Athens Walking Tour / Athens with a 9-year old

[alwayslost]

http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/tour04.html

 

as suggested by cruisemom42 (she has good info!) - seems to be a good walking tour. My question is would this walking tour be appropriate with a 9 year old. My son is a pretty relatively patient boy, but will he last a 3 -hour tour of the ruins?

 

Any suggestions on what to do? We don't want everything tailored to our son, but a medium where my husband and I and our son will be happy would be great.

 

Thanks

[Fblack]

It also depends on the time of year and the heat. We used to take our son on cruises when he was young and we learned he did not like looking at ruins and old buildings. He did love castles.

 

There is little rubber tired train in the Plaka that gives 50 minute tours that is fun and kids love it. I have done it twice. It's a bit hard to find but is about 100 yards from "the bath house of the winds" It makes a stop at the Acropolis, and you can get off, tour the sites, and get back on the train when it returns about an hour later. But you have to be fast.

 

http://www.sunshine-express.gr/Welcome_Page.htm

[chipmaster]

As other poster said when you going. We went in the summer it was HOT. My kids 7, 11 and 13 at the time enjoyed Acropolis, the climb. They were very resilient even in the hot weather when stuff interested them. They had very little interested in the long winded history, mythology and such from the guide we hired. They loved the stores in Plaka and we could have spent more time there. tThey loved the changing of the guard and chasing the pigeons at the parliment. I think it has less to do with what the patience level of your child is but what excites him.

 

I was surprised the Archelogical Museum was a hit they had a blast for almost an hour and half there, but that was their "first" museum. By the time we got to Italy the Accademia and Vatican were not interesting :mad:

 

 

http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/tour04.html

 

as suggested by cruisemom42 (she has good info!) - seems to be a good walking tour. My question is would this walking tour be appropriate with a 9 year old. My son is a pretty relatively patient boy, but will he last a 3 -hour tour of the ruins?

 

Any suggestions on what to do? We don't want everything tailored to our son, but a medium where my husband and I and our son will be happy would be great.

 

Thanks

[cruisemom42]

Yes, a lot depends on the child. My 7-year-old son was fine on a 3-hour walking tour of the Colosseum and Forum in Rome (maybe because Mom was very enthusiastic and he already knew some things to look for ahead of time....? ;))

 

I have not actually taken the Athens Walking Tour, but have always heard great things from others who have.

 

Chipmaster does make a good point. A lot depends on whether this stop is early or late in your cruise and what sorts of things you've done in the last few days.

 

On the other hand, as you say, sometimes you just do things as a family that might not be THEIR first choice. They will enjoy some of it, and remember some of it, no matter what they say at the time. (Trust me, that 7 y.o. son is now 18 and he's happy to have seen and done the things he's done! He's whizzing through AP World History, by the way....;))

[MercedMike]

Athens is one of the few ports that I recommend walking without a guide. The beautiful Antiquities Promenade covers all the major antiquities from the Temple of Zeus to the Acropolis. With a 9 year old, you might well find it easier to get a good guide book (Athens Past and Present from Frommer's worked for us) and walk the Promenade at your own pace. This will allow you to suit the kid's interests, and not be tied to a guide who may drone on and on at some sites and then hustle along to the next. There are spots at the beginning and end of the promenade where you can stop for a cold drink and some baklava or dolmades for a snack.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/athens.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[alwayslost]

Thanks for the input. We will be there last week of June so it will start warming up. And it's funny -- in Rome he had a blast at the Castle d'Angelo, but really was not impressed with Vatican. He loved the Coliseum, but we did it on our own.

 

Thanks for the tip. I think this time we'll just do it on our own. He is excited to see Pompeii though because he has studied it in school.

 

Thanks for the info. And cruisemom42, hopefully when the time comes my son will be glad to have seen all these places too.

 

Thanks everyone!!

[ROCruiser]

Athens is one of the few ports that I recommend walking without a guide. The beautiful Antiquities Promenade covers all the major antiquities from the Temple of Zeus to the Acropolis. With a 9 year old, you might well find it easier to get a good guide book (Athens Past and Present from Frommer's worked for us) and walk the Promenade at your own pace. This will allow you to suit the kid's interests, and not be tied to a guide who may drone on and on at some sites and then hustle along to the next. There are spots at the beginning and end of the promenade where you can stop for a cold drink and some baklava or dolmades for a snack.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/athens.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Thanks for the info. I printed out your trip report.