The best self-guided tours of Athens in 2025

Athens, the ancient city where millennia-old ruins meet modern rhythm, continues to welcome curious travelers in 2025. The Acropolis and Parthenon may steal the spotlight, but Athens holds countless other treasures waiting to be uncovered beyond its iconic monuments. Using the SmartGuide's digital audio guide app, you can explore Athens at your own pace, with self-guided tours highlighting daily life, hidden spots, and the city’s deep cultural heritage.

For destinations and tourism businesses, SmartGuide offers an opportunity to design personalized tours that cater to specific events and audiences, ensuring every visitor’s needs are carefully considered.

Read on to explore some of the best self-guided tours of Athens available in 2025—from ancient history and philosophy to street art, lively neighborhoods, and scenic city walks.

Athens tours offered by SmartGuide digital audio guide

Tour over Athens

Walk the city’s old quarters, and self-guide yourself through important landmarks like the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and Roman-era ruins. This tour follows these pedestrian routes, giving you a close-up look at temples once dedicated to gods and structures that have witnessed centuries of change.

This walking tour spans 5 kilometers, takes around 150 minutes, and includes 17 historical sites — such as Hadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora, the Cavern of Attalos, the Propylea, and of course, the Parthenon. It’s a walk through centuries of legacy and classic beauty in a place often called the cradle of Democracy.

Tour over Athens in SmartGuide digital audio guide

Ancient Agora & the Temple of Hephaestus

Step into the Ancient Agora, once the bustling center of public life in ancient Athens. This is where people gathered to discuss politics, philosophy, and everyday matters—a true reflection of how the city lived and breathed thousands of years ago. Walking through this area today gives you a real sense of how the ancient Athenians spent their days.

This 1-kilometer tour, guided by KEY TOURS, takes about 90 minutes and includes 17 points of interest. Highlights include the Royal Stoa, the Temple of Hephaestus—one of the best-preserved ancient temples—the commercial section of the Agora, the Stoa of Attalos, the Museum of Ancient Agora, and much more.

Exploring Plaka: The Old Town of Athens

Take a stroll through Plaka—one of the most visited yet often quietly tucked-away corners of Athens’ old town. This charming neighborhood holds onto the feel of a bygone era, with its narrow streets, neoclassical buildings, and quiet courtyards. Guided by KEY TOURS, this walk covers 22 fascinating places, including the Monument of Lysicrates, the historic Tripodon Street (also known as the Street of the Tripods), Saint George of the Rocks, Saint Nicolas Ragavas, and the Fethiye Mosque & the old Basilica.

The tour is 2 kilometers long and requires 90 minutes to complete—perfect for anyone who wants to experience the softer, more peaceful side of Athens while still walking through layers of its long history. Whether you're drawn by architecture, curiosity, or calm corners, Plaka is where the city slows down and its stories begin to speak.

Exploring Plaka: The Old Town of Athens tour in SmartGuide digital audio guide

Acropolis of Athens & Parthenon

Visit the Acropolis of Athens, one of the most well-known and visited monuments of the ancient world. This site stands as a lasting symbol of Ancient Greek civilization and offers a chance to connect with stories that shaped history. With KEY TOURS guiding the way, you’ll get to learn about its past while exploring the ruins that still impress visitors to this day.

With a total distance of 1 km and a duration of 90 min, this tour covers 25 key spots including the Theatre of Dionysus, the Choragic Monument of Thrasyllos, the Hill of Athens, the Asklepion, the Stoa of Eumenes, and the impressive Odeon of Herodes Atticus. It’s a walk through history that gives you a closer look at the foundations of art, politics, and culture that once influenced the entire world.

Athens Highlights

This tour, guided by TravelinStyle.gr, begins at the Acropolis, covers 13 kilometers over the course of about 480 minutes and includes 16 important locations. Along the way, you'll visit the Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion Hall, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Acropolis Museum, Syntagma Square, and the Ancient Agora. It’s a walk through the timeline of a city that shaped ideas of art, philosophy, and democracy, especially during the Golden Age that followed the democratic reforms of Solon and Cleisthenes.

Myths of Ancient Greece

As you explore these historic spots, you'll find yourself walking through stories of gods and heroes that once defined the culture of Athens. These aren’t just ruins—they're reminders of a time when mythology and daily life were closely linked. With every step, you're not just seeing the city—you’re stepping into the tales that helped build it.

Guided by Chaplygina & Parfionova MUP, this 10-kilometer tour takes around 180 minutes and covers 9 fascinating stops—including the National Garden, the Temple of Zeus, the Acropolis Museum, the Dionysus Theatre, and the Archaeological Site of Kerameikos. Each place connects directly to the myths that once shaped the beliefs and imagination of the ancient Greeks.

Myths of Ancient Greece tour in SmartGuide digital audio guide

Monastiraki-Kerameikos

Walk through the lively streets of Monastiraki and make your way toward Kerameikos—an ancient cemetery. This area brings together the energy of the present and the echoes of the past, with a powerful contrast to the buzzing neighborhood.

Guided by KEY TOURS, this 2-kilometer tour lasts for approximately 120 minutes and features 20 key attractions. You’ll pass through Monastiraki Square, see the Tzistarakis Mosque, parts of the ancient Fortification Wall, the remains of the Pompeion, the Marble Bull sculpture, and of course, the Kerameikos Cemetery itself. It’s a journey that gives you a glimpse into how Athenians lived, honored their dead, and shaped the memory of their city.

Are you ready to enjoy the best Athens tours 2025?

Athens offers endless opportunities to connect with history, mythology, and the rhythm of everyday life—and the tours listed above are just a glimpse of what’s possible. With SmartGuide’s digital audio guide platform, you can explore the city on your schedule, discovering everything from famous ruins to lesser-known corners filled with character.

The app also provides an AI itinerary planner and AI-powered personalized recommendations to your interests, helping you make the most of your visit while supporting more balanced and responsible tourism across the city.

For destinations and tourism businesses, SmartGuide is a helpful tool for creating custom tours and content that suit different visitor profiles and special events.

Make your 2025 Athens journey even more meaningful. Download the SmartGuide app and start exploring the stories, streets, and timeless charm of this legendary city.

And once you've explored Athens, keep the momentum going with SmartGuide’s collection of tours across more than 1,600 global destinations.