Acropolis tour guide needed?

[Rdwhite1999]

We have a tour planned in Athens to visit the Acropolis with Spiros and he has advised we can hire a guide at the Acropolis for 80 euros. Our question is is it worth the money to pay for the guide? Can anyone who has toured the Acropolis share their opinion on this?

[twoputt.plusone]

We have a tour planned in Athens to visit the Acropolis with Spiros and he has advised we can hire a guide at the Acropolis for 80 euros. Our question is is it worth the money to pay for the guide? Can anyone who has toured the Acropolis share their opinion on this?

 

We did it earlier this month on our own. You don't really need a guide at all and certainly not if it costs 80 euros! :eek: There is good signage in English to explain everything. One tip, make sure you buy some bottled water from the vending machines before you go up. You'll need it.

 

We had to pinch ourselves because we could hardly believe where we were. :o

 

2P.P1

[robtulipe]

We did the Acropolis and it was easy to do on our own using a guide I printed out from the internet. Just Google it online.

[nparmelee]

I also think you can do it on your own. If you change your mind when you get there, there were guides gathering groups at the entrance so you could join up with a group if you want to then.

[Susan-M]

We used Rick Steve's on-line "Tour of the Acropolis" for our visits to the Acopolis (3 years ago and last week). We also used his info for much of our touring in Athens. Since we were there for 3 days this time, we also used DK Top 10 Athens.

 

Rick Steves article: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/greece/athens.htm

 

The new Acropolis Museum is partially open and worth stopping in at (no admission fees yet). I think it's open daily from 10-6. The many glass floors, both outside and inside the musuem, are a highlight (showing ruins below). The permanent displays aren't set up yet, but there is a temporary exhibition. It's located at the base of the Acropolis (outside of the site) and next to the Acropoli metro stop.

[MercedMike]

There are so many good guidebooks on Greece. I don't think you would have any problem with the Acropolis without a guide, unless you really want in depth detail.

 

In fact I would suggest that you consider walking the entire Antiquities Promenade. It covers all the most important antiquities in Athens and is easy to do on your own with a guidebook.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/athens.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[voyager70]

As long as you do a little research, I have to agree with the above posters that you don't need a guide to tour the Acropolis, especially one who charges 80 Euros - that seems way overpriced. Just one more suggestion - go as early as you can. By noon it can be shoulder to shoulder crowded, and in the summer months it gets very hot by midday. Enjoy!

[eh2zed]

No need for a guide. But do get there as early in the morning as possible to avoid the crowds from bus tours. Later in afternoon is very good as well.

[chipmaster]

We have a tour planned in Athens to visit the Acropolis with Spiros and he has advised we can hire a guide at the Acropolis for 80 euros. Our question is is it worth the money to pay for the guide? Can anyone who has toured the Acropolis share their opinion on this?

 

This is a very personal decision as to the value of hearing it versus reading it. As others have said you can buy a book and see everything yourself. To some all they need/want is to see the place and that is enough. To others to hear the story, history while you are standing there is well... priceless and why you made the trip in the first place. After all you can get a pretty good view of the place on any 50" 1080P HDTV documentary too!:D

 

My personal experience is that the guide was well worth it. The guides for hire there are all licensed. That in itself isn't a gurantee of a great experience. But they are at least minimal familar with the place and far more then us. I did much reading before and the story and tidbits they added were above what was in the most generic of guides. Yes if you dive more deeply you'll get more out of reading, but how many other places will you be going and willing to go to the length?

 

If you are part of a larger group you have to ask will all in your party take the time to read, study about the history, stories and sights. Do you really want to lug a thick guide book and then while you are there take the time to page thru and re-read it again instead of look with your eyes and hear with your ears.

 

We paid about 130 Euros for 15 people. Doing the math it worked out to less then 15 bucks a person. In prospective compared to the price of the cruise, flight, entrance fees, tour / bus /taxi expense to the acropolis and how much we were going to spend eating it was well worth the money.

 

My only regret was NOT springing for 100 Euros in Pompeii :(

[packed&ready!]

Rdwhite1999-

 

Can't really answer you about guide but if I were you I would find someone else for Athens.

