Athenian Hills Walking Tour - Your Introduction To Athens

We'll explore the old walls that are left from ancient Athens. You'll also visit the Eastern Roman church of St. Dimitrios. Then, we'll walk through the Dimitrios Pikionis square, which offers a wonderful view of the Acropolis. Finally, we'll head to the top of the hill to see the Monument of Philopappos and enjoy the beautiful views all around and taking photos.

We will explore the Pnyx Hill (just next to Filopappou) - the place of Athenian Democracy. This is where Athenian citizens gathered to discuss laws, make decisions, and participate in the governance of their city. We will see the ancient speaker's platform (Vèma) and will pass near the telescope of the modern National Observatory of Athens.

As we make our way towards Ardittós Hill, we'll walk by the remarkably well-preserved and still-used Roman theater built by Herodes Atticus.

Reaching the top of Ardittós Hill, we'll be rewarded with a fantastic view of the Panathenaic Stadium – an ancient stadium that was fully reconstructed for the first modern Olympic Games. We'll then take a stroll around the stadium before heading to our final stop, where we can enjoy a breathtaking panorama of all the amazing places we've explored on our tour.

As an optional final stop on our way back, we'll see the beautiful neoclassical Zappeion building, which was established by Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas and notably built to host events for the modern Olympic Games. Kindly note, that we will not enter inside the building, it is open only for events and exhibitions.

Passing through a Plaka district we will enjoy the beauty of Lysikrates Monument. This monument stands as a reminder of ancient Athenian musical competitions.

As we begin our tour and head towards Philopappou Hill, we'll walk through Koukaki, a neighborhood where you'll see a mix of beautiful old neoclassical buildings right next to more modern styles of architecture.

We'll experience the charming and lively Mets neighborhood, nestled at the base of Ardittos Hill. This area has a wonderful old-world feel, with its beautiful neoclassical buildings that remind you of 19th-century Athens. From there, we'll take a special, less-known path used by locals to enter Ardittos Hill.

Leaving Pnyx Hill, we'll stroll along the Dionysiou Areopagitou promenade. As we walk, we'll admire the ancient Athenian ruins alongside elegant neoclassical buildings. Our path will also take us by the Roman Cistern and the sanctuary of the Nymphs.

As we leave Plaka, we'll walk under the impressive Arch of Hadrian. We'll then pass close to the majestic Temple of Olympian Zeus before making our way to the Mets district via Vassilisis Olga's Street.