Achilleion Palace and Corfu Old Town Tour
Corfu, Greece
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience Corfu’s magnificence through a royal lens with this shore excursion including a guided tour of the Neoclassical Achilleion Palace, a well-preserved imperial residence inspired by Greek mythology. Admire clear views of nearby Mouse Island, and then head into Corfu’s UNESCO-listed Old Town to explore Venetian architecture, picturesque squares, and elegant mansions on a walking tour. It's a great way to experience port town highlights plus the regal gem of the countryside.
- Half-day shore excursion in Corfu
- Visit the Achilleion Palace, former home of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
- Step inside the neoclassical mansion and stroll through royal gardens studded with Greek statues
- Tour Corfu's Old Town on a walking tour
- See Old Town highlights including St. Spyridon Church, the Old and New Venetian Fortresses, and the Palaces of St. Michael and St. George
- Small group ensures personalized service
- Includes port pickup and drop-off
What's Included
- Transportation by deluxe, air-conditioned coach
- English speaking driver-host
- All taxes
- Insurance coverage
- Mobile contact number for any emergency, available 24/7
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Achilleion ticket (7E/person)
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Corfu Port
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Achilleion Museum
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Corfu Old Town
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Old Fortress Corfu (Pass By)
4
Church of Saint Spiridon
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
New Fortress of Corfu (Pass By)
5
Vlacherna Monastery
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Kanoni
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- A valid original identification document (Passport, ID, Driving Licence) may be necessary for the audioguides at Achilleion Palace.
- Appropriate clothing should be worn in St Spyridon Church (no shorts, skirts, or hats; shoulders should be covered)
- There are around 50 steps (without handrails) to negotiate in the gardens of Achilleion Palace
- The use of cameras and video-cameras is allowed in Achilleion Palace, but flash is prohibited. Photos and video cameras are not permitted inside the churches
- There are cobblestones in Corfu Old Town
- Guaranteed on-time return to your ship
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Adapted vehicles available under request. Please let us know on your booking special requirements
- Please Note: The Achilleion Palace is currently undergoing renovations, and during this time, guest access will be restricted to the gardens . Audio guides are included at the Achilleion Palace with a regular ticket. Entrance tickets to the Achilleion Palace (7 EUR per person) are not included.
- There is a walking distance from Perama to Vlacherna Monastery (10minutes)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.7
based on 67 reviews
Colin_F, Jul 2025
We liked the tour and enjoyed. The Tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. However, the palace is currently closed for restoration work and no signs of reopening soon. A small note about that displayed at the front desk. Very beautiful gardens but they are on three levels. A large number of steps are involved and not mentioned about that anywhere. They took her money, 7 Euro for the entrance fees without any warning about the steps. Therefore, my wife who cannot climb too many steps could not visit the gardens either and the entrance fees she paid was in vain. Some other visitors also found a bit difficult to climb the steps.
Christy_Z, May 2025
Can’t write a review for a tour you didn’t get.
We were on a ship so didn’t get the call they tried to put through after we would have already left for the tour only to be told that our bus left an hour earlier than scheduled! So they just assigned us to another tour that was nothing like we booked and we were not alone.
Response from Host, May 2025
Dear Christy,
Thank you for your feedback. We're very sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations.
Please allow us to clarify that our team made several attempts to contact you before the scheduled departure time, as it was important to ensure all guests were accounted for. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach you despite multiple calls. We completely understand that connectivity can sometimes be an issue while on a cruise, and we truly regret that this may have contributed to the misunderstanding.
The tour did depart at the scheduled time, and as a courtesy, we did our best to accommodate you on an alternative experience rather than leave you without any tour at all. We sincerely apologize if the substitute did not align with your original expectations.
We always strive to provide the best possible experience and are sorry this situation did not reflect that. Your feedback is valuable to us, and we will continue to improve our communication process, especially with cruise guests.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
KENNETH_L, Sep 2024
Very interesting tour. Princess Elizabeth of the Hapsburg family built the Achilleion Palace and it is a marvelous place. Only the exterior is available to tour as the interior is being remodeled.
