Travel

Top 15 Athens, Greece Tours

Pre-buying your tours of Athens, Greece can save you big money by avoiding the fluctuating Euro exchange rates. Here's a selection of tours worth taking. I've provided an on-line affiliate booking link for each, but similar tours are available in Greece through many travel agencies, hotels, and tour operators. Don't miss these additional trips: More Trips from Athens.

1. Morning Tour of Athens, Greece

Taking a tour at the beginning of your stay in Athens helps orient you to the capital city of Greece. This one gets you to and from many of the major sights easily in a short amount of time; some you may want to revisit on your own later in your stay.

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2. Half Day Tour to Cape Sounion

Picture of the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion by deTraci Regula; licensed to About.com

Cape Sounion is a dramatic location at any time of day, but most of the afternoon tours schedule it so you'll be there for the amazing sunset. Beneath you the Aegean Sea stretches out, glimmering in the sun; beside you stand the stately ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. It's easy to understand why the ancient Greeks built a temple to the god of the sea here.

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3. Athens Sightseeing by Night and Dinner Show

Cliché phobic? Independent traveler rather than a tourist? Then this one isn't for you. You get to see the lights of Athens, look at the picturesque harbors, and then go into the Plaka area of Athens for a pre-canned dinner and show. Yet it's mindless fun, less trouble for a tired tourist than finding a unique place on your own, and nearly an essential experience for a first-time visitor to Greece.

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4. 3-Day Tour to Meteora and Delphi

Organized trips to Meteora make great sense - it's a long drive into the mountains that most casual travelers won't undertake on their own. This one includes a stop at Delphi as well.

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5. Full Day Tour to Delphi

Personally, I think a visit to Delphi is as essential as a visit to Athens. This beautiful, historic, and inspiring town on the slopes of Mount Parnassus is a great experience. Have extra time? You can turn it into an overnight trip and, with an early call, you can explore the site without the crowds early the next morning.

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6. Overnight Tour to Delphi

This is the version I recommend if you have time. Delphi is lovely and you won't regret spending a night there. Delphi is high on the list for a return visit by repeat travelers to Greece, and it is lovely almost any season of the year.

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7. Half Day Tour to Ancient Corinth

Frankly, I could give up the actual "Corinth Canal" portion of this tour. But the ruins of ancient Corinth are very evocative, both as an ancient Greek site and also as a site important to early Christianity; the "Bema" or meeting area where Paul preached can still be visited.

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8. Walking Photographic Tour of Athens - Hills and Demes of Athens

This is a fun way to "do" Athens while enjoying some instruction in photography and capturing some memorable images. Participants should be able to comfortably walk while carrying their camera equipment uphill and through the narrow and sometimes steep or steppy lanes of Athens. But if you're just really looking for a walking tour, this is a pricy way to do it, best for more serious photographers.

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9. Wine Tasting and Tour of Ancient Corinth

I was excited to see this tour appear, because combining wine tasting and visits to ancient ruins seems just so appropriate to me and there haven't been that many options in Greece. You won't be tasting the wine at Corinth itself, but nearby at a lovely winery.

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10. 4-Day Trip to the Greek Island of Rhodes

Explore the island of the sun, sacred to Helios since ancient times. This four-day trip includes your flight from Athens and a half-day escorted tour, but much of the time is yours to do with as you wish.

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