Cape Sounio and Temple Poseidon Tour with Swimming
Description
We suggest you sit back and enjoy your trip. Embark on a day trip of Cape Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon. Explore the ruins of the Theater of Thorikos, the oldest theater in the world. Discover the grounds of the Temple of Poseidon with 1 hour of free time at the archeological site. Enjoy the amazing panoramic view from the southeast peak of Akrotiri Sounio and watch the magnificent sunset over the Aegean Sea from the cape. Travel in a comfortable vehicle to the elegant districts of the Greek Riviera. Step back in time as you visit the Temple of Poseidon on the Attic Peninsula. Swim in Athens Reviera as a local or enjoy a drink with the view of sea
Tour Options
Itinerary
On your way towards the Temple of Poseidon, you will have the potentiality to absorb the southern suburbs of Athens, such as Old Faliron, Alimos and Glyfada. It is an undeniable fact that these areas are considered to be the most up-scaled ones of Attica. Moreover, the traveler is given the opportunity to observe coastline of Attica full of private and public marines, shops and cafes. We need 1 hour and 15 to reach Cape Sounion.
Glyfada is the capital of the Athens Riviera. Glyfada offers an amazing view to the Saronic Gulf. It is the reasons why Glyfada is the ultimate summer hot spot for the Athenians! Its trademark is of course its marina, a mega-yacht destination that infuses a cosmopolitan flair to the areas. Beautiful coasts, recreation parks, playgrounds, shopping centres and stylish restaurants are there to keep up your summer carefree mood.
A short stop for pictures will be made at Vouliagmeni Lake. The lagoon formed about 2,000 years ago. It was once a large cavern that collapsed following an earthquake. The outline of the collapsed cavern roof can be clearly discerned from a distance. The lake has quite unique environmental conditions: it is supplied with warm seawater (28-35ºCelsius) via an underground channel spreading through a network of flooded caves, so its temperature never drops below 18 °C (usually ranges around 21-24 °C), whereas a freshwater spring reduces its salinity to brackish levels (14.5-18 psu). Because of its constant warm water temperature and its rich content in hydrogen sulphide, the lake functions as a spa since the end of the 19th century.
Varkiza is a picturesque sea-side village in the middle of the way to Cape Sounion. The area is very popular to Athenians for short excursions due to its beaches, shops and clubs.
The Temple of Poseidon is built on top of the hill, exactly at the meeting point of the Saronic Sea with the Aegean Sea. The temple was dedicated to God Poseidon, the lord of the Sea and it was there where all the sailors offered a last sacrifice to appease God Poseidon before leaving the safety of the Saronic Golf. According to Greek mythology, the Cape Sounion was the point from which Greek King Aegeus flung himself off the cliff to his death, upon the mistaken belief that his son had died. This ancient tragic tale involves a theme that is still used in modern story-telling today.
Lagonisi is a seaside residential area in the southern part of Kalyvia Thorikou in East Attica. It is situated close to the shore and on a peninsula by the Saronic Gulf.Restaurant facilities, cafeterias and bars are located mainly at the heart of Lagonissi.We start to head back to Athens again. We need 1 hour and 15 min to reach the center.
