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Half or One Day Tour
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Athens Sightseeing Athens is a place of great cultural interest, as well as a vivid and modern city. The harmonious and perfectly balanced combination between the old and the new age make this city unique. Both sides of Athens are extremely appealing to tourists. There are many interesting museums to visit and various cultural activities to attend , that cater for all tastes. The best day for this tour is Sunday, with less traffic and there is a parade with " Evzones" in front of the Parliament and a band playing the National Anthem at 10:45 a.m.
This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. You'll be taken to see the centre of the city. On our way to the Acropolis you will see the Old City (Plaka) the Roman Agora, Hadrian's Library, the Ancient Athenian Agora, Thesseon, and the Pnyx "The hill of Democracy". You will also climb the Acropolis to see the famous theaters of Dionysus and Herodes Atticus and the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike, the Erechteion and finally, "the harmony between material and spirit", the monument that puts "order in the mind", the Parthenon and have time to visit its Museum.
Continue city sightseeing passing by Thesseon, Monastiraki (Flea Market), the Town Hall on the way to Omonia Square, along Stadiou Avenue, passing by the Old Parliament (now the Museum of History) and arrivimg at Constitution Square (Syntagma) to view the House of Parliament and the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier. Driving down Herod Atticus street , you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform guarding the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Every Sunday there is a parade and a band playing the National Anthem at 10:45 a.m. Next we will go along Panepistimiou Avenue to see Schliemann's house (a Numismatic Museum now), the Catholic Cathedral, the Academy, the University and the National Library. We will visit the Panathenaic Stadium (70.000 seats all from marble) where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896.
Continue on to the Temple of Olympian Zeus (the biggest temple in ancient times) and Hadrian's Arch a few miles east of Athens. Half way up the heights of Mount Hymettos, is the Monastery of Kaissariani (11th c). Even people who have no interest in Byzantine churches and monasteries will adore this incredible setting. Around the monastery there is a serene forest of cypress, plane and olive trees. The ground is covered by myriads of wild flowers and aromatic shrubs. From the eminence of Hymettos you will view the immense size of the city of Athens admiring a panoramic view of allits suburbs all the way to Pireaus and the Saronic Gulf , as far as the mountains of Pendeli and Parnitha.
On
week days when there is a lot of traffic five hours is not
really enough to see all the highlights of the city, therefore,
if you have the time I recommend a full day tour...All the
information & photos on this website is updated continuously. I
myself visit all sites at least once the month.
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