from/to Accommodation located outside Athens Pickup/drop off from/to Athens Airport Meeting point: The driver will meet you inside the airport holding a sign with your name on
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking
- Transport is wheelchair accessible however be prepared for uneven surfaces at the sites visited which may be difficult for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
Reviews(22)
We had a great day with Chris. It was the last day of our vacation. We got off our cruise and Chris was there to help us with our bags, and then took us on a great adventure. Even though it was not on the itinerary he stopped and showed us a great place to get coffee and breakfast as it was early in the day that we had to disembark. We then went driving around and looking at a lot of the sites that Athens has to offer, even though a bike race shut down parts of the city. Chris then took us to a wonderful place, he said was his favorite, for lunch. The day ended at the airport. It really was a great end to the trip!!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
Highly recommend booking a private tour to see the city. We had a member of our party that had mobility issues and to be able to change what point we got in and out of was so ideal for our party. The van allowed easy access to them and we were all glad we don’t have to navigate the streets.
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
We were looking for a tour that would pick up our group of 5 at the airport, give us a tour of Athens and then drop us off at the cruise port. Tour of Athens was great to work with and gave us the experience we were looking for. Dionisis was responsive and very flexible. He helped me through the process of securing tickets to the Parthenon and advising on the other sites we were interested in. Thomas was our driver. He was prompt, very professional, and accommodating to our requests. We really enjoyed our time with Thomas and the information and stories he shared. The minivan was spacious, clean, and very comfortable. We were able to fit in a visit to the Plaka area of the city, a wonderful visit to the Parthenon, and a city tour. Thomas was very conscious of our time constraints and delivered us to our cruise ship in plenty of time. We were very grateful to have this experience, as we were not able to extend our trip an extra day in order to see something of Athens. We were so pleased with the service Tour of Athens provided that we booked them for the transport from our cruise ship to the Athens airport at the end of our cruise. The service was again exceptional, our driver, Vassimo, was prompt, handled our bags, and was very personable and professional. There were water bottles and WiFi in the well appointed minivan. He got us to the airport just before it started to get very busy and we had no trouble making our plane. Both experiences helped make the beginning and the end of our trip smooth and stress free!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
Enjoyed our cool, confortable ride to the museum then acropolis. He had cold bottled water for the walk up and after. Gave us a great tour of the city highlights and safely dropped us back. Speaks perfect English. Would absolutely recommend.
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
Chris was fabulous. As I was feeling poorly, he took our 22 and 18 year old boys out on the trip. They had a fabulous time with him seeing all the sites. Chris was very knowledgeable so they learned so much and he looked after them brilliantly.
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
I cannot recommend this highly enough. We (family of four, two adult children 18 and 20) finished a two week cruise in Athens and had to disembark the ship early morning, with a flight to Dubai leaving at 6pm. So we had the whole day to see a few highlights of the city with the potential problem of four large suitcases and four carry on bags to deal with. The perfect solution was this tour- we were picked up by our driver at Piraeus port at 10am, loaded the van and that was our bags sorted for the day. Drove into central Athens to pick up our guide then did the tour. First the Acropolis museum, then up to the Acropolis itself and Parthenon, which at this time of year was pleasantly quiet on a lovely sunny day, no crowds at all. Then to watch the changing of the guard, then a tour around the central city before heading to the airport. We were offered other stops but had done a bus tour the day before and already seen them. I had presumed the 5 hour tour would be from 10-3 but in fact the 5 hours did not start until we picked the guide up so we had to cut the tour a little short to get to the airport on time. Our driver and tour guide were professional and friendly. The van was perfect for our needs, comfortable and cool. Our guide was a fountain of knowledge and made the day educational as well as memorable. A total of 450 euro was a great deal considering what we saw and learned and that our requirements of an airport transfer and dealing with our bags for the day were solved along with the tour itself. Communication from Dionysis by email before and after the trip was excellent. I would definitely use Tours of Athens again.
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
By far the best way to see Athens. Our guide was very knowledgable and a former Presidential guard who had a great deal of knowledge of the countryside as well as Greece. We would highly reconmend this excursion!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
As agreed upon months earlier, we were promptly picked up at Piraeus Port after we disembarked our ship. George our driver texted us to let us know he was there and where we would find him. He greeted us and loaded all of our luggage into the Mercedes van. It was extremely clean and comfortable. George had extensive knowledge of Athens and Greek culture and took us around to all of the sights. We stopped at the Acropolis for 2 hours and went to several other archaeological places. We then stopped and had some lunch upon his recommendation. Everything went very smoothly--we saw what we wanted to see in the comfort of our own private van. We arrived right on time to the airport, which is 45 min from the city center. It was a wonderful half day with George!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
What a great tour! Our driver was extremely knowledgeable of the area and history from both a factual and personal basis. His personal insights added that much more to the experience. We had a great time!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com
Acropolis and Mars Hill - George (Driver) and Nicolae (licensed tour guide) we're both EXCELLENT - both extremely knowledgable regarding the archiological sights visited and about the city. The transportation vehicle was outstanding. I will defiantly like to book the EXACT package on my return to Europe Athens 09/2024!
Thank you for your excellent review! Dennis Toursofathens. com