Athens is a great city to explore on foot. With its world-famous monuments scattered around its historic heart, lots of pedestrian areas and car-free alleys, families with kids will love it here. If you are looking for things to do in Athens with kids, you will much enjoy an Acropolis Tour or a walking tour to the Ancient Agora. For your future family trip, I have handpicked 4 exciting family tours in Athens with kids!
Athens Walking Tours with kids
We tried and tested the walking sightseeing tours by a company called Little Owl. In Greek mythology, the Little Owl is commonly associated with Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. In classical times, the owl was the emblem of Athens, its image a feature of the Athenian silver coins, known as “owls”.
1. Child-friendly Acropolis Tour
I have said it many times before, a trip to Athens with kids is incomplete without visiting the Acropolis hill! This Little Owl Acropolis tour takes your family to the ancient ruins while listening to stories and century-old legends about goddess Athena and more. You’ll walk through history and experience the greatness of the legendary monuments and temples. On top of it, you get rewarded with a breathtaking panoramic view of Athens.
By visiting the Acropolis with this early morning Acropolis tour, you avoid big crowds and high temperatures during summer. Kids will love the engaging myths, kid-friendly visuals, and flashcards! Included in the tour are the Parthenon, the Erechteion, the Nike Temple, the monumental entrance gate “the Propylaea”, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Asklepieion (one of the first hospitals in Athens) and the Roman concert hall: the Odeion of Herodus Atticus.
Included in this 2-hour guided tour in Dutch or German:
✔ State-licensed tour guide/ archaeologist
✔ Skip-the-line entry
✔ Small group (max. 8 persons)
✔ Wireless tour guide system
Click here for prices and to book your child-friendly Acropolis Tour
For families who would like to explore the Acropolis Museum, a customized Acropolis Museum Tour for Kids is available. For more info, please contact info@familyexperiencesblog.com
2. Highlights Walking Tour
If your family prefers to visit the city in the cooling breeze of the afternoon, I recommend the Highlights Tour. This tour also takes you to the legendary Acropolis hill but combines this visit with a walk around Ancient Athens. With this guided tour in the afternoon, you get a colorful and unforgettable sunset impression of Athens. This walking tour is 4 hours and therefore recommended for older kids and teens.
During the Highlights walking tour, you will learn more about the history of the cities’ highlights through storytelling. Kids can listen to myths of the Greek gods with their vivid lives full of love and tragedy. They will also find out how these stories of Greek mythology are connected to the history of Athens and its landmarks. Behind every monument, there’s a hidden story that brings the stones to life. Find out what brave deeds the mythical heroes of Athens undertook, which gods battled for the city, and what Athens looked like during Roman times.
✔ State-licensed tour guide/ archaeologist
✔ Skip-the-line entry
✔ Small group (max. 8 persons)
✔ Wireless tour guide system
✔ Short break
Click here for prices and to book your Highlights Walking Tour
3. Ancient Agora Walking Tour
The Ancient Agora is an Athens must-see. This kids-welcome walking tour taking place at the famous Ancient Agora of Athens. This is the greenest archaeological park in Athens therefore parents can bring even the most energetic youngsters along. They will have plenty of safe space to move around while parents admire the remains of 5000 years of history and our Democracy in one archaeological site!
During this tour, your family can discover the heart of ancient Athens in the old marketplace. Nowhere is the complexity of Athens’ society so well presented as here. You can wander around the green archaeological site and discover that the ancient Agora had many functions. Listen to engaging stories about legendary myths and the foundation of democracy. If you join the Ancient Agora Tour, you will really dive into the core of Athenian public life!
Included in this 1.5-hour guided tour in Dutch or German:
✔ State-licensed tour guide/