March 2017
We thought Athens (population: 660,000) would be one of the first cities we’d visit in Europe, but it never turned out that way. Only after visiting 100’s of other places around the world, the day came for us to finally see Athens. Our Suez Canal cruise stopped in Piraeus port for a day thanks to the political instability in Egypt which made the ship skip Egypt entirely and created room for a chance to include another ancient city in the itinerary.
It seemed there was a lot to see and might not be enough time to cram all that into a day if we traveled on our own. So we booked a tour on shorebee.com, a shore excursion specialist for cruise ship passengers. It was a 6-hour group tour on a bus with an English speaking guide. We paid 25 Euros per person, but the site shows the price at $35 Euros now. (admission to Acropolis was not included)
The tour was to cover:
- Stop at the Panathenaic Stadium (10 minutes)
- Stop at the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian‘s Arch (30 minutes)
- Stop at The Acropolis to visit the Parthenon and Mars Hill (90 minutes)
- Stop at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier for the changing of the Guard (10 minutes)
- Sightseeing of Athens center; Academy, University and National Library (30 minutes)
- Walk into the Plaka area of Athens with free time for shopping and lunch (90 minutes)
- Return to Piraeus cruise ship port before “All-aboard time”
Our bus was waiting for us at the cruise terminal parking lot. After stopping briefly at a high point by the sea in Piraeus, we went straight to Panathenaic Stadium, a 2,000-year-old stadium built entirely in marble. (pictured above)
Changing of the Guards ceremony was interesting mainly due to the unusual footwork that the soldiers displayed. The pointed toe on their shoes was used as a weapon as needed in olden days, it was explained.
We drove passed the national research institute, the Academy, and the University next door, and the National Library in central Athens on our way to the Acropolis.
We got to the Acropolis just before it was mobbed by tour buses. This is a place every single tourist to Athens visits, and the ticket line could be very very long, our guide explained. By this time, we were hungry, but only a small food kiosk was available in the area. We had some snacks to tide us over, then marched into the site. We spent an hour or so exploring and admiring the works of ancient Greeks. If we had more time, we would have loved to visit the Acropolis Museum down the hill to learn more about the Acropolis.
Next, we stopped at the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian‘s Arch. By this time we were starving and all the monuments started looking the same. After a quick photo op, we were dropped at the entrance to Kolokotroni Street in the Plaka area. We finally had our late lunch at Paradosiako Restaurant, and we were satisfied with the food and the price.
When our tour bus dropped us off at the cruise terminal, we walked off to see more of the town of Piraeus. It was just a port town where everyday people lived their own lives.
Athens is not really a huge place, and the public transportation system was well in place. Cabs were not expensive. So we could have done this trip on our own. But the tour was worth 25 Euros, we thought.
Small Wide World 