Athens Acropolis Bike Tour

• Day tours by bike
• Greece
• Athens

Discover all of ancient Athens by bike, with a guided tour of the Acropolis

For an all-encompassing adventure around Athens, taking in the most famous sightseeing spots of the city, and with a guided tour of the Acropolis, look no further than the Athens Acropolis Bike Tour! There’s no better, more efficient way to absorb the history and atmosphere of Athens than by taking a guided tour on two wheels, one that takes in the Acropolis Museum (with entry and a guided tour), the National Gardens, Presidential Mansion, Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion Exhibition Hall, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Acropolis, Theatre of Dionysus, Temple of Asclepius, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaia, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Thission, Ancient Greek Agora, Roman Agora, Athens City Cathedral, and Plaka.

The Acropolis is the icon of Athens, and starts your bicycle tour off with a bang! From anywhere in the city you can admire this ancient citadel perched atop a rocky outcrop, the remains of several hugely significant buildings, including the Parthenon. See with your own eyes the most celebrated piece of Greek Antiquity anywhere in the world and tick the Acropolis off your bucket list! Your bike tour will take you to both the museum, where you can enjoy a guided tour, and the panoramic viewpoint.

Next, your guided tour takes you to the National Gardens, a gorgeous green oasis created on the orders of Queen Amalia between 1838 and 1840. Weave your bike along narrow paths lined with towering exotic trees and plants, past tranquil lakes and even a small zoo hosting peacocks and wild goats. The American novelist Henry Miller once wrote of these gardens, “It remains in my memory like no other park I have known”.

Push on to the Presidential Mansion, the official residence of the President of the Hellenic Republic. Built in the Neoclassical style, the exquisite white exterior of the palace gleams in the daylight - a sheer delight for the eyes and a site of great political history. From here, you’ll pedal to the Panathenaic Stadium, the only stadium in the whole world built entirely from marble. This incredible site was used to host the Panathenaic Games, a religious and athletic festival held every four years to celebrate the goddess Athena. It was used as an Olympic venue in 2004 and is the site of the Olympic flame handover.

Zip over to Zappeion Exhibition Hall, a palatial landmark of Athens standing as a supreme example of Neoclassical architecture and often used in ceremonies. From here, your bicycle tour takes you to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, once one of the largest temples in the world. These days, only 16 of the original 104 columns have survived, but they remain a breathtakingly beautiful relic, standing at 17m high.

Bike on to Hadrian’s Arch for the next stop on your fascinating day tour. Said to have been built in honor of the arrival of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, the monumental archway once spanned an ancient road in the center of Athens. Like so many other landmarks your bike tour takes in, Hadrian’s Arch is also built entirely of marble!

Discover the Theatre of Dionysus next, an incredible ancient Greek theater on the south slope of the Acropolis hill. First constructed in the 4th or 5th Century BC, the theater had a capacity of up to 25,000 and was in continuous use through to the Roman period. Cycle from here to the sanctuary of the Temple of Asclepius, which once served as a rudimentary hospital for the population of Athens.

Onwards to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman theater completed in AD 161 on the order of one of Athens’ wealthy benefactors, Herodes Atticus. This site was described by Marcus Aurelius as ‘the finest building of its type’, built for magnificent musical performances. In modern times, the odeon has played host to some of the most memorable names in music, from Frank Sinatra to Luciano Pavarotti. From here, ride to the first fully Ionic temple on the Acropolis hill - the Temple of Athena Nike, dedicated to the goddesses of wisdom and victory. Pedal on to another Ionic temple dedicated to Athena, the Erechtheion, via the Propylaia. Your bike tour pushes onwards to the Parthenon, whose stunning sculptures are regarded as some of the highest examples of Greek art, and which has become a symbol of Ancient Greece and Western civilization.

Your guided bike tour takes you on to Thission, a trendy neighborhood now abuzz with cafes and nightlife. Cycle along shaded streets past bohemian restaurants serving delicious authentic meze. Nestled between Phillipapou Hill and the Acropolis, Thission has superb views of both, as well as the verdant pine trees and grasses covering the hills. Here, you’ll find the Ancient Greek and Roman Agoras. The Ancient Greek Agora, sometimes called the Classical Agora, is the best known example of a Greek agora anywhere in the world, once used as a residential and commercial gathering space for the Ancient Greeks.

Cycle on to another star of the Athens cityscape - Athens City Cathedral. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, known locally as the Metropolis, is made of marble from 72 demolished churches, and was completed in 1862, having been started on Christmas Day twenty years earlier. The result is a breathtaking facade complete with dome and towers, all shining spectacularly in the Greek sunlight.

Pedaling into Plaka, discover a neighborhood with a vibrant village feel, tucked away in the shadow of the Acropolis. Your bike tour gets a little bumpy as you cycle the cobblestone streets, but you’ll be rewarded with an experience of authentic Athens, where family-run tavernas greet the locals, and street stalls sell hand-crafted ceramics and jewelry. Here, your beautiful bike tour of Athens and the Acropolis draws to a dynamic close.

View more photos

Highlights

Acropolis Museum (with entry & guided tour), National Gardens, Presidential Mansion, Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion Exhibition Hall, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Acropolis, Theatre of Dionysus, Temple of Asclepius, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Athena Nike, Propylaia, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Thission, Ancient Greek Agora, Roman Agora, Athens City Cathedral, Plaka

What’s included

• Bike and helmet rental
• English-speaking guide

Meeting place & directions

16, Athanasiou Diakou str., 11742 Athens, 60m from the metro station “Acropolis”