• Piraeus - Begin your journey from the cruise ship pier at Piraeus port. Travel along the scenic coastal road of the Saronic Gulf to experience the beauty of the Piraeus and Athens riviera.

The Port of Piraeus is the main seaport of Athens, Greece, situated on the Saronic Gulf along the western shores of the Aegean Sea. As Greece’s largest port, it hosts Europe’s biggest passenger port, attracting cruise ships worldwide with tourists eager to explore this historic city, one of Europe’s largest. Its proximity to Athens, just 12 kilometers or 7 miles away, makes it an ideal starting point for visiting the Greek capital. The tour will proceed directly to the Acropolis to admire the Temple of Democracy!

• Athens - Welcome to Athens, the historical heart of Europe. This city is the birthplace of democracy, arts, science, and philosophy of Western civilization. It is home to great figures like Plato, Socrates, Pericles, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus. Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a recorded history spanning approximately 3,400 years and continuous habitation since the 11th millennium B.C.E. Today, under the shadow of the Parthenon, the modern urban landscape of this sprawling city reflects its rich history, multicultural modern identity, and advanced infrastructure and facilities.

The perfect Mediterranean climate, legendary Greek sunlight, and the unique blend of glorious history with modern urban innovation, alongside the coexistence of great culture with stunning natural beauty, and high-standard hotel accommodations, make Athens a remarkable destination.

• Propylaea - The Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis was constructed on the hill’s west side, where the Mycenaean fortification gate once stood. The first propylon, or gate, was built during the era of Peisistratos (mid-sixth century BC), after the Acropolis became a sanctuary dedicated to Athena.

A new propylon, built between 510-480 BC, was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and later repaired after the Persian Wars, during the fortification of the Acropolis by Themistokles and Kimon. The monumental Propylaia admired by modern visitors was part of the grand Periclean building program. Constructed between 437-432 BC, after the Parthenon’s completion, by architect Mnesikles, the original building plan was particularly bold both architecturally and artistically but was never completed. The pie-shaped building of Pentelic marble beautifully frames the entrance to the sacred precinct. The central section, the propylon proper, featured an outer (west) and inner (east) facade…

• Temple of Athena Nike - The Temple of Athena Nike stands at the southeast edge of the sacred rock atop a bastion, which in Mycenaean times protected the Acropolis entrance. The Classical temple, designed by architect Kallikrates and built between 426-421 BC, succeeded earlier temples also dedicated to Athena Nike. The first of these, a mid-sixth century BC wooden temple, was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. The eschara, the altar believed to have supported the goddess’s cult statue, dates to this period. Under Kimon, around 468 BC, a small temple of tufa was erected around the statue’s base, and a new altar was built outside the temple.

The foundations of these early temples and altars are preserved inside the bastion under the Classical structure’s floor. Pausanias (1, 22, 4) refers to this temple as that of the Apteros Nike, or Wingless Victory, noting that the goddess’s cult statue had no wings so she would never leave Athens. Apart from the cult of Athena Nike, other…

• Parthenon - The Parthenon, dedicated by the Athenians to Athena Parthenos, the city’s patron, is the most magnificent creation of Athenian democracy at its peak. It is also the finest monument on the Acropolis in terms of both design and execution. Built between 447 and 438 BC, as part of the greater Periklean building project, this so-called Periklean Parthenon (Parthenon III) replaced an earlier marble temple (Parthenon II), begun after the victory at the Battle of Marathon around 490 BC and destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. This temple replaced the very first Parthenon (Parthenon I) of around 570 BC from Periklis. The Parthenon was designed by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptor Pheidias supervised the entire building program and conceived the temple’s sculptural decoration and a chryselephantine statue of Athena. The Parthenon is a double peripteral Doric temple with several unique and innovative architectural features.
• Erechtheion - The elegant building known as the Erechtheion, on the north side of the sacred rock of the Acropolis, was erected between 421-406 BC as a replacement for an earlier temple dedicated to Athena Polias, the so-called “Old temple.” The name Erechtheion, mentioned only by Pausanias (1, 26, 5), derives from Erechtheus, the mythical king of Athens, who was worshipped there. The sanctuary also contained the grave of Kekrops and the traces of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of the city of Athens.
  Another door on the south facade of the western temple opened onto the porch of the Karyatides, a pi-shaped structure with six female statues instead of columns to support the roof. Created by Alkamemes or Kallimachos, the statues were later named Karyatides after the young women from Karyes of Laconia who danced in honor of the goddess Artemis. Five of them are in the Acropolis Museum and another in the British Museum; those on the building are casts.
• Hellenic Parliament - The history of the impressive building of the Hellenic Parliament is closely linked to the history of the Modern Greek state. Initially, the building served as the palace of Kings Otto and George I. It became the Parliament and Senate building a hundred years after it was constructed and still houses the Hellenic Parliament today. Over the years, the building has undergone a series of changes and has been modernized. From 1836 to 1862; After the selection of Otto, Prince of Bavaria, as King of Greece, and the relocation of the Greek capital to Athens, it was decided to erect the palace on Boubounistra Hill. It proved an inspired choice. The chosen location was in the center of the new capital, easily defendable and cool. On February 6th, 1836, the founding stone was laid at the highest eastern point of the city. The ancient quarry of Pentele was the source of marble. King and Queen Otto, and Amalia, took up residence on July 25th, 1843.
• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during war. It was sculpted between 1930 and 1932 by sculptor Fokion Rok. The tomb is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.
• Change of Guards - The Presidential Mansion is the place to witness a Changing the Guard ceremony in Athens, Greece.
  Changing of the Guard ceremonies take place at the Presidential Mansion and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is off Syntagma Square below the Hellenic Parliament.
  The Changing the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in particular, has become a popular tourist attraction in Athens.
  The Evzones, accompanied by a military band, march from their barracks, just behind the Parliament Building, along the Vasilissis Sofias Avenue to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where a ceremonial change of guards takes place every Sunday at 11:00.
  The Evzones provide a 24-hour honor guard, with an hourly sentry change, which is carried out in slow motion, that some say is to allow the troops’ circulation to resume after standing absolutely motionless.
  Many smile when they see the pompoms on the boots of the guards in Athens, but make no mistake, these men are part of an elite light infantry unit.
• The Academy of Athens - The Academy of Athens was founded with the Constitutional Decree of March 18th, 1926, as an Academy of Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts. The same Decree appointed its first Members, who were all eminent representatives of the scientific, intellectual, and artistic circles of that era.
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is a public, self-governed Higher Education Institution, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research, and Religious Affairs. Inaugurated in 1837, it has been the oldest higher education institution in the Modern Greek state and the first university in the Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean area. Since then, it has been an internationally competitive, globally-focused, research-led university.
• National Library of Greece - The National Library forms part of the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy” of the City of Athens: Academy - University - Library.

