Best tours in Athens: my curated selection

What are the best tours in Athens? This guide will help you select the right tours to take when you visit Athens.

I’ve been to Athens twice so far. On my first visit I didn’t take any guided tours, I only explored the city on foot, just to get a first impression of the place.

My second visit was the exact opposite – I took all kinds of tours and got a much deeper understanding of the city.

I can say now that Athens is a city best discovered with local guides. It has many different sides and hidden corners to learn about.

Here’s a selection of some of the most popular tours in Athens, from the classic free walking tour to tours that cater for more specific interests and travel styles.

Athens self-guided audio tour

You can take a self-guided audio tour in Athens. This is a great option if you want to explore at your own pace.

Take the Athens self-guided tour covering the essential landmarks and history.

Guided tours in Athens: get to know the city

Full day private tour

Athens

Take a private tour of essential Athens highlights to learn about the history and culture of the city from a true insider’s perspective.

With a private tour, you can go at your own pace and customise the experience to your interests.

Visit all of the must-see sites in Athens, including the legendary Acropolis, the impressive Olympic Stadium, the iconic Hadrian’s Arch, the magnificent Temple of Zeus, and the state-of-the-art New Acropolis Museum.

Athens free walking tour

The Free Walking Tour of Athens is a 3-hour small group walking tour that covers the city’s main highlights, as well as some lesser-known places.

The tour is entertaining and full of interesting facts and stories. You can also ask the guide for local tips.

Some tour highlights include the Acropolis, Syntagma Square, the Temple of Zeus and the Ancient Agora, so you’ll get a good overview of Athens.

Free walking tours are tip-based, meaning you pay the guide at the end of the tour as much as you think it was worth.

Athens small group Acropolis tour

The Acropolis, Athens Walking City Tour and Acropolis Museum explores Greek mythology and history. It covers the Acropolis and the city’s highlights, with skip-the-line access to the Acropolis and a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum.

The Acropolis Museum is fascinating and I recommend seeing it on a guided tour; there’s a lot to see and a guide can help you understand the stories behind the items on display.

Street art tours in Athens

Athens street art tour

The street art scene in Athens is very interesting, with many political statements expressed through gorgeous murals.

I took a guided street art tour with a local guide, who told us about the social and political stories behind the beautiful murals.

The tour isn’t just about seeing some great art; it is also a way to get to know different neighbourhoods of the city and learn about how they developed over time.

Find out when the Athens street art tour is available:

Read my full review of the Athens street art tour.

Food tours in Athens

If you’re a foodie looking for culinary adventures in Greece, Athens has some great food tours and cooking workshops.

On Athen food tours you get to taste authentic Greek cuisine and discover some restaurants that only locals know.

I took the Athens Food Walk with Greekality and it was great fun. We sampled dishes at some local eateries and visited the market with a local guide.

Find out when the Athens food walk is available:

For more options, check the tours and workshops below to see what’s to your taste:

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, quite a few traditional Greek dishes are plant-based.

There are some great vegan-friendly experiences in Athens that I tried out on my last visit, including a food tour and a cooking workshop.

Also, check out these vegan tours in Athens:

Alternative city tours in Athens

If you want to see some less touristy things in Athens, take a tour to explore the city’s alternative neighbourhoods and some alternative lifestyle spots, like the flea market and cool bars.

The Alternative City Walk covers all of these and creates a more authentic experience of the city.

Even if you’ve been to Athens before as a tourist, you’ll find that Athens definitely has an interesting underground scene worth discovering.

Bike tours in Athens

With bike tours, you get to see more of the city and travel farther than you normally would in a walking tour.

It’s often a good choice if you’re on a short city break and want to see as much as possible.

The most popular sightseeing bike tour in Athens is the morning bike tour. You’ll cycle around Athens for 3.5 hours with a local guide who will show you the highlights of the city.

There are short stops along the way to take pictures and get some rest.

Join a bike tour in Athens:

Electric bike tours in Athens

Athens electric bike tour

If you can’t be bothered to pedal your way around the city, then an electric bike tour is an ideal way to see many of the attractions in Athens, even if you’re short on time.

You can choose between a day tour and an evening tour, both accompanied by local guides.

The electric bike tour in daylight is a 3-hour small group tour that includes panoramic views of the city’s main archaeological attractions and other popular highlights.

Check availability here:

The after-sunset electric bike tour is a 2-hour ride covering the views of Athens after dark, the lovely atmosphere of the city at night and illuminated monuments.

Check availability here:

Athens Greek Mythology Tour

If you’re into Greek mythology, a mythological tour combines sightseeing of the main landmarks in Athens with entertaining stories about myths and legends.

While I didn’t get to take this tour in Athens, I took a similar tour in Thessaloniki and it was fascinating.

Athens Instagram tour

To find the most scenic spots for photoshoots, let a local lead you around the streets of central Athens on an Instagram tour.

You’ll get to take pictures of famous and iconic places in Athens, from the Greek Parliament to the National Garden.

You can also have the guide take pictures of you and help with tips on creative photo-taking and interesting angles.

Find out when the Instagram tour is available:

Browse more Athens guides

Boutique hotels in Athens – I stayed at some of the most beautiful hotels in the city and reviewed them.
Athens hidden gems – Discover off-the-beaten-path spots in Athens.
Vegan Athens – Great vegan-friendly experiences in Athens.

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