Explore all of Athens and Ancient Corinth historical highlights in comfort on this private, full-day tour. Get around Athens’ most-cherished attractions and then venture south of Athens to discover highlights of the Peloponnese. Visit Acropolis, where you can stroll through the Parthenon, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, and the Erechtheum. Take views of the city from Lycabettus Hill and explore the neighborhoods of Plaka and Monastiraki. Cross the Corinth Canal to leave mainland Greece and explore the Ancient Corinth, the wealthiest city in all the ancient world, a leader amongst the powerful Greek city-states, built at the foothills of the rocky hill of Acrocorinth.
• Drive to the Parthenon where you have free time to visit the Acropolis Museum
• See the Hellenic Parliament guards; pass-by Panathenaic and Kalimarmaro stadiums
• Explore Ancient Corinth, antiquity’s most powerful commercial crossroads
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Private transportation
✔ Bottled water
✔ On-board WiFi
✔ Professional drivers with deep knowledge of history (not licensed to accompany you in any site)
✔ Lunch (With Greek Traditional Food option)
✔ In-vehicle air conditioning
✔ Hotel/ airport/ port pickup and drop-off
✖ Licensed tour guide (upon request and depending on availability)
✖ Entry or admission fees for archaeological sites
✖ Gratuities
Pickup Locations
1. Foivos Hotel Athens
2. Alter Athens Hotel
3. Ruby Rooms Athens
4. Zenith Hotel
5. Athens City Plaza
6. Wyndham Athens Residence
7. Apollo Hotel
8. Titania Hotel
9. Athens Zafolia Hotel
10. Philippos Hotel
11. The Editor Athens Hotel
12. Vision Omonia
13. Anixis
14. Crowne Plaza Athens - City Centre, an IHG hotel
15. Novotel Athenes
16. Hotel Tier Collection
17. Hotel Byron
18. Bob W. Eolou Athens
19. Ambrosia Suites
20. Exarchion Hotel
Additional Info: This is a private tour. Only your group will participate. The pick-up time is adjustable upon your request.
Your personal driver will pick you up and return you to the same place or to the point you prefer.
In case of a hotel, he will be waiting for you in the hotel lobby.
In case of an apartment, he will be waiting for you at the entrance of the building.
For airport pick up, he will be waiting for you at the arrival hall holding a sign with your name on it to spot him upon arrival. We will track your flight and our driver will be there on time.
For port pick up, he will be waiting for you at the gate, just as you disembark, holding a sign with your name on it to spot him upon arrival.
Itinerary
1
Acropolis
Walk on the land in which thousands of years ago some of the largest and most important parts of the global philosophy, politics, and science were born and flourished. Navigate ancient monuments of priceless cultural and historical value and experience in person the greatness and glamour of Greek ancient times. Starting off with the Acropolis, which in Greek translates to the edge of the city, the geographically and spiritually highest point according to ancient Greeks.
Duration: 30 minutes
2
Propylaea
The Propylaea was the monumental gateway to the Acropolis of Athens and was one of several public works commissioned by the Athenian leader Pericles in order to rebuild the Acropolis a generation after the conclusion of the Persian Wars.
Duration: 5 minutes
3
Parthenon
An architectural jewel that hosts the best of what the human spirit and genius has ever conceived, an open embrace that awaits its famed sister marbles to welcome them home again.
Duration: 20 minutes
4
Erectheion
The Erechtheion is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
Duration: 15 minutes
5
Tempio Di Athena Nike
The Temple of Athena Nike is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens, dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike. Built around 420 BC, the temple is the earliest fully Ionic temple on the Acropolis. It has a prominent position on a steep bastion at the southwest corner of the Acropolis to the right of the entrance, the Propylaea. In contrast to the Acropolis proper, a walled sanctuary entered through the Propylaea, the Victory Sanctuary was open, entered from the Propylaea's southwest wing and from a narrow stair on the north. The sheer walls of its bastion were protected on the north, west, and south by the Nike Parapet, named for its frieze of Nikai celebrating victory and sacrificing to their patroness, Athena and Nike.
Duration: 15 minutes
6
Teatro Di Dioniso
The Theatre of Dionysus is an ancient Greek theatre in Athens. It is built on the south slope of the Acropolis hill, originally part of the sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus. The first orchestra terrace was constructed on the site around the mid- to late-sixth century BC, where it hosted the City Dionysia. The theatre reached its fullest extent in the fourth century BC under the epistates of Lycurgus when it would have had a capacity of up to 17,000, and was in continuous use down to the Roman period. The theatre then fell into decay in the Byzantine era and was not identified, excavated, and restored to its current condition until the nineteenth century.
Duration: 15 minutes
7
Herod Atticus Odeon
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Roman theater structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. The building was completed in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950.
