We can pick you up from your accommodation in Athens city. If you are on a cruise we will pick you up from your cruise ship pier at Piraeus port. We will drive along the coastal road of Saronic Gulf to enjoy the Piraeus and Athens riviera. The Port of Piraeus is the chief seaport of Athens, Greece, located on the Saronic Gulf on the western coasts of the Aegean Sea. Piraeus port is the largest port in Greece, home to Europe's biggest passenger port, and as such is a huge draw for cruise ships from around the world bringing tourists eager to explore this centuries-old city, and one of the largest in Europe. But yet another major draw is the fact that it's easy to visit Athens because it's located nearby. The Greek capital city of Athens is just 12 kilometers or 7 miles from Piraeus port. We will drive directly to the Acropolis to admire the Temple of Democracy!

This is a panoramic private tour - shore excursion. During the tour you will have the chance to admire the Acropolis with its world recognized monuments (Propylea, the temple of Athens Nike, the Parthenon, Caryatides) – Plaka – Ancient Agora – Roman Agora – Monastiraki – Temple of Vulcan – Thission – Kerameikos – Temple of Zeus – Hadrian’s Arch – Syntagma square – the Parliament – the monument of the Unknown Soldier – The trilogy (the ancient Academy of Athens – University and the National Library) – Panathenian Stadium – National Gardens – Kolonaki – Lycabettus Hill – picturesque Mikrolimano – Passalimani – Marina Zeas – Piraeus – Trocadero ( Averof Battleship, and the ancient trireme (triērēs) ship)

The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the centre of the modern city from the rocky crag known as the Acropolis. The most celebrated myths of ancient Athens, its greatest religious festivals, earliest cults and several decisive events in the city's history are all connected to this sacred precinct. The monuments of the Acropolis stand in harmony with their natural setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries. The Acropolis of the fifth century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendor, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Pericles.

The Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis were built on the west side of the hill, where the gate of the Mycenaean fortification once stood. The first propylon, or gate, was constructed in the age of Peisistratos (mid-sixth century BC), after the Acropolis had become a sanctuary dedicated to Athena. A new propylon, built in 510-480 BC, was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and repaired after the end of the Persian Wars, during the fortification of the Acropolis by Themistokles and Kimon. The monumental Propylaia admired by modern visitors were part of the great Periklean building program. They were erected in 437-432 BC, after the completion of the Parthenon, by architect Mnesikles. The original building plan was particularly daring both in architectural and artistic terms, but was never completed.

The temple of Athena Nike, designed by the architect Kallikrates, was built between 426 and 421 BC on a bastion at the southwestern edge of the Acropolis. The small Ionic temple had a relief-carved frieze with different thematic representations on each side. On the east was shown a gathering of gods around the enthroned Zeus, while the other sides presented scenes of war between Greeks and Persians or Greeks with other Greeks. The south side depicted the victorious battle of the Greeks against the Persians at Marathon in 490 BC, led by the Athenians. Few sculptural remains are preserved from the temple’s pediments. It is believed the west pediment depicted the victory of the Olympian gods against the Giants (Gigantomachy), while the east depicted the victory of the Athenians against the Amazons (Amazonomachy). Around 410 BC, a marble parapet, adorned with carved reliefs, was installed around the dangerous edge of the temple’s bastion for the protection of visitors.

Parthenon; Temple that dominates the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. Built in the mid-5th century BCE and dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos. The temple is generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order, the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders. It was part of a magnificent rebuilding program directed by the Athenian statesman Pericles, following the sack of the Acropolis during the Greco-Persian Wars (492–449 BCE). The project was to include, among other things, the Propylaea, the gateway to the sacred precinct; the Erechtheum, a shrine to the agricultural deities, especially Erichthonius; and the Temple of Athena Nike, an architectural symbol of the harmony with which the Dorian and Ionian peoples lived under the government of Athens.The Parthenon was to be the chief shrine to Athena and also the treasury of the Delian League, a confederacy of ancient Greek states under the leadership of Athens, founded in 478 BCE.

The history of the impressive building of the Hellenic Parliament is intimately linked to the history of the Modern Greek state. Initially, the building served as the palace of Kings Otto and George I. It became the Parliament and Senate building a hundred years after it was constructed and still houses the Hellenic Parliament today. Through all those years, the building has undergone a series of changes and has been modernized. From 1836 to 1862; After the selection of Otto, Prince of Bavaria, as King of Greece, and the relocation of the Greek capital to Athens, it was decided to erect the palace on Boubounistra Hill. It proved an inspired choice. The chosen location was in the center of the new capital, easily defendable and cool. On February 6th, 1836 the founding stone was laid at the highest eastern point of the city. The ancient quarry of Pentele was the source of marble. King and queen Otto, and Amalia, took up residence on July 25th, 1843.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace. It is a cenotaph dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed during war. It was sculpted between 1930 and 1932 by sculptor Fokion Rok. The tomb is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.

