Walking Tours in Athens

My husband and I were in port for the day, and having been in Athens before, we wanted to do something different. This was the best choice, and so glad we did! If you arrive on a cruise ship, you need a driver to get to the meeting point.

Anna was our guide. We had so much fun with her. I can't tell you enough how wonderful all the food was from the Greek coffee, the olives, the meat and cheese, the doughnuts, the fantastic gyros (we are still talking about how amazing they were), and everything else in between. We walked through the meat market, the fish market, and the vegetable market. We also stopped in a few churches. We took our time at all the stops, never felt rushed.

Again, can't say enough about this tour and the food. Great choice and variety for all the stops.

Highly recommend this tour, and go hungry!

Anna - it took us the rest of the cruise to finish the olives! I wish we had that here!

When we were choosing this tour, it was more expensive than the others but it was very well planned with 8 stops and an abundance of delicious Greek specialties. Our guide, Penelope was delightful. She was knowledgeable and funny. She took us to places that locals go because of the yummy food. Just the type of tour we were hoping for! The group was small, only 7 so we could hear her without the earpiece devices. We tasted many wonderful items I had never heard of. At the end of the tour she helped us find shops that sold food "souvenirs" we wanted to take home. That evening she followed up with an email giving us the names of all the things we tasted. I wish we could give Penelope and this tour ten stars.

It was a fantastic tour. Our guide obviously loved what he does. He was so passionate about The Acropolis and It resonated. It was a lot of information to take in, but was very enjoyable. He spoke excellent English.

I had an amazing time with Vasilis during my photo shoot in Athens. As a travel advisor in Greece, I have way too many photos of everything Greece, but I'm always on the other side of the lens (and I prefer it that way as I'm a little camera shy). Vasili is so friendly and comfortable to be around that I quickly relaxed and the photos show it.
He's really a pro at what he does and anyone who wants to take home some amazing memories that capture the emotion of the experience of Greece would be wise to choose him to do just that.

I had a great time hanging out with Vagelis and his friend Nick. We walked around Exarchia, ate local foods, sat in an alley, and talked about life. Vagelis went the extra mile to cater a tour in line with my interests. The guys invited me to spend another evening out with them in Kerameikos, which too was very nice. As a cool bonus, Vagelis took several pictures of me -- great memories! But above all else, we made friends, which is a tremendous opportunity for me to understand the Greek life and Greeks better.

If you want to get under the skin of a city, tasting and smelling is, without doubt, one of the most fascinating, fun and magical way of doing it.

Greek food has such a strong presence all round the world that I wasn’t sure how much I would learn (I’m just greedy, so I thought it would be a yummy day). What I hadn’t expected was the breadth and depth of knowledge our guide had, and - by contrast - just how little I actually knew! Greek salad in London (or anywhere else) has very little resemblance to Greek salad ...

Tiama took us from breakfast to dinner, from everyday peasant food to street food to elegant food, from savoury to sweet, from Greek coffee to mastika. We salivated over sesame bread, swooned over pita, breathed in the giddy smells of the spice market, crushed basil leaves between our fingers and learnt about herbs, ate olives so meaty I could almost go vegan if I had those in my life, went dreamy-eyed over thick Greek yogurt drizzled with thyme honey, and feasted on moussaka.

But it wasn’t just the food. As we walked round Athens, she wove the history of the city, its buildings, its traditions, its family life, its culture into the food we ate and tasted.

All this in just four hours. I could have read a book on Athens and not learned as much. I could have spent five days marching round with a guidebook and would not have learned as much.

I wanted another four hours, and then another four days of it! Tiama is absolutely superb as a guide. Her English is brilliant, she is funny, witty, brilliantly clever, and a lovely person to spend time with.

Thank you. Worth every single penny.

When you visit a new city, with adventure and curiosity in your soul, you have two choices in order to satisfy that need to explore new places and experiences: wander around with a guidebook in your pocket, aimlessly treading the path of some anonymous average tour guide - or pick up your camera, open your eyes to new experiences, and find a friendly, knowledgeable and generous local photographer to walk with. Whether you're a photographer or not, seeing the city through a photographer's eyes is to open your own eyes to wonder. If he's a passionate local too - even better. Vasilis of Photo Walks In Athens is just such a guide, if you're looking to see the best of the city (and beyond) in your limited time available - do it. We have so little time, there's so much to experience, get the very best experience for your precious effort. Vasilis will take you to the awesome famous historical places - but you'll get there enjoying the journey AND the destination, weaving your way through markets, and alleys, and by hidden gems such as have inspired poets and authors and artists for thousands of years.
My day with Vasilis resulted in hundreds of photos I'll keep forever, but much more importantly, memories of laughs and adventures fulfilled that have me looking forward to coming back to Athens, and walking with Vasilis again - and soon. Your Athens adventure couldn't be in better hands.

