We will be traveling to Athen on 5/14 but will only be there for 2 days then on to Mykonos & Santorini. Is it better to participate in a walking tour of Athens and then a separate tour to Cape Sounion & Temple of Poseidon separately OR invest in a 8-9 hour Private Tour? When I compared both it seems that Theater of Dionysus, Ancient Agora of Athens & Temple of Hephaestus was on the Private Tour and didn't know if we would be missing anything we 'should be seeing' ... any advice? Also, what temps should we expect 5/15 in Athens? Appreciate your time!
Posted by
11156 posts
If you only have two days for Athens , stay in the city. There is do much to see and enjoy besides the Parthenon on the Acropolis. . Go to the top of Lycabettus Hill on a funicular to see all across the city to the sea. Walk through
You do not need any tours! A good guide book should suffice. A nine hour tour sounds exhausting snd totally unnecessary. Hire a guide for the Parthenon if you want to learn more in depth.
Posted by
47 posts
The Rick Steves app has a walking tour of Athens. Free. Temps should be in the 70sF.
Posted by
France Southwest
1817 posts
Also, what temps should we expect 5/15 in Athens? Appreciate your
time!
I'm watching the weather forecasts in Athens in mid-May because I'll be there.
All forecasts see sunshine with temperatures between 80°F and 90°F which is slightly higher than the usual mid-May average of 77°F
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3320 posts
This very Rick Steves site (click on Watch read Listen in LH Corner & click thru to ATHENS) -- has not only a free audio tour of waaling through Athens but a D-I-Y step-by-step Free Audio Tour the ACROPOLIS and ALSO the ANCIENT AGORA (the latter is very rewarding, otherwise it can just look like piles of stones). This enables you to visit these sights on your OWN time, not dictated by the schedule of a large tour of 25-30 people, which will be at peak times on Acropoolis (9:30 - 3 pm)... you can go at 8 am, or in late afternoon. Ancient Agorra OK any time of day.. In aaddition there's a free audio download of a Steves approach to the HUGE NAt. Archeological Museum ... where the unwary can get lost in acres of pots. Instead ihs audio steers you to the 10 Don't-Miss treasures of the Museum, enabling you to have a rewarading 2 hour visit.
BTW< you should not depend upon a forum to decide for you what "we should be seeing." If you're going all that way to Greece, u can spend a few hours in the next 10 days looking at the Steves website for backgound or (gasp) actually buying a guidebook. If you use Amazon you can get a used copy of a comprehensive guidebook like ROUGH GUIDE (the earlier editions are even better, and go for under $10) that will give you TONS of background, AND maps of Athens landmarks AND MYkonos and Santorinii. You will find that you'll have lots of downtime -- there's the 15 hour journey from USA, you dont have to waatch movies or play games he whole time), and also time sitting in cafes, or after dinner (TV in Greece is meh)... You'll see a lot of tourists actually reading and not on their phones.
PS: Sounion/Temple is certainly beautiful, but the drawback of tours is that they are all timed for the sunset & as a result, 12 tour busses are there at the same time, thus hundreds oof people swarming about with cameras.. not the empty and atmospheric view pictured on posters. Experienced people say that it's beautiful in the morning too, then one could walk downhill to a beach &swim & picnic. Up to you.