Acropolis & Plaka Neighbourhood Private Tour With Licensed Expert

Fantastic tour!!!! Lydia was an absolutely fantastic guide. Made our day in Athens that much more special! Highly recommend!!

Everything about our booking and private tour was great. Communication in advance was prompt and easy. Meeting point was perfectly described and easy to find. As for Lydia, our tour guide, she was WONDERFUL!!! Absolutely wonderful!! Five stars!!

So fun and informative. Gave us a thorough 2-hour overview of this key neighborhood, restaurants, entrances, landmarks and hidden sites. Our guide Lydia was charming.

Our Tour guide Lisa was very knowledgeable and made the Tour of the Acropolis and Plaka very interesting and fun!

Marina was our guide. She is personable, well-spoken, knowledgeable, and answered all of our questions with kindness and understanding. A really good guide doesn’t just explain. She listened. Marina is among the very best guides my wife and I have booked to help us learn more about history, buildings and culture. We’re very pleased with WarmPenguin for helping us have such an interesting time in Athens.

Fabulous 3 hours leisurely walking up to the acropolis, taking breaks, listening to rich stories in the shade. The pace was perfect and informative. Marissa is a fantastic guide, so caring and knowledgeable. She made the experience one of a kind and very memorable.

It is a great tour that consolidates all the must do sites in Athens. Knowledgeable guide and wonderful personality, Becky was a delight

Good tour guide, knowledgeable and nice, but didn’t exceed expectations. Sure, my kids were difficult, but I don’t think that should make our guide change her attitude. Maybe if this was an all-adult private tour, our guide would have shined. But our guide ended the tour 30 minutes before our paid-for time.

Elena was a wonderful tour guide for the Acropolis - perfect amount of information and pace for our family and got us through lines and to good photo spots with ease. However, the second half is not a food “tour” of Plaka. After the Acropolis, we walked to a restaurant in Plaka and ate lunch and that was it. I expected more of a a local experience to maybe eat at various places to try local foods. I think this experience was overpriced for what it was.

Lisa was a wealthy of knowledge. She kept things fun and customized to our personalities. Highly recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed our time on this tour! It was extremely useful for us to walk the Acropolis with our guide while being provided the history.

5/5 best tour you could take! our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable and knew exactly where to stand so we would use some of the first to get into the site. She met us promptly at 7:30 AM and gave us all of the rich history of the neighborhood around and was even so kindto help me get special assistance with my disability. 10 out of 10 would definitely recommend.

It’s been almost a year since I took this tour and it stands out in my memory as probably the best tour I’ve ever had. It was wonderful to talk about the rich history of the area. Despite the crowds we navigated I felt like we were alone - navigating to the most interesting (and least tourist filled) areas. I have taken many tours but this one stands out - I still tell others how incredible an experience it was for me.

Lisa our tour guide was very informative and professional, we had a wonderful tour of the Acropolis and Plaka. I highly recommend hiring a private guide for this experience.

Our guide, Elizabeth, met us at the metro station, introduced herself and we began our tour. Along the way to and from the Acropolis, and as we walked through the Plaka District, she explained the history of the area and it significance. She pointed out the various sights that could be seen around Athens and its place in history. She was knowledgeable about all parts of the area's history.

An informative and entertaining tour by a local expert. Antigoni provided several interesting pieces of information about the acropolis and neighbouring plaka neighbourhood.

Our guide was an archeologist and shared information about the Acropolis and Greece we would have never known. It made all the difference in our experience. It was the best guided tour we've had.

Kelly kindly tailored our tour for mobility issues and we so enjoyed our morning! First, myths and legends came alive for us at the Acropolis, where we first took the elevator & navigated the concrete sidewalks on top quite easily. It would’ve been most difficult a few years back with the very slippery and uneven rocks, but no worries now. Stunning views and better stories of the ancient Greeks and their gods! We then went a short walk to Monisteraki Square via the road of St. Paul to see the flea market, charming family restaurants, and quaint shops. We enjoyed a brief tour of Plaka before returning to one of her suggestions for lunch. Kelly’s beautiful personality, and smile warmly greeted us to our first trip to Athens! Cannot recommend her and our tour enough!

What an incredible experience! Petrus was our private driver and unofficial tour guide the day before in Nafplio (and took us to Mykines and Epidaurus) so it was a delight to see him again in Athens. He provided waters for us and umbrellas and was always right on time. He even made a stop at a roadside orange vendor so we could taste local fruits. While he didn't have a license to take us into our stops as a tour guide, he went out of his way to provide so much helpful history and background. During our day in Athens, our family had a private tour with Lidia who made the Acropolis and ancient agora come alive. You would not be doing these places justice without a guide and I can imagine no better guide. Her passion for Greek history was infectious and she had helpful maps and pictures to help visualize parts of the tour of the ruins and was a font of knowledge for all of our questions. If you can afford it, a private guide for the once-in-a-lifetime visit to these sights is worth it and I'm so glad we went with Warm Penguin and had the pleasure of learning from and spending time with Lidia and Petrus.

