Sightseeing in Athens starts with the hill of Acropolis which will make your day. On the historical hill, you will have the opportunity to see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of the Athena Nike, the monumental gateway (Propylaea), the Erechtheum and of course the famous Parthenon, the main temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena.
The Propylaea is the monumental entrances to the sacred area dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of the city. Built by the architect Mnesicles with Pentelic marble, their design was avant-garde. To the south-west of the Propylaea, on a rampart protecting the main entrance to the Acropolis, is the Ionian temple of Apteros Nike.
Parthenon, the main temple dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena. The eternal symbol of the Athenian Democracy and the Western Civilization.
Temple of Poseidon and Athena, the strangest and most sacred place in ancient Athens.
Temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Nike or Wingless Victory.
The Theatre of Dionysus Elefthereus is a major theatre in Athens, considered to be the world's first theatre, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Roman theater structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The building was completed in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950.
After the Acropolis, we will head towards the Temple of Zeus, the biggest temple in antiquity, devoted to the King of the Gods, by way of Hadrian's Arch.
We will visit Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.
Then moving into the historical center of the city we will drive up the highest hill of Athens, Lycabettus Hill, where you’ll have the best panoramic view of the city, from the hill of Acropolis to the Aegean Sea.
The Hellenic Parliament, in Greek known as Voulí ton Ellínon 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.
We will see the changing of the guard (Euzones) in front of the old palace, which is today Parliament House, above the central square of Athens.
Syntagma Square is the central square of Athens. The square is named after the Constitution that Otto, the first King of Greece, was obliged to grant after a popular and military uprising on 3 September 1843.
The Academy Building constitutes one of three parts in an “architectural trilogy”. It was founded with the Constitutional Decree of March 18th, 1926, as an Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. The splendid Athens University was designed by the Danish architect Christian Hansen and completed in 1864.
The National Library of Greece was built at the end of the 19th century, as the last of the Architectural Trilogy of Athens, a group of three neoclassical buildings which also includes the Academy and the University. The building was designed by Theophil Hansen.
The Monastery is built on the location of the ancient temple, dedicated to Daphnian Apollo that was destroyed during the raid of the Goths in 395 B.C. Today, what remains of this ancient temple is an Ionian pillar built on the colonnade of the narthex. Dafni Monastery is protected by Unesco as one of the World's Heritage Monuments because of its incredible mosaics dating back in the 11th c AD.
Visit the archaeological site of Eleusis with the Great Propylaea, the Sacred Well, the Telesterion, Demeter’s Temple, the entrance to the Underworld and the little church. The mycenean cult of Demeter was introduced, as the worship of a deity connected to nature and the growing of cereals. The continuity of Demeter's cult is attested until Roman times, by the erection of successive temples on the east side of the hill. Here were celebrated the famous Eleusinian Mysteries in which the participants swore to secrecy. While in the Museum are exhibited findings from the area, most important the huge statue of Kore, a female featured statue that decorated the Propylaea.
We will drive back to Athens.
This was a seamless experience. Driver picked us up directly at the port and took us to all the great sites. Eleusis should be on everyone's list... Less crowds and fascinating archeology. Bring snacks with you. Only recommendation to the operator would be to factor in a lunch break.
Stefanos was an outstanding guide showing the best of Athens. His information helped to understand Greek history and culture. A wonderful day!
We had an incredible time on the Athens Full Day Private Tour. George from Olive by the Sea tours was FANTASTIC!! It was our first time to Greece and we would only be in Athens for two days. We wanted to see as much as possible and this tour was perfect!!! We fit all of the major locations - Acropolis, Parthenon, Agora, Proplyea, Temple of Athena, Temple of Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium (1st modern Olympics Games), Athens "balcony" to overlook entire city, changing of the guard, National Archeological Musuem, and many many more. The tour was perfect!! Lunch was in Koukaki and I've gotta say that was the BEST gyro I've ever eaten. I get them in the U.S. all the time, but nothing compares to this!!! George kept us on time, but we never felt rushed even with a jammed packed schedule, he shared history, local expertise, answered questions, and a few laughs along the way. He was knowledgeable, fun, charismatic, just a joy to be around, and we had a blast spending the day with him. Highly recommend this tour from Olive Sea Travel!!!
The experience was extraordinary. Great punctuality and excellent service.
We went on a full day tour and our driver Panos was a very intelligent individual who knew his Greek history. He would explain the areas before we got there and then perform a recap after seeing all the sites in Athens. Recommend this tour and especially the tour guide.
Theo was absolutely wonderful and we all enjoyed talking and laughing with him the entire day! He was so informative and I loved his love for his country! We, the Bahamian Crew’ highly recommend Theo for your tours!!
