5. Athens: City Highlights & Cape Sounio Private Combo Tour
This tour of Athens takes us to the most famous sites of the city, both ancient and modern. Undoubtedly the most famous landmark of Athens is the Parthenon. It is the ancient temple which was dedicated to Athena, the goddess that Athens got its name from. It is on top of the Acropolis Hill, which is visible from many parts of Athens, and around it there is the historical centre. Moving away a little bit from the area just around the Acropolis, we will see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the Parliament. These guards, known as Evzones, are the elite force of the Greek Army and until the Second World War they were known for their bravery and honor. The costume they wear was introduced by King Otto of Greece, inspired by the traditional clothes of the mountain warriors and bandits who formed the resistance to the Ottoman Empire. We will also see the stadium where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. We will visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus, with only a few of its original 104 columns standing, and the monument known as the arch of Hadrian, a Roman structure dedicated to Theseus and Hadrian as the founders of Athens.
Then travel along the coast, to the southernmost tip of the peninsula of Attica, Cape Sounion. A getaway that is very close to Athens and it is famous for its beaches, fish restaurants and the striking ruins of the Temple of Poseidon. Set high on the promontory, the temple forms part of a triangle of ancient sites, including the Acropolis and the Temple of
Aphaea on Aegina. They are all equal distances from each other as the crow flies, and on a clear day maybe you will be able to see the other two monuments. Sounio is also where Aegeus tragically fell from the cliffs when he saw the black sails that his son Theseus had forgotten to change and thought that he was dead. The Aegean sea was thus named
after him. It is a beautiful place to watch the sunset, the white marble columns framed by the sky and the lovely blue sea!