Becky was fantastic on our tour of the Acropolis. She was very informative and despite the crowds, she helped us navigate the grounds to see the best spots. I highly recommend her for a private tour, because it is very nice not needing headsets and being able to ask questions.

We had an amazing time with Vicki! We started at 8:30 am which avoided the 8am rush. Vicki was a wealth of information, we learned so much! We are parents with 3 sons 21, 18 and 14 who loved learning about Greek history and culture. Vicki also knew the best spots to take pictures and also find shade so she could tell us the history.

This excursion was by far one of the highlights of our trip. It was an insanely hot day in Athens and it was wonderful to have a car with air conditioner and bottles of water. The driver was wonderful and told us a lot of facts about the city on the way to the Acropolis, where we met our very nice guide. The whole experience was great and we learnt a lot, my children enjoyed the stories involving Greek mythology. Highly recommended.

My husband and I took a private tour of the Acropolis and Plaka neighborhood with guide Antigoni Patika, who works with Warm Penguin tours. (Private means only my husband and me.) Antigoni was my favorite guide of the three Warm Penguin Athens tours we took. Antigoni told us about the sights on top of the Acropolis: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with Four Caryatids, the Propylea, the Athena Nike Temple, etc. Antigoni brought along pictures to supplement her talk. I greatly appreciated this! She had a picture of the probable appearance of the huge forty foot statue of Athena that used to stand inside the Parthenon. (Her picture was based on a still-existing Roman copy of the Parthenon’s original Athena statue. The Roman copy is in the National Archaeological Museum). Antigoni did a great job explaining how the ancient Greeks constructed the buildings on the Acropolis. She showed us 3 pictures of how the ancients moved the large marble pieces needed to construct the buildings. Sometimes cylindrical rock sections had small rock stubs like door jambs to wedge the pieces and hold them in place as they were moved. Antigoni said the Athenians were unable to complete the finishing touches on the Porphyry entrance gate because they were busy fighting a war. The walls of the Porphyry have little stone stubs sticking out on which finishing stone slabs would have been hung. It is not easy for a guide to hail around supplemental teaching materials. I appreciate Antigoni’s extra effort. Antigoni told us a story about the mythological gods competing for naming rights to the town of Athens, and about an olive tree planted at the Erechtheion. While we were on the top of Acropolis hill, Antigoni explained the sites below: the Asclepieion, the Theatre of Dionysus, nearby Mars Hill, nearby Pnyx Hill, etc. From the Acropolis we looked down and saw the ruins of the Asclepieion, a healing center dedicated to Asclepius, a god associated with healing and medicinal arts. Antigoni told us that here priests administered medicine and performed operations. They believed in healing both body and mind. Before a patient could receive medical treatment at the Asclepieion, the patient had to go next door to see a religious theatrical performance at the Theatre of Dionysus. It was fun to learn about both of these ancient sites, instead of just seeing their ruins. Antigoni pointed out nearby Mars Hill, (the Hill of Ares, the Greek god of war.) Long ago the Greek Supreme Court sat there, and St. Paul addressed early Christians there. People were walking on Mars Hill. Antigoni pointed out another hill not far from the Acropolis called Pnyx Hill. In ancient times this hill had huge assemblies where democracy was invented and speeches were given. In 1687 the invading Venetians used this hill as a site from which to fire cannonballs at the Turks defending the Acropolis. The Parthenon was severely damaged by the explosion of the Turks’ munitions stockpile. She also pointed out the well preserved Temple of Hephaestus in the Agora (a place we visited on a different Viator tour). After enjoying the views from on top the Acropolis we headed downhill into the Plaka. Although the Plaka is a modern tourist/shopping district, there are many ancient or historic sites in the Plaka worth seeing. Antigoni showed us several of them. We walked past the ruins of the Library of Hadrian, a fine library built in 132 AD by Hadrian, a Roman ruler of Athens. The building was used to store literary works and legal archives as well as a place to hear lectures and host philosophical schools. It had a lecture hall, reading rooms, gardens and a decorative pool. We walked past the Tower of the Winds, an elegant octagonal building built around 60 BC, named after the eight large reliefs of wind gods around its top. It was originally topped by a weather vane, which would have been useful for traders and sailors. It had a clock tower and a sundial. We strolled past shops and restaurants, some old churches, and the Monument of Lysikrates. Once we had descended into the Plaka we got somewhat distant views of the Acropolis and Hadrian’s Arch, surrounded by more modern buildings, putting them in context. At the beginning of our tour before we ascended the Acropolis, Antigoni pointed out the most expensive residential district in Athens. The Spanish embassy is there. We went inside a small church in that neighborhood. At the end of our tour Antigoni led us to a very nice restaurant where my husband and I had a sumptuous delicious lunch. Our Viator tour included the food option, so we did not pay for this lunch. Many locals were dining there. I don’t know the name of the restaurant. Antigoni pointed out a favorite quiet restaurant where she and her family like to dine: Hermion (Epmeion?), established 1981. We hoped to dine there but never did. I recommend taking a Viator private tour of the Acropolis and Plaka. Request Antigoni Patika from Warm Penguin tours as your guide. She speaks Greek, English and German.

