Skip to main content

Athens Highlights: Half-Day Private Tour With a Local

Recommended by 94% of travelers
Athens, Greece
  • 5 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Group discounts
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

If you want to see all the highlights of Athens without the constraints of a busy group tour, this private half-day experience offers the perfect compromise. Explore Athens at your own pace in a private car and benefit from the expertise of a local driver who knows the city inside out while also enjoying the flexibility to customize your itinerary and spend longer at the stops that interest you most. Visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Lycabettus Hill, and more.
  • This private tour is ideal for first-time visitors to Athens
  • Learn about Greek history, culture, and cuisine from your local driver
  • Travel by luxury vehicle with hotel pickup and bottled water included
  • Flexible departure: pick a morning or afternoon time that suits you

What's Included

  • Private transportation
    Expert English-speaking Tour Drivers with extensive historical knowledge (not licensed to accompany you in any site)
  • All vehicles with WiFi, A/C, Bottled Water
  • Groups of 1-3 people are transported in luxurious Sedan Vehicles.
  • Groups of 4-7 people are transported by Spacious Minivans.
  • This is a private tour, you can customize the program according to your needs
  • Pick-up & drop-off services: Athens Hotel/ Airbnb residence/Piraeus Port
  • Entrance tickets - Acropolis (€30 pp, must be purchased in advance - limited availability)
    €30.00 per person
  • Entrance fee - National Archaeological Museum
    €12.00 per person
  • Entrance fee - Acropolis Museum
    €20.00 per person
  • Licensed tour guide - upon request and depending on availability
  • Entrance fee - Ancient Agora of Athens
    €20.00 per person
  • Gratuities
    Kindly note that gratuities and tips are not included in the price and are left to your discretion.
  • Airport Pick-Up & Drop-Off (additional cost depending on vehicle type)
  • Lavrio&Rafina ports Pick-Up & Drop-Off (additional cost depending on vehicle type)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

For a seamless, comfortable, and punctual start to your private tour, please carefully review the following information: Where We Meet You Hotel Lobby: If you are staying at a hotel, please wait in the main lobby a few minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Apartment/Airbnb: If staying in a private residence, please wait just outside the main entrance or building gate at the scheduled time. Piraeus Port: The driver will meet you directly at the arrival pier where your ferry docks. For Cruise Ship Passengers: The driver will be waiting at the cruise terminal exit, immediately after security/customs. Athens International Airport: The driver will be waiting at the arrival hall, immediately after security/customs. Look for Your Name Sign: The driver will hold a sign displaying the lead traveler’s name for easy identification. Keep Your Phone On: Ensure the mobile number provided during booking is active and your phone is switched on around the pickup time. The driver may need to contact you if there are delays or if you cannot be located immediately. Local Contact Number: An emergency local contact number is included in your booking confirmation voucher. Please call this number immediately for any issues or last-minute changes. - Athens city center Pick up & Drop off (Without extra charge) - Port Piraeus Pick up & Drop off (Without extra charge) - Rafina Port/Laurio Port Pick up & Drop Off (additional cost depending on vehicle type). - Airport Pick-Up & Drop-Off (additional cost depending on vehicle type).

Itinerary

1

Acropolis

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

2

Acropolis Museum

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

3

Hellenic Parliament

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

4

Panathenaic Stadium

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

5

Mount Lycabettus

20 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

The Academy of Athens (Pass By)

6

Ancient Agora of Athens

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • All excluded entrance fees must be purchased and paid directly on site on the day of the tour
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 35 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Not what we expected....

danaheyum, Aug 2025
A bit bummed because we ended up with another guy due to our luggage and not having a car big enough. He was nice, but pretty dry, didn't give us history or explanations while driving us around. I had told them we didn't need to see everything as we aren't huge museum people, when I booked it. This didn't seem to translate over. He was always there to pick us up after free time, but not what we expected at all.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Dear Dana, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are genuinely sorry to hear that your experience did not meet the expectations you had when booking your tour with us. We want every aspect of your tour to be seamless. We sincerely apologize for the initial logistical issue with the vehicle size and the transfer to another driver. We strive to anticipate all needs, especially regarding luggage capacity. On the notes we recommend luggage capacity per person 1 big luggage and 1 cabin luggage but you had more and could not fit in the car which you had booked. So we had to sent you one bigger car (without extra cost). We understand that you were hoping for a more engaging experience with historical context and explanations during the drive. While our drivers are local experts and happy to share general information and local insights while driving, they are unfortunately not licensed tour guides who can provide detailed, official historical narrations. True guiding services within Greece's rich historical sites require a specific, separate license. However, we strive for all interactions to be warm and informative, and we regret that the driver came across as 'dry.' We value your desire for a more conversational experience, and we will use your comments to provide further training to our team regarding passenger engagement and ensuring all guest preferences are clearly communicated. Thank you again for your valuable feedback, and we hope you enjoyed the beauty of Athens. Sincerely, Konstantinos Transfer To Athens

Personal Tour

Joann_B, Jun 2025
Maria was a fabulous tour guide and driver. This tour was so special. We were greeted at the port for our private tour. Maria traversed Athens through the most insane traffic and took us to great sights. We were able to personalize our trip. Would highly recommended.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Greece

sofia_o, May 2025
Nico was super nice and very accommodating, we have some mobility issues and he made sure our visit was pleasant and accessible, helped us all the way, took care of tickets, recommended a great restaurant for lunch and beyond! Thank you very much!