Our guide was an invaluable part of our experience at the Acropolis. If it wasn’t for her, I would have been looking at a bunch of old white pillars that meant nothing to me. There was little to no signage to explain what you’re looking at. Marilena brought the monuments to life with stories of mythology and daily life in Ancient Greece. She had iPads with a cool program where you could point them at a site and it would show you what it would have looked like at the time. Really helped make sense of what you’re looking at. Our group was very mixed in background knowledge including a toddler, 10 year old, archaeologist, and adults with no background in Ancient Greece. Marilena kept everyone engaged the entire time. (With the exception of the toddler, but that’s to be expected. And she was always understanding when he was distracting or one of us needed to step away from the group. She was great with him and made us feel he was welcome and enjoyed- a trait we’ve found lacking in other tour guides when faced with a strong-willed toddler). I’d strongly recommend her to anyone. Marilena also recommended a couple amazing local restaurants that we wouldn't have known about. She came to dinner with us and helped us chose food and wine. She's such a wealth of local knowledge. We laughed together and learned from her expertise. I feel like I truly made a friend.

This food tour was my favorite experience from my recent trip to Greece. The walking tour began in Syntagma Square and ended in Psirri, stopping in several neighborhoods over the four-hour tour. The tour purposely avoided obvious selections (Gyros, Souvlaki), providing samples of Greek cuisine from places our guide, Elena, visited as a child and continues to visit as an adult. Most places we stopped had been operating in that location, specializing in one food item, for generations, now operated with children and sometimes grandchildren of the original proprietor.

Our tour group was small; there were only 3 of us. The portions were extremely generous and there was never any pressure to purchase the products we were sampling. The tour moved at a leisurely pace, but make sure you are wearing good walking shoes. There are plenty of opportunities to sit down, talk with each other while savoring each morsel. But that wasn't all. Later that night, Elena sent each of us a personalized email listing all 10 stops, their addresses and the name of what we tried. I highly and enthusiastically recommend this tour.

We did 2 tours with those guys - the 'Breakfast and Acropolis Tour' and the 'Private Night Food Tour with Wine Tasting'. Both Eva and Elena provided fantastic tours that were fun, informative, and at a pace that was comfortable. The Greek breakfast before the Acropolis tour was a nice way to start the day and fill up before walking with Eva around the Plaka and the Acropolis hill. I couldn't imagine doing a tour of the Acropolis without a great guide to tell you the history and mythology of the ancient city. The food and wine tour with Elena was also a wonderful way to learn about Greek culture. Food stops were excellent and provided a good overview of common foods that the Greeks eat - some expected and many unexpected. Both Elena and Eva also sent post-tour emails to us on things to do in Athens and the islands we were going to be visiting on our trip - a nice follow-up touch that speaks to the quality of this company. Highly recommend a tour with them when visiting Athens.

My wife and I and another couple took the Athens For Foodies tour. It was by far the best food tour we have ever taken. I can't say enough good things about this tour. For over 4 hours we walked around Athens, visiting bakeries, cheese shops, butcher shops, local restaurants and the famous Athens Central Market. We got to sample over a dozen delicious food items and beverages. And by sample, I don't mean one tiny bite per person. We had very generous servings at all of our stops. They are not kidding- you can skip breakfast before the tour, you definitely won't want to have lunch after the tour, and you may even think twice about having dinner that day! Anna and Nikos were perfect tour guides- extremely friendly, very knowledgeable about Athens history and Greek food and they are obviously foodies who love what they do. You may think that the cost is relatively high for a food tour, but it is worth every penny and you won't go away disappointed (or hungry)! Highly recommended!

I decided to book this PhotoWalks in Athens tour as a birthday gift to a friend, as we share the same interest about photography and Athenian culture, so I got in touch with this amazing photographer Vasilis. He took us to all the highlights in the heart of Athens, Plaka, Anafiotika and all around the ancient area, showed us unrevealed photographic spots and offered us the opportunity to capture from different perspectives while he shared his deep knowledge of photography rules and techniques. He answered all of our questions and we gained valuable tips. Vasilis also proved to be an excellent guide as he gave us a lot of interesting information about history and heritage, and as a local he revealed his own city secrets, very helpful for a new Athens resident like myself.
Overall, a great experience for anyone who wants to discover Athens through an alternative tour. Not only will you take amazing shots and knowledge, but you will also enjoy the whole tour!

We met Maria,our guide and Nikos with Anna (the owners) also joined us for this experience, "Athens by night"!
It was absolutely wonderful! These guys enjoy very much what they are doing and are passionate to offer the highest quality of services.
We explored the best Athenian neighbourhoods and spotted 3 bars that we would have never come across if we were on our own.
The tour was fitted and organised to our needs and expectations. Therefore we did not wish to stop at the bars to have a drink, but rather walk some more and feel the vibe of the city. All cities by night are as much as alive as in the day but in a different rhythm.
Our tour ended at a local hot spot in Psiri area. We tasted a delicious Greek meal and drunk some raki.
We felt being amongst a group of friends as the guys treated us exceptionally! The night run through with a lot of laughter and fun!I may describe it as a private night tour with 3 local friends, what a gratifying feeling!

