Overview
Visit Athens and admire the phenomenon of Evia island 8 hours tour; This tour is designed for cruise passengers or other travelers interested in culture and natural phenomena.
The private 8-hour tour in Athens city and the phenomenon of Evia island combines the famous monuments of Ancient Athens and a geological phenomenon that happens every 6 hours, together with breathtaking picturesque landscape and views.
Highlights of Visit Athens & admire the phenomenon of Evia island 8-h tour
- 8-hours sightseeing private tour of Athens and Chalkis in Evia island
- Explore the wonders of the Acropolis and other modern and classical sites in Athens
- Cross the second biggest bridge in Europe from mainland Greece to the island of Evia
- Observation of the world’s unique phenomenon of Chalkis
- Professional English-speaking tour driver
- Pickup and drop off at your cruise ship pier in Piraeus, or your hotel in Athens
You will see: The Acropolis – the Parthenon – Erechthion – Temple of Athens Niki – Plaka – Ancient Agora – Roman Agora – Hadrian’s library – Monastiraki – Temple of Vulcan – Temple of Zeus – Hadrian’s Arch – the Parliament – a monument of the Unknown Soldier – Panathenian Stadium – Plaka – Ex-Royal House – Kolonaki – Lycabettus Hill
You will visit: The Acropolis – the Parthenon – Erechthion – Temple of Athens Niki – Temple of Zeus – Hadrian’s Arch – the Parliament – the monument of the Unknown Soldier – Panathenian Stadium – Lycabettus Hill – Evia island – New bridge and old bridge of Chalkis – The phenomenon of Evripos Channel in Chalkis
Description
Description of the tour in Athens and Evia island 8-h
The tour starts from the ship pier or your hotel in Athens, with a modern and comfortable vehicle ready to accommodate you and your group of friends.
You will be visiting the Acropolis of Athens, whose temple of Parthenon dominates the city of Athens, the Propylaea (entrance to the Temple), the Erectheum, the Temple of Wingless Victory, which allows you a full idea of how the Holy Rock of Athens used to be in the ancient years.
According to the Myth at the Erectheum, Goddess Athena and God Poseidon are said to have held a contest to decide who would be Patron of the city. When Poseidon thrust his trident into the ground, water burst forth. Athena touched the ground with her spear, an olive tree grew and Athena was named goddess of the city of Athens.
The building itself contains the graceful Porch of the Caryatids, which features replica columns of marble maidens supporting the roof of the temple. All temples on the holy rock of the Acropolis are dedicated to Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. Parthenon is Greece’s largest and most impressive ancient temple (5th century BC).
Our next visit…
… is the famous Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest (3rd century BC) Corinthian-style temple in ancient Greece. Hadrian’s Arch symbolizes and separates the old and new towns by the Roman era.
Our private shore excursion includes sightseeing of the National Gardens, the National Library and the Parliament Building, the ex-Royal Palace, Plaka, roman agora, Monastiraki – Temple of Vulcan.
We continue this full-day private shore excursion and along the way and we will pass by the ex-royal house. Afterward, we will visit the Ancient Olympic Stadium for a brief photo stop. Re-built in 1894 to host the first modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, the stadium is made all of the Pentelic marble (like the Parthenon) standing on the site of the original stadium, dating from the 4th century B.C. The Panathinean stadium is used today for very special events, like for the every year finish of the marathon and the archery competition. Also, it was used in the 2004 Olympics games.
Just before we end our private tour in Athens city, we will drive you up on Lycabettus Hill, the highest hill in Athens, where you can admire the incredible views of Athens.
Afterward, we will have lunch in a Greek restaurant with home-cooked food and we will continue our tour by taking the highway to the north.
Visit Chalkis in Evia Island
After almost one hour we’ll cross the bridge, that connects the mainland of Central Greece with the island of Evia.
The second part of the tour is dedicated to the beautiful island of Evia or Evoia, starting with its capital town, Chalkis or Chalkida.
Just one hour from Athens, Chalkis has been “declared” in recent years the new suburb of the capital, due to its taverns with ouzo and meze for Sunday outings and the beautiful beaches to the north and south. Chalkis has the advantage that it extends along the coast, which allows splendid views almost from every part of the town.
The national road passes by the new suspension bridge, but the old sliding bridge Negroponte (the “black bridge”, as it was called by the Venetians) has not lost its grace.
From here you can watch the changing of the direction of water every six hours in the Evripos channel, a classic family attraction for the last decades.
Besides the lovely seaside aspect, Chalkida hides a very beautiful inside part as well. Stroll through the narrow streets with the carved stones, watch the store windows that combine old-fashioned dresses with contemporary fashion, to reach the Market Square, where there is a small flea market on Sundays. One of the most atmospheric neighborhoods of Chalkida spread around the church of Agia Paraskevi. Poor but picturesque houses dig up memories of the old Turkish neighborhood, while the nearby Syntagma Square raises the minaret of the only extant mosque of the city.