Response from Host, May 2025

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Take this tour ONLY in the very early morning to avoid disappointment and traffic. Very expensive for what you get.

Gail_E, May 2025
I mistakenly booked this tour for the wrong day and the tour operator very kindly offered a replacement driver for mid morning after I disembarked from my cruise ship. Unfortunately 2/3 (if not more) of the tour was spent in traffic. The tour guide mistakenly advised me to purchase the a ticket that was not accepted at the gate because I was not an EU resident and after having waited to get in at the entry gate I was told I had to go back to purchase another ticket as a NON EU resident. That ticket line was long and filled with scammers who were selling tickets, which I luckily avoided. The tour guide, who was mostly silent throughout the tour (perhaps there was not much to say when you’re in traffic), was pleasant enough and accommodated me as best he could. He brought me to a couple places where the view was spectacular. However, the tour was quite a disappointment and a very expensive one at that. I terminated it after only 3 1/2 hours of the 4–5 hour tour plan. It was a shame to be in Athens and not see the important sites.

Response from Host, May 2025

Dear Mengel, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent tour experience with us. We genuinely appreciate your detailed account and are sorry to hear that aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. Our team strives to provide exceptional experiences, and we regret that traffic and other circumstances affected your enjoyment. Regarding the Acropolis tickets, we understand how the situation may have caused inconvenience, and we are glad to hear that our guide extended an offer to reimburse you for the ticket cost. (when you returned to the car, refunded your ticket money. He offered to rebook you, but you no longer wanted to visit the Acropolis because your back hurt). While we value your concerns, we must respectfully inform you that we are unable to provide a partial refund in this instance. The tour proceeded as planned to the best of our ability under the circumstances, and we take pride in the efforts of our guide, who sought to assist and accommodate you throughout. Please know that we take guest feedback very seriously and will review the points you raised to improve future tours. We hope you might consider joining us again, as we'd love the opportunity to provide you with a more satisfying and memorable experience in the future. Thank you again for your understanding, and we wish you all the best in your travels. Kind regards, Konstantinos Polyderas Transfer To Athens

Professional and Fun experience seeing Athens!

Alan_B, Nov 2024
Very satisfied. We had a woderful driver, Stefano, who communicated very well, from the day before by whatapp and text, to make sure that we knew what to expect. He gave good advice about booking tickets on line in advance. He was on time to pick us up, good personality, spoke English well. Showed us all the things we wanted, was friendly, courteous- we felt safe and in good hands. It was a very nice experience and we would recommend.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Pedros the Great

Michele_D, Sep 2024
Pedros was amazing, funny, considerate, and informative during our half day tour. We felt like he was family and would definitely request him, if possible. By the way, September is a perfect time to go, when there are less crowds. Thank you.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Sunday in Athens

Brian_C, Aug 2024
Our guide Stephanos was punctual and was able to show us the highlights as well as navigate on a very hot busy day in Athens. He has strong communication skills and facilitated my family having an amazing time

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Outstanding service from Panos

Kevin_O, Jul 2024
Panos our guide was excellent and provided a 5 star service. He picked 6 of us up direct from the cruise ship, greeted us with water and ensured our luggage was secure in the van for the day. After the tour he took us to the airport for our flight home. His tour was excellent, his knowledge of Athens was amazing and his sense of humour made the journey more enjoyable. In addition, his English was outstanding. He was a lovely guy who looked after us well and gave us a great look at the best of Athens. Thank you Panos.

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Perfect Day in Athens

Kim_M, Jun 2024
This was an amazing tour! Huge thank you to our driver, Nastas! He did a fabulous job- made the day so fun and we got to see all the sights. Thank you Nastas!

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Fantastic, Informative Excursion with Lydia

Mae_T, May 2024
Lydia was a phenomonal guide. She was welcoming, prepared, fun, informative, kind, and paced our trip perfectly - a total pro! Glorious day of learning about Athen’s ancient history.

Response from Host, May 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Great way to see Athens without any hassles

Linette_H, Mar 2024
Ruslan was very knowledgeable and managed our schedule perfectly so we saw all the wonderful Athens sites that we wanted to see.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Great Guide!

stefanie_p, Mar 2024
This tour is a great way to learn about Athens before and Athens now. Our guide Spyro was great! He was extremely knowledgeable about Athens and its history. He was personable and fun. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a guide that knows Athens and it’s history.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for choosing Transfer To Athens. It was a pleasure having you as our guest, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

From $125.99

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 45 days in advance.

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
Athens Highlights: Half-Day Private Tour With a Local


5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$125.99
Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour


5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$300.11
$270.10
Athens - Private Half Day Tour


4 to 5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$320.91