Duration: 15 minutes
8
Acropolis Museum
At the foot of the Acropolis Hill in the shadow of the imposing Parthenon lays a modern jewel that houses some of the most important ancient Greek statues and works of art, the Acropolis Museum.
Duration: 60 minutes
9
Arco Di Adriano
The Arch of Hadrian, most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate, is a monumental gateway resembling a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
10
Tempio Di Zeus Olimpio
Between the Acropolis and the Ilisos River are the remains of the Olympian Zeus Temple (now known as the Pillars of Olympian Zeus), one of Athens’ most important and oldest shrines. The space even today gives the visitor a sense of grandeur.
11
Panathenaic Stadium
Continuing with the stunning Calimarmaro or as it is called today, the Panathenaic Stadium, the house of the first modern Olympic games, made of Pentelic marble in which the Olympic ideals are still reflected today.
Duration: 10 minutes
12
Mount Lycabettus
After leaving the beautiful Calimarmaro behind us, we will drive up to Lycabettus hill where you will enjoy the beautiful panoramic view of the city and admire the combination of ancient and modern Athens from above.
Duration: 20 minutes
13
Syntagma
Syntagma Square (Constitution Square) is the central square of Athens. The square is named after the Constitution that Otto, the first King of Greece, was obliged to grant after a popular and military uprising on 3 September 1843.[2] It is located in front of the 19th century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. Syntagma Square is the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the heart of commercial activity and Greek politics. The name Syntagma alone also refers to the neighbourhood surrounding the square.
14
Hellenic Parliament
View of the national guards and the monument of the unknown soldier. Quick stop for a photo.
Duration: 5 minutes
15
Tomba Del Milite Ignoto
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during war. It was sculpted between 1930 and 1932 by sculptor Fokion Rok. The tomb is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.
Duration: 15 minutes
16
The Academy of Athens
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926 and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy's main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.
17
National Library of Greece
The National Library of Greece is situated near the center of the city of Athens. It was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, as part of his famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens University. It was founded by Ioannis Kapodistrias.
18
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The University of Athens has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837 and is the oldest higher education institution of the modern Greek state and the first contemporary university in both the Balkan Peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean. Today it is one of the largest universities by enrollment in Europe, with over 69,000 registered students.
The University of Athens was founded on 3 May 1837 by King Otto of Greece and was named in his honour Othonian University. It was the first university in the liberated Greek state and in the surrounding area of Southeast Europe as well. It was also the second academic institution after the Ionian Academy. This fledgling university consisted of four faculties; Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts (which included applied sciences and mathematics). During its first year of operation, the institution was staffed by 33 professors, while courses were attended by 52 students and 75 non-matriculated "auditors".
19
National History Museum (Old Parliament)
The Old Parliament House at Stadiou Street in Athens housed the Greek Parliament between 1875 and 1935. It now houses the country's National Historical Museum.
20
Plaka
The old historical neighborhood 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 "Neighborhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites.
21
Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for many modern ships.
From high up, you can enjoy the best view of Corinth's isthmus and admire the steep limestone walls while you observe the vessels below you navigate their way through the canal.
Duration: 10 minutes
22
Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos)
Corinth was a city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to the mainland of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. The modern city of Corinth is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of the ancient ruins.
For Christians, Corinth is well known from the two letters of Saint Paul in the New Testament, First and Second Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of Paul the Apostle's missionary travels. In addition, the second book of Pausanias' Description of Greece is devoted to Corinth.
Ancient Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished Corinth in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.
Duration: 60 minutes
23
Archaeological Museum of Corinth
The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth was constructed between 1931-1932, with intentions to display the numerous recent archaeological excavations. The museum is located within the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth, Greece, and lies under the jurisdiction of the 37th Ephoreia of the Greek Archaeological Service.
Key aspects of the Archaeological site of Ancient Corinth include:
• Hadgimoustafa spring
• Lechaion Road
• Basilica
• Fountain of Peirene
• Stoa
• Agora
• Odien
• Other temples
• Theatre
Duration: 30 minutes
24
Temple of Apollo
The Temple of Apollo at Corinth was constructed in 550 BC.
Duration: 20 minutes
25
Akrokorinthos
Acrocorinth, "Upper Corinth", the acropolis of ancient Corinth, is a monolithic rock overseeing the ancient city of Corinth, Greece.
With its secure water supply, Acrocorinth's fortress was repeatedly used as a last line of defense in southern Greece because it commanded the Isthmus of Corinth, repelling foes from entry by land into the Peloponnese peninsula.
Duration: 30 minutes
Additional info
• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Our drivers are not official tour guides, but they are knowledgeable and can provide fascinating commentary in fluent English. Although they will not enter the archaeological sites with you, they can answer all of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
• Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.
• We can provide you with the skip-the-line tickets for the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum upon request or you can pre-purchase them by following the links on your ticket/ voucher. The availability is limited and these tickets must be pre-purchased timely.
