Private Athens Tour: Acropolis, Parthenon & City Highlights

Acropolis to highest hill tour, sightseeing, 6-hour guided city exploration

A private tour of Athens with professional driver, skip-the-line tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora, lunch, and hotel pickup. You move through the major sites without managing transport, queues or entry times yourself. The driver has deep historical knowledge but isn't licensed to accompany you inside the monuments. If you want a guide walking through each site, that's available on request for an additional cost. Timed entry tickets mean you arrive at a set hour, so delays from traffic can affect your slot.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Acropolis1h 30m · entry included
2. Propylaeapass by
3. Parthenon10m · entry included
4. Erechtheionpass by
5. Temple of Athena Nikepass by
6. Theatre of Dionysuspass by
7. Odeon of Herodes Atticuspass by
8. Olympic Stadium10m
9. Mount Lycabettus15m
10. National Library of Greecepass by
11. Parliament Building5m
12. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier10m
13. Syntagma Squarepass by
14. Ancient Agora of Athens1h · entry included
15. Monastirakipass by

Explore Athens highlights and Acropolis

• Visit Acropolis hill
• See Odeon of Herodes Atticus
• View Temple of Athena Nike
• Enter Propylaea gateway
• Explore Erechtheion temple
• Visit Parthenon temple
• Pass by Theatre of Dionysus
• Visit Panathenaic Stadium
• See Dromeas modern art
• Drive to Lycabettus Hill
• View city panorama from Lycabettus
• Pass by Academy of Athens
• Pass by National Library of Greece
• See Hellenic Parliament building
• Watch changing of the guard
• Pass through Syntagma Square
• Visit Ancient Agora of Athens
• Pass through Monastiraki neighborhood

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel and heads straight to the Acropolis, where skip-the-line tickets get you past the entrance queue. You'll spend time on the hill seeing the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea gateway and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus: all the major structures. The driver waits below with the vehicle while you're up there, then moves on to the Ancient Agora, where the same skip-the-line access applies. That's the birthplace of democracy and philosophy in ancient Athens, another site where you walk on your own time.

After the Acropolis and Agora, the route takes you through central Athens. You'll drive past Syntagma Square to see the Parliament Building and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, then up Mount Lycabettus for the panoramic view: the city spreads out from the Acropolis all the way to the Aegean. On the way down, you pass the neoclassical trio of the Academy of Athens, the University and the National Library, then through Monastiraki, the old neighborhood. The Olympic Stadium, where the first modern Games were held in 1896, is also on the route.

Lunch is Greek (pitta gyros, Greek salad, baklava and a drink) included partway through. Bottled water comes with you for the whole day. The six-hour span covers all of this without you managing separate tickets, transport between sites or entry windows. The timed slots for the Acropolis and Agora are booked in advance, so arriving late means losing that reservation and buying new tickets on the spot if space exists.

What’s included

• Skip-the-line entry tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora.
• hotel pickup and six-hour private transport with a professional driver.
• lunch of pitta gyros, Greek salad and baklava with a drink.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Options for this experience

5 options

Private, without tickets or lunchUp to 14 per booking · Guide in English · 5 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 13:00Private tour, not guided (on request), with tickets and lunch not included, lasting 6 hours, and pickup included

All-Inclusive Tour for a Small GroupUp to 14 per booking · Guide in English · 09:00Small group tour, maximum 14 people, not guided (on request), with tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora included, lunch included, lasting 6 hours, meeting point at the Herodion Hotel at 9:00 am, and pickup included

All-Inclusive Private TourUp to 14 per booking · Guide in English · 5 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 13:00Private tour, not guided (on request), with tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora included, lunch included, lasting 6 hours, and pickup included

See 2 more options

Add-on: Poseidon's TempleUp to 14 per booking · Guide in English · 07:30, 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00Private tour, not guided (on request), add-on of a 3-hour tour to Poseidon's Temple, with pick-up and drop-off included, and pickup included

Add-on: 2-hour island cruiseUp to 6 per booking · Guide in English · 10:00Private tour, not guided (on request), with tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora included, lunch included, lasting 8 hours in total: a 6-hour Athens tour plus a 2-hour private cruise to a nearby island for swimming in crystal-clear waters and enjoying stunning views, and pickup included

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 13:00

Book up toStart time

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Olive Sea Travel

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to see the major sites without managing separate tickets, transport between stops or entry queues: the skip-the-line access and fixed timing mean the day holds together without you building it. The driver's knowledge of history helps orient you to what you're seeing, though you'll walk the sites on your own. If you'd rather have someone explaining the monuments as you go, add a licensed guide at checkout.

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Top questions

Can the driver go inside the Acropolis and Ancient Agora with me to explain what I'm looking at?

The driver has deep historical knowledge but isn't licensed to accompany you inside any site or museum. If you want a guide walking through the monuments with you, that's available on request for an additional cost, depending on availability.

What happens if traffic makes me late to my timed entry slot at the Acropolis?

Acropolis and Ancient Agora tickets are booked for a specific entry time. If you arrive after that window, you'll lose the reservation and need to buy new tickets at your own expense, subject to availability.

Does the tour include lunch, and what is it?

Yes, lunch is included: pitta gyros, Greek salad, baklava and a drink, plus bottled water throughout the day.

Will I have time to actually walk around the Acropolis, or is it just a quick stop?

You have time to walk the Acropolis hill itself and see the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaea and Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The driver waits with the vehicle while you're up there, so you move at your own pace.

What's included in the price, and what costs extra?

The tour includes skip-the-line tickets to the Acropolis and Ancient Agora, lunch, bottled water, hotel pickup and the driver for six hours. A licensed guide to accompany you inside the sites is available on request for an additional cost.

Is Mount Lycabettus part of the tour, or do I need to pay separately to go up there?

Mount Lycabettus is included in the route. You drive up to the highest hill in Athens for the panoramic view of the city and the Aegean Sea.