Acropolis of Athens Historical Tour For History Enthusiasts
Description
All the must-see attractions of the Acropolis — with a ton more history! This tour is engaging and longer than other tours, offering a denser in terms of content and a more holistic understanding of the history of Acropolis and of its true value to our civilization. Through this, it creates a meaningful experience that offers important lessons for us as humans and as citizens.
Tour Options
Itinerary
As in every good story, everything begins with an introduction. It's not easy to tell the story of one of the most historically rich cities in the world. Yet, we aim to give our guests a broader perspective. That's why, at the beginning of the tour, we offer a concise lesson on the creation of human civilization, and then we place ancient Greek civilization — and Athens in particular — within that framework, so that people can truly understand its importance and contribution.
The first monument we will see on our way up to the Acropolis is the Theatre of Dionysus — the first theatre in human history. This is where theatre and drama as a practice were born, and where the earliest plays — tragedies and comedies — were performed in front of the Athenian public. These plays were written by some of the most famous writers of all time, including Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus.
Our next stop will be the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which was built by the city's benefactor and famous philosopher of the 2nd century AD in memory of his deceased wife.
Arriving at the main entrance of the Acropolis sanctuary, we will see the Temple of Athena Nike, dedicated to the goddess of victory.
Next, we will admire the view of the historically important surrounding hills, and walk up the main stairway leading to the interior of the sanctuary, all while taking in the monumental gateway of the Acropolis.
Our penultimate stop will be the Erechtheion, the temple of myths and legends, located at the center of the Acropolis sanctuary and famous for its unique sculptures.
At the end, we will finally admire 'the jewel in the crown' — the Parthenon. A gift to Athens' patron goddess, it is the masterpiece of Classical-period ancient Greek architecture and the greatest technical achievement of the democratic state — the symbol of Western civilization.
After having analyzed the Acropolis, we are going to have a short break for pictures for 20 minutes. After that, we are going to exit the Acropolis archaeological site and we will visit the Areopago hill where we are going to have the epilogue of the tour with the view of the ancient athenian Agora.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for young children who get bored easily and do not have any interest in history
Reviews(62)
Harris/Haralampos was the most knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate tour guide I’ve ever had. He was so kind and enthusiastic about everything he spoke of, and left no stone unturned when explaining about the history of the Acropolis and the the various civilizations that influenced the architecture, history and culture in Athens and beyond. You can tell Harris is not only extremely wise but truly loves what he does. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a guide. 10/10 would go back.
If you want the history of the Acropolis with a very passionate tour guide, this is the tour for you. He should be a History professor. If you want just a quick and easy tour this is not the tour for you. Be ready to learn a lot.
Our visit to the Acropolis was one of the highlights of our trip, and Harris made the experience exceptional. His knowledge of Greek history and mythology was outstanding, and he shared it in such an engaging and easy-to-understand way. Harris was friendly, enthusiastic, and happy to answer all of our questions. You can tell he is so passionate about the history which we loved. We left with a much deeper appreciation for this incredible place. We highly recommend this tour, especially if you’re lucky enough to have Harris as your guide! (All of the other guides said we had the best of the best)
If you learn best by walking the same grounds as remarkable figures during significant moments in history and want to understand the social, political and religious influences of that time, this tour fulfilled it. Harris was thorough and engaging and found ways to link us all to the past. He had impactful words of empowerment as well. He kindly and patiently took photos of groups at highlight areas and gives a generous amount of time. Our tour was over 3 hours. So let him know ahead of time if you need to leave at a certain time. We were grateful for this unique experience!
I was really glad we went on this tour. He did a great job explaining the history of the acropolis, and the overall experience was great. Would really recommend.
An extraordinary experience with a very good guide. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. If you’re looking for a full historical explanation and context this is the one you’re looking for.
The tour with Harris was intense, extremely informative, and humorous. The guide possesses an endless amount of historical knowledge; he could answer any question and involved us well. - Thank you very much for a wonderful time and an Acropolis tour that will remain unforgettable for us. - We can highly recommend it to everyone!
This is a very detailed and informative tour, our guide Haralanpos was very knowledgeable about history and we had lots of philosophical discussions on the way around. It is quite a long tour which may not suit everyone but great fir history buffs
Our tour guide was super knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information about the history of Athens and the acropolis!
I had a wonderful experience! The guide was excellent, engaging, knowledgeable, and kept my attention throughout the entire tour, which is no small feat. Highly recommend!
