Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Athens, Greece
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
If you’re short on time but want to see everything that Athens has to offer, take a five-hour tour by private transportation. The day starts with convenient pickup from your hotel and then takes you to the Acropolis, Panepistimiou Street, and much more. Traveling by private car enables you to take advantage of your time. You also have the flexibility to explore each attraction independently or add a licensed guide at an additional cost.
- Visit the top sights of Athens in five hours
- Cover more ground in private transportation
- Enjoy hotel pickup and drop-off
- Explore at your own pace
What's Included
- Professional Drivers with Deep knowledge of history [Not licensed to accompany you in any site]
- Hotel/ AirBnb/ Port pick up & drop-off
- Skip the line Tickets [Acropolis, Ancient Agora]
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Licensed Tour guide upon request depending on availability [Additional cost - 280 €]
- Lunch
- Acropolis Museum [If chosen visited instead of Ancient Agora]
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pick up time adjustable upon your request.
Itinerary
1
Athens
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Acropolis
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Parthenon (Pass By)
Propylaea (Pass By)
Erectheion (Pass By)
Temple of Athena Nike (Pass By)
Theatre of Dionysus (Pass By)
Herod Atticus Odeon (Pass By)
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Pass By)
3
Panathenaic Stadium
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Monument to the Unknown Soldier
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Hellenic Parliament
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Plateia Syntagmatos (Pass By)
The Academy of Athens (Pass By)
The Academy of Athens (Pass By)
National Library of Greece (Pass By)
6
Mount Lycabettus
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Ancient Agora of Athens
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
8
Acropolis Museum
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- The drivers are not licensed to accompany you inside any site or museum. If you require a licensed guide to tour the sites with you, you need to hire one additionally. If you have any questions you can contact us on the phone number provided by Viator.
- Please contact us after your booking if you are using a wheelchair or if you are travelling with infants
- Tickets Included in the bookings made after 6/11/2023
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Question (1)
Q:Will my driver accompany us inside the archaeological sites?
A:Your driver will have deep knowledge of history and mythology history, but they are not licensed to accompany you inside the archaeological sites & museum. We can reserve a licenced guide for you at an extra cost - depending on the availability
May 2022
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 408 reviews
Lynn_W, Nov 2025
We had a 5 hour tour of Athens with an excellent guide Manos! He was EXCELLENT! Knowledgeable, funny, and efficient! Manos knew so much about the many sites he took us to. We visited the Parthenon, the Angora, the Olympic Stadium, the highest point overlooking the city and the changing of the guards. A new very comfortable van with AC and plenty of water. We just had a fantastic day with Manos. Excellent tour guide and a great day that we all enjoyed tremendously. Highly recommend Manos!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed the tour with Manos and appreciated his knowledge and humor. Your recommendation means a lot, and we hope to welcome you again!
Nancy_F, Oct 2025
Our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our tour in spite of the weather. We would recommend this private tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the tour despite the weather. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Madison_M, Sep 2025
This was a lovely way to be immersed into all of the important and unbelievable history! We requested a tour guide which made the experience so surreal to learn detailed history as we’re standing on the sites ourselves. We’ve been on tours in the past that felt overwhelming but this one was the perfect balance to be able to see it all and truly take everything in! Our driver and guide were both wonderful and gave us great insight into Athens and recommendations for the rest of our stay.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're thrilled you enjoyed the immersive experience and found the tour guide helpful. It's great to hear the balance and insights enhanced your visit. We hope the recommendations made your stay even better!
Robert_M, Sep 2025
Super informative with a great guide. Visited the main areas of Athens and even stopped at a place we requested.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled you found the guide informative and enjoyed visiting the main areas of Athens, including your requested stop. Your feedback means a lot to us!
Sandra_S, Sep 2025
Spent a great day with Socrates touring the main sites. The private tour allowed us to go at our own pace and stop to take pictures. He stopped for the changing of the guard at the presidents house, toured the Acropolis and Agora and had time for great Greek food. Highly recommend this tour if you’re looking to see lots of things on a limited time.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We’re thrilled you enjoyed the private tour with Socrates and had a memorable experience exploring the sites and enjoying Greek food. We appreciate your recommendation!