Our tour guide was very good in providing information about the Palace. A walking tour of the Old Town was interesting and left us in a good place to have lunch. Weather was warm and sunny which helps.
Freda_E, Sep 2024
Our tour was CANCELLED. We were offered a different tour "Leisurely Tour of Corfu". 22 people. Sabrina, our tour guide, was friendly, but walked too fast, and in fact, lost several of the passengers when she walked into a church after climbing a large flight of stairs. It was thanks to other passengers who looked for us to help us rejoin the tour.
Other than that, the tour was okay, although we never got to see what we originally signed up for.
judith_g, Jul 2024
Three tourist traps on a long bus ride and NOT the tour we signed up for. Total disaster.The guide ignored the passengers and would not answer our question if we were on the right our. Awful. Awful. Awful.
James_H, Jun 2024
The boat ride which is nit included in the tour price was the highlight. So glad we did it, not sure walking around the town area during that would have been very memorable. The view from the restaurant was fabulous and the small bites and taste of wine held us till lunch.
Kevin_M, Feb 2020
We were worried initially, as there are multiple meeting points in Corfu Port, but a quick telephone call resolved everything and they collected us from the ship.
Our first visit was to a Kum Quat Liquor Factory and Shop where you had a free tasting and the option to purchase various goods.
Then, onward to the Palace with an excellent commentary, plus any questions answered.
We were given a good Palace Tour with great explanations and photo opportunities.
Then, it was into the Old Town and some free time.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we would strongly recommend it!
Response from Host, Sep 2020
Dear traveler, we would like to thank you for your words and recommendation and hope to see you back in Corfu in your next vacation.
Marlenda_D, Dec 2019
Nice tour, too much bla bla bla and information you won't remember later on. The island had just been under a hurricane watch and was visible on the streets. Island is small so nos much place to visit and limited time as we were on a cruise.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear guest:
Thanks for your review. We are glad to know that you were able to enjoy our guide's knowledge. Weather conditions are something we can't avoid during winter, but we recommend you return to our beautiful island on a holiday to discover many of the spots and monuments the place is known for.
Galina M, Nov 2019
The island is beautiful, very knowlagble tour guide, answered all our questions, allowed time for looking around and shopping
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear Galina,
We thank you for your feedback and hope to see you soon in our beautiful island. Best regards from Corfu.
Donna_B, Nov 2019
Guide was easy to find and tour started promptly. We had a small group which was a bonus. Guide was very informative and brought Empress Elizabeth to life. Excellent value and we were able to skip the shopping portion and walk back to the ship.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Thanks, Donna, for your feedback. We work very hard to help you enjoy your short stay in Corfu. Let us recommend you return to our beautiful island on a holiday and you will be able to admire the rest of Corfu.
mur33706, Oct 2019
These folks at Viator, after having been informed that i am dependent on the use of an electric scooter, strongly recommended the Achilleion Palace and Corfu Old Town Tour for me and my wife. With profound regret, this was worse than a total waste of money. Worse because the entire tour required the use of healthy feet as the surfaces that needed to be moved on were totally irregular stone blocks; terribly rough on my back and on my scooter. I was able to see almost NONE of the palace and since i could not follow our tour group, i could hear none of the lecture regarding the history of the place and following, i had a terrible time trying to see interesting sites in downtown Corfu as, once again, the street surfaces were never built for vehicles of my type. Instead, Viator should have recommended a hop-on, hop-off type or a straight bus tour of the old town and forget the Palace as there is no way a mobility-challenged person can enjoy visiting this site.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear customer,
We have welcomed many mobility-challenged passengers and they have always had a great time with us. The route has three stops only and the bus can accommodate a collapsible wheelchair in its boot.
On our tour description, we detail the accessibility, road and path conditions of Achilleion Palace and the Old Town. The Palace has an elevator but the gardens have 50 steps to negotiate, and Corfu Town has cobblestones as well since it's a city built more than 300 years ago.
