Essential Athens and Cape Sounion, Poseidon’s Temple, Private Day Tour

This tour is a perfect combination of Athens’s most important sites and the most popular excursion to the so called “Greek Riviera”, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.

During the tour you will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch, a chilled “ouzo” and “meze” in a traditional Greek taverna, overlooking the Aegean Sea.

This tour is the ideal way to avoid noisy crowds and the bustle of the city. Travel in safety and comfort in your own luxurious private vehicle.

Your dedicated private driver will ensure a comfortable personalized experience throughout the day!

We start the tour by visiting the so called “sacred rock”, The Acropolis. Here you will see:
– Parthenon that was dedicated to goddess Athena (Parthenos)
– Propylea, the monumental entrance to the sacred area
– The Temple of Athena Nike which was dedicated to Athena-Nike
– The Erechtheion with its famous female figures-statues
– The Caryatides or Maidens dedicated to both goddess Athena and god Poseidon
– The Odeum of Herodus Atticus
– The the Theatre of Dionysus, the first theatre in the whole world
– The Areopagus (Mars Hill)

The temple of Olympian Zeus (124-132 AD) had three rows of eight columns (tripteral octastyle) on the two narrow sides and two rows of twenty columns (dipteral eikosastyle) on the long sides. It once housed the chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus and the statue of the emperor. Sixteen of the temple’s columns survive today, thirteen of them, on the east side, intact. Of the remaining three on the west side, one collapsed in 1852.

It was originally a natural hollow part of the ground between the two hills of Agra and Ardettos, over Ilissos river. It was transformed into a stadium by Lykourgos in 330-329 BC for the athletic competitions of the Great Panathinaea Festivities. Between 140 and 144 AD, Herodes Atticus restored the Stadium, giving it the form that was found at the 1870 excavation: the horseshoe construction with a track 204,07 meters long and 33,35 meters wide. It is believed that the Stadium had a seating capacity of 50.000 people. Separating scales were built between the tiers and on the base of the sphendone there was a portico with Doric-style columns; another portico was placed in the stadium’s facade. At Roman times, the Stadium was used as an arena, with the addition of a semi-circular wall on the north that was corresponding to the splendor of the southern side.

The triumphal arch lies on an ancient street that led from the old city of Athens to the new, Roman section, built by Hadrian. It was constructed by the Athenians in A.D. 131, in honor of their benefactor emperor. Two inscriptions are carved on the architrave, one on each side: the first, on the side towards the Acropolis reads “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus”; the second, on the other side, facing the new city reads “This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus”.

Lycabettus Hill (Lykavitos) is the highest point of Athens, 277m above sea level.

From Lycabettus Hill you will enjoy the best panoramic view of the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Ancient Agora and the whole metropolis! You will also be reminded that Athens is surrounded by sea with spectacular views across the Aegean.

On the top of the hill, you will find the Greek Orthodox church of Agios Georgios (St. George).

Also known as Constitution Square, Syntagma Square (Plateia Syntagmatos) is a huge public plaza stretching out in front of Athens’ parliament building. Gleaming with white marble and beautiful statues, it’s a great place for people to watch. Many of the city’s most important streets begin here, including Ermou Street and Vassilissis Sofias Avenue.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial located in Syntagma Square in Athens, in front of the House of the Greek Parliament. 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 24-7 by the Evzones (Presidential Guards)

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is a public university in Athens, Greece

The Academy of Athens is Greece’s national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy’s main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.

We will pass by the National Library of Greece.

Glyfada is an upscale suburb of Athens by the seaside!

Vouliagmeni is a beautifull and upscale suburb of Athens by the sea side!

Varkiza is a beautiful suburb of Athens by the seaside!

Lagonisi is a beautiful and upscale resort area by the sea side, on the way to Cape Sounio!

The doric temple seen today was built of local marble from the Agrileza quarries on top of the destroyed archaic temple. Palmette antefixes crowned the gable roof. At least the east pediment (on the entrance side) was decorated with statues. On the same side a relief frieze was running on the top of the interior of the colonnade. On the Parian marble frieze slabs, scenes of the Centaur battle and the deeds of Theseus are sculpted, an allegory for the victory of the Greeks led by the Athenians against the Persians and for the superiority of the Athenian democracy over the eastern monarchy. The temple is attributed to the same architect with the ones of Hephaistos (Theseion) at the Athenian agora, Ares at Akharnes, and Nemesis at Ramnous.

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Our company complies with all the health instructions of the World Health Organization about COVID-19.
• Please note that your personal professional driver, will provide commentary in fluent English, en-route but cannot enter the archaeological sites. We can arrange for you to have a private licensed guide to escort you in the sites at an extra cost, depending always on the availability. You may contact us on the phone number or by the email provided by Viator and we will confirm accordingly.
• The proposed itinerary may need to be adjusted in case of emergencies or special circumstances that are out of our control (e.g. extreme weather conditions, police instructions, safety reasons etc).

• Essential Athens and Cape Sounion, Poseidon’s Temple, Private Day Tour
  Add
  Pickup included

• Experienced, knowledgeable, professional English speaking driver.
• Skip the line service to purchase the appropriate entrance tickets in advance.
• Service animals allowed
• FAMILY FRIENDLY For family groups our tours can be modified to cater to the needs of the children
• Private tour. Personalized service adjusted to your needs and wishes.
• All vehicles are fully A/C non-smoking, insured & certified for tourist use by the state authorities
• Athens & Piraeus Hotels / residence or Piraeus cruise port pickup & return
• Flexible pick up time on request
• Luxurious transportation vehicle suitable for the size of your group: taxi, sedan, suv, van, minibus
• All Fees and Taxes
• Child seats available upon request

• Entrance fees: 20 Euros Acropolis, 10 Euros Poseidon, 8 Euros Olympian (optional)
• Licensed tour guide for guiding inside the sites, upon request/availability (Additional cost 300€)
• Food and drinks unless specified

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• This Tour is Provided by Private Greece Tours.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/Athens.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
• This Tour is Rated 5 Stars based on 104 valid reviews on VIATOR.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 15 Travelers is accepted for booking.