Acropolis & Athens Mythology Tour, Athens

Today is your chance to discover more about the titanic history of Athens as you undertake a fascinating half-day mythology-themed walking tour through the heart of the city, visiting the Acropolis as well as many more iconic Athenian landmarks. As you go, your guide will share captivating stories from ancient Greek mythology and explain about the real-life events and characters behind them.

After meeting your guide and learning a bit about what the tour entails, you'll set off into the world of Ancient Greece. You'll start at the Temple of Olympian Zeus at the very center of ancient Athens. The temple was envisaged by its builders as the greatest the world had ever seen and construction began in the 6th century BC, although it was not completed until four centuries later. Then make your way to the Theater of Dionysus, the original home of theater and performed drama in Greece (both the words 'theater' and 'drama' originated in Greece and therefore, quite possibly, at this impressive site) located on the slopes of the Acropolis hill. Afterwards, you will arrive at the world-renowned Acropolis itself. At this vast ruined complex, you will find some of the city's most famous sites. These include the Propylaia, the striking although never completed Doric gateway to the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena Nike, the earliest of the Acropolis' ionic temples, dating to 420 BC, the exquisite 5th century BC Temple of Erechtheion, regarded as one of the finest examples of classical architecture in the world and the spectacular Parthenon, the temple dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom and protector of Athens, that has become the most famous architectural embodiment of classical Greece.

As you visit these historical places, your guide will help bring ancient myths to life. You will learn the well-known and more secret stories about the Greek gods and heroes, such as Zeus, god of the sky and foremost Greek deity, Athena, Poseidon, god of the sea, and more. You will unravel the truths behind these myths, and why the Ancient Greeks created them.

As you continue the tour, you'll head into the Ancient Agora, birthplace of democracy and where great philosophers like Socrates once spoke. You will get to explore the perfectly-preserved temple of Hephaisteion, and find out about further popular myths, including those of Theseus and the Minotaur, Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, and Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.

Before you finish your exploration of ancient Athens today, you'll learn about these things and many more besides, and come to understand how the city became one of the greatest centers in the ancient world.

Please bear in mind that the Acropolis, the focal point of the tour, involves quite a number of slippery and steep steps.