Sightseeing Private Tour in Athens Acropolis (Elysium Travel)

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, “highest point, extremity”) and πόλις (polis, “city”).The term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece. During ancient times the Acropolis of Athens was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king. While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495–429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the buildings whose present remains are the site’s most important ones, including the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. Access: Electric Railway – Metro (“AKROPOLI” station)

   1.5 h

2. The Plaka is the oldest section of Athens. Most of the streets have been closed to automobile traffic, though you should still keep a watchful eye for a speeding motorcycle or delivery truck. At one time it was the nightclub district, but most of these closed down when the government outlawed amplified music in the neighborhood in the seventies in an effort to get rid of undesirables. The strategy was very successful and it is now an area of restaurants, Jewelry stores tourist shops, and cafes. Though it is quite commercialized it is still a neighborhood and arguably the nicest neighborhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places but the quality of food is not bad in some of them and if you follow my leads in the restaurant section of this guide you should have a few enjoyable evenings and not be unpleasantly surprised by the bill or wake up with a gastro-intestinal disorder on the day you were supposed to visit the Acropolis.

   2.5 hAdmission included

3. Location: Syntagma square The Evzone's, 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 hour. The Evzone's provide a 24-hour honour 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 Evzone's

   20 minAdmission included

4. The Panathenaic Stadium of Athens, Greece (or Kallimarmaro): It is known as the Roman Stadium, the Panathenaic Stadium or just Kallimarmaro (which means made of fine marble). We are referring to this incredible stadium that stands at the end of Herodes Atticus st, in a walking distance from the temple of Olympian Zeus, the Arch of Hadrian and the Acropolis.

   20 min

5. The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle traces back to the historical Academy of Plato, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. It's one of the three beautiful buildings that stand the one next to the other and the Athenians call them "The trilogy".

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 5 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Athens

• Its from-price is 155% above the median of the 4134 experiences we list in Athens.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 1403 of 4134.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Athens

Athens sets the Acropolis above a sprawling modern capital, where ancient ruins, hillside lanes and long taverna evenings sit side by side.

The Parthenon crowns the Acropolis, flanked by the Erechtheion and its porch of caryatids, and the Acropolis Museum at the foot of the hill displays sculpture found on the rock. Around it, the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch and the marble Panathenaic Stadium make the classical city easy to walk through.

Top-ranked sights in Athens: Acropolis, Parthenon, Acropolis Museum.

See all 4134 experiences in Athens