Acropolis Guided Tour

2 hours
Athens
en

Discover the richness and magnitude of the Acropolis, in a 2-hour private guided tour

Archeology
Architecture

Step back in time and reflect on the splendor, power, and wealth of this capital city, and admire from up-close the unique architectural and artistic masterpieces of timeless Greece.

Highlights

Visit the most important landmark of Athens; The Acropolis and its Parthenon
Enjoy a private guided tour with an experienced state-licensed guide
Acquire Insider background information, anecdotes and historical knowledge

Please note that all our tours are Private, thus some of them are directly bookable for later dates because they are subject to availability. If you wish to book a tour at an earlier date please use the “send inquiry” form.

Inclusions
A 2-hour private guided walking tour including:

2-hour Acropolis private guided tour
Hotel pick-up (for hotels within walking-distance from the tour’s location)
Private services of a state-licensed guide
All taxes

Exclusions

Entry fees to Archeological site(s)
Hotel drop-off
Personal expenses

The Acropolis is a MUST-SEE for anyone visiting Athens. It is the landmark that stands out in the city and the monument that has come to symbolize the great ancient Greek civilization that flourished on this land thousands of years ago.

Enjoy a 2-hour private guided tour to the most famous monument of our country, the Acropolis, with your knowledgeable state-licensed “Insider” guide who will share with you stories of the past. Admire and learn everything about the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, all located on the sacred rock.

Return to your hotel OR continue your exploration of the city. Feel free to ask your guide for recommendations in order to perfect your day in Athens.

Acropolis

Acropolis is the world famous ancient site of Athens, symbolizing democracy and regarded as the most important representation of ancient Greek civilization. High on its rocky outcrop, as its name akro polis (highest point of city) designates, it stands guard over the city. The monument of the Parthenon, visible from almost everywhere, and the other main buildings were built in the 5th century BC by the order of the general and statesman Pericles to commemorate the cultural and political achievements of the city of Athens. The site includes the Propylae, the imposing entrance to the site, the Parthenon, the Erechthion and the Temple of Athena Nike.

Parthenon

One of the most well-known monuments in the world and symbol of ancient Greece, the Parthenon was built between 447-432 BC as a dedication to the Goddess Athina. The shrine inside once housed a 12 meter high wooden statue of the goddess, adorned with ivory and gold. Designed by the sculptor Phidias and constructed by the architects Iktinos and Kallicrates, the marble temple consists of 46 outer and 19 inner tapered Doric columns, and contains no straight lines or angles, a feat of Greek architecture. During its long and varied history, it was alternatively used as a temple, treasury, church, mosque and a gunpowder storage facility.

Propylaea

The Propylaea was the monumental entrance to Acropolis, built between 437-432 BC by the architect Mnesicles. A steep inclining ramp lead up to the Propylaea which was comprised of a central building and two lateral wings. The north wing had wall paintings and was referred to as the Pinakotheke, while the smaller south wing lay adjacent to the Temple of Athina Nike. There were actually 5 entrances, 4 for pedestrians and a larger central one for vehicles. The coffered roof interior had designs in gold stars on a blue background. Over the centuries, the building served as a Byzantine bishop’s palace, a Florentine palazzo and a Turkish governor’s residence.

The Temple of Nike Athena

To the right of the Propylaea lies the Temple of the Victory of Athena, built around 420 BC by Kallikrates to commemorate the Athenians’ victory over the Persians. There was a wooden cult statue of the goddess who held a helmet in one hand (war) and a pomegranate branch (peace) in the other. The smallest temple of the Acropolis, Nike Athena is of the Ionic order and has 4 monolithic columns at both the front and rear but not at the sides. As with the other buildings at the site, it was converted into a church in 5th century AD, only to be totally dismantled in the 17th century by the Ottomans to build a fortification. After Greek Independence, it was restored, dismantled and rebuilt again.

The Erechthion

The temple was built between 421-406 BC by Mnesicles and Phidias, and was dedicated to the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon who both contested the city of Athens. It is the site of the ‘Sacred Tokens’ which were the marks made by Poseidon with his trident to bring up water and the olive tree of Athena, who finally won the coveted title. On the north side is the famous ‘Porch of the Maidens’ where the 6 figures of the Caryatides stood. The one was stolen by Lord Elgin and the other 5 have been replaced by replicas, with the originals moved to the Acropolis Museum. The Erechthion was also converted into a church, palace, harem and was bombed during the Greek War of Independence.