Chris met me and my wife at our hotel Athens Marriott and was in the lobby even before we made our way downstairs. We walked outside to his Mercedes mini van and the fun began. Chris was very friendly and courteous. He told us the plans he made and made a point to hit the major spots before tour busses flooded the spots. Very knowledgeable about the historic sites and we had a great time. Thank you Chris.
Chris met us at our hotel and before we had a chance to make it to the lobby of the Athens Marriott. He was very courteous and friendly. We walked outside to his black Mercedes mini van and he explained the tour and where we were heading. He covered all the major attractions and explained the sites history. He made sure to cover everything and asked is their was anything else we would like to see. When we were near the end he took us to this fabulous Greek restaurant for lunch where the food and drink and staff was amazing. We were extremely lucky to have Chris as our guide. Thank you Chris.
Alexander was a fantastic tour guide! He was knowledgeable and had an amazingly positive energy making the whole trip an absolute delight. It was the best tour we’ve ever been on.
Andreas was our tour guide and he was totally awesome. He was a true Athens local that had a deep knowledge of the city. We did the tour on our last full day in Athens and we had seen some of the sights in the tour already and he rearranged the schedule to show us all new things we did not know about. He took us out for an amazing lunch outside the city that we never would have experienced on our own. I highly recommend this tour.
Thank you for the great tour. Babis was very knowledgeable and had made a great time schedule for us to visit each site. He even gave us time to enjoy a few extra locations that we had in mind. Would recommend this tour, especially with babis, who was a great driver and guide.
Evrything about this tour was wonderful. The van was comfortable and spacious which made the ride so much more comfortable. We were picked up in a convenient spot from our hotel which was nice. Our driver Vasilis was incredible and had so much knowledge about Greek history. He made things so interesting! We were able to have a great lunch with a view of the Acropolis midday. Highly highly recommend!!!
Antonio was absolutely amazing! He made the 4 of us feel so comfortable and welcomed in Greece for our first day. He us well known and informed about the history of this great place. He deserves to be recognized, a pay raise to support his family and to be a person that visitors should definitely request. If you travel to Athens, Greece please use Olive Sea Travel and request Antonio. He was so on point with his timing that we didn't miss anything and never felt rushed to do anything. We appreciate the company for keeping such an amazing Employee/ Person on their staff. We're from Colorado in the US and it was a true delight to have him guide us and educate us. Thank you Antonio and Olive Sea Travel for starting our trip off with an Amazing start.
Babis is amazing! So thoughtful, organized and on time. We had a wonderful day and did not have to think about any thing. We relaxed and enjoyed absorbing the sites and history. 3 Michelin stars!
Wow! This was our best day of 2023, thanks to our knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, Naxos (forgive my spelling). As promised, he will take you to every place promised on the itinerary plus he will surprise you with extra side quests. For example, we were able to see the beautiful National Gardens for a few moments and the shrine dedicated to Aphrodite, where we learned about leaving love tokens. Each stop was accompanied by insight, and our guide provided visual aides and guide books for every site. My family (aged 13-53) felt free and comfortable asking questions and sharing jokes. This tour truly has everything! Our day was extra special because we were able to take our daughter Persephone to Eleusis to witness the sacred site. My one complaint is that the workers at this site are not welcoming, and seemed bothered by tourists. This was far from our experience throughout the rest of Greece! If you have a special reason to see Eleusis as we did, it’s worth the journey regardless of crabby personnel. Naxos even gave us golden wreaths to wear in our photos, which he was consistently happy to oblige taking. We all learned so much about Athens, and I would strongly recommend spending the day with Naxos!
Great tour. Tour guide Alex was very knowledgeable and friendly. Would recommend this tour to anyone.
We visited in June 2022. This tour was the highlight of our pre-cruise stay in Athens. Alexander was an exceptional tour driver and provided such detailed information about the places we visited. He was helpful and accommodating when we needed a quick stop at Public Store for a plug adaptor for me as well. The lunch spot he took us to was delicious and he made sure we were hydrated with cool water throughout the day. Pre-tour communication with Olive Sea was easy as well as I’d accidentally reserved the wrong tour and wanted to be sure we got out to Eulisis as well. Email and WhatsApp communication was smooth and we loved the tour! Thank you.
This was a wonderful tour with a very well informed and kind guide, Petro. He explained in much detail about every objective visited, and also brought me to the best restaurant for my absolute must: Mousaka! :) Although the roads were closed due to the Athens marathon, Petro tried every other possibility while driving me through Athens - so in the end it was very enjoyable. He did everything possible to make me happy with my visit and provided super historical explanations while also engaging in interesting conversations about the world in general, life and wisdom. All in all I highly recommend him!!
Amazing! Nasos our guided driver was great! So much information, did not feel rushed, please tell, safe driver. We had a great time! Would highly recommend him.
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