The Academy of Athens was founded with the Constitutional Decree of March 18th, 1926, as an Academy of Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts. The same Decree appointed its first Members, who were all eminent representatives of the scientific, intellectual, and artistic circles of that era.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is a public, self-governed Higher Education Institution, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research, and Religious Affairs. Inaugurated in 1837, it has been the oldest higher education institution in the Modern Greek state and the first university in the Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean area. Since then it has been an internationally competitive, globally-focused, research-led university.

The National Library forms part of the so-called "Neoclassical Trilogy" of the City of Athens: Academy - University - Library. With a history of over two centuries, containing more than one million books and magazines, and a host of handwritten codices dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries, the National Library of Greece is the custodian of the Greek literary heritage, bridging the past, the present and the future. It was built between 1887 and 1902, based on a study of the Danish architect, Theophile Hansen -brother of Cristian Hansen. Hernest Ziller was the supervising architect who also studied the entrance stairways and the main bookstands. As early as 1858, King Otho had ordered Hansen to make a study for the construction of a Library next to the University, which had already started being built.

The National Historical Museum is permanently housed in the Old Parliament Building at Stadiou Street (Kolokotronis square). The Museum narrates the history of Modern Greece: the period of Ottoman and Latin rule, the Greek War of Independence (1821), the liberation struggles, the creation of an independent state, the political, social, and spiritual development of the Greeks up to the present day. The Old Parliament House is directly connected with Greek history: it was the first permanent base of the Greek National Assembly. The Old Parliament was founded in 1858 by Queen Amalia, upon a design by French architect François Boulanger, in order to house the Parliament and Senate. For 60 years the building on Stadiou Street housed the country’s turbulent political life. In 1935, Parliament moved to the Former Palace on Syntagma Square, where it is still housed today. Today, the Old Parliament is an architectural jewel in the center of Athens.

Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state, and it's the perfect central location for sightseeing. It is located in front of the 19th century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place. Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move since the royal palace overlooked the square.

In the shadow of the Acropolis and its ancient temples, hillside Plaka has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes, and local ceramics. Sidewalk cafes and family-run tavernas stay open until late. Nearby, the whitewashed homes of the Anafiotika neighborhood give the small enclave a Greek-island vibe. Visiting the Plaka district in Athens is an experience that stays with travelers for a lifetime. With its colorful neoclassic buildings and ruins waiting to be discovered around every corner, there is so much to be discovered in Plaka. Plaka is appropriately known as the “Neighborhood of the Gods.” It lies beneath the northeastern slope of the Acropolis and stretches almost all the way to Syntagma Square, in a maze of winding narrow streets laced with shops and dotted with antiquities throughout. Truly, this is one of the most charming and elegant neighborhoods you will encounter anywhere on Earth.

A panoramic city tour start now sightseeing, the temple of Zeus, the Kallimarmaro stadium, the trilogy (ancient Academy, University, and the national library), the national museum of history (ex-first parliament of Athens), the syntagma squire, Plaka (old Athens), the Athens gate (Hendrie's Arch),

At marina Flisvos you will have the chance to to admire the trireme (triērēs) was the devastating warship of the ancient Mediterranean with three banks of oars. Fast, maneuverable, and with a bronze-sheathed ram on the prow to sink an enemy ship, the trireme permitted Athens to build its maritime empire and dominate the Aegean in the 5th century BCE.

Admire the Kallimarmaro stadium, else Panathenaea stadium where here the first modern Olympic games took place in 1896. It is called Kallimarmaro because is all made of marble. A special marble called the Pentelic marble. Special because it changes color according to the day light. Cool with in the morning and in the afternoon it changes color to bone gold color. The monuments on the Acropolis and the temple of Zeus are made of the same Pendelikon marble.

Mount Lycabettus is the highest point in central Athens, Greece. Known in Greek as Lykavitos Hill, it stands 277 m (909 feet) above sea level, providing spectacular views of the Greek capital and the coastline. The hill is one of the largest green areas in central Athens, located close to the Kolonaki and Exarchia areas. Many Athenians come here for a stroll and go to the top to enjoy the city from above. Lycabettus hill is accessible on foot, by funicular railway, and by car. Thousands of tourists visit every year to climb to the top, see the small chapel of Saint George, and enjoy the cityscape from above. Today Lycabettus hill is a fantastic place to go if you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The peace and quiet are so different from Kolonaki and Exarchia areas right below and the crowded market streets of Monastiraki and Psiri. After our visit to Lycabettus Hill, we will drop you off at the same spot we have picked you up.