Athens is literally the birthplace of the Western world, including democracy, the arts, science, and philosophy of the culture as we know it.
While you can obviously see quite a bit of the city on your own, to really maximize your time there, I highly recommend a proper tour. I’ve taken quite a few and am here to detail the 5 top Athens city tours that are well worth the time and money.
Led by professional local guides, you’ll be able to see the highlights and learn more than you ever would from a history book! I know you’re excited to get started, so let’s jump right in!
Best Tours of Athens City
| Athens Full Day Private Tour | Athens Off the Beaten Track Private City Walking Tour | Athens Greece Full Day Private Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |  |  | |
| Location: | Hotel pickup and drop-off included | Ermou 111, Athina 105 55 | Hotel pickup and drop-off included |
| Start: | 8:00 AM | 5:30 AM, 6:30 AM, 1:30 PM | Between 7:30 AM & 2:00 PM |
| Duration: | 8 hours | 5 hours | 8 to 9 hours |
| Includes: | Private transportation, professional driver/guide, skip-the-line tickets, bottled water, lunch | Private and local guide, tips and tricks about the local customs | Professional drivers, Skip the lines, Spotify / Cold Water Mercedes Benz Vehicle |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Athens City Tours For 2024
- Athens Full Day Private Tour
- Athens Off the Beaten Track Private City Walking Tour
- Athens Greece Full Day Private Tour
- Best of Athens Half Day Private Tour
- Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour
Athens City Tour Reviews
1. Athens Full Day Private Tour
- Duration: 8 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM
- Includes: Private transportation, professional driver/guide, skip-the-line tickets, bottled water, lunch
If you’re looking for a deeper connection or a more intimate tour of Athens, you’ll want the guidance of an expert local to show you an “insider’s” perspective.
The Athens Full-Day Private Tour is a wonderful way to experience the iconic city, throughout all of its rich history and culture, spanning thousands of years. Thanks to careful curation and meticulous organization, you’ll see far more in these 8 hours than you’d see in days without a guide!
Your day starts off with a morning pickup right from your hotel lobby in a private vehicle (pickup time varies depending on your needs, but will always be in the morning). Our guide was very punctual and friendly, sharing interesting background information about the Acropolis as we make our way there.
Athens can get quite crazy weather, so having private transportation take you to all of the most notable sites is worth its weight in gold.
Upon arrival, we saved a ton of time with our skip-the-line tickets, heading straight into the Parthenon where our guide gave us a thorough exploration through the historic site, with fascinating commentary.
The Temple of Zeus was incredible to see in person, as well as the Panathenaic Stadium! After, we made our way to the top of Mount Lycabettus where we took photos and soaked in the expansive vistas.
We had a well-deserved, hearty Green lunch in Koukaki, fueling up before heading to either the Natural Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum (this is at your own expense if you choose it), or opting for leisure time to explore.
If you don’t want to go to one of the museums, take this opportunity to grab some souvenirs, grab some amazing coffee, or just sightsee in the historic Plaka neighborhood.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Athens Off the Beaten Track Private City Walking Tour
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Departure: Ermou 111, Athina 105 55
- Departure Time: Between 9:00 AM & 5:00 PM
- Includes: Private and local guide, tips and tricks about the local customs
This tour is such a special one, going far beyond your average cookie-cutter experience where it feels like you’re just checking off boxes.
The Athens Off the Beaten Track Private City Walking Tour goes beyond the capital’s famous landmarks, instead focusing on more of an insider’s perspective that most visitors miss.
Lasting around 2.5 hours, it’s super easy to fit into busy schedules while still offering great insight into what daily life is like for Athenians. When I travel, I really want to get a genuine feel for what a city is like – what makes it tick.
What the locals enjoy doing (of any age and background), and where they love to eat. To be honest, this isn’t always that easy when it comes to being a tourist as most recommendations come from other visitors.
While there’s nothing wrong with hitting up the more “touristy” spots, sometimes it’s nice to go a bit more authentic like what you’ll experience here.
There are plenty of start times available that will make it easy to work into any itinerary, so start off by making your way to central Athens to meet your guide there.
Start off by visiting Strefi Hill’s urban natural park before venturing through the lively, artsy Psiri district where you’ll find plenty of cool cafes, restaurants, bars, and shopping. After this, you may stop at the Taf The Art Foundation, Kitzia Square, a bustling farmer’s market, and more.
It all depends on the itinerary you choose, as the tour is customizable based around you and your party’s specific interests. For example, if you are an architecture buff, your guide will take you to particularly intriguing structures that are outside of the regular sightseeing, like the Acropolis.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Athens Greece Full Day Private Tour
- Duration: 8 to 9 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: Between 7:30 AM & 2:00 PM
- Includes: Professional drivers, Skip the lines to purchase tickets, WiFi on board / Mobile Chargers / Spotify / Cold Water (Free of Charge), Mercedes Benz Vehicle (Private Transportation)
If you want a way to experience Athens in its entire, multi-dimensional glory, the Athens Greece Full-Day Private Tour is just what you’re looking for.
