Widely known as the “birthplace of democracy” and “the cradle of Western civilization,” Athens is one the most legendary cities of antiquity. While you can safely walk on your own around the Greek capital, joining a guided tour in Athens will further expand your horizons. The selection of walking tours in Athens presented in this article will take you to world-famous landmarks but also hidden city corners. And what’s equally important is that local guides host every guided walk you’ll find below in English.
That said, in the following lines of this guide, you’ll find the finest walking tours of Athens, accompanied by their duration and price. In order to help you navigate more easily, this article is split into two subsections. In the first part, you’ll find the best Athens walking tours for visits to Greek antiquity spots. On the other hand, the second part is all about contemporary Athens and the places that will give you an insight into the Greek capital’s modern stories and rhythms.
This article is strictly about making the most of your stay in Athens. However, if you’d like to explore places away from the Greek capital, I got you covered: you can read here about the best day trips from Athens.
So, let’s start now with my handpicked selection of walking tours in Athens and what you can expect from them.
*Some of the links are affiliate links. It means that if you buy something, I might earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The best walking tours in Athens for antiquity lovers
As the place where democracy was born, Athens has loads of memorable spots to visit. And while the Acropolis of Athens is undoubtedly the most important city landmark, there are plenty more places to see and discover. Therefore, in this section of the guide, you’ll find top-ranked guided walks in Athens if you want to learn more about the city’s history.
Parthenon and Acropolis Museum guided tour
Apparently, no visit to Athens is complete without a stop at the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and the nearby Acropolis Museum. A licensed guide will share everything you need to know about the masterpiece of antiquity and take you on a journey into mythology and history. The Acropolis of Athens is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s the most famous ancient landmark of Western civilization. Apart from the Parthenon, you’ll also see the Dionysus Theater, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (known as Herodeion), and the Erechteion.
Afterward, you’ll visit the iconic Acropolis Museum. Despite being a relatively young museum (it opened in 2009), it is assumed to be one of the best museums in the world. Everything discovered in the Acropolis’ premises has a new home in this beautiful museum under the sacred rock.
This Acropolis walking tour is a must-do in Athens. If you can only join one tour while visiting the Greek capital, then this should be it. And, of course, entry tickets are included in the price.
Duration: 4 hours
Price: 69 euros
How to book: Book here the Acropolis & Acropolis Museum tour
Acropolis, Plaka, and Monastiraki walking tour
While this tour might sound quite similar to the previous one, the truth is it takes a wider approach. Apart from visiting the iconic Acropolis of Athens, your guide -an archaeologist by profession- will also take you to two ancient Athenian neighborhoods.
That said, your Athens walking tour will start from the southern slope of the Sacred Rock. You’ll slowly walk around the legendary monuments, and your guide will share information about the excavation processes that once took place and antiquity tales.
After the Acropolis, you’ll walk towards Plaka, the old town of Athens that lies next to the Acropolis. Plaka is one of the most beautiful spots in Athens and features an interesting mix of Neoclassical architecture, local shops, and churches from the Byzantine times. Although a tad touristy, Plaka feels like an open-air museum due to places like the Ancient Agora and the Temple of Winds.
Of course, you will also stop at Anafiotika, which feels like an island settlement beneath the Acropolis -you can read more on my Anafiotika guide. Finally, before reaching the Monastiraki area, you’ll also walk the Philopappou Hill, where you can see the prison where Greek philosopher Socrates was sentenced to death.
Duration: 3,5 hours
Price: 75 euros
How to book: Book the Acropolis & Plaka tour here
Greek Mythology tour for families
Although this mythology tour is advertised as a family experience, the truth is it’s open to everyone. If you have a genuine interest in Greek mythology and antiquity tales, that’s one of the best things to do in Athens.
Throughout the tour, you’ll hear stories and legends of Greek gods and heroes. Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon, all of them, will be part of the stories your guide will narrate. Of course, these mythological stories will have the perfect background: you’ll visit the Theater of Dionysus, the Propylaea, Erectheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and, of course, the Parthenon.
And while exploring the Acropolis from a mythological perspective is unique, the tour will then continue to Pnyx, the spot where the Greek democracy was actually born. Pnyx was the place where the Athenians gathered to make political decisions and shape the future of their lives.
Duration: 3 hours
Price: 67 euros
How to book: Book here the mythology tour
The best walking tours in Athens for contemporary life
Marked by a never-ending financial crisis, Athens’ contemporary history seems like a long, turbulent period. However, the Greeks know how to enjoy life, and there are lots of walking tours that offer great insight into the city’s daily habits.
Therefore, this section of the guide is all about food tours and alternative walks. These guided walking tours will give you an excellent idea of what it means to live today in one of the oldest cities in the world.
Gourmet food tour in Athens
If visiting a foreign country is for you interconnected to tasting local food, then this food tour is a must-do. Although Greece is famous for its Mediterranean dishes, there is much more to discover when visiting it. This food walking tour in Athens promises to show you traditional and local tastes.