With a history of over two centuries, containing more than one million books and magazines, and a host of handwritten codices dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries, the National Library of Greece is the custodian of the Greek literary heritage, bridging the past, the present, and the future.

It was built between 1887 and 1902, based on a study of the Danish architect, Theophile Hansen - brother of Cristian Hansen. Hernest Ziller was the supervising architect who also studied the entrance stairways and the main bookstands. As early as 1858, King Otho had ordered Hansen to make a study for the construction of a Library next to the University, which had already started being built.

• Syntagma Square - Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state, and it’s the perfect central location for sightseeing.

It is located in front of the 19th-century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place.

Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move since the royal palace overlooked the square.

• Plaka - In the shadow of the Acropolis and its ancient temples, hillside Plaka has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes, and local ceramics. Sidewalk cafes and family-run tavernas stay open until late. Nearby, the whitewashed homes of the Anafiotika neighborhood give the small enclave a Greek-island vibe.

Visiting the Plaka district in Athens is an experience that stays with travelers for a lifetime. With its colorful neoclassic buildings and ruins waiting to be discovered around every corner, there is so much to be discovered in Plaka.

Plaka is appropriately known as the “Neighborhood of the Gods.” It lies beneath the northeastern slope of the Acropolis and stretches almost all the way to Syntagma Square, in a maze of winding narrow streets laced with shops and dotted with antiquities throughout.
Truly, this is one of the most charming and elegant neighborhoods you will encounter anywhere on Earth.

• Panathenaic Stadium - Admire the Kallimarmaro stadium, also known as the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic games took place in 1896. It is called Kallimarmaro because it is entirely made of marble. A special marble called Pentelic marble, which changes color according to the daylight. Cool in the morning and in the afternoon it changes to a bone gold color. The monuments on the Acropolis and the temple of Zeus are made of the same Pentelic marble.
• Mount Lycabettus - Mount Lycabettus is the highest point in central Athens, Greece. Known in Greek as Lykavitos Hill, it stands 277 m (909 feet) above sea level, providing spectacular views of the Greek capital and the coastline.

The hill is one of the largest green areas in central Athens, located close to the Kolonaki and Exarchia areas. Many Athenians come here for a stroll and go to the top to enjoy the city from above.

Lycabettus hill is accessible on foot, by funicular railway, and by car. Thousands of tourists visit every year to climb to the top, see the small chapel of Saint George, and enjoy the cityscape from above.

Today, Lycabettus hill is a fantastic place to go if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The peace and quiet are so different from the Kolonaki and Exarchia areas right below and the crowded market streets of Monastiraki and Psiri. After our visit to Lycabettus Hill.

• Piraeus - We will drop you off at the same spot where you were picked up.
  End of our services.
  Thank you for choosing us for your tour in Athens!

• Private, air-conditioned vehicle tailored for group size
• Expert English-speaking tour driver
• Convenient Piraeus Port pickup and drop-off
• Hotel pickup and drop-off service in Athens

• Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
• Gratuities
• Food and drinks
• English-speaking licensed tour guide (We can arrange for a tour guide for you with an extra cost)

• A private tour of Athens lasting 4 hours
• This private tour of 4 hours will take you through the most impressive sights of Athens
• Transport from and to Piraeus cruise port
• It seamlessly merges the top features of both contemporary and historical Athens (Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Lycabettus Hill)
• The tour can be personalized by travelers as long as it falls within the planned route!

• Vehicles are collapsible wheelchair accessible, however the driver is unable to assist passengers boarding and disembarking due to insurance regulations.
• Athens International Airport transfers can be arranged on request at an extra cost!
• Important note: You will have a professional English-speaking driver with good knowledge of the history and culture of Greece, to guide you till you enter archaeological sites and museums according to the program. Tour drivers are not licensed to companion you inside the archaeological sites and museums. If you’d like to have one, we can arrange it for you at an additional cost. Licensed by the state tour guides are freelance and it is subject to availability on bookings day!
• We suggest that you have your admission tickets pre-purchased as there is a chance not to find availability, please note that we can buy the tickets for you in advance -under a small service fee

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.