Unexpected Athens

Highlights

  • Expert, enthusiastic local guide to show you the city
  • See six different neighbourhoods, ranging from working-class havens to boutique boulevards.
  • Catch up with what the city’s doing now – its street art, its new hotspots, its creative scene.
  • Stop for coffee in a secret courtyard right in the middle of one of the city’s busiest spots.
From £47 pp
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What you'll do

Come with us around this very old modern city, and see how it evolved into one of Europe’s most interesting urban spaces. See Athens the way Athenians see it, beautiful and yet often messy. We won't just show you the city; we will share it with you, in the true tradition of Greek hospitality.
highlights.

This is a tour about the true heart and soul of Athens. It’s a tour about its people, its habits – old and new-, its everyday life and its secrets.

During this walk you will witness some of Athens’ greatest contrasts: From the Old Royal Palace and the city’s posh areas, where the rich and famous have always settled, to the hotbed of rebellious young thinkers, that has been associated with forward-thinking and social experimentation, where students gather to argue the issues of the day.You‘ll see buildings of amazing architecture, that reflect the vision of modern Athens as a successor to the glory that was Ancient Athens, as well as architecture that represents the Modernist and inter-war movements. As you are slowly discovering the city you will learn that there are many secrets that lie beneath the surface and that the past is always just a few steps from the present…You’ll also get a chance to explore some gentrified neighbourhoods that are devoted to small businesses, but now they’re all interspersed with trendy eateries and funky little bars. This is where you can see some of the city’s best street art, come across a new jewellery designer, or shop for vintage clothing at one of the retro boutiques.And as modernity coexists with tradition, you’ll find out how the Ottoman past is still alive in Athens’ flea market, one of the liveliest neighbourhoods of the city, where the old and the new generations still meet today.By the end of our tour, we hope that you’ll have seen the true soul of Athens and its people, a city with a thousand stories still standing, as it has since ancient times, right on the border between the East and the West.This tour runs  at 9:30am daily and lasts around 4 hours.

What's included

Included

  • Local guide to show you Athens as the locals know it
Your local host

Tina Kyriakis

We want to show travellers the genuine side of Greece and take them to places where they can get a real understanding of the country and the local way of life. Our tours are unique, but its our people who make them really unforgettable.

We want to show travellers the genuine side of Greece and take them to places where they can get a real understanding of the country and the local way of life. Our tours are unique, but its our people who make them really unforgettable.

Sustainability Efforts

What Sustainability Efforts are we Taking?

At Not in the Guidebooks, we’re committed to empowering the local communities. We work closely with local people and businesses to ensure they receive a fair percentage of the money you spend. By partnering with local guides and suppliers, we create meaningful, authentic experiences that directly benefit the local community.

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Location

Greece is often called the cradle of Western civilisation and Athens, its capital, retains many ancient landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. It is a fascinating mixture of old and new with food, art, literature and music at the heart of its vibrant culture.

This tours starts in Syntagma Square, where you will meet your guide.

FAQs

Is this family friendly?

Absolutely - children under 5 are welcomed for free.

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