I think of it as expanding a bit on the prior tour, where your guide tailors the experience to you and your party’s interests, showing you some of the most iconic sites and hidden gems.
Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or simply someone interested in getting to know the city more authentically, put this tour at the top of your list.
If you really want to go all-in in just one day, I also find this to be one of the best options, as you really have so much freedom here to explore the must-sees without the pressure of a crowd.
Moreover, you have an expert guide there to lead the way through local neighborhoods, offering a wonderful balance of the big tourist sites with insights into the more “genuine” Athenian lifestyle.
With a full itinerary curated for you and transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz vehicle the entire time, you’ll save so much time and energy avoiding public transport.
The tour tends to lean a bit more towards the VIP side of things, with wi-fi and chargers onboard so you don’t miss out on snapping photos or staying in touch during your time together.
One thing I will advise is to make sure to book your tickets in advance to the sites on this itinerary, as all entry does come at an additional expense. Our guide did a fantastic job of taking us to attractions at just the right time, like ensuring we were at the Acropolis right for the changing of the guards.
Having a guide this knowledgeable and friendly who was focused solely on our small group was well worth the cost, taking us to the best baklava in the city after we were chatting about how much we wanted to try it.
Not only that, they gave us some great dinner recommendations for that evening, which was simply incredible, as well!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Best of Athens Half Day Private Tour
- Duration: 4 to 6 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: Between 8:00 AM & 3:00 PM
- Includes: Professional drivers, private transportation, air-conditioned, wifi on board, bottled water
Step away from the standard hop-on, hop-off tour and enjoy an immersive, personalized experience where you’ll get to know the city’s ancient roots to modern-day lifestyle.
The Best of Athens Half-Day Private Tour is completely tailored to your liking with the luxury of a private vehicle and knowledgeable guide that lets you glide through all the top sites to see without the usual crowding of big group tours.
What’s really cool about this tour is that your guide will come up with a curated itinerary filled with plenty of famous landmarks, along with many hidden gems selected based on your interests that you’re sure to love!
The tour length does depend on your interests as well as how much you’d like to see, though it typically clocks in at anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.
You’ll save quite a bit of time just because they actually come to your hotel to pick you up, so there’s no need to head to any meet-up points beforehand. As you cruise along in your private, air-conditioned vehicle, your driver will share great educational and entertaining commentary around the different landmarks you’re about to see.
You can opt to take the dedicated 1-hour Acropolis Museum visit as well, where you’ll see all kinds of amazing artifacts and sculptures from ancient times, including the original Caryatids, Parthenon friezes, and more.
There’s another Tmeple of Hephaestus option, too, where you can take half an hour to see the Ancient Agora and Roman Agora – it’s hard to believe it’s in such amazing shape as it’s from the 5th-century BC!
With the flexibility to stop, explore, and sightsee at your leisure, you don’t have to worry about rushing or hanging out at any location for more than you want to.
Aside from the massively popular sites, you’ll see plenty of secret courtyards, charming neighborhoods like Plaka, and perhaps some lesser-known temples or art galleries that most tourists don’t see.
I felt it a great way to get to know Athens’ past and present from a local who was born and raised there.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour
- Duration: 5 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM
- Includes: Professional drivers with deep knowledge of history [Not licensed to accompany you in any site], skip the line tickets [Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Ancient Agora], private transportation, bottled water
I couldn’t talk about my favorite Athens city tours without including the Athens Highlights Half-Day Private Tour, which lasts around 5 hours. This is one of those tours just as well-suited for newcomers as it is seasoned visitors, sure to offer you info and insight into places you haven’t experienced before!
With a knowledgeable local guide, you really will see things from an insider’s perspective, with fascinating historical commentary to further enrich your tour.
I loved that our guide came right to our hotel in the morning to pick us up in their comfortable, air-conditioned coach perfect for our small group size.
I’ll start out by saying that if you or anyone else in your group is mobility challenged, do consider taking this tour as our guide did a great job helping certain members of our group who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to see sites like the Parthenon up close.
Their sense of courtesy and consideration for everyone made this possible, and while it wasn’t expected, it was very much appreciated.
You’ll start out by seeing the Acropolis in the morning, including the majestic Temple of the Athena Nike, monumental gateway, iconic Parthenon, and many more sites. If you want to see the largest temple in antiquity, you’re in luck, because you’ll have plenty of time at the Tempio Di Zeus Olimpio before seeing the Panathenaic Stadium.
This is where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. Learn all about the local government and how it’s changed over the centuries at the Hellenic Parliament and Parliament House, and all about Western civilization at the Ancient Agora.
While it’s not baked in, you can select to take the Acropolis Museum tour, which I HIGHLY recommend taking if you’re in any way interested in history of archaeology. It’s a beautiful, modern museum which in contrast, holds countless ancient relics that span the Archaic and Roman periods.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Sites Seen
Tour Guides
Value
The Athens Full Day Private Tour is our Editors Choice for the best Athens city tours
