Athens Half Day Walking Private Tour

Athens Half Day Walking Private Tour (Accompanied by an experienced professional licensed tour guide)

DURATION 3 Hours

This is a walking tour of Athens and it is offered to small groups of no more than 7 people. We explore the city on foot; however, a private car remains at your disposal at all times. A licensed tour guide will also provide you with background information about the places you will see during this wonderful walking private tour.

The tour entails the sites listed below:

THE ACROPOLIS: ( approx 1 hour and 20 minutes)

During the visit of Acropolis you will be guided to the Propylea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. Acropolis is one of the most sought after historical destinations in the world. It was formally proclaimed as the arbitrary monument on the European Cultural Heritage List of Monuments on 26 March 2007.

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM: (approx  1 hour).

30 years in the works, the New Acropolis Museum opened its doors 21st of June of 2009. Over 4,000 objects are exhibited in an area of more than 14,000 square meters.

TEMPLE OF OLYMPIAN ZEUS:

Its construction lasted over 6 centuries. At its completion there were one hundred and four pillars, each of them 17 meters high and 2 meters in diameter. Its constructors were the first to use fine Corinthian marble on the exterior of the structure. Today only twenty-four of the pillars remain. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, located 500m south east of the Acropolis, is sure to amaze visitors with its enormous features.

ADRIAN ARC:

Roman Emperor Adrian created it in order to landmark the borders between ancient Athens built by the Athenian king Theseus, and the newer part constructed by the Romans.

PANATHINAIKO STADIUM:

Home to the first Olympic Games in 1896, it was found during an excavation and refurbished with marble in the 19th century.

ZAPPEION : ( Conference and Exhibitions Hall).

The Zappeion Hall has served many purposes throughout its history. In the first Olympic Games it was the main building of the Olympic village. In 1979, it was where Greece’s accession to the European Economic Community was signed.

NATIONAL GARDENS:

The garden was once private to the palace. Queen Amalia in 1840s made it a project to collect rare plants from all corners of the globe.

PARLIAMENT & TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER:

Two quotations are written on the retaining wall. One is by Thucydides: “…and one bed is carried, made for the unknown ones”, the other is from Pericles funeral oration: “For eminent men, every place is a worthy burial ground.”

CONSTITUTION SQUARE:

The Square, also known as Syntagma Square, is named after the constitution that King Otto was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on September 3, 1843. The Old Royal Palace neoclassical building is the dominant building of the square and it is housing the Greek Parliament (Vouli) since 1934. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public, even when not in session. However, the changing of the guard ceremony, performed by the Presidential Guard, is conducted every hour in front of the Vouli and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and stands as a worth watching tourist attraction.

PLAKA:

Plaka is the old historical neighbourhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the “Neighbourhood of the Gods” due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites.

Museums in Plaka include the new Jewish Museum of Greece, the Museum of Greek Folk Art, an annex of which is the Old Public Baths building, the Frissiras Museum, the Museum of Popular Music Instruments, the Museum of Pavlos and Alexandra Kanellopoulou and the Athens University Museum. Excavations have proven that Adrianou Street is the oldest street in Athens still in continuous use with exactly the same layout since antiquity.