Athens Highlights Exploration

On arrival at Athens Airport or Piraeus port, you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel, selected from some of the finest accommodations the city has to offer. In the afternoon, we set off on a half-day excursion along the scenic coastal road, passing through elegant suburbs such as Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, with views of the sparkling Saronic Gulf and charming beaches. As we approach Cape Sounion, you will see the dramatic cliffside setting of the 5th-century BC Temple of Poseidon, one of Greece’s most iconic monuments. Here, you can take in one of the most spectacular panoramic views in the region before we return to Athens for your overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel, though you may leave your luggage there for convenience. Your half-day sightseeing tour begins with a photo stop at the Panathinaiko Stadium – the only stadium constructed entirely of white marble and the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. We then pass notable landmarks including the Zappeion, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Athens Trilogy comprising the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens, and the National Library. The tour continues past the National Garden, Hadrian’s Arch, St Paul’s Church, the Parliament building, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Schliemann’s House (now the Numismatic Museum), the Catholic Cathedral, the Old Parliament, Constitution Square, and the Russian Orthodox Church. Finally, we reach the Acropolis, where you will explore the Propylaea gateway, Temple of Athena Nike, Parthenon, and Erechtheion with its Porch of Maidens. This UNESCO World Heritage site was the ancient citadel and symbol of Athens’ 5th-century BC prosperity. Afterwards, we take a short walk past the Herodion and Dionysos Theatre to visit the Acropolis Museum. Here, you will skip the queues and see key exhibits such as votive offerings, everyday artefacts, archaic statues, Caryatids, and the Parthenon Hall with its metopes, pediments, and frieze. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Athens Airport for your onward flight, with an estimated arrival time of 16:00. Please arrange your travel accordingly or consider booking an additional night in Athens if preferred (not included).