Touring the Acropolis with a guide - yes or no?

I'll start the voting. No, it's not worth it. You'll be fine with a good guidebook and your own instincts.

A good-and current-guidebook will go a long way to providing a general overview of facts but a well-educated tour guide will be able to provide better historic, political and anthropological perspectives. It really depends on how much detail you're after.

I didn't use a guide, and don't think it's really worth the money to get one (I also felt the same way about Ephesus). I had a good guidebook and researched the historic sites beforehand, so I don't feel like I missed anything.

For first-timers, the Rick Steves new guide Athens & the Peloponnese is the ticket. Costs $20 or so,... but a licensed guide tour = 30+€ each. The Steves' guide has a step-by-step approach that is helpful ("stand here, and look to your left, you will see a hole in the wall.."). NOTE:you should follow up your Trip up the ROck with a visit to the wonderful New Acropolis Museum... and Rick's Book is very scanty on this (it was on press when it opened). However, they give you a good folder at the opening (AND you can "lurk" and listen to guides addressng groups). Best strategy; go EARLY to Acropolis, it opens at 8 am... crowds start arriving at 9:30. Then walk down... either through Agora, or down through the Theatres ... go to the Museum, on the pedestrianized walkway just south of Acropolis. It has a lovely terrace restaurant looking up at Parthenon for nice Reasonable lunch.

I am with Lee. Nothing like to good guide to provide insight and answer questions. We have done it both ways but will always opt for a guide if available. There is a limit to what a guidebook can include and almost unlimited what a guide can say. Last time in Athens we used Athens Walking tours or something similar to that. Well worth the money. Think about, you have traveled thousands of miles to get there, spent hundreds of dollars, and at the last minute you want to save 10 or 15 dollars by just reading a guide book????

I toured without a guide and I didn't feel a guide would have been worthwhile, just get a good guidebook. Be super carefully when walking at the sight the marble is badly worn and very slippery.

See the Acropolis with as much information as you can afford. If a guidebook is your limit then that is the way to go. If you can afford a qualified guide I feel sure that one can expand your experience. Sometimes you can share the cost with fellow travelers.

I find it interesting that someone who has never used a guide is quick to say that a guide is not worth it. The one thing that I haven't tried that might be a fair substitute for a guide is an ipod cast. But will take make the argument that a guide book or even a ipod cast cannot answer questions.

EDIT: For my part, I have used guides in the past, which is why I don't use them now. I like the freedom of exploring ancient sites on my own, with my own thoughts and reflections. A guide intrudes on that and disturbs my peace. I can tune out the crowds, but it's hard to tune out someone jabbering away at me. It is also because I am a very visual person as are a lot of other people. It is easier for me to comprehend the the written word over the spoken word. ...edited due to confusion on my part. :)

The controversy over using a guide or not is a matter of affordability, and that differs widely. For some people, €28=30 for a 3.5 hour tour, along with about 15 other people, led by a reputable licensed-guide (the athenswalkingtour.com package) is fine, and worth it. Others cannot afford this. Still others find it "Worth it" to hire a licensed guide at 50-€100 per hour (shared by 3-4 people), and are at the income level where this is deemed very affordable. So... people who are upper income and want a private guide shouldn't judge others who have to scrimp. All I would say is ... if you want to get the most out of it as a D-I-Y, prepare prepare prepare. IT will make the experience much more meaningful.