We scheduled an Athens for Foodies tour for four of us. Elena our guide met us in Syntagma Square, which was very close to our hotel. We really enjoyed this tour and it was obvious Elena was very knowledgeable and passionate about sharing with us the food and history of Athens. Her personal observations were enlightening and we toured amazing areas of Athens we would never have experienced without her.

We enjoyed a wide variety of foods, meats, cheeses, olives, sweets, pastas, traditional Greek foods like moussaka and dolmates and Greek coffee in many different establishments. We so enjoyed the food we returned to some of the restaurants again! Elena also sent us her favorite recipes of some of the delicious items we sampled.

Scheduling with these guys was easy and they were very prompt answering questions we had during the scheduling process. This was a truly relaxing and enjoyable experience and I would suggest it to anyone going to Greece.

We actually have 2 tours in one day. We made the Acropolis in the morning and area Walking Street organization that night. Nikos was wonderful that morning for the trip to the Acropolis. That he knew so much story and my husband really enjoyed it and he has a great enthusiast of history. Elina was our nighttime street guide and it was so much a breath of fresh air. It was like entering a friend. We really got to hang with the locals and when we stopped eating we had a wonderful conversation and we learned a lot from both sides of the Atlantic. More than he would ever have learned with a huge organization. I felt very personal. She is so young with all her knowledge was amazing. My husband has been studying Greek history for years and was really excited to find someone who could teach him something new. Left el. a stone - activated. I would definitely recommend it to the lovers of history. Be sure to bring walking shoes together.

We had set up a tour that started with being met in our hotel in Plaka, walked a few blocks to Metro, road the incredibly nice subway one stop to arrive at a beautiful greek shop where we were served a lovely greek breakfast. (if anything, way too much food) After a great meal and sincere conversations, we met Marialena who then took us on a fascinating tour of the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. The tour included an IPad based alternate reality feature which our daughter really loved. You always expect tour guides to be knowledgeable in their base subjects, but Marialena was far above any expectations. (later learned the is a trained archeologist). She brings incredible knowledge of Athens, The Acropolis and Museum, coupled with modern history, and even where all the shade on the Acropolis is. We would highly recommend this service and can't imagine you will find a better option.

Dorella (I called her “Doe” because I can’t roll my “R’s” very well) was our guide and her knowledge of the area and cuisine was amazing! She was born and raised In the area we toured and offered an education in all aspects of cuisine but also any other subject we inquired about. Her smile and enthusiasm was contagious and brighter than the Greek sun that day. We definitely received a fantastic overview of Greek food and it’s history all the while sampling said history. We will definitively be back to do the tour again with Dorella - but we might have to back off eating so many delicious Loukoumades! (Beware the warm sweet fluffy crispy Loukoumades, they come early on in the tour and it’s a marathon not a sprint! ) Our best food tour to date in our many travels. Well done!

We were delighted with our tour of the Acropolis and with our guide, Evita. After being disappointed a the “official” guides we hired at two other sites (Knossos in Crete and Pompeii in Italy) we decided to try booking a guide in advance. We have two boys age 11 and 14 and we wanted a guide that would engage them -- and us adults too. And we got it. Evita was fun, interesting, and informative. They boys (and my wife) rated her a 10 out of 10. She was really great at engaging the kids and asking them questions. So they felt involved. She used to be a teacher and it shows. The iPads with 3D views were a nice but optional addition to the tour. It still would have been good without them. Overall our trip to the Acropolis created memories that will last for ever.

I had a superb tour with the very knowledgable Vasilis today. As already noted his English, sense of humour, knowledge of the city, and enthusiasm for photography (and showing off the best of his city) are second to none. He immediately put me at my ease and once I began to share my photos he was full of ideas and subtle coaching to suggest better places to stand, or angles to use, or how to pick just the right moment to take my next photo. Athens is one of those places that seems to be on every traveller's wish list - it makes sense to spend that ambition wisely by being with a guide as pleasant and expert as Vasilis. I'm wondering now if I can make time for another tour later in the week - I enjoyed it that much.

We just returned from our 12 day vacation around the Mediterranean and we all agreed this was the best tour of the whole trip. Our guide was Theo and I cannot say enough good things about him. He spoke of the history of Athens in such a way he kept us interested the entire time and his passion for the subject was evident. Don't let the 4 hour tour length scare you off. You get to see and experience so much that the time goes by quickly. There is quite a bit of walking so wear comfortable shoes but nothing my 75 year old mother, fiancé and I felt was overwhelming or strenuous. We honestly could have gone all day seeing Athens through the eyes of Theo! Thank you for a wonderful day!