We used the one you mentioned and I was not so pleased with him. After my cruise, I read there was an elevator at the Acropolis that takes you partially up. He took us in back of the Acropolis. I couldn't do the steep climb. I practically had to beg him to stop for a powder room and lunch break. When he mentioned (at the Temple of Posidon) that he was up since 3am picking up people at the airport, I got a little worried since we had an hour and 15 min. drive back to the Millenium. I am looking for something to do in Athens when going back to the Med. next May. My husband just wants to stay on the ship. I want to see the Parthenon close up as possible. Anybody rec. someone they used? Thanks

[sea-explorer]

packed&ready

 

Not quite what you have asked as we haven't been yet & nothing beats personal experience. We have booked Jordan. Quite a few posters have had recent positive experience, I think for example, Susan-M who has recently returned, used him and will perhaps pop back & let us know how they went on. (I hope you don't mind Susan ..also wondering how you went on in Egypt?....and thanks for the Rick Steves link, ideal. :))

 

In the meantime, try a quick search on these boards or have a look at his website. He is very easy, pleasant and accommodating to deal with.

 

http://www.athens-tours.gr/city_tour.html

[CintiPam]

Rdwhite1999-After my cruise, I read there was an elevator at the Acropolis that takes you partially up. He took us in back of the Acropolis. I couldn't do the steep climb. I practically had to beg him to stop for a powder room and lunch break. When he mentioned (at the Temple of Posidon) that he was up since 3am picking up people at the airport, I got a little worried since we had an hour and 15 min. drive back to the Millenium. I am looking for something to do in Athens when going back to the Med. next May. My husband just wants to stay on the ship. I want to see the Parthenon close up as possible. Anybody rec. someone they used? Thanks

 

Can't recommend a guide because we did it on our own using Rick Steves' materials. However, regarding the elevator at the Acropolis, it definitely has to be arranged ahead of time.

 

I assume that licensed Athens tour guides would understand the procedure to do this. (I also assume that you know that many people used for tour services in Athens are just taxi drivers, not licensed guides, but perhaps they also would know the proper procedure to make the necessary reservation.)

 

The Athens forum regulars on our sister website tripadvisor may be able to provide more information. Just post a question thread there.

 

Hope this helps for your next wonderful visit to Athens!

[packed&ready!]

Thanks all for the tips. I will be reading!

[Susan-M]

packed&ready

 

Not quite what you have asked as we haven't been yet & nothing beats personal experience. We have booked Jordan. Quite a few posters have had recent positive experience, I think for example, Susan-M who has recently returned, used him and will perhaps pop back & let us know how they went on. (I hope you don't mind Susan ..also wondering how you went on in Egypt?....and thanks for the Rick Steves link, ideal. :))

 

In the meantime, try a quick search on these boards or have a look at his website. He is very easy, pleasant and accommodating to deal with.

 

http://www.athens-tours.gr/city_tour.html

 

Hi Sparky,

We really enjoyed our day with Jordan ... but we did the Peloponnese Peninsula and not historical Athens, which I'm sure he provides an equally interesting and informative tour of. Jordan's English is very good and although he is a driver and not a guide, he enjoys providing information and telling stories of mythology. (After our day in the Peloponnese area, we did two days in Athens on our own.)

 

In Egypt we used Rasha El-Ashmawy of http://www.egyptdailytours.com/. She comes highly recommended on the Cairo Tripadvisor forum, and has been recommended here on the Egypt board. She is an excellent guide and we enjoyed a very interesting and informative day with her. We did have a glitch at the start of the day when we couldn't find the driver and had to ask another driver to call Rasha to find out where the driver was .... turned out he wasn't allowed into the port where all of the other drivers were as he hadn't put in a request a day ahead (a lot of bureaucracy in Egypt!), so we had to go outside of the port gates to meet him.

[Travel to Ports]

Dear Cruisers,

Will be organizing a private tour 6 June for 14/16 passengers and feel pretty comfortable with Acropolis layout my reading and pleased to learn about signage. Here's my concern, so far one of our group is concerned about the apparently steep (185?) steps up to the height as she has had a knee replacement. Not a general health issue, just concerned about steep steps and steep inclines. Had read somewhere that there was a direct up-the-steps approach and a second longer approach that was more gradual? Any explanation? Have seen the pictures of the elevator, and it is apparently for the wheelchair-bound and its vertical attachment to the south wall really looks like something I wouldn't want to go on (and could only hold a couple of people at a time?). Any advice?