Erin_D, Sep 2025
We had an incredible experience touring Athens with Dimitris. From the moment he picked us up at the Electra Palace, he made the day completely customized to our interests and flexible as we went. He’s personable, knowledgeable, and fun to be around—someone who makes history and culture feel alive.
Dimitris not only helped us better understand the people, sites, and history of Athens, but also added thoughtful touches like starting the day at a local coffee shop. He guided us through the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, St. George’s Church, the original Olympic site, the changing of the guard, and several other hidden gems—all while sharing fascinating context along the way.
What stood out most was how much he cared about making our experience special. He even gave us advice for our upcoming trip to Milos. His great personality, humor, and storytelling made the day unforgettable.
If I ever return to Athens, I will absolutely request Dimitris again—he’s the kind of guide who elevates a trip from good to truly memorable. Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your amazing experience with Dimitris! We're thrilled to hear how much he enriched your tour with his knowledge, flexibility, and thoughtful touches. Your kind words mean a lot, and we hope to see you again!
Jeff_W, Sep 2025
We had a great time on our half day Athens tour. Well organized and allowed us to see so much of the city in a short time. Our guide Vasilis was so knowledgeable and did a great job of giving us the history of each site we visited. Well with it!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled you enjoyed the half-day Athens tour and found it well-organized. Vasilis will be delighted to hear your praise. Hope to see you on another tour soon!
sallyg, Aug 2025
Great tour. Mano was a wonderful tour guide. Good driver and very knowledgeable about Athens. I highly recommend this tour.
Jackie_M, Jul 2025
This was a great tour of Athens if you’re looking to see the main attractions. Our guide, Stefanos, was fabulous and gave us great information about the city/history. Easy port pickup for cruises, and all tickets included in price. Would definitely recommend!
Amanda_B, Jul 2025
Our driver was very knowledgeable and flexible. It was great to pass by so many sites and spend time at the stadium and the whole Acropolis.
Perla_W, Jul 2025
Our guide Stefanos was very knowledgeable friendly and made our tour very fun and entertaining.
Highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear Stefanos made your tour enjoyable and entertaining. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
gmitchell82762, Jul 2025
What a wonderful day. Customized to our EXACT need and request. Driver even bought us a snack while in Corinth. Driver went above and beyond.
Drove us to site of our choosing and his recommendation, he told us the amount of time he thought it would take to visit the site. We would txt him when we were ready to go and off we went on the next adventure.
Nikos did a fantastic job.
I was a little worried doing a private tour to make sure we made it back to our cruise. But he handled everything precisely as needed. GREAT JOB
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled that Nikos provided such a fantastic and personalized tour for you. Your kind words truly mean a lot, and we’re glad everything went smoothly for your cruise return.
Andre_B, Jul 2025
Very informative.our guide was well informed and prepared. Pleasant and obviously interested and motivated.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that your guide made your experience informative and enjoyable. We’ll make sure to pass along your feedback to keep the motivation shining through.
Eirene_S, Jun 2025
Our driver, Nikos, was always on time, patient, funny, informative, and could answer all our questions. Sad that Lycabettas Hill was closed by authorities at the time, so we could not see it (maybe next time). But all in all it was a wonderful experience.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your kind words about Nikos! We're glad you had a wonderful experience despite Lycabettus Hill being closed. Hopefully, you'll get to visit it next time! Your feedback means a lot to us.
Toni_S, Jun 2025
The skip the line tickets are a MUST because of crowds. Our guide had them ahead of time and gave them to us before we went to each site. He also waited for us at each site and picked us up right in front.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad the skip-the-line tickets and smooth coordination with the guide made your visit more enjoyable. Your feedback highlights how important these details are to making the trip stress-free for everyone.
Eddie_S, Jun 2025
Excellent and knowledgable driver who showed us around and worked aroung more than a few obstacels given events in town today to make sure we got to see all the sites. Was a great half day.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're thrilled our driver ensured you had a great day despite the obstacles. Your kind words mean a lot to us.
