We are independent travelers and the idea of purchasing a package deal pretty much makes me gag. But I’ve always associated walking tours with independent traveling. And it certainly felt that way when we’ve taken the Athens Free Walking Tour this March.

I’ve arranged the tour some time in advance (mostly because I had to make sure my schedule falls into place for our stay in Athens) and on the day of the tour I was really happy and excited to meet our guide: Paul. We met in front of the Acropolis Museum.

Paul’s passion when talking about Athens, the history and mythology made us love the city even more. First stop: Temple of Zeus , which is right near Hadrian’s Arch. Then we walked to Zappeion and the Stadium where the Athenian Games took place. The Presidential Palace was next on the list and we even managed to catch the changing of the guards (which most tourists choose to watch in Syntagma, but if you want to escape the crowds, this is the place to see it). We walked within the National Gardens, went to Syntagma Square, saw the artifacts displayed in the metro stop – yes, Greek ran out of places to display these findings and decided to leave them exactly where they found them! Ermou Street , the commercial street, was next, and we walked to Monastiraki.

From here, we walked pass the Hadrian’s Library, the Tower of the Winds, and the Roman Agora. Then we got a lovely view of Athens from the hill before going to the Odeon , with the Acropolis in sight. The tour ended exactly where it started.

It took us about 2 ½ h but, according to Paul, we were among the fast ones. So ,in general, it takes about 3 h , depending on the group. Don’t be shy to ask for breaks (whether you need water, food, to use the toilet or just to rest). My advice is to wear good waking shoes! And if you visit Athens in the summer, please don’t forget about the sunscreen and the bottle of water. The weather in Athens is mild year round.

The free tour visited the following sites: Hadrian’s Arch, Temple of Zeus, Zappeion , Kallimarmaro Stadium, Presidential Palace, National Garden, Monument to the Unknown Soldier, the Parliament, the Mitropolis, the Plaka and the Monastiraki Markets, the Old Mosque, Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of Vulcan, the Ancient Greek Agora, the Roman Agora, Mars Hill, the Acropolis and the Odeon of Herodus Atticus. It is a free tour, after all, so you won’t enter the sites. However , you’ll get a sense of the place and where everything is located so it makes for easier planning later on your trip.

I always choose a walking tour on the first or second day of my trip. That’s because I get to know the city and then I can make my own itinerary.

After the tour, we stopped for a café frappe (the weather was great, although it was March). And we realized we ended up friends. Paul grew up in Brussels and he went backpacking in Europe during his early twenties. For more than 10 years, he’s been working in the tourism industry in Greece.

Do remember that this is a free walking tour and tips , although not obligatory, are expected.

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