Varkiza Beach in Athens: You can swim or enjoy a drink at beach bar.The cosmopolitan Varkiza Beach is known for its coarse sand with plenty of pebbles scattered around the shore. It is an easy to access seashore, and its shallow seabed makes it an ideal destination for families with young kids.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up & drop-off to all Hotels & Airbnb's in Athens and Piraeus
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- The duration of the tours is approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Take your towel for swimming
Reviews(11)
Our guide was excellent. He gave lots of Greek mythology info, connected us to the history of the places we visited, and was extremely polite and accommodating. We would recommend him to anyone wanting to visit the beautiful area of Cape Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was a real pleasure showing you Cape Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon and sharing the myths and history that make this place so special. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed the experience and appreciated the tour. Your kind recommendation means a lot. We wish you all the best and hope to welcome you back to Greece in the future! 🇬🇷
Our tour to Sounion was an absolute highlight, and so much of that was thanks to our incredible guide. From the moment we set off, he created a warm and welcoming atmosphere, making everyone feel comfortable and engaged. His personality truly stood out—friendly, approachable, and genuinely enthusiastic about sharing the history and beauty of the area. The drive along the coast was stunning, but what made it even more memorable were the stories and insights our guide shared along the way. They brought the history of the Temple of Poseidon to life in a way that was both informative and entertaining, never feeling like a lecture. Instead, it felt like exploring with a knowledgeable friend who was excited to show us something special. By the time we reached Sounion, we not only appreciated the breathtaking views but also had a deeper understanding of its significance. Our guide’s personal touch, sense of humor, and passion made all the difference. This tour would have been beautiful regardless, but with such a personable guide, it became truly unforgettable.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that our guide helped make your visit to Sounion so memorable. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again on another adventure soon.
Amazing tour guide! We got to see perfect sunset with perfect timing! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are really happy you enjoyed the tour. We hope to see you again for another adventure in the future!
Yiannis was our driver- excellent service, very friendly, great information - very informative of Greek history and knowledge of sites, and surrounding areas. Would definitely recommend if wanting to see the sites!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re delighted to hear that Yiannis provided you with excellent service and made your experience both enjoyable and informative. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again for more unforgettable experiences exploring the sites!
Tha lake is a beautiful relaxed place for swimming or simply drinking a coffee! Xenofontas our tour driver made our trip more exciting! He did a lot of stations for photos and he shared a lot of history and information! Thank you very much Xenofontas for the wonderful day!!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful lake and had a relaxing experience. We’re especially happy that Xenofontas made your tour even more memorable with his photo stops, history, and information. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon!
The whole scene with the lake leaves you speechless and even you are not interested in swimming you can still see the lake and take great photos! And then of course the temple of Poseidon, magnificent monument, all the sea is at your feet, your eyes don't see nothing but blue and the temple! Our tour driver Xenofontas was very kind, he offered us water and a snack which i believe is something traditional in Greece, with sesame and honey! Because we didn't swim at the lake he drive us to a location with incredible view for photos and a little relaxation! If you go after 2pm you will also have the time to see the sunset, we stayed and looked at it until the sun went down and i believe this was the first time i came so close to the nature...! It's totally worth visiting these places!
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour and are committed to providing excellent experiences. We look forward to seeing you again! Best Regards, Greece Athens Transfers and Tours Team!!!
Fabulous trip. The guide was very knowledgeable and informative about history, mythology, and current trends. The views were amazing and well worth the trip out of Athens to see another side of Greece.
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour and are committed to providing excellent experiences. We look forward to seeing you again! Best Regards, Greece Athens Transfers and Tours Team!!!
Decided to pick a private "tour" out to Poseidon the day our cruise ended as we had a late flight out. We chose a starting time at 10am and this tour was suppose to be 5hours, dropping us at the airport at 3pm for a 4pm check-in. The company contacted us prior to ask if we could go earlier because of "traffic" - ok, sounds fair, so we decided on 9:30am. Our driver picked us up and informed us he would be dropping us at the airport at 1pm… do the math, that’s 3.5hrs. I told him that’s not what we paid for and we expected a 5hr tour dropping us off at 2:30pm (he dropped us off at 2pm and we were so over it by then…). This is NOT a tour, but just a driver… he told us one myth along the way, but that’s it. We felt so rushed at every stop - the lake, 5min to take photos and quick back in the van to Poseidon- 20min, then hurry up and eat at the cafe at Poseidon which I put my foot down and said we didn’t want to eat there, we wanted to go to the 4 brothers tavern (had heard fab reviews of this place) - it was definitely amazing and the highlight of our day. Then hurry up back in the van to the airport… all because he had another tour starting at 3pm! Totally unacceptable… The van was falling apart, I went to get in and the rubber seal came completely off, it was missing panels inside and outside, the AC hardly worked in the back and there was no wifi as promised. When I contacted the company, they were not helpful or understanding citing it was because of "traffic" - which throughout the day we had 0 traffic issues! We were on our cruise for 3 weeks and booked 10 tours with Viator during that time - this was the absolute worst! DO NOT BOOK with this company, there is another private tour with IIias that is 100 times better - we booked with him originally but unfortunately with our luggage and moms wheelchair, we couldn’t fit in his car. Book with him 100% and he takes you to the four brothers tavern!