Great tour of the Acropolis and downtown Athens! Having a guide for this site is a must! The tour of Plaka was great also…a lot of history and a knowledgeable guide was a essential

The views were amazing from the Acropolis! Our guide Vicki was superb and was ver knowledgeable about Greek history. As older couples she was very conscientious about our limits with walking (gave us plenty of time to sit in the shade) and secured an elevator to get to the top of the Acropolis.

Oh, My Goodness! Eva, my tour guide, was beyond amazing! I planned this tour to help my first day in Athens (solo traveler here). I landed a few hours before this tour. The timing was perfection. Eva provided the knowledge that I craved that allowed me to feel immersed in the Acropolis. I was able to ask questions without hesitancy. The bonus was she took pictures of me. This warmed my heart more than I can say. I felt as though I was there with a friend. By the end of the tour, I truly felt as though I made my first Greek friend.

We booked a private tour to acropolis & acropolis museum and we had wonderful experience. The communication with the agency were fast and and effective and they provide us with all the information for booking an locations. The guide (Anna) were really prepared, patience and available for any questions. She explained us architecture and history as well as tips and Greek mythology. Very recommended !

Took a morning hike up to the top of the Acropolis and we were rewarded with an amazing view of Athens. The Greek root acro- literally means "high;" thus, an acropolis is basically a "high city". Ancient cities often grew up around a high point, in order that they could easily be defended. Our guide (I think her name was Lisa) was very friendly, knowledgeable and went at a good pace for us. Afterwards we went walking through the neighborhood Anafiotika - an amazing small part of Plaka neighborhood, just beneath the Acropolis. Walking the tiny curved alleys, it’s easy to get lost - both figuratively and literally! We enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant and ordered salad and fresh fish.

Eva was outstanding in her knowledge of the Acropolis both from a historical as well as philosophical perspective which provided us with a holistic view of the Greek culture and people over several years. She was extremely accommodating as my husband does not walk a lot so she made sure we took our time walking and resting in the shade while she shared her knowledge! She knows how to really navigate the Acropolis Museum to make our tour the most informative and efficient time among so many people! Would highly recommend Eva as a tour guide- she is fantastic!

We had such a great experience! The tour was perfect for our short visit. It was amazing how we were able to cover so many periods of Greek history in such a short amount of time— all while staying in the shade. Vicky was so knowledgeable, the content was really interesting & insightful. We would high recommend!

We received a lovely tour with tons of information. We were given lots of information but asked if we wanted more or less and I love the enthusiasm for the knowledge she was sharing

This was an exceptional experience. Our tour guide, Betty, was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The whole site is overwhelming but Betty really breaks it down and explains so much. It was a pleasure to learn from her and spend the time with her. If we were going to do another tour we would have definitely booked Betty!!

guide was well educated on the area. taught us much . very enjoyable ! had an answer to every question.

Our guide was excellent. She asked us first thing what kind of tour experience we would like to have, do we like to walk fast, do we like to stop often etc... She brought the history to Athens to life. We enjoyed her company and the tour ended with her ordering authentic Greek food at a lovely restaurant in Plaka :)

Betty and the team at Warm Penguin were fantastic. Betty was a veritable book of history, it was the most informative and interesting historical tour we have experienced in Europe. We highly recommend Betty, it was worth every euro!

Viki was an amazing guide, friendly, helpful and extremely informed, told us about much aspects of the ancient and recent history of Greece. Explained everything we asked about. Very versatile in three languages (we’re a mixed family). My little daughter slipped and had a little accident in the end of the tour, our guide was extremely helpful with this too and took great care of us. Highly recommended.

Great guide - super knowledgeable. She kept my children focused and engaged. She is very knowledgeable.

We had the pleasure to accompany our guide on this tour of the Acropolis and the museum. She provided local, historical, and interesting history from a natives view point. Absolutely wonderful.

We had a great tour and learned many things about Athens. The tour started early, beating all of the cruise ships which allowed our guide to show us parts of Athens that others didn't get to see. We actually got to see how the city was built up one century over the others. She did a great job keeping the information interesting for my older son who was really into the details but yet exciting enough for our other two kids who weren't into all of the historical details but more interested in the experience. I would highly recommend this guide and tour

This was an amazing walking tour of the Acropolis and museum. Pickup was arranged at our cruise ship port which took us directly to the Acropolis. We were met by our tour guide, Betty, who had in-depth knowledge of the entire history of the area including the museum. She was able to avoid the crowds which resembled a stampede by the time we were leaving. Definitely recommend! Ron K

Well-organized experience, very prepared guide and always ready to answer all questions. However, I found the cost very high (380€ + 85€ apart for entrance tickets to the acropolis) for a tour of just 3 hours and the time (10.30) too hot, it would have been better to start at least at 9.

I booked this private tour to be able to enjoy an expert guide who knew how to explain the places and history of the Acropolis and Plaka well and in an engaging way. I was fully satisfied because Marita was very, very good: thorough, patient, nice, full of information and curiosity. The price is absolutely correct for the service offered, i.e. over 3 hours of personalized visit (skip-the-line access tickets to the Acropolis not included). Thanks Maritq!