Private Athens: Historical Walking Tour Including the Changing of the Guard
Description
Discover what makes Athens so unique on this private 3-hour tour led by a local guide. Dive into the Greek capital’s storied history at Syntagma Square, where you’ll see the eye-catching Changing of the Guard ceremony. Walk the perimeter of the Acropolis of Athens, a UNESCO World Heritage site; pass through the Ancient Agora of Athens; and see the Panathenaic Stadium. Then, get a taste of modern life from a local’s point of view in Plaka — or Athens Old Town — and Kolonaki.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start this historical Athens walking tour by meeting your local guide in Syntagma Square, the most important and crowded square in Athens, surrounded by impressive neoclassical buildings. The best known is the Grande Bretagne, once a royal palace but now a luxury hotel which has housed everyone from Churchill to Madonna.
At the upper end of the square see the Evzones, the guards of the Constitution, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Evzones are traditionally dressed in 17th and 18th century clothes: an impressive white skirt, red hat, and an old rifle. The changing of the guard happens every hour, and you simply cannot tour Athens without seeing this spectacle – which is why we’ve incorporated it into this tour! Watch the ceremony while your local guide explains the tradition.
Next on this Athens tour you’ll jump on the metro and travel to Acropolis station. You’ll exit the station and take a walk around the walls of the famous Athens Acropolis, passing by the Ancient Agora. We’ll walk along ancient roads, admire new architecture, and hear about the customs and traditions that still exist today. This is the central hub of classic Athens history, and you’ll hear the stories behind this monument from your local guide. (Please note that if you wish to tour inside the Acropolis, this will have to be done separately on your own time.)
Shop for souvenirs along Adrianou Street, where you can find local products such as ouzo (Greece’s national alcohol). You’ll also see shops that specialise in olive oil, sponges, leather sandals, and bags — something you won't experience on other Athens tours.
Continue walking to Diogenis Square, under the impressive wall of the Acropolis. See Hadrian’s Arch, built in honour of one of the most glorified Roman emperors.
You can see the ruins of the Jupiter (Zeus) temple as you taste and feel the history of Athens.
The white marble Panathenaic Stadium is where the first Olympic Games took place and where the 2004 Olympic marathon ended.
Finally, you’ll be taken back to present-day Athens to admire some of Athens’ more modern architecture. We walk through the new city highlights, where life goes on in modern rhythms. See where locals wander, shop, and gather. Visit the Kolonaki area, which is the heart of today’s Athens.
The Athens walking tour comes to an end at the Academy of Athens.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Please note that if you wish to tour inside the Acropolis, this will have to be done separately on your own time.
Reviews(27)
Gina was an amazing guide, sharing both her knowledge and personal stories of Athens. She adjusted the tour schedule to accommodate our need to walk at a slower pace. We learned so much more about the history of Athens as it developed over the past 4,000 years and Gina made our tour very special.
We had a great guidance who knew the history of the area and was able to show us sights historical sights. We were even able to visit a hidden underground passage under one of the oldest churches.
Our first trip to Athens in late September/early October was an absolutely wonderful adventure. We flew over on Turkish Airlines, which treated us very well; their customer service, flight crew and Business Lounge (in Istanbul through which which we connected) were exceptional. The car service we used from airport to hotel and back was provided by Welcome Tours; punctual, reasonably priced and very safe driving. Our hotel in Athens was the Grande Bretagne Athens, situated in the heart of the city on Constitution Square, diagonally adjacent to the Greek Parliament (notable for its hourly Changing of the Guard. The hotel is an old-world gem with high-ceilinged rooms and efficient and friendly staff. The concierge staff was especially helpful. During our five-night stay, we benefitted tremendously by having booked three private three-hour tours offered by Context Travel; we've now also used them in Dublin, Istanbul, Paris and Rome and they are simply, hands down, the very best! We toured the Acropolis, Parthenon and Acropolis Museum on our first day of touring; the National Archaeological Museum of Athens on the second; and the Ancient Agora with Plaka Neighborhood on the third. Just outstanding tours led by by totally knowledgeable and super friendly tour guides. Words to the wise: Wear very comfortable shoes and always carry water with you. Lastly our meals: Starting every day with an expansive breakfast buffet at our hotel's Rooftop Restaurant energized our tours of the city. We enjoyed two delicious dining experiences at this same restaurant looking out at the picture-postcard-perfect lit-up Acropolis. Another evening we dined at Tudor Hall in the Grand Bretagne's adjacent sister hotel, the King George; a very elegant, impeccably served and rather pricey restaurant, but a tad more fancy than appetite-satisfying. Cookoovaya was perhaps a more trendy eatery, a little off the beaten path, but with delicious menu, very ample servings and reasonably priced. On our final night in Athens, we were able to get in (reservations way in advance recommended) to Dionysos Zonar's; outdoor dining with a perfect view of the nearby lit-up Parthenon made for a most memorable evening! During our entire stay in Athens, we felt appreciated, safe and very welcome. It's a wonderful city with a truly amazing history and so very, very much to offer!
This was an exceptional tour. Our guide on the day, Babis, was fantastic. Babis, had an incredible breadth of knowledge of Greek history which made the tour so worthwhile. I would thoroughly recommend this tour. Thank you Babis for making our brief Greece stay so memorable.
This tour was fantastic! My wife and I had a great time and we visited sites/places we would have never known about without the help of our guide, Theodore. He was a spectacular guide who had such a wealth of knowledge and sense of humor! We learned so many facts about the buildings, people, and stories of Greece and had an amazing time doing so! I would recommend this tour to anyone who visits Athens as it covers so many aspects of Greek culture.
I can't say enough great things about this tour and it's all because of our tour guide, George Kontoulis! Visiting Greece was always top of our bucket list George being a professor of Archeology made our experience a memorable and educational one. George is the best guide we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He is warm, generous and true expert in all things Greece. We look forward to referring him and your company to our family and friends. Thank you for a wonderful experience. Shari and Steve Sherwood May, 2023...
We had an unforgettable tour with our guide Thodoris. The tour is focused on Greek recent history . So finally, you could learn more about Greece off the typical antiquities tours. Thodoris was very communicative and knew how to give us knowledge about life in Greece, politics and historical developments in a very entertaining way. We had a fun time and will recommend to everyone.
I checked Urban Adventures tours online and read the great reviews about them so I decided to participate in their Walking Athens tour myself. Our tour guide was Babis, to be honest he is one of the most sweet, funny and very very informed tour guide I ever came across. I would highly recommend booking a tour with him, you’ll be so lucky and you wont regret it. Athens is definitely a beautiful destination and Babis makes it even more unforgettable!!
George was super knowledgeable and very friendly. We had an awesome time! We would definitely do another tour with him in the future.
Hello daedalogic! Thank you so much for taking the time to review our Tour. Our guides do their best to make sure that our tours are not only "fun" but also run in a professional way! We can only wish to see you soon on your next Greek Experience :) Until then, we wish you safe travels !
George was very full of knowledge and like a local friend to us sharing his interesting stories about Athens and greek culture. Having a small group was such added value as well. Definitely recommend!
Dear Tereza_Moravcova, Thank you so much for taking the time to review our tour and our guide and for recommending us to future guests!!! George's passion for his city, was then successfully contagious, we are so happy to have such a great local History and Culture Expert on our Team, he is a such a Gem. We are so thrilled to read, that your experience on our Athens Walking Tour, with Urban Adventures met your expectations and we hope to see you again in Greece! Thank you! Ευχαριστούμε from the entire Urban Adventures Team in Athens and we wish you safe travels <3