Aware as we were of your needs, we offered and arranged a special dock pick up for your party only, with no extra cost. Our guide and our driver were very helpful and assisted you and the other twenty passengers in your group all the time as much as they could. Despite all our efforts, we are sorry to know that your experience in Corfu wasn't as good as you expected.
tepidano, Oct 2019
This is a good tour if you want a quick overview of the island. We visited lots of areas and it was good to see and explore. My only drawback is the lack of time. We visited so many places but only had about 15 -30 minutes of down time; definitely not enough.
Our tour guide was very nice and did a great job, just not enough time.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear guest,
Thank you for your good words to our staff.
This is a four-hour shore excursion that includes a one-hour guided visit to Achilleion Palace, fifteen minute stop at Kanoni Peninsula and one more hour, together with the guiding and free time, in Corfu Old Town.
Cruise ships usually dock for a few hours only, that's why we always try to give the best in the shortest time.
We highly recommend you return to Corfu on a leisurely holiday and will be able to admire all the beauties of the island with no hassle.
dwyerdcw, Oct 2019
I would take a pass on this excursion. The Achilleion Palace is nice to see but there are other much less expensive ways to get there. Only one floor is furnished but there is a nice statuary garden outside with views of the sea. The bus route to Achilleion goes through some very rundown and not picturesque areas but did stop for pictures and a coffee break at a nice viewpoint. Unfortunately, our group was large (a full tour bus load) and had numerous elderly people with mobility challenges. When we got back to Corfu Old Town for our walking tour there were a least 5 cruise ships in port. Moving slowly with such a large group in very crowded areas quickly became intolerable. We turned in our headsets and left the tour. Our tour guide was actually pretty good and imparted a good amount of information about Corfu but I would pass on this tour in favor of getting about on your own.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear guest,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
We can see you had a very good excursion with our licensed guide, but the only problem was the crowds that didn't allow you to enjoy the tour. Your bus had 25 passengers only and we drove you to the best spots of the island in a comfortable four-hour tour, though.
We recommend you return to this beautiful island for a holiday so will be able to admire its beauties with no hassle and far from the crowds!
Charles_C, Oct 2019
Our driver and tour guide were both excellent. Locals with much knowledge of the history and character of the town and Palace. Overall, an interesting tour
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Thank you for taking your time and writing your opinion. This feedback makes us happy and shows we are going in the right direction. Come back to Corfu anytime and enjoy another tour with us!
lynn_W, Oct 2019
Enjoyed this tour. Guide prompt, knowledgeable and helpful. Busy island.
Achilleion Palace was a beautiful site and magnificent views over the island.
The town center was colorful and lively with good shopping.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Thank you for sharing your experience with us and letting us know that you had a good time. Come back to Corfu anytime!
Ken_S, Oct 2019
Based upon a number of really positive Viator reviews, we selected this tour. We expected to hear from our driver about the island of Corfu and about each of its points of interest. Unfortunately he provided not a word of commentary. We feel we were misled by the online description of the tour and its details. Other Viator tours we have taken over the years have been excellent. This Corfu tour was a big disappointment.
Angie255060, Oct 2019
Our guide, Angela, was very knowledgeable and gave us plenty of information. Our visit to the Palace was quite uncomfortable, due to large crowds and tight spaces. Not much point having audio guides when you can hear the information but can’t see what everyone else is looking at because the room is overcrowded. By the time you were able to squeeze into the room to see what you had heard from another room, the tour had moved on. The audio guides themselves did not function well when the tour guide was out of range.....and this happened several times due to the large crowds. Too much time was spent here at the Palace.
