Athens sightseeing before start of RS 14 day Greece tour

We did this tour in 2019 and it's our favorite RS tour! One thing we enjoyed was doing a walk on the path around the Acropolis, visiting the Plaka market, and the Temple of Zeus. These aren't on the tour.

Prior to our trip we watched the Teaching Company video about Greece and Turkey (just the Greece lessons). See https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/great-tours-greece-and-turkey-from-athens-to-istanbul We borrowed it from our library, but the download is only $40 right now and worth it IMHO. You'll have a chance to see not only around Athens but get a preview of many of the sites the tour will visit.

We did the RS audio tour of Athens on the free app. It was supposed to be about 90 min, but took us 5 as we got lost. But, we had a blast and highly recommend. It takes you to Anatiofika, a very cool residential area of Athens.

We ended up going to the War Museum and Byzantine Museum the morning before our group met. Both museums were well worth it. I also enjoyed just wandering around the National Garden.

Visit the Cycladic Museum, so unique and small.
The Benaki museum is nearby if interested. You can easily walk to both from Syntagma Square.
Take the tram up to the top of Lycabettus Hill for sweeping views of Athens all the way to the sea.

We arrived 2 nights prior to the Athens Best of Greece Tour. To help reduce jet lag we walked the hotel neighborhood to Mars Hill to enjoy the view. The following am was Sunday. We attended the Changing of the Guard. Afterwards we visited the Cyclade & Benaki Museums. On Monday am we did an Athens 3 hour Jewish Walking Tour with Salvador. It was recommended by Matt Barrett’s Greece. It included off the beaten path neighborhoods. It was a great introduction to our Greece Tour. Salvador was knowledgeable & engaging.
Highly recommend Mani Mani for dinner.
https://www.jewishtours.gr/

We took an all day trip (Viator consolidator - don't remember the exact name of tour company) to Corinth (80 km from Athens). We were picked up at our hotel. The tour included a stop at the Corinth Canal before arriving in ancient Corinth. Corinth was one of the city-states that hosted athletic games. Lots of ancient Greek and Roman ruins. Also, visited a museum, small but had plenty to see. You'll love this tour.

We arrived early for this tour. In addition to walking Anafiotika, we walked to the National Gardens and then toured the Panathenaic Stadium which was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. It predates that event, but it was fun to walk the track and the corridors. Others on our tour had gone to see the Temple of Poseidon.

I also did the RS walking tour. I loved the Ancient Agora and the once-a-week changing of the guard in Syntagma Square on Sunday morning. I had more time than you, so I also went to Keramikos cemetery and museum, relatively far from the center, and recommend it. I ended up going to both the National Archaeology Museum and the Acropolis Museum on my own pre-tour but I'm a huge lover of museums, so I was fine with going back to them on the tour . . . I saw a lot more on my own .

Agreed, Athens and Best of Greece is our favorite RS tour. It's hard to go wrong in Athens. The views from Mars Hills should not be missed. We got a great introduction to Athens by taking the walking food tour offered by Alternative Athens. Eat real Greek food, walk the city, it doesn't get much better than that...

Thanks so much for posting this Sally! Thanks to everyone else for the wonderful suggestions.

I just returned from the Best of Greece tour last night. We went a day early and did a bike tour with We Bike Athens. It gave us a nice orientation to the city and we saw the changing of the guards. The bikes are ebikes.

I was in Athens with my daughter a few years ago, and I think the Agora is a must-see! We also spent some extra time at the Acropolis Museum - my daughter is an ancient art/architecture geek and wanted to find works that she had learned about in her art history courses, but it really was nice to have extra time to just take in the museum on our own. I'll be going back with my husband in a few weeks - we're on the April 23 Athens and Best of Greece. Have a great time - Greece is beautiful and fascinating. And you should have lovely weather - I've been watching the forecasts in advance of our departure and the next couple weeks are looking fabulous - better than we had when my daughter were there in November!

The twelve responses to my question about sightseeing in Athens have been most helpful and I am grateful to each of you.

John, we have paid the $40 for Great Courses Greece and Turkey course. There are ten 31 minute lectures that are relevant to our tour. Thank you.
Tammy in Alaska caused me to laugh out loud at her comment that RS 90 minute Athens audio tour took them five hours but they had a blast. We had same experience in Paris.

Roxasamonte recommended War Museum and Byzantine Museum. We like museums.

Suzki, tells me to go to top of Lycabettus Hill for "sweeping views of Athens all the way to the Sea". (You have to love that phrasing). She also recommends Cycladic Museum and perhaps Benaki museum.

Janis walked to Mars Hill after overnight flight. Also mentioned going to Cyclade & Benaki Museums in addition to three hour walking tour. Janis, we have our Manh manh reservations.
GA Tech fan recommended going to Cornith but this will not be possible. Our out of town sightseeing will be Meteora.

Patty mentions temple of Poseidon, walking Anafiotika, National Gardens and Panathenaic Stadium.

Chani is a museum person so went to National Archaeology and Acropolis Museum even though they are included on the tour. She felt she saw a lot more on her own. Also had time for the RS audio Athens tour.

Universe44 feels as though the views from Mars Hills should not be missed. Also recommends the walking food your offered by Alternative Athens. Told me to eat real Greek food and walk the city.
Annie from FL recommends "We bike Athens" your. We will definitely do this. Thank you Annie, for the heads up. We have done this sort of activity in Barcelona, Copenhagen and Dingle. In Dingle air in your bike tires was optional.

Diane, I looked into Agora and it is even further north than Meteora where we are going the day after we land. Have a great time on your 23 April tour.

I'm sorry sallymoxley, I should have been clearer. I meant the Ancient Agora, which is in Athens and not far from Mars Hill. It's not a long walk from the hotel our tour is staying at. Your trip to Meteora sounds wonderful - have a great time!

Okay Diane in her original response says Agora is a "must-see". I did not realize she was referencing "ancient Agora" which is in Athens. In checkingi see Ancient is bounded on the west by Agoraios Kolonos which is also called Market Hill which several of you mentioned. I have never been to Greece and leave in seven days.

Thank you Diane for clarifying. Most helpful. I have updated my notes.