DIY half-day tour from the Grand Hyatt in Athens?

[karscott]

We are arriving pre-cruise for a night at the Grand Hyatt in Athens in mid-September 2022, and will have about enough time/energy for a half-day tour. I checked with a tour company but the cost of a private half-day tour is very expensive. We're mostly interested in the Acropolis and maybe a stroll through Plaka. Our flight from Canada is a long one and we'll be adjusting to the time change before boarding our cruise. We're just looking for something relatively easy but that will allow us to get a taste of Athens.

 

Any recommendations are appreciated. We are in our 50s, with no mobility issues, and I'm wondering if we can visit both the Acropolis and Plaka on our own.

 

Karen

[ISLABONITA]

8 minutes ago, karscott said:

We are arriving pre-cruise for a night at the Grand Hyatt in Athens in mid-September 2022, and will have about enough time/energy for a half-day tour. I checked with a tour company but the cost of a private half-day tour is very expensive. We're mostly interested in the Acropolis and maybe a stroll through Plaka. Our flight from Canada is a long one and we'll be adjusting to the time change before boarding our cruise. We're just looking for something relatively easy but that will allow us to get a taste of Athens.

 

Any recommendations are appreciated. We are in our 50s, with no mobility issues, and I'm wondering if we can visit both the Acropolis and Plaka on our own.

 

Karen

Yes, very easy to do it on your own, you should ask your concierge at the hotel for directions, we stayed a few blocks down from the GH at Intercontinental and walked to the Acropolis , museum and Plaka. You can also use the subway system for part of it to get you to Changing of the guards and Plaka.  We did our own thing over a 2 day period, very tiring but worth it.. We were there in April. In our late 60's.

 

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by ISLABONITA

[ski ww]

Another thing you might want to try is the HO/HO bus. Get on & take the full tour, on the second go around you can get off & on as many times as you want one of the stops is the Acropolis, it even goes out and does a tour around the port in Piraeus.  

[cruisemom42]

It's easily done. It will likely still be blistering hot and crowded in September so I would suggest you plan to be up early and go straight to the Acropolis to be there at opening time -- you'll avoid the worst of the heat and the place is generally not so crowded for the first hour.  When you walk down, the Greek Agora is right next door and is also worth a stroll. Have lunch in the Plaka and look about a bit (very touristy but I'm not into shopping), then rest in the afternoon.

[karscott]

Thank you for the tips, @cruisemom42, @ski ww and @ISLABONITA! Much appreciated. It will probably be an afternoon that we're venturing out in Athens, so perhaps the HO/HO is our best bet, especially if it's hot. During a previous trip to Rome in July, the heat was so intense that we filled our hotel tub with cold water every day and stood in it to cool off! The room was air conditioned but not at all like we are used to...😉

 

Karen