Our other disappointment was the tour of the Old Town. It was non-existent. The advertising clearly stated “tour Corfu’s Old Town on a walking tour”. There was no such walking tour. What we did do was arrive outside the fortress, receive some information, walk through the park to the Old Town, given directions to St Spyridon’s church etc and then let loose for only 50 minutes. Our explorations were unguided....this was no walking tour, as promised. If we wanted to stay in the Old Town longer than 50 minutes, we had to find our own way back to the port.....an hour walk. We did stay, and we did walk back to the port, as we felt that less than an hour could not possibly do justice to Corfu. Having said that, exploring on your own without any ‘on the spot’ insights into the history of what you are looking at was far from what we expected.
This was not an inexpensive tour, and we also had to pay an additional 10 Euros each to enter the Palace, turning our $65 pp tour into more than $80.
Angela did a very good job, but the stated itinerary certainly did not match the reality. This tour was a huge disappointment.
Response from Host, Dec 2019
Dear customer, we work very hard to give the best service to all our guests, although sometimes circumstances are not helping. On days of high turnout, as the day of your arrival, thousands of visitors crowd all the roads and monuments, and we know this may result a bit uncomfortable. That's why we supplied our guests with the audio guides (free of charge) in order to help as much as possible, and also gave half an hour more of the tour.
Regarding the walking part, the guide gave you all the details and walked with the group to the Old Town, but there was not too much time left. Afterward, she allowed the guests to have some free time, or also let them stay there longer and return on their own (30-minute walk). We regret your disappointment, though, and we recommend you return to Corfu on a leisurely vacation to enjoy our island the most!
ChicoPaige, Sep 2019
Our ten person tour was a great way to see Corfu. Ample time at all sites. Wonderful tour guide.
Highly recommend.
Maria_B, Aug 2019
Excellent tour with Zita! She was very knowledgeable about Corfu. Also wifi on the tour bus. I would recommend it.
miriam_z, Aug 2019
Loved it and the host was great I forgot her name, but she was the best tour guide. We loved the palace and the city
Gisele_D, Jul 2019
Nice to have a knowledgeable person walk you through the palace to give you the history. I would have liked more time in Old Corfu. You only have an hour on your own and that is not enough time to walk through the streets and enjoy the ambience of the city.
edels2261, Jul 2019
Our guide, Angela, was very informative! I only wish we had the headphones for this activity as in the crowds at the palace we were not always able to hear her well. We were allowed time in the city for shopping and given excellent history of the area.
march2000, Jun 2019
It was a great time. Saw everything that we expected to and more! Our guide was very knowledgeable of the area!
Lorri_R, Jun 2019
Great guide to and from. Nice place with views and historical significance. Self guided tour. Bring ID for headsets.....
Laurence H, May 2019
Maria our guide and driver was outstanding. She got us in and out of traffic with ease and gave us a great overview of Corfu and its history without boring us. She gave great recommendation for places to eat and other sights to see if we had more time.
Laurence H, May 2019
Maria our guide was on time and provided our group the fastest way to the Achilleion Palace. Along the way telling us all about Corfu’s history and present day life there. She guided us through the city to all the sites and recommended the best restaurant overlooking the sea.
Harry_K, Sep 2018
Our guide was terrific and full of information about the Palace as well as old town Corfu. This is a wonderful tour and definitely worth taking. An air conditioned mini van picked us up making it very convenient.
isaac_n, Aug 2018
Excellent shore excursion. Our guide's English was excellent and she was both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the island. Much better than the typical ship's shore excursion. Group was small (we were 4 out of 10 total) and we were able to came and go much more quickly than a whole bus full of people. It may cost a little more, but is well worth it.
Joseph_P, Aug 2018
Driver was not tour guide
At Palace we were given headphones with prerecorded tour-live guide would have been better
Old town was great-needed more time there so we stayed on our own and walked back to ship
walk back was about 30 minutes
KARI H, Aug 2018
Other than the air conditioned small bus, this excursion was awful. Achilleion palace was not much to see especially after seeing all the palaces in Italy and France. We had to buy the admission tickets as well. The driver didn't say anything about the area, only answered a question if we asked. There was trash everywhere in Corfu-very dirty. Wouldn't waste my time in Greece again.
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