The water-flow in Evripos channel, Chalkis
One of the most significant highlights of Chalkis is the tide of the Evripos channel. The tide of Euripos is a unique complex phenomenon, which due to tidal forces is observed only in the Strait of Euripus in Chalkida, hence the name.
The channel of Euripus is a narrow strip of sea width 39 m, length 40 m, and a depth of about 8,5 m connecting the North with the South Evia Gulf, between Central Greece and Chalkida. In this area, you can see the unique complex phenomenon: waters moving continuously while changing the direction of movement. Sometimes the water is directed towards the North and sometimes to the South Evian Gulf.
This constant movement of the waters has inspired the imagination of the ancient and modern Greeks, hence, numerous poems and texts have been written about it, either praising its charm or discussing its origins. It was said that this phenomenon is so unique that the great Aristotle did not manage to solve the mystery throughout his lifetime.
The old bridge of Chalkida is built on the narrowest part of the channel, allowing a great observation point for those interested in watching the reversion of water flow, which takes place every six hours. The position of the moon determines the exact reversion time. From there, you will be able to take some truly gorgeous pictures or videos of the phenomenon.
Transfer back to Piraeus cruise ship pier where your Athens private shore excursion ends, carrying with you the best of Greece.
Details
Important notes
Tour Type
- Shore Excursion - Private tour
- Activity level: Moderate
Included in the tour
- Car and Driver
- A professional English-speaking driver or escort with good knowledge of the history and culture of Greece, to guide you till you enter archaeological sites and museums. Tour drivers are not licensed to companion you inside the archaeological sites and museums. If you'd like to have a licensed state tour guide to escort you inside the sites and museums, we can arrange it for you at an additional cost. Licensed by the state tour guides are freelance and it is subject to availability on bookings day!
- Transport by air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz vehicle or similar appropriate for the size of your group
- Accommodation is based according to availability (for multiple-day tours only)
- Pick-up from and return to your hotel
- Pick-up from the Port of Piraeus
- Private tour, Road tolls and local taxes
- Our terminal: Leof. Andrea Siggrou 37, 117 43 Athina, Greece.
Excluded from the tour
- Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museum
- Wine tasting fee (wine tours)
- Olive oil tasting fee (olive oil tasting tours)
- Gratuities (optional)
- Food and beverage
- Your private chauffeur/guide will discuss a program best suited to your interest and mobile abilities. Option for a professional tour guide with a state license at an extra cost. Read more for the difference between a STATE LICENSED TOUR GUIDE and a TOUR DRIVER GUIDE in Greece!
Additional info
- Dress: religious and marmoreal sites: shoulders and knee must be covered
- Terms & Conditions and Frequent Questions
- Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
- A voucher will be emailed to you with our contact numbers and all necessary information for your tour.
- This is your ticket and proof of purchase. On the day of the tour please present a paper voucher in order to redeem your tour/activity.
Persons with Disabilities
- Due to uneven surfaces, certain sites are not recommended for persons with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair. Such sites are the Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, Mycenae, Delphi and Meteora
- In all cases, we recommend comfortable flat-solid walking shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Restrictions:
- Please note that on this tour, your tour driver is not licensed to accompany you on your climb. If you want this service you may book a licensed by-state tour guide for an extra cost.
- In case a group is followed by a licensed tour guide or an English speaking tour-escort the professional driver is not obliged to speak English!
Opening hours & Admission fees
- Opening Hours:Summer April 1st to October 31st from 08:00 AM to 07:30 PM
- Winter: November 1st to March 31st from 08:30 AM to 03:00 PM
- Free admission fees: Children under 18 & Students from E.U.
- Reduced admission fees: Citizens of the E.U. aged over 65 & Students from countries outside the E.U.
Free admission days
- March 6: In memory of deceased Minister of Tourism & visionary Melina Mercouri
- June 5: Environment international day
- April 18 : International monuments day
- May 18: International museums day
- September 27: International tourism day
- The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
- National Holidays
- Sundays in the period between 1 November and 31 March
- The first Sunday of every month, except for July, August, and September
- NOTE: If the first Sunday is a holiday then the second is the free admission day
Holidays in Greece
- January 1: closed
- January 6: 08:30 AM - 03:00 PM
- Shrove Monday: 08:30AM - 03:00 PM
- March 25: closed
- Good Friday: 12:00 PM - 03:00 PM
- Holy Saturday: 08:30 AM - 03:00 PM
- Easter Sunday: closed
- Easter Monday: 08:30 AM - 03:00 PM
- May 1: closed
- Holy Spirit Day: 08:30 AM - 03:00 PM
- 15 August 15: 08:30 AM - 03:00 PM
- October 28: 08:30 AM- 03:00 PM
- December 25 & 26: closed
