New York Times Journeys - The Chronicles of Athens: See, Taste, Do
Athens, Greece
From EUR 115.00
Office phone number: +30 698 067 9166
New York Times Journeys - The Chronicles of Athens: See, Taste, Do
Athens, Greece
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Immerse yourself in Athenian culture by exploring ancient masterpieces and mingling with hipsters in trendy neighborhoods on an itinerary inspired by The New York Times’s “36 Hours” series. Go behind the scenes at a jewelry workshop, and meet the locals. The city that invented cities has survived for 5,000 years and remains a world-class destination for travelers. Taste it, see it and experience it with an Urban Adventures local guide. Sure, the ancient monuments are exciting, but wait until you taste the savory pies hot from the oven and shake up your own cocktail.
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Highlights
- Stroll the historic neighborhoods of Makrygianni, Plaka, Anafiotika and Philoppapos Hill and marvel at ancient monuments and neo-Classical mansions.
- Savor freshly baked pastries and homemade sweet bread at a family-owned bakery and a neo-Classical gem.
- Boost your energy with a freddo espresso or frappé coffee, the famous Greek-style iced coffees.
- Dig into the country’s largest open-air market for undiscovered “antiques.”
New York Times Exclusives
- Behind the Scenes Access: Go behind the scenes at Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, and learn about the adaptation of traditional techniques of metalsmithing as well as decorative arts like ceramics, woodcarving, ivory and ceramics, using industrial materials like acrylic or plastic.
- Hands-on Element: Try at wrapping your own gyros, at one of the city’s oldest establishments.
- Local Interactions: Meet local shop owners who have been continuing their family businesses, including a sandal maker who is also a poet and who has had customers such as the Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Lily Tomlin and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- By experiencing a hands-on lesson in traditional techniques at the Jewelry Museum, your tour helps to preserve local culture.
- Your tour supports locally-run businesses, such as a sandal-maker, which helps preserve traditional crafts for the next generation.
- All of the stores your visit on your tour are 100% locally owned and run.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 4.5 Hours
- Meeting point:
Outside of the Acropolis Metro Station (Makrigianni street entrance/exit), at street level, next to the Metro sign.
37°58'08.6"N 23°43'46.7"E
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/8zeiGyw7iRsfCdxN8
- Starting time: 9.00 AM
- Ending point:
Monastiraki Square
Language: English
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, one freddo espresso or frappé coffee, one local Koulouri or Tsoureki, one large portion of Greek pie, one gyros, two hands-on Greek experiences, one behind-the-scenes access at Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum.
Exclusions: Guide gratuity
Begin just off the Acropolis Metro Station in Makrygianni, where you can see 5,000-year-old city remnants nestled beneath the new Acropolis Museum. Stroll around Koukaki, one of Athens’s hippest and liveliest neighborhoods. Stop at Taki’s Bakery, which has been satiating neighbors since 1962, for a koulouri sesame ring or tsoureki, sweet Greek bread.
Immerse yourself in Athenian coffee culture by sipping a freddo espresso or frappé coffee. In Greece, iced coffee drinks are popular year round. Next, go behind the scenes at Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum. Take a lesson on traditional techniques of metalsmithing and decorative art, combined with industrial materials like acrylic or plastic.
Then, head to Philopappos Hill. Follow the trail with the marble monument of Philopappos, completed in 119 A.D., and the monument of Pnyx, where ancient Athenians like Pericles and Themistocles spoke. There’s a great view of the Acropolis.More great views await as you stroll Anafiotika, with its cobblestone alleys and the white-washed homes nearly stacked on top of one another.
Wander around the historical neighborhood of Plaka and stop for a delicious variety of local pites, or Greek homemade savory pies. Continue to the country’s largest open-air market for treasures, some billed as “antiques” but probably not. Meet a sandal artisan and poet in his workshop. Three generations of his family have served celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, the Beatles and Barbra Streisand. Perhaps order a pair for yourself.
Then, try wrapping your own gyros at one of the city’s oldest establishments. It’s not so easy to get the pita filled with meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce and, sometimes, French fries. It’s cocktail hour, so we'll finish up at a hipster bar’s rooftop which has breathtaking views of the Acropolis, the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library. It’s a perfect spot to say “yiamas” to your new friends.
The New York Times Reading List:
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, one freddo espresso or frappé coffee, one local Koulouri or Tsoureki, one large portion of Greek pie, one gyros, two hands-on Greek experiences, one behind-the-scenes access at Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum.
Exclusions: Guide gratuity
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
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Dietary Notes
We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests. You can do so in the ‘Additional information’ box at checkout, or by emailing us at info@athensurbanadventures.com
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Local contact
Office phone number: +30 698 067 9166
Email address: info@athensurbanadventures.com
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