Athens Famous Landmarks & Hidden Gems: Private Walking Tour

Experience the glorious ancient city of Athens, one of the world’s best-preserved ancient cities, where venturing off the tourist drag is near impossible without a passionate, knowledgeable local guide. 

On your private walking tour of Athens, you will:

• Enjoy this fascinating orientation tour of the highlights and hidden gems of Athens with a private guide;
• See the highlights of the historical centre in a matter of hours, including Athens Cathedral;
• Explore the shops and bars of the famous Monastiraki area;
• Watch the Changing of the Guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
• See some of Ancient Greece's most iconic sites, including Hadrian's Library, Arch, and the Roman Agora;
• Wander through the charming Plaka district, with its white staircases, cafes, and terraces;
• End your tour outside the legendary Acropolis Museum, where you can continue to explore at your own leisure. 

Named after the goddess Athena, Greece’s capital is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a history spanning over 3,400 years, and human settlements believed to date back to the 11th millennium BC. Today, the city packs a heady punch of fascinating ancient history, and hip, gritty neighbourhoods all overlooked by the iconic Acropolis.

Enjoy meaningful insights from a local Athenian as you wander around the buzzing historic centre. As you explore the famed shopping street, Pandrossou Street, your guide will give you invaluable recommendations for the artisanal shops, and authentic restaurants - many of which are hidden in plain sight.

On your walking tour, you’ll see several of the city's major attractions, including Hadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora, the Tower of the Winds, and the Lysicrates Monument, and hear their fascinating stories from your guide. You will be taken to one of the oldest bakeries in Athens, where you can enjoy a coffee and a traditional Greek pastry - while jotting down more expert recommendations for food!

Your tour ends in front of the incredible Acropolis Museum - one of the most important museums in the world with art history stretching back 2400 years. It was ranked the 11th best museum in the world, and you are welcome to explore at your own pace. 

Tour duration
2.5 hours 30 minutes

Type of tour
Walking tour: no transportation is included

Attractions along this route:

Acropolis Museum
Completed in 2009, this archaeological museum has one of the best displays of Greek antiquities in the world.

Plaka Neighbourhood
Like a village in the city, Athens' charming old town is known as the Neighbourhood of the Gods.

Agora
The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, acting as a focal point for commercial, political and social activity.

Hadrian's Library
See the remains of the largest structure erected by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, which held not just a library but also music and lecture rooms.

Tower of the Winds
An octagonal Pentelic marble clocktower in the Roman Agora considered the world's first meteorological station.

Lysicrates Monument
The monument sits on Tripidon Street, the ancient road that led from the city entrance to the theatre and was erected in honour of victory at the Great Dionysia festival.

Hadrian's Arch
It was constructed in 131 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as part of a wall separating the old and new cities of Athens.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Commemorating soldiers who have died in service to Greece, this tomb is guarded 24 hours a day by the Evzones or Presidential Guard.

Monastiraki Square
Once the site of the largest monastery in Athens, this square is now one of the major shopping districts in the city.

Ariston Bakery
Enjoy a coffee and a traditional pie in one of the oldest bakeries in Athens, operating since 1910.

Syntagma Square
The central square of Athens with the Greek Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the place where most of the major events of the last two centuries have taken place.

Guard change at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier
The Evzonoi accompanied by a military band, march from their barracks behind the Parliament Building, to the Tomb of the Unknown soldier where the change of guard's ceremony takes place every Sunday.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
The official church of Athens and the headquarters of the Archbishop of Greece.

Church of Virgin Mary Gorgoepekoos and Saint Eleutherius
Is a Byzantine-style church located at the Mitropoleos square, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.

Statue of Constantine XI Palaiologos
He was the last Byzantine emperor, reigning from 1449 until his death in battle at the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Pandrossou street
The busy market on the narrow Pandrossou Street has nearly one hundred shops with vendors offer almost anything.