Notes & Clarifications

Prices vary according to group size
Keep in mind that this is a private tour and it is possible to customize it to meet your desires. Should you want to change the itinerary please do not hesitate to contact us by sending a request through the inquiry form
Don’t forget to bring a water bottle and lots of energy!

What makes us different?

We offer only private tours. No mixed groups
We are absolutely flexible. Our tours can be customized to your wishes
Special requests are always welcome. We love to tailor holidays
All of our tours are designed and operated by our company
Our state-licensed “Insider” guides are thoroughly selected and trained, each one of them expert in his field
We always select the most suitable state-licensed “Insider” guide who matches your profile and interests

Acropolis Guided Tour

Acropolis with Dimitris

"Firstly it was nice of the guides to meet you at your hotel if you stay near the Plaka area
Secondly, it was a nice touch of the company to give you a small gift at the beginning of the tour as a momento
Next, tickets for the tour had already been purchased upfront for us so we need not purchase them at the gate when we arrived [...]"

From: darylosw

Acropolis Guided Tour

Nota: Best tour guide we have ever had!

"We are so grateful we were assigned as our tour guide Nota, a brilliant, young, engaging, friendly, extremely erudite archeologist who speaks English, French and of course Greek. Our heads are still spinning (in a positive way) from the amount of knowledge she imparted during our family’s private day tour of the Acropolis, it’s museum [...]"

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From: ngs1994

Acropolis Guided Tour

Very Knowledgeable Guide and great views of Acropolis and Museum

"We had an Athens Insider driver & guide for our full day tour. Both were very knowledgeable. Both knew how to 'hit the highlights, but keep us moving through the day. Also they arranged a beautiful lunch near the Acropolis with great food...
Highly recommend them for your tours in Athens!"

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From: kwitsil

Acropolis Guided Tour

The Acropolis Beyond Tour was Amazing

"Nota, our tour guide for the Acropolis Beyond tour was knowledgeable, engaging and professional. Loved her passion for the Archaeological detail of this ancient and fascinating site. She entertained us as she made history come alive. She patiently discussed the Acropolis for these first time visitors to Athens. I would highly recommend asking for her especially as her background and education includes a degree in Archeology/art which makes her uniquely qualified to deliver and excellent experience."

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From: tdeza

Acropolis Guided Tour

Best Way to experience Athens w/ limited time

I had about 7 hours in Athens and booked a private tour with this company. Simply wonderful. I actually had two lovely tour guides. They switched off at lunch. Charming, well-educated, perfectly fluent in English, young women who made me feel like a prince. We saw what we needed to see, they took some great photographs of me around the city, and fed me VERY WELL! I'm not a foodie or have a big appetite so I finally had to say that I just couldn't eat any more. clearly, though these women were showing me true Greek hospitality. It was like walking around with two close friends. [...]''

From: GPLOhio

Acropolis Guided Tour

Food & drink tour

Yannis was our tour leader. He was very knowledgeable about Greek history and shared it. He led us though old Athens shopping, eating, and antique areas. The sit-down restaurant we were scheduled to visit was so crowded, he was on the phone scheduling another. It was the most perfect choice of the two. He & the manager selected a variety of tapas for out group of 9 to enjoy. He arranged for a driver to take several on a private tour of the Acropolis and other sites; he led the remaining travelers back to hotel via the metro.

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From: Lindamsw

Acropolis Guided Tour

Wonderful Tour with Athens Insiders Tours

We booked with Athens Insiders Tour - Acropolis beyond private 4 hour walking tour for the 4 of us. Our guide was very knowledgeable, personable & entertaining! We learned so much about the area. The walking was easy paced. The views were awesome. I would recommend using Athens Insiders Tours!

Interestingly, 2 weeks later, we saw many Greek statues that had been 'liberated' from the Acropolis and ended up in the British Museum, London. [...]''

From: MRGESG

Acropolis Guided Tour

Amazing service and coordination

We booked two tours in Athens (Acropolis beyond and Flavors of Athens) and a 1 night excursion in Delphi. They were very responsive and flexible to anything we might have asked for. All tours were tailored to the interests and pace of our children (age 6 and 8) and our days went on without a glitch. On our excursion we really went off the path avoiding the tourist places and going where locals go. We were also quite impressed by our guides and driver, they were all very knowledgeable, fun and their English were excellent.