April_C, Jun 2025
I booked this tour, months before our recent cruise. From the time of booking, Olive Sea Travel had incredible communication and answered all my questions and that continued right up to our actual tour day. Everything was incredibly organized. Our driver, Nikos, reached out the morning of our tour, to confirm all of the final details and our meeting place at the cruise port.
The morning of our tour, we met with Nikos. He was so friendly and fun to be around. He took us to our Mercedes mini bus that was meticulously clean and very comfortable. It was a beautiful, luxurious way to drive around Athens.
As we drove, Nikos told us all about specific city landmarks, historical details, & stories of Greek mythology. He was so full of knowledge and you can tell he enjoys what he does. We had an itinerary set-out with this tour, beginning at the Acropolis with skip-the-line tickets included. Nikos drove us right up to the front gate & dropped us off to tour on our own. We explored at our own pace, then when we were nearly ten minutes from finishing, we’d text Nikos and he’d pull up to the gate to get us, offer us cold bottled water, then we were off to the next stop. This tour is a great balance of self-guided exploration to enjoy time on your own, but with the bonus of a private driver who informs you all about what you’re seeing while you drive. It’s the perfect combination.
It was such an efficient way to see as much as possible, but yet we never felt rushed. While we had a basic timeline, Nikos assured us we could stay longer or finish more quickly at each stop…we really controlled how we spent our time and what we wanted to do. The day was customized how we wanted it.
Some of the sites are ‘pass-by’ where we’d pull over and learn more details from the air conditioned comfort of our van, others were stop & tour. Again, where applicable, skip the line tickets are part of this tour. That, in itself, is a huge time saver.
Every single part of this tour was AMAZING!!! We were a group of 6, and everyone walked away saying it was our favorite day. We actually had time to see extra things, Nikos ensured we left our day in Athens feeling like we saw and experienced as much as possible.
Instead of returning to port, I asked Nikos to drop us off at Mikrolimano “Little Port” so that we could enjoy a leisurely, authentic meal before returning to the ship. From there, we took a taxi back to port for about 10 euro.
I have already recommended this tour to others on different cruise platforms where we are members. We did a Mediterranean cruise last year as well where we booked a cruise excursion for Athens, but when we finished we felt like there was a lot of wasted time and we didn’t see much. Not the case this time. This tour packs so much into one half day, but at your personal pace. Plus, you travel through Athens in comfort and it’s a fantastic way to get the most out of seeing and learning about Athens.
Absolutely book this tour!!!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your detailed review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and Nikos’ insights about Athens. Your feedback about the communication, comfort, and organization means a lot. We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Lisa_R, Jun 2025
Theodore was our driver and it was awesome. The car was so clean and he was so knowledgeable. He gave us a great tour of the city, got us to the sights early, and helped us find shopping and food. Totally worth every penny
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you, Lisa! We're thrilled you enjoyed the tour with Theodor. It's great to hear he made your experience memorable while tailoring it to your interests. We appreciate your kind feedback!
loriechandler, Jun 2025
This was a fabulous experience. Theo, our driver/tour guide, was amazing! He was very good communicating both before and throughout the tour. His knowledge of modern Athens and Greek history was extensive. This was a full 5 hours, and I think we hit all the high points of Athens.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you, Lorie! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour and made the most of your time. Helping you explore and create great memories is our goal. We hope to welcome you again in the future!
Jo_L, Apr 2025
Travel in style and comfort and enjoy skipping the huge queues! See the best ancient sites and all in 5hrs.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad you enjoyed the smooth and efficient journey to explore these historic sites.
Georgia_F, Nov 2024
The guide was so knowledgeable and was a pure delight. We saw Athens from a local's perspective and the history was fascinating.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Georgia,
Thank you for your lovely review! We're thrilled to hear that your guide provided such an insightful and delightful experience, showing you Athens through a local’s eyes.
