Acropolis Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets

During this 3-hour focused walk, we'll look closely at the Acropolis, the heart of the city of Athens.  Accompanied by a trained archeologist, we’ll visit these world-famous ruins on the top of the hill in an effort to make sense of its historic importance and modern incarnation.

Our visit will cover the main buildings on the Acropolis, including the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaia, and, of course, the Parthenon. As we explore the sites with an archaeology expert, we’ll discuss their history, from construction to ruin, rediscovery to reconstruction, and learn how these sites grew and evolved along with the city of Athens, gaining insight into ancient Greek history and the role of religion in Athenian culture. We’ll learn the differences between Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of architecture and together build a vocabulary to discuss and understand the many amazing structures on the Acropolis. 

The Acropolis offers wonderful views over Athens, and we will also look at how the rock of the Acropolis itself serves as a reference point for the modern development of Athens. This walk will also include a visit to the stunning new Athens Acropolis Museum, designed by Bernard Tschumi and opened in 2009. Designed to echo the topography of the actual Acropolis, the museum is an illuminating companion to the ruins of the original site. We'll look at some of the museum’s treasures, including the wonderful re-creation of the frieze of the Parthenon. By the end of the tour, we'll emerge from the Acropolis with a deeper understanding of Athenian society and the central position of this monument in it.

Read our blog to learn more about how to visit the Acropolis either with us or on your own.

Our private tours are limited exclusively to travelers in your party. They are designed to provide a learning experience that is completely tailored to you and your traveling companions. Private tours give you more flexibility with scheduling (you decide when the walk best fits in your trip), the ability to tailor your itinerary (we'll work to match the itinerary to the interests and dynamics of your group), and more personalized time with your guide.

Our small group tours cover many of the same itineraries as our private tours, but they place you with other travelers in groups of 6 or less. They operate on a pre-scheduled calendar, and are designed to provide an opportunity to engage with and learn from other travelers. Most of our small group tours require at least three (3) participants to run, although there is some variation from walk to walk. However, there is some variation from walk to walk. As you sign up for a tentative walk we display the minimum number required in order to confirm.

The Acropolis combined tickets are valid for admission to Acropolis and Slopes, Ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library, Kerameikos, Aristotle's Library [Lykeion], Olympieion, Roman Agora and can be used for 5 days after the first entrance.