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From: maryrose51

Acropolis Guided Tour

All Around Great Experience

We did two tours through Athens Insiders: the food tour and the tour of the Acropolis. For the food tour we had George who was a chef and was very clearly very knowledgeable. He gave us history and details about various ingredients and traditional Greek dishes. He also gave a more authentic look into the Greek food culture by taking us off the touristy path, including a tour of a fish and meat market and various cafes that offered specialized dishes. Our second tour was with Maria who as knew the ins and outs of history, archeology, and mythology of Greece. On this tour we walked all around the Acropolis and through Plaka. Maria was very welcoming and knowledgeable as well. [...]''

From: Emma A

Acropolis Guided Tour

AN UNFORGETTABLE INSIDERS EXPERIENCE. BRAVO!!

Our fascinating tour of the Acropolis with Elisavet, followed by an outstanding gastronomical tour with the one and only Yiannis, simply made this day in Athens a wonderful and unique experience. Athens Insiders totally exceeded our expectations!!! Thank you, hope to be back soon!!! We want more!!!
Juan & Karla

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From: Juan Vergara

Acropolis Guided Tour

Great experience both on tours and ease of booking

My wife and I were in Athens 23-24 July and booked an Acropolis tour for one day and food tour for second day
Both guides were great and very informative and really made the tours interesting
Really enjoyed the experience and the company were great at providing information, and arranging everything

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From: jonathan s

Acropolis Guided Tour

Amazing day in Athens!

Athens Insiders was recommended to me by a friend who used them on a trip to Greece last year. I was traveling with my parents and aunt and uncle and was looking to get a good overview tour at the start of our trip. From the moment I reached out to the team at Athens Insiders they were very helpful in crafting the best experience for our group all while working within our budget. Our schedule was a 3 hour food tour and 2 hour tour of the Acropolis. [...]''

From: AllaPops

Acropolis Guided Tour

Very Knowledgeable Guide and great views of Acropolis and Museaum

We had an Athens Insider driver & guide for our full day tour. Both were very knowledgeable. Both knew how to 'hit the highlights, but keep us moving through the day. Also they arranged a beautiful lunch near the Acropolis with great food...
Highly recommend them for your tours in Athens!

Link

From: kwitsil

Acropolis Guided Tour

Wonderful Private Transfer and Tour of Acropolis

Throughly impressed with Athens Insiders in preparing a private transfer and tour of the Acropolis during a long layover in the city. Natalie responded promptly to my inquiry and took care of all the logistics and details in advance so me and my family didn't have to worry about anything. Traveling with a large amount of luggage after a week in the Greek island, we wanted to make sure we had a private transfer to keep our luggage safe while we explored the Acropolis with an expert. [...]''

From: bhackehs

Acropolis Guided Tour

Having a blast while exploring Athens

Having this tour was definitely worth it, as I got to see the little corners of Athens by the eye of a local. The tour started with the visit to the Acropolis, one of the wonders of Greece, and continued with a walk around the centre of Athens with an insightful local. Walking around the centre, I got to try amazing delicacies and understand more about the food culture of Greece. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Greece for the first time and wants to have a unique experience.

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From: Alexandros D

Acropolis Guided Tour

Great History, Great Food...Fun, Fun, Fun!

Wonderful! High praise for our tour guides C.C. (Acropolis) and Chef Yannis (Food). Both of these Athens Insiders Tours guides knew their topic and provided our group of 6 with a wonderful day. C.C. was knowledgeable and passionate about the Acropolis, museum and history of Athens. Yannis knew the streets and food vendors and provided a fun, satisfying and very tasty tour of the side streets and eateries of the area. [...]''

From: Mick L

Acropolis Guided Tour

Great - 100% recommended

We were in Athens for a 3-day corporate event and not only did a food tour but also guided tours through the Ancient Agora and the Acropolis. The preparations with Mariliza were just amazing. I have rarely seen someone who does his job with so much passion, fun and energy and tries to 100% respond to the wishes of the customer, as if it were the most normal thing in the world - customer service is lived here. And the whole thing at an incredible price-performance ratio. [...]''

From: Nauheim1234

Acropolis Guided Tour

Highly recommended!

The Acropolis Tour with Stelios was exciting and multifaceted. Interesting things about history, archeology, architecture, politics and much more were conveyed to us in perfect German. We were completely satisfied, with the organizer and with our guide. Thank you for this great day!

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From: LevNi88

Acropolis Guided Tour

a wonderful and very touching tour.

My daughters surprised me by booking these super nice tours. It was a wonderful day.

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From: Gudrun H

Acropolis Guided Tour

a rewarding and well-organized visit!

We booked a guided tour of the Acropolis in July with Athens Insiders. Everything was very well organized to welcome us. The visit with our guide who spoke French was really very interesting. We really appreciated the site thanks to its explanations.

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From: Valerie h