We hope these memories stay with you, and we’d love to welcome you back for more immersive explorations in the future!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Rev_M, Oct 2024
Driver was very knowledgeable and courteous. He went above and beyond to get us close to the sites as we had people in our group that are mobility challenged. Because of this people in our group were able to enjoy the Parthenon up close. We would definitely recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for your kind review! We're thrilled to hear that your driver’s knowledge, courtesy, and attentiveness made the tour accessible and enjoyable for everyone in your group. It’s wonderful that he was able to get you close to the sites, allowing everyone to experience the Parthenon up close. Thank you for recommending us, and we’d love to welcome you back for more memorable and accommodating experiences in the future!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Erika_P, Oct 2024
This was the perfect way to make the most of our limited time in Athens, and a great way to transfer from cruise port to hotel. Panos communicated clearly thru Whatsapp. Gave good background of the sights. Being able to see the changing of the guards at the much less crowded President's home was much appreciated.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Erika,
hank you for sharing your experience! We're so pleased to hear that Panos made your limited time in Athens both efficient and enjoyable, seamlessly combining sightseeing with a comfortable transfer from the cruise port to your hotel.
We hope to welcome you back for more memorable moments in Athens.
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Roger_G, Oct 2024
Excellent half day tour! Adapted to what we had seen already and gave great insights and explanations. Great driver when crafted a perfect experience.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Roger,
Thank you for your kind review! We're thrilled to hear that your driver crafted the perfect experience by tailoring the tour to what you had already seen and providing valuable insights and explanations. It’s wonderful to know that you felt well taken care of, both in terms of knowledge and driving. We hope to welcome you back for more memorable adventures!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Brenda_M, Oct 2024
Antonis was knowledgeable and fun to tour with! He was flexible on what we wanted to do and the time we wanted to spend each stop. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Brenda,
Thank you for your kind words! We're delighted to hear that Antonis made your tour enjoyable with his knowledge, flexibility, and fun approach.
Your high recommendation means a lot, and we hope to welcome you back for more fantastic experiences!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Dennis_N, Sep 2024
Our driver and tour guide, Babis, was fabulous! His knowledge of Athens, and Greece in general, was so thorough. He obviously loves telling others about his country. He made sure to take us to certain spots early in the day before the crowds so thanks, Babis! His friendliness was admirable and made the tour even more enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend this tour since you'll see the main highlights of Athens.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Dennis,
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're so pleased to hear that Babis made your tour of Athens enjoyable with his deep knowledge and passion for sharing the beauty of Greece.
We hope to welcome you back for more memorable adventures!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Stefanie_T, Sep 2024
Tour company had wonderful communication with us prior to the tour, and were very responsive and accommodating. The minivan was very nice, and we appreciated being dropped off right at the sites with tickets in hand. Unfortunately, we spent quite a bit of time at the Acropolis and didn't have as much time as we would have liked to see the other sites. Our driver did go out of his way to rearrange the itinerary based on a last-minute request to visit a particular site.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Stefanie,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you appreciated the clear communication, responsiveness, and convenience of having tickets ready at each site.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your Athens journey, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more customized experiences!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
janel_s, Sep 2024
Excellent tour. Our guide, Manos, was awesome. He was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of his culture with us. Very positive personality. 5 hours is very quick but we were able to see everything in the itinerary! The private van was also very clean and had AC. We would recommended this tour with Manos to our friends and family. Thank you again!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Janel,
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience! We’re delighted to hear that Manos made your tour memorable with his knowledge, positive energy, and cultural insights.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you and your friends or family for more exceptional experiences in Athens!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Roger_J, Sep 2024
Best way to see the sites no matter how much time you have. Highly recommend a tour guide. Don't miss the Acropolis Museum!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Dear Roger,
Thank you for sharing your recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear that you found the tour to be the ideal way to explore the sites, regardless of time constraints.
We look forward to helping you or others make the most of Athens in future visits!
Best regards,
Dimitra Kapantai
Myles_N, Sep 2024
The driver was friendly and very knowledgeable. We had a great time. Highly recommend this driver and tour.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the tour and appreciated the driver's friendliness and knowledge. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
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Athens Highlights Half Day Private Tour
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