The Greek Essentials: Private Full-Day Tour of Athens Highlights
If you only have a short amount of time in Athens and want to see as much as possible in one day, this full-day private tour is the perfect option for you! You will visit the Greek Essentials, including Parthenon, Acropolis hill, New Acropolis Museum, the Plaka neighbourhood, the Ancient Greek Agora & the Olympic Stadium.
On your all-inclusive, private full-day tour of Athens you will:
- Admire the Parthenon’s remarkable design, learn about the uses of Acropolis Hill over the centuries, and cross through Acropolis propylaea gate, as the ancients would have done in procession centuries ago;
- Enjoy a comprehensive tour of Greece's most iconic archaeological site, including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theatre of Dionysus, where classical works by the most famous Greek poets were first performed in the 5th Century B.C.;
- Walk through the charming Plaka district, with its famed white staircases, cafes and terraces and see the Lysicrates Monument;
- Admire the Tower of the Winds and Roman Agora and marvel at Hadrian's Library;
- Explore Ancient Greece's economic and political centre at the Greek Agora;
- Admire the Temple of Hephaestus, known to be the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in the world, and is even older than the Parthenon;
- See the Stoa of Attalos, the beautifully reconstructed Ancient Greek Portico, once an ancient shopping mall;
- See the Parthenon Marbles up close in the New Acropolis Museum on the Museum's top floor, as you admire breathtaking views over the monument itself;
- End the tour at the famed Olympic Stadium (Panathenaic Stadium), the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble and home to the first modern games in 1896.
With your expert guide, you will discover the city’s most important cultural sites, including the colossal remains of the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis, a UNESCO world heritage site. On the plateau of the Acropolis, you will find the awe-inspiring heights of the Parthenon pillars, gaze on the beautiful female forms of the Caryatid columns, discover some of the earliest theatres known to man and enjoy panoramic views over the city.
Your guide will explain the central role these monuments, and more, played in classical society and immerse you in the myths and legends of Ancient Greece. You will also wander through the Agora, the heart of classical Athens. Once a bustling marketplace, in these now peaceful ruins you’ll walk in Socrates’ footsteps amongst classic temples and Byzantine churches, learning how Athens became the birthplace of democracy.
On your way to lunch at a place recommended by your local guide, explore bustling Plaka, the oldest district in the city. Sometimes called “the neighbourhood of the gods”, Plaka is known for its winding alleyways and scenic shopping.
After finishing lunch, escape the heat of the day with a visit to the spectacular (and air-conditioned) New Acropolis Museum. Here you will learn firsthand the artistic wonders that once adorned the monuments of the Acropolis.
Finally, you will also visit the stunningly marbled Panathenaic Stadium. Constructed for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, this immense structure is a strong reminder of the continuing legacy of ancient Athens in the modern day.
This tour includes the "combo ticket" that will give you skip-the-line access to the Roman Agora, Kerameikos site & Museum, Lykeion Gymnasium, Hadrian's Library and the Temple of Olympian Zeus during in the 4 days following your tour.
