Athens Highlights Private Half-Day Tour

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Recommended by 99% of reviewers

Badge of Excellence | Athens, Greece

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5 hours (approx.)

Hotel pickup offered

Mobile ticket

Instant confirmation

Overview

Our tours and services are flexible and can be adapted to the customer’s needs.
All our professional drivers have the required certifications and are fluent in English. Their experience will help you feel safe and at easy in one of our well maintained, comfortable vehicles.
You will have the added benefit of visiting archaeological sites at different times from the large tour buses and groups of visitors, thus enabling you to experience the wonderful monuments and learn their history at a time of the day when they are not overcrowded.
The cost of hiring our services is smaller than purchasing individual tickets from large tour and excursion companies.

What's Included

Bottled water
Skip the line to purchase tickets
Private transportation
WiFi on board
Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional Drivers (Not licensed to accompany you into the sites)

Lunch
Entrance Fees to the sites (Total Cost: 50 Euros per adult)
Gratuities
Airport pickup and drop off (Additional cost)
Licensed tour guide upon request, depending on availability (Additional Cost 260 Euros)

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Pickup details

Airport Pickup:Your driver will meet you upon your arrival at Athens airport at the customs exit holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on.Port pickup:Your driver, will meet you at Piraeus Port at the customs exit holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on.Notice that Piraeus port has three terminals, Terminal A, Terminal B and Terminal C. If your ship docks at Terminal A, your driver will meet you at the Terminal A exit holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on. If your ship docks at Terminal B, your driver will meet you at the Terminal B exit holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on. If your ship docks at Terminal C, your driver will meet you at the Terminal C exit holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on.In case your ship docks at Terminal B or Terminal C and the exit gate is closed, you will need to take the shuttle bus to come to terminal A (3 MIN RIDE). Your driver will meet you at Terminal A holding an H.P.Tours sign with your name on.

What To Expect

Acropolis

At Acropolis you will see the Parthenon, the temple on the top of the sacred rock devoted to Goddess Athena, the Goddess of wisdom, the Propylaea, the entrance to the sacred rock, the Temple of Wingless Victory which was devoted to Goddess Athena-Nike, the Erechtheum, the most sacred and mythical of all the temples of Athens with its famous Caryatides (female featured statues), the 5000-seat Odeon of Herodes Atticus which was carved into the rock and is still used for music festivals, the 3000-seat theater of Dionysus where the Athenians listened to the immortal works of Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristophanes.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Temple of Olympian Zeus (Pass By)

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greek 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, which included 104 colossal columns, was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

Panathenaic Stadium

The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro "beautiful marble" is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. It's of the main historic attractions of Athens and 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 Lycurgus at 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD and had a capacity of 50,000 seats. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned. The stadium was excavated in 1869 and after being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and was the venue for 4 of the 9 contested sports. 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.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mount Lycabettus

Mount Lycabettus is a limestone hill in Athens 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 and a theater. From a certain spot (balcony) you’ll have the best panoramic view of the city, from the hill of Acropolis to the Aegean Sea.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hellenic Parliament

The Hellenic Parliament 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.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Changing of the Guard Ceremony

The Presidential Guard is a ceremonial infantry unit that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece. The unit is distinguished as the last unit of Evzones in the Hellenic Army, and is closely associated with the traditional Evzone's uniform, which evolved from the clothes worn by the Greeks in the Greek War of Independence. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Academy of Athens

The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy's main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens and was designed as part of an architectural "trilogy" in 1859 by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen, along with the University and the National Library. Funds had been provided by the magnate Simon Sinas specifically for the purpose, and the foundation stone was laid on 2 August 1859. Construction proceeded rapidly, after 1861 under the supervision of Ernst Ziller, but the internal tumults during the latter years of King Otto's reign, which resulted in his ousting in 1862, hampered construction until it was stopped in 1864. Works resumed in 1868, but the building was not completed until 1885, at a total cost of 2,843,319 gold drachmas, most of it provided by Sinas, and, after his death, by his wife Iphigenia. The Greek Neo-classical sculptor Leonidas Drosis sculpted the principle multi-figure pediment sculpture, on the theme of the birth of Athena, based on a design by painter Carl Rahl. This brought first prize at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. Drosis is also responsible for the figures of Athena and Apollo with lyre on the Academy's flanking pillars, and the seated marble figures of Plato and Socrates, which were executed "by the Italian sculptor Piccarelli". The eight smaller pediments in the Academy complex are the Terra-cotta work of Austrian sculptor Franz Melnitzky. Interior murals and paintings were done by the Austrian artist Christian Griepenkerl. On 20 March 1887, the building of the Academy was delivered by Ziller to the Greek Prime Minister, Charilaos Trikoupis. In the absence of a national Academy, the building was used for housing the Numismatic Museum in 1890, and in 1914 the Byzantine Museum and the State Archives. Finally, on 24 March 1926, the building was handed over to the newly established Academy of Athens.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Acropolis Museum

The new Acropolis museum is under the south slope of the Acropolis and contains mostly pediment sculpture, reliefs, and statues found on the sacred rock of Acropolis, which formed most of its decoration. Among these statues, the well-known female figures with the characteristic archaic smile called ‘Korai’ such as the Kore of Naxos, the Kore of Chios, and the Kore of Lyons etc. There are also sphinxes, consecrated reliefs such as that of Athena in Medication and consecrated sculptures such as the Moschoforos (a man who is carrying a calf across his shoulders), the Boy of Kritias etc.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Specialized infant seats are available
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: Cruise ship's name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Your English- speaking driver will explain about the ancient monuments that you are about to visit, the ancient history of Greece and interesting facts about historical and modern-day Greece but is not allowed by law to accompany you in the sites. If you wish to have a licensed tour guide to accompany you into the sites, we will help you arrange a licensed tour guide to be with you at an extra cost.
Your tour is totally private. No unknown passengers will participate in your group.
Infant car seats are available upon request

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Athens Highlights Private Half-Day Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EEST). Read more Apr 2025