That said, this Athens food tour will take you around the city’s street markets. And while you can expect to taste the world-famous Greek olive oil and wine, you’ll also find handmade pasta and herbs. Your initial stop will be for sesame-bread-rings, known as koulouria in Greece, before continuing to a pastry shop for loukoumades, the Greek donuts.
From then on, it’s time to get into the more “serious” stuff and visit the fish and meat markets, live Varvakeios, and local delis at Evripidou Street. That’s one of the best walking tours in Athens for food lovers, and it’ll also give you a glimpse into the daily life of Greeks. So if you enjoy food tours when traveling, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Duration: 4 hours
Price: 69 euros
How to book: Book here the gourmet food tour
Bonus Athens food tour
If you are more into street food, there’s also an excellent small group street food tour that you can join in Athens. It will take you to various locations around Psyrri in the city center, and you can try typical Athenian street food. It lasts 3 hours, currently costs 58 euros, and you can book a place on the Greek street food tour here.
Urban Street-Art tour in Athens
Street art has a long history in Athens, and wandering around the streets of the Greek capital will expose you to marvelous murals. The local scene is very active, and seeing some of the best graffiti in town is only partly because of the aesthetics. This guided tour actually takes a more interesting approach, combining the flourishing of the local street art scene with the socio-economical factors that shaped urban culture.
The Greek financial crisis has left its mark on contemporary society, and as you can imagine, its traces are visible in the artists’ approach. Many street artworks connect tightly to the near past and current situation, presenting a body of work showcasing the struggle and the eerie mood.
This urban street art tour is an excellent option for people interested in murals who want to explore different parts of Athens. The mixture of districts visited in this tour is impressive because you’ll stop at relatively bourgeois areas as well as underground ones. Tiny alleys and courtyards full of stories will be the canvas of this Athens walking tour.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: 40 euros
How to book: Book here the Urban Street Art tour
Athens Instagram tour
Instagram walking tours are becoming more and more popular, and it’s not a surprise that Athens has its own. In fact, the Athens Instagram tour is one of the best you can join because it will take you to the city’s hidden spots. That said, if you visit Athens just for the gram (as we once said), joining this walking tour will show you the most photogenic locations in town.
Your guide promises that your camera roll will be full after the tour’s conclusion. And while Instagram-worthy photos are important, enjoying the city’s mixture of ancient and modern architecture is equally important. The meeting point is Syntagma Square in front of the Greek Parliament, and from there, you’ll head to the National Garden and the Kallimarmaro stadium (where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. Of course, Plaka and the area around the Acropolis couldn’t be missing from this Athens Instagram tour.
So, charge your cameras and get ready for photos of small alleys, colorful houses, and breathtaking ancient landmarks. Although photography is at the heart of this tour, the walk around the city will also be memorable.
Duration: 2,5 hours
Price: 40 euros
How to book: Book here the Instagram tour
Athens Alternative walking tour
Last but definitely not least, there’s one more great walking tour to join while visiting Athens. I must say that this tour is among the most focused walks in places with a contemporary significance. As such, the alternative walking tour in Athens will show you areas that travelers otherwise overlook. That said, this tour is great for people willing to learn behind-the-scenes stories about the city.
Your guide will lead you to various Athens spots, like the Greek Parliament, the University, the National Library, and the Academy. Such buildings played a significant role in Athens’s development and helped the city become closer to European capitals. A big part of this tour also deals with the role of Athens as a crossroads of East and West, so it’s interesting to hear about the capital’s transformation.
That said, you’ll visit Psiri and Monastiraki, two neighborhoods where Eastern influences are still visible. You’ll also pass places like Omonia Square and the central food market, where contemporary life unfolds. The alternative Athens walking tour narrates a fascinating story about the city’s development, using urban aspects that aren’t always visible.
Duration: 4 hours
Price: 53 euros
How to book: Book here the alternative tour
Walking Tours in Athens: Conclusion
The Athens walking tours you saw above intend to give you a better overview of the Greek capital. Consecutively inhabited for more than 3,000 years, Athens is a city every traveler should visit. A guided walking tour in Athens hosted by a local will give you a plethora of background information about the city.
Whether you join an antiquity sightseeing tour in Athens or one focusing on contemporary aspects doesn’t matter. What matters is that you will get a great overview of one of the oldest cities in the world while walking its narrow but busy streets. Simply choose one or more walking tours in Athens and discover the hidden gems of a fascinating city.
More about Athens & Greece: A day trip to Mycenae, Greece travel tips, Ferry Guide, One week in Greece
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Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by George Pavlopoulos
George, these walks in Athens look awesome! I want to do all of them. Maybe one day you can do a dedicated post on an Athens street art walk (with a map included). Going on a political street art walk would also be interesting because the Greeks do it like no one else.
John, thank you! Athens is a really walkable city, and joining a guided tour is a must if you want to learn more about the city. Your idea about an Athens street art walk is fantastic! I always wanted to write more about street art on the blog, but I keep postponing it. Now that you mention it, I should definitely write a post and combine it with politics and contemporary situations.