Much thanks,

David

[CintiPam]

Here's my concern, so far one of our group is concerned about the apparently steep (185?) steps up to the height as she has had a knee replacement. Not a general health issue, just concerned about steep steps and steep inclines. Had read somewhere that there was a direct up-the-steps approach and a second longer approach that was more gradual? Any explanation? David

 

The less steep route is the southeastern entrance close to the Acropoli metro stop. From this entrance, you have mostly gradual slope rather than stairs, which only began once we were pretty close to the bottleneck where all paths converge near the top. We used it both coming and going on our visit in September and found it much less strenuous than we expected and, going down, much less crowded. We chose this route because my husband has trouble with depth perception going down steps. You certainly can check this out with your guide beforehand. (Of course, this entrance is not the historic Sacred Way one which comes from the Agora on the opposite northern side.) Hopefully the New Acropolis Museum will be fully open by then, and is located only about a block from this southeast entrance.

 

Be sure to get to the Acropolis as early in the morning as you can to avoid the crowds.

[MercedMike]

Dear Cruisers,

Will be organizing a private tour 6 June for 14/16 passengers and feel pretty comfortable with Acropolis layout my reading and pleased to learn about signage. Here's my concern, so far one of our group is concerned about the apparently steep (185?) steps up to the height as she has had a knee replacement. Not a general health issue, just concerned about steep steps and steep inclines. Had read somewhere that there was a direct up-the-steps approach and a second longer approach that was more gradual? Any explanation? Have seen the pictures of the elevator, and it is apparently for the wheelchair-bound and its vertical attachment to the south wall really looks like something I wouldn't want to go on (and could only hold a couple of people at a time?). Any advice?

Much thanks,

David

 

I climbed the Acropolis BEFORE I had my knee replacement, with bone grinding against bone. I just gritted my teeth and did it, because this is one of the most magnificent sights in the entire world and a place of such great importance in our history.

 

As the above poster says, coming in from the side near the Akropoli station and the Antiquities Promenade is a gradual slope until you come to the Propaylia. (sp?)The other side coming in from the Plaka is quite steep and lots of steps.

 

The 185 steps up the Propaylia are unavoidable. There is usually a crowd moving up slowly so I don't think your husband would have a problem. Now that I have had my replacements I can negotiate steps with no pain as long as I go slowly.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html

and

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/athens.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[sea-explorer]

Thank you Susan, glad everything worked out well for you. :)

 

Mike, where is the ticket booth in relation to the steps at the acropolis..ie: is it at the bottom, at the top, or somewhere in between?

 

Thanks.

[CintiPam]

As the above poster says, coming in from the side near the Akropoli station and the Antiquities Promenade is a gradual slope until you come to the Propaylia. (sp?)The other side coming in from the Plaka is quite steep and lots of steps.

 

The 185 steps up the Propaylia are unavoidable. There is usually a crowd moving up slowly so I don't think your husband would have a problem. Now that I have had my replacements I can negotiate steps with no pain as long as I go slowly.

 

Actually, the great benefit of my suggested route from the southeastern entrance is that you avoid far more than half of the 185 steps up the Propaylia because you come in from the side after the big gate, and then have less than 50 steps to climb in my husband's estimation. I highly recommend this route. The ticket booth for this entrance is at the bottom of the slope right by the pedestrian promenade before you reach the Theatre of Dionysos.

[Susan-M]

Actually, the great benefit of my suggested route from the southeastern entrance is that you avoid far more than half of the 185 steps up the Propaylia because you come in from the side after the big gate, and then have less than 50 steps to climb in my husband's estimation.

 

We used this entrance both times that we've been in Athens ... first, on a port day when we took the metro to the Akropoli stop, and on our visit last week when our hotel was near this entrance. I didn't keep track of the steps but felt that anyone with mobility issues would have a challenge with the uphill walk along the side walk and then the stairs....although I agree that if you are walking in, this seems to be the 'path of least resistance'.

 

If going in by taxi or tour bus I think there is a closer drop off point that avoids some of the uphill climb.

[CintiPam]

If anyone has good information about the requirements to pre-book the elevator, that would be a help to many.

 

For my husband, a gradual slope instead of steps was better for both going up and down, but the Greeks chose to build way up there at the end of their Sacred Way for a reason. (I actually did hear someone ask why the Acropolis was built in such a hard to reach location!)

[marci22]

We used the Rick Steves' online Athens guide as well. I think it printed out 19 pages. It was very easy to follow and gave us lots of interesting info. The thing about tour guides, imho, is that sometimes they give more info than I want to hear. (plus the cost adds up quickly)

 

We loved our visit to the Acropolis and lunch afterwards in the Plaka area.

[2Fltravelers]

We were in Athens 10 days ago and toured on our own but took a walking tour up to the Acropolis. The Rick Steves download is very good but we enjoyed the perspective of our guide who provided insight into cultural matters of ancient Greece.