Thank you for your time to leave us a review! First of all, the tour has 2 options: 6 hours with a stop for swimming and 5 hours without a stop for swimming. You chose and paid for the cheapest option, the 5-hour tour. The driver picked you up from the cruise ship in Piraeus Port. You brought your suitcases and a wheelchair without any information and you demanded from the driver extra free service to drop off you at the airport! As you can see from the tour description, we clearly state that the airport transfer is an extra charge and that the tour is not wheelchair accessible. In addition, because you had a lot of time until your flight, you wanted the driver to give you a total 7 hours tour and also to take you to the airport. When the driver and the company explained to you that you had paid and selected 5 hours of the tour and that the airport transfer was an extra charge , you attacked the driver and the company and threatened with a bad review. You forced the driver to make many stops for swimming in the lake, for coffee at the archaeological site, for food at a restaurant 4 brothers and finally transfer to the airport. You did not pay a single euro for the extra hours of the tour, you did not pay extra money for the airport and finally you did a bad review intended to discredit our company. We are the only company that provided you with a 9-seater minivan for a tour with 3 people so that you are comfortable. All companies for 3 people have sedan vehicle ( no space) like the ilias tourist office that canceled your tour (lucky man). The minivan we provided was in excellent condition, a brand new 2024 model, fully air-conditioned and it should be noted that tourist vehicles are inspected every 3 months by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Tourism, so there is no chance that the van was in the condition described. Finally, because this review is trying to mislead future travelers and deliberately discredit our company, we would like to inform you that we sell the same tour on GETYOURGUIDE with the exact same title. As you will see, in 2025 we received 135 reviews 5* the most of them and were voted by travelers as the best tour for 2025. This tour that our company organized first is not historical so that the driver can tell you the whole history of Greece, it is a relaxed tour with a sea view and a basic stop is for swimming. Our driver told you many myths and stories but he is not licensed to accompany you to an archaeological site, we mention this in the description. We are very disappointed that you took advantage of the kindness of our driver, he transferred you at the airport, you said you went to the ATM to get money to pay for the extra service and disappeared, you never paid and of course when you returned to your country you immediately wrote a fake and bad review. We did not force you to choose our company, if from the beginning you did not like the vehicle, our driver or our company, you will be able to cancel the tour and get your money back. However, you did a 7 hours tour, transferred to the airport and then wrote this review. We have all the documents about your disrespectful behavior and we have already informed the viator! You didn’t pay for the extra service ( 2 hours extra tour with stop for swimming) and the airport transfer as you originally promised and we are lucky that you didn’t demand from the driver to pay also your fish food meal at 4 brothers restaurant! We wish you all the best in your future trips! Best regards, Greece Athens Transfers and Tours Team!
My husband and I decided to take a walk on the Athenian Riviera... we went to Sounio... Mr. Theodoris took us to the temple of Poseidon, where we saw the sunset, it was perfect... we had a great time... we recommend it.
I'm glad you enjoyed our services and were happy with our driver. I hope to see you again soon in Greece. Thank you very much for your review!
It was an amazing experience. You can see a lot of things like Athens reviera, beaches, glyfada city......and the top Temple of Poseidon. The view of the temple was amazing. The driver was very good with a lot of knowledge of history! The vehicle was new,clear with air condition and equipped with water and paper material.
Your comment for our service and our driver make us happy and give us the motivation to improve. Have a nice day. Thank you very much.
