Cape Sounion Sunset Tour: Temple of Poseidon from Athens
The Temple of Poseidon stands 72 meters above the sea on a gorge overlooking the Aegean.
A private sunset tour from Athens to Cape Sounion takes you to the Temple of Poseidon, an ancient sanctuary perched on a clifftop above the Aegean Sea. You travel south along the Apollo coast for about an hour and a half, stopping first at Lake Vouliagmeni (a year-round thermal spa fed by underground springs) before heading to the temple ruins. The tour ends as the sun sets over the water, with time to walk the site and photograph the landscape.
Step-by-step itinerary
Visit Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon
- Depart from Athens
- Visit Lake Vouliagmeni
- Explore Temple of Poseidon
- Enjoy sunset at Cape Sounion
What’s included
- English-speaking driver.
- air-conditioned Mercedes vehicle.
- hotel pickup and return to Athens.
- WiFi on board.
- mineral cold water.
- fuel and tolls.
- Every day 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00
Information
Private sunset tour from Athens to Cape Sounion with an English-speaking driver, visiting the Temple of Poseidon on the Aegean coast. Pickup included, four hours round trip.
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The experience
The drive south from Athens covers about an hour and a half to reach Cape Sounion at the southern tip of the Attic peninsula. Your English-speaking driver picks you up and handles the route, including tolls and fuel. The vehicle is a Mercedes with air conditioning and WiFi on board. Lake Vouliagmeni comes first, a small brackish-water lake kept at around 24 degrees Celsius year-round by underground currents seeping through Mount Hymettus: a natural thermal pool just outside the city that most visitors to Athens never see.
The Temple of Poseidon is the centerpiece. Built on a gorge almost 72 meters above sea level, it commands views across the Attic landscape and the open Aegean. This is the legendary place where Aegeas, the king of Athens, is said to have leapt into the water. An act that gave the sea its name. You walk through the ancient ruins at your own pace, with the immense blue of the water as your backdrop. The timing is built around the sunset, so you're there when the light is strongest and the crowds have thinned.
The tour runs four hours total and is private. Just your group and the driver. A licensed tour guide is available on request if you contact the operator directly. Otherwise, you explore the sites independently. Entrance fees to the temple and any meals are separate, but the vehicle, the driver's knowledge of the route, cold water and WiFi are included. The tour suits groups up to eight passengers, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible, though the temple grounds themselves have uneven surfaces.
Top questions
What is Lake Vouliagmeni and why is it included on the way to Cape Sounion?
Lake Vouliagmeni is a small thermal lake fed by underground springs that maintain a constant temperature of about 24 degrees Celsius year-round, making it function as a natural spa. It sits just outside Athens on the route south and is included as a first stop to break up the drive and show you a geological formation most visitors miss.
Will there be a guide walking with me through the Temple of Poseidon ruins?
The tour includes an English-speaking driver who handles transport and can share knowledge of the route, but a licensed tour guide to escort you through the temple is available only on request and must be booked separately by contacting the operator.
What time does the sunset tour depart from Athens, and how long does it take?
The tour runs four hours total from pickup to return. The exact departure time depends on the sunset time for your date. Contact the operator to confirm the schedule when you book.
Are entrance fees to the Temple of Poseidon included in the tour price?
Entrance fees to the temple are not included and must be paid separately. The tour price covers the private vehicle, driver, pickup from your hotel, WiFi, water and tolls.
Is this tour suitable if I don't have a car or am staying in central Athens?
Yes, hotel pickup in Athens is included, so you don't need your own transport. The driver collects you from your accommodation and returns you there at the end of the four-hour tour.
Operated by Athens Limo. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Cape Sounion Sunset Tour: Temple of Poseidon from Athens
4h · EN · at your hotel
from € 260 per group
≈ US$ 292 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.