Athens Full Day Tour: Acropolis, Museum & Cape Sounion
Ancient Athens and a sunset temple on the Aegean in one day
A full-day guided tour of Athens combines the Acropolis and its museum with a coastal drive to Cape Sounion, where the Temple of Poseidon stands on a cliff above the sea. You'll walk the UNESCO-listed citadel, skip the museum line, hear the history of 5th-century BC Athens, then travel south through coastal suburbs to the temple, with an hour to explore before sunset. Lunch and all entry fees are included.
Step-by-step itinerary
Athens sightseeing and Cape Sounion visit
- Pass by Panathinaiko Stadium
- Drive past Zappeion and Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Pass Athens Trilogy and National Garden
- Pass Hadrian’s Arc and St. Paul’s Church
- Pass Parliament and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- Pass Schliemann’s House and Catholic Cathedral
- Pass Old Parliament and Constitution Square
- Pass Russian Orthodox Church
- Tour Acropolis and its monuments
- Walk to Acropolis Museum
- Visit Acropolis Museum exhibits
- Lunch at local restaurant near Acropolis
- Drive along coastal road to Cape Sounion
- Visit Temple of Poseidon
- Enjoy free time at archaeological site
- Drive back to Athens
- Olympic Stadium passing by
- Acropolis 2h
- Acropolis Museum 1h 30m
- Temple of Poseidon 1h 15m
What’s included
- Entrance fees to the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum.
- a live English-speaking guide for both sites.
- transport by luxury air-conditioned bus with zero carbon footprint.
- lunch at a local restaurant.
- wireless audio set for hearing the guide throughout the day.
- Every day 08:15
Last departure this season: 31 May 2027
Information
Visit the Acropolis and its museum, then drive along the coast to Cape Sounion's clifftop Temple of Poseidon at sunset with lunch and a guide.
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The experience
The tour starts with the Panathinaiko Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896, then moves through central Athens (past the Zappeion, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Athens Trilogy of university and library buildings, and the Parliament) before climbing to the Acropolis itself. You'll walk the ancient citadel that served as the heart of classical Athens, seeing the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaea and Temple of Athena Nike as your guide explains how these buildings reflected the city's 5th-century prosperity. The Acropolis Museum comes next, a short walk downhill past the Herodion and Dionysos theaters. You skip the line at the door and move straight to the main galleries: votives, archaic statues, the Caryatids, and the Parthenon hall with its metopes, pediments and frieze.
After lunch at a local restaurant below the Acropolis slopes, the tour heads south along the Saronic Gulf coast. The drive passes through Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, suburbs that open onto water views, before reaching Cape Sounion 45 miles from the city. The Temple of Poseidon sits on a hilltop overlooking the sea, built in 44 B.C. and dedicated to the god of the seas. You get an hour of free time to walk the remaining columns, absorb the views across the Aegean, and watch the sun drop below the horizon before the return drive to Athens.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What's included in the price for this full-day tour?
Entry to the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum, transport by air-conditioned bus, a guided tour of both sites, lunch at a local restaurant, and a wireless audio set so you can hear the guide clearly throughout the day are all included.
How much time do you actually spend at Cape Sounion?
You have one hour of free time at the Temple of Poseidon to explore the ruins, walk the clifftop, and watch the sunset over the Aegean before the tour heads back to Athens.
Do you walk a lot on this tour, or is most of it by bus?
You walk the Acropolis citadel and its grounds, take a short walk to the Acropolis Museum, and have an hour to explore Cape Sounion on foot. The rest of the day is spent on the bus traveling between sites and through the city.
What is the Temple of Poseidon actually like when you get there?
The Temple of Poseidon is a clifftop ruin overlooking the Saronic Gulf, with standing columns and stone remains spread across a hilltop. The views of the sea and the surrounding landscape are the main draw, especially as the sun sets.
Operated by Keytours - Greece. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Athens Full Day Tour: Acropolis, Museum & Cape Sounion
10h · EN
from € 175 per person
≈ US$ 197 in your currency
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