Athens & Acropolis Highlights: Greek Mythology Small-Group Tour
Description
**Smallest group size in Athens!** History & Myth meet in Athens! Discover the greatest landmarks of Athens & their surrounding myths! Enjoy a unique mythological tour, suitable for all ages, that will help you understand how Athens became the mythical city we know today. Learn about Greek gods and heroes and discover what really hides behind the universal myths. At the same time visit the best landmarks and sites in Athens, such as: The Acropolis (Parthenon, theater of Dionysus, temple of Athena Nike, temple of Erechtheion, sanctuary of Asclepius), the Ancient Agora and the temple of Hephaestus and the Olympian Zeus’ temple!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Located between the Acropolis and the Ilissos river, the colossal Olympeion was one of the greatest ancient temples of Zeus and one of the most famous marble buildings in the ancient World. We will talk about the Temple and its stories from the outside.
The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, has been dominating the centre of the city for millenia. The monuments of the Acropolis (the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechteion, the Propylae, the Theater of Dionysus,...), all unique masterpieces of ancient architecture, have influenced art and culture for many centuries and stand in harmony with their natural setting.
Dionysus was the god of wine and grape harvest. The theatre of Dionysus was the oldest to be founded in Athens; it was in this theatre that the unsurpassed works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes were performed for the first time.
The Temple of Athena Nike was dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike. Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, and Athena was worshipped in this form, representative of being victorious in war. It is said that the cult statue of the goddess at the temple had no wings so that she would never leave Athens.
The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple constructed on the Acropolis of Athens in order to house the ancient wooden cult statue of Athena and generally glorify the great city at the height of its power and influence.
The Parthenon is temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. It was built in the mid-5th century BCE and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”). The temple is generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders.
The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice.
The magnificent temple of Hephaestus, one of the best preserved ancient temples in the world, was the place of worship for two important deities for many merchants and shop owners of the Ancient Agora: god Hephaestus, protector of all metallurgists, and goddess Athena Ergani, protecting all potters and the cottage industries.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We can pre-purchase entry tickets for you, just let us know!
- Small group tour
- ID card or passport are required for people under the age of 25 for possible discounts
- Strollers, backpacks and big bags are not allowed at the Acropolis and should not be taken on the tour
- Entry fees are non-refundable, non-exchangeable
Reviews(2,451)
We are a family of mature adults traveling with our elderly but very fit mother. This tour wasn’t the best. Our guide seemed very rushed from beginning to end. We included the museum portion which wasn’t worth it. The climb to the top was a little slippery, very narrow and you had to watch your footing. Our guide was focused on giving us a LOT of information but very little time to absorb it. She did make an effort to stop in the shade but each time she talked for 10 to 15 minutes or more and then took off quickly. We constantly had to catch up and often fell out of range of the ear pieces they distributed. So we missed a lot. The Parthenon was wonderful and the view is amazing! You shouldn’t miss it. We had 15 minutes free time at the top to enjoy it. My 83 year old mother was able to make the climb quite well. But all of us (in our mid 50’s) would have preferred less information and a slower pace so we could enjoy the view and remember the stories.
4 hours of visiting pure pleasure We highly recommend it
We did this tour in the morning of June 14 with 2 teenagers. My original plan was for the family tour that includes a food tour, but they weren't offering it as it was a Sunday (I think). The tour takes you to the Acropolis and Agora. You will get TONS of information and facts that you would not otherwise get. I will be honest and say for my non history loving teens and husband it was a little long BUT that's because we were probably not the intended audience. The mythology was really interesting and our guide did an excellent job, lots of great information, lots of energy! I would 100% do this if you are are really interested in mythology and Greece. Alternative Athens was a complete pleasure to work with.
We had a great tour with Micheal!! He was very informative, considerate of the heat and answered our questions. Great addition that the tour guide wears a microphone and each person gets an amplifier for their ear. Was super helpful with all the crowds to ensure you could hear!! We loved the tour! We booked last minute and did not realize that there are only a limited number of times tickets and that you need a specific timed entry for the tour. That would have been helpful to know ahead of time. We were able to go early to the ticket booth, wait in line and luckily get tickets for that timed entry, otherwise we would have missed part of our tour. That was a little confusing to us. It would have been nice to have the company take care of for you and you just pay the ticket fee to them. We also ended booking the wrong ticket to a garden and had to end the tour early. Was a bummer because we were loving our info from Micheal!!
Vuola was a great guide. So smart and knowledgeable. She was wonderful and we loved this tour!
Great company. We were running late and they coordinated a new meet up spot. Guide was very knowledgeable
Had such a great time learning more about Greek mythology on our honeymoon. Would highly recommend our tour guide who made the experience what it was. Thank you!
Wow! What a great tour! Antonia was extremely knowledgeable about everything Athens and Greece. Whether it was anthropology, archaeology or Greek mythology she informed and entertained all of us. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour.
Great tour experience of some of the best sites in Athens. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and informative. My five year old daughter loves Greek mythology and enjoyed the tour.
Amazing history combined with Greek mythology. The walk can be a bit challenging at times, but I saw people of all ages and fitness levels managing. The guide reminded me of “my big fat Greek wedding “ ….comes from the Greek word…. Hehe
