Half day Athens private tour in St Paul footsteps

Why choose this Athens tour ?

Highlights of the half-day Christian tour in Athens

• Mars Hill and Ancient Agora, where St Paul preached in Athens
• The Acropolis of Athens and other important sites of Athens
• The original Byzantine church Ag. Apostoloi (10 century AD)
– Travelers can customize the tour within the itenerary!

Half day Athens private tour in St Paul footsteps

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Make the most of your Athens adventure

What makes Half day Athens private tour in St Paul footsteps a unique experience ?

We will pick you up from your accommodation in Athens. Our tour starts traveling directly to the Acropolis in order to avoid traffic and crowd.
Welcome to Athens, the historical capital of Europe. Welcome to the birthplace of democracy, arts, science, and philosophy of western civilization. Home of Plato, Socrates, Pericles, Euripides, Sophocles, Aeschylus. Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities. It’s recorded history spanning around 3.400 years and it is being inhabited since the 11th millennium B.C. E. Today, under the shadow of the Parthenon, the contemporary urban scenery of the sprawling city reflects its exciting history, its multi-cultural modern personality as well as the infrastructure and facilities.

The perfect Mediterranean climate with the legendary greek sunlight, the unique combination of glorious history with modern, urban innovation, the coexistence of great culture with astonishing natural beauty, the high standard hotel accommodation …

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the 5th-century bc, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles, and the small temple Athena Nike.

It is located just to the right of the exit of the Acropolis. Also known as the “Hill of Ares”. In classical times, this was the site of the Council of Nobles and the Judicial Court, which mainly dealt with homicide. It is said that Ares was tried here by the Gods for the murder of Alirrothios, one of the sons of Poseidon. Another trial said to have taken place here was that of Orestes who was alleged to have killed his mother Clytemnestra, and her lover.
In preclassical times, the Areopagus was where the council of the elders of the city would meet. The members were actually those who were held in high regard in public office. In 480 BC, the hill was used as a campsite by the Persians, when they were undertaking their siege of the Acropolis. It was also at the Areopagus that Saint Paul preached the famous “Sermon on an Unknown God”, apparently after seeing an altar to the “Unknown God”. This speech is commemorated with a bronze plaque that you can see at the foot of the rock.

The Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis was 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 was part of the great Periclean building program. They have 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 pie-shaped building of Pentelic marble frames beautifully the entrance to the sacred precinct. The central section, the propylon proper, had an outer (west) and inner (east) facade…

The temple of Athena Nike stands at the southeast edge of the sacred rock atop a bastion, which in Mycenaean times protected the entrance to the Acropolis. The Classical temple, designed by architect Kallikrates and built-in 426-421 BC, succeeded earlier temples also dedicated to Athena Nike. The first one of these, a mid-sixth century BC wooden temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. The eschara, the altar believed to have supported the cult statue of the goddess, dates to this period. Under Kimon, c. 468 BC, a small temple of tufa was erected around the base of the statue and a new altar was built outside the temple.

The foundations of these early temples and altars are preserved inside the bastion under the floor of the Classical structure. Pausanias (1, 22, 4) refers to this temple as that of the Apteros Nike, or Wingless Victory, and mentions that the cult statue of the goddess had no wings so that she would never leave Athens. Apart from the cult of Athena Nike other…

The Parthenon, dedicated by the Athenians to Athena Parthenos, the patron of their city, is the most magnificent creation of Athenian democracy at the height of its power. It is also the finest monument on the Acropolis in terms of both conception and execution. Built between 447 and 438 BC, as part of the greater Periklean building project, this so-called Periklean Parthenon (Parthenon III) replaced an earlier marble temple (Parthenon II), begun after the victory at the battle of Marathon at approximately 490 BC and destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. This temple replaced the very first Parthenon (Parthenon I) of c. 570 BC from Periklis . The Parthenon was designed by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptor Pheidias supervised the entire building program and conceived the temple’s sculptural decoration and a chryselephantine statue of Athena. The Parthenon is a double peripteral Doric temple with several unique and innovative architectural features.

The elegant building known as the Erechtheion, on the north side of the sacred rock of the Acropolis, was erected in 421-406 BC as a replacement of an earlier temple dedicated to Athena Polias, the so-called “Old temple”. The name Erechtheion, mentioned only by Pausanias (1, 26, 5), derives from Erechtheus, the mythical king of Athens, who was worshipped there. The sanctuary also contained the grave of Kekrops and the traces of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of the city of Athens.
Another door on the south facade of the western temple opened onto the porch of the Karyatides, a pi-shaped structure with six female statues instead of columns to support the roof. Created by Alkamemes or Kallimachos, the statues were later named Karyatides after the young women from Karyes of Laconia who danced in honor of the goddess Artemis. Five of them are in the Acropolis Museum and another in the British Museum; those on the building are casts.

Located in southern Athens, between the Acropolis and the Ilissos river, the Olympeion was the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus. Here stands one of the greatest ancient temples of Zeus and, according to Vitruvius, one of the most famous marble buildings ever constructed. The sanctuary’s foundation is attributed to the mythical Deukalion. The site also comprises the temple of Apollo Delphinios – the sanctuary of Apollo Delphinios was traditionally associated with Theseus – and a tripartite building with a south courtyard of ca. 500 BC. The latter has been identified as the Delphinion Court, which was allegedly founded by Aegeas.

The National Garden of Athens, located behind the Parliament and Syntagma Square, is a green oasis in the heart of the city.

The National Garden of Athens is a large green space of over 160.000 square meters adorned with over 500 types of plants and trees from all over the world.

Former Royal Gardens; The gardens were designed in 1839 by order of Queen Amalia of the Greeks, but were not open to the public until 1923 when they were renamed “National Garden”.

The designer of the gardens, Friedrich Schmidt, traveled all over the world in search of the most beautiful, exotic and unique flora. This task was also granted to the Hellenic Navy.

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.

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.

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.

Dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God, the three-aisled, domed basilica of the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral sits a short distance from Syntagma Square. Constructed between 1842 and 1862, the church enjoyed the participation of many prominent architects, including Hansen, Zezos, Boulanger, and Kalkos.

The decorative aspects are no less impressive, incorporating pieces from derelict Byzantine churches and churches razed for archaeological reasons. The Cathedral also houses marble shrines containing the holy relics of Agia Filothei and Patriarch Gregorius V.

Since opening, the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral has hosted a number of significant ceremonies, from royal weddings to funerals of important political and social figures. After the massive earthquake that shook Athens in 1999, the Cathedral began a series of maintenance and restoration projects. Services are temporarily being held in the Church of St. Dionysius, in Kolonaki.

Standing in the shopping area of Ermou Street in central Athens stands the little eleventh-century Byzantine church of Panaghia Kapnikarea, It’s a really incongruous setting for a beautiful little church of such an age, one of the oldest in Athens, crowded in by high-rise buildings.
The church of Panagia Kapnikarea is built on the ruins of an ancient temple, dedicated to a female goddess, possibly Athena or Demeter. It was founded at the beginning of the 11th century (around 1050 A.D.) and was probably named after its donor.
The church is cross-in-square, of the complex four-column type, with three apses on the east side and a narthex on the west. A domed chapel dedicated to Aghia Varvara was added to the north side and the exonarthex, with three pitched roofs, was built slightly later in front of both churches. It was originally formed as an open portico but a small porch with two columns was constructed at its south end, possibly in the 12th century, along with the mosaics …

Tour Description & Additional Info:

Specialized infant seats are available
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Dress code is formal
Important note: You will have a professional English-speaking driver with good knowledge of the history and culture of Greece, to guide you till you enter archaeological sites and museums according to the program. Tour drivers are not licensed to companion you inside the archaeological sites and museums. If you’d like to have one, we can arrange it for you at an additional cost. Licensed by the state tour guides are freelance and it is subject to availability on bookings day!
Athens International Airport transfers can be arranged on request and an extra cost!
Pick up/ drop off at Piraeus cruise ship pier can be arranged on request and an extra cost!
We suggest that you have your admission tickets pre-purchased as there is a chance not to find availability, please note that we can buy the tickets for you in advance -under a small service fee.

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Options To Choose for Your Trip:

Group 1 to 3 persons
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Group for 1 to 3 persons in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz sedan or similar fully air-conditioned and with leather interior.
PERSONAL AND PRIVATE: This is a personal shore excursion and private tour just for you, your family, and your friends!
ROUTE PLANNER: We will pick you up from your hotel or accommodation in Athens where your tour starts and we will drop you off back.
TRAVEL WITH STYLE: Groups of 1-3 Mercedes sedan or similar, 4-7 Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan, 8-15 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A/C
Pickup included
Group 8-11 persons
Add
PERSONAL AND PRIVATE: This is a personal shore excursion and private tour just for you, your family, and your friends!
ROUTE PLANNER: We will pick you up from your hotel or accommodation in Athens where your tour starts and we will drop you off back.
TRAVEL WITH STYLE: Groups of 1-3 Mercedes sedan or similar, 4-7 Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan, 8-15 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A/C
Group 8 to 11 persons: Group for 8 to 11 persons in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz minibus fully air-conditioned and with leather interior.
Pickup included
Group 4-7 persons
Add
PERSONAL AND PRIVATE: This is a personal shore excursion and private tour just for you, your family, and your friends!
ROUTE PLANNER: We will pick you up from your hotel or accommodation in Athens where your tour starts and we will drop you off back.
TRAVEL WITH STYLE: Groups of 1-3 Mercedes sedan or similar, 4-7 Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan, 8-15 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A/C
Group 4 to 7 persons: Group for 4 to 7 persons in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz minivan fully air-conditioned and with leather interior.
Pickup included
Group 12-15 persons
Add
PERSONAL AND PRIVATE: This is a personal shore excursion and private tour just for you, your family, and your friends!
ROUTE PLANNER: We will pick you up from your hotel or accommodation in Athens where your tour starts and we will drop you off back.
TRAVEL WITH STYLE: Groups of 1-3 Mercedes sedan or similar, 4-7 Luxury Mercedes Benz Minivan, 8-15 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. A/C
Group 12 to 15 persons: Group for 12 to 15 persons in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz minibus fully air-conditioned and with leather interior.
Pickup included