Nea Smirni Trip Overview
A unique full day private tour of the highlights of Athens, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.
Explore Acropolis and the temples of Parthenon, Propylaea, Erechtheion, Athena Nike, the Odeon of Herodus Atticus and the Dionysus theatre. Visit Acropolis Museum(optional) and admire closely all the unique findings. See up close the temple of Zeus and the Arch of Adrian, the Panathenaic Stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic games in 1896, the Parliament and the changing of the guards, the Athens Trilogy.
In the comfort of our luxurious brand-new vehicles and with live commentary of our English-speaking professional drivers cross Athens Riviera, make a stop at Lake Vouliagmeni and head south by the beautiful blue waters of Aegean, visit Sounion and the fortified Temple of Poseidon.
Finish your wonderful day by watching the astounding sunset and have dinner by the sea in one of the fishing taverns.
Additional Info
Duration: 9 to 10 hours
Starts: Nea Smirni, Greece
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
Explore Nea Smirni Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Nea Smirni, Attica, Greece
A unique full day private tour of the highlights of Athens, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.
Explore Acropolis and the temples of Parthenon, Propylaea, Erechtheion, Athena Nike, the Odeon of Herodus Atticus and the Dionysus theatre. Visit Acropolis Museum(optional) and admire closely all the unique findings. See up close the temple of Zeus and the Arch of Adrian, the Panathenaic Stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic games in 1896, the Parliament and the changing of the guards, the Athens Trilogy.
In the comfort of our luxurious brand-new vehicles and with live commentary of our English-speaking professional drivers cross Athens Riviera, make a stop at Lake Vouliagmeni and head south by the beautiful blue waters of Aegean, visit Sounion and the fortified Temple of Poseidon.
Finish your wonderful day by watching the astounding sunset and have dinner by the sea in one of the fishing taverns.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Acropolis, Via Dionysiou Areopagitou Str., Athens 105 58 Greece
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words ἄκρον (“highest point”) and πόλις (“city”). Although the term acropolis is generic and there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as “The Acropolis” without qualification. During ancient times it was known also more properly as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king.While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495–429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site’s most important present remains including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike.The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians during the Morean War when gunpowder being stored in the Parthenon was hit by a cannonball and exploded.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of Olympian Zeus, Leoforos Vasilissis Olgas Leoforos Amalias, Athens 105 57 Greece
The Temple of Olympian Zeus,also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greek capital Athens. It was dedicated to “Olympian” Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period the temple, which included 104 colossal columns, was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.The temple’s glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged during a barbarian invasion in 267 AD, just about a century after its completion. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite that, a substantial part of the temple remains today, notably sixteen of the original gigantic columns, and it continues to be part of a very important archaeological site of Greece.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Panathenaic Stadium, Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue opposite the statue of Myron Discobolus, Athens 116 35 Greece
The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro “beautiful marble” is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens,it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD and had a capacity of 50,000 seats. After the rise of Christianity in the 4th century it was largely abandoned. The stadium was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896 and was the venue for 4 of the 9 contested sports. It was used for various purposes in the 20th century and was once again used as an Olympic venue in 2004. It is the finishing point for the annual Athens Classic Marathon.It is also the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias Syntagma Square, Athens 100 28 Greece
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 Changing of the Guards in Athens happens right in front of the Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.The tomb is guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard.The Changing of the Guards in Athens happens every hour, on the hour. Rain, shine or snow, the Guards will be there. They march in front of the Tomb, and change shifts in couples, using intricately choreographed moves.The Evzones are selected among Greek men who are serving in the military. In order to be selected as a Guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a soldier has to be over 1.88 m (6 ft 2 inches) tall.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: The Academy of Athens, 28 Panepistimiou Avenue, Athens 106 79 Greece
The main building of the Academy is a neoclassical building between Panepistimiou Street and Akadimias Street in the centre of Athens.The building was designed as part of an architectural “trilogy” in 1859 by the Danish architect Theophil Hansen, along with the University and the National Library. Funds had been provided by the magnate Simon Sinas specifically for the purpose, and the foundation stone was laid on 2 August 1859. Construction proceeded rapidly, after 1861 under the supervision of Ernst Ziller, but the internal tumults during the latter years of King Otto’s reign, which resulted in his ousting in 1862, hampered construction until it was stopped in 1864. Works resumed in 1868, but the building was not completed until 1885,most of it provided by Sinas, and, after his death, by his wife Ifigeneia.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Lake Vouliagmeni, Vouliagmeni 166 71 Greece
Lake Vouliagmeni (“Sunken Lake”) is a small brackish-water lake fed by underground currents seeping through the mass of Mount Hymettus located to the south of Vouliagmeni, Greece.The lagoon formed about 2,000 years ago.It was once a large cavern that collapsed following an earthquake. The outline of the collapsed cavern roof can be clearly discerned from a distance.Because of its constant warm water temperature and its rich content in hydrogen sulphide, the lake functions as a spa since the end of the 19th century.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounio, Sounio 195 00 Greece
The Ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, built during 444–440 BC, is one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Athens. It is perched above the sea at a height of almost 60 metres (200 ft).The Poseidon building was rectangular, with a colonnade on all four sides encompassing the peristasis. The total number of original columns of the outer colonnade was 34, of which 15 still stand today.The columns are of the Doric Order.They were made of white marble quarried locally at Laureotic Olympus.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Acropolis Museum, Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athens 117 42 Greece
The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on 20 June 2009.More than 4,250 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes