The Highlights of Athens Private Shore Excursion 8 Hours
Highlights
• An 8 hours private shore excursion in Athens • Visit both the Acropolis of Athens with its Parthenon & the new Acropolis museum • Visit the picturesque neighborhood of Plaka and have a free time to enjoy lunch in a Greek restaurant • Highly recommended for cruise passengers visiting Athens for a whole day or for several hours • Professional English speaking tour driver • Travelers can customize the tour within the itinerary!
Options
Group up to 15 Passengers
PERSONAL AND PRIVATE: This is a personal shore excursion and private tour just for you, your family, and your friends
Duration: 8 hours: Your existing shore excursion starts from Piraeus port
ROUTE PLANNER: We will pick you up from Piraeus cruise port where your tour starts and we will drop you off at the same spot
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
What's included in The Highlights of Athens Private Shore Excursion 8 Hours
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Piraeus
Pick 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!
AcropolisPass-by Only
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.
Propylaea
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...
Inclusions
- Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle appropriate for the size of your group
- A professional English speaking tour driver
- Piraeus Port pickup and drop-off
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Athens
- Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- English-speaking licensed tour guide (We can arrange for a tour guide for you with an extra cost)
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- 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 taxi transfers can be arranged on request at 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.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
Choose to be picked up from a list of locations
Please arrive at the pick up point 10 minutes before departure time.
Additional Information
Updated Pickup point is Port of Piraeus, Terminal A, 28, Akti Xaveriou Street, Port E11 CRUISE PORT MEETING INSTRUCTIONS: Please disembark and walk outside the terminal exit door, where our driver/guide will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name on it. HOTEL MEETING INSTRUCTIONS: We will meet you at the main entrance of your hotel. Please inform the porter that you are expecting your tour driver to call for you. If you are staying in a small hotel, please inform the receptionist instead. Return point: Return to the same spot
Redeem
Ticket Redemption
HOTEL MEETING INSTRUCTIONS: We will meet you at the main entrance of your hotel. Please inform the porter that you are expecting your tour driver to call for you. If you are staying in a small hotel, please inform the receptionist instead. CRUISE PORT MEETING INSTRUCTIONS: Please disembark and walk outside the terminal exit door, where our driver/guide will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name on it. • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended • Please note: transport included. This voucher will not be accepted if presented directly at the venue. • Dress code is smart - no casual clothes (i.e. jeans, sportswear, joggers or sneakers) • If you have not already specified, you MUST advise supplier as soon as possible your Ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and departure time so that appropriate arrangements can be made Times are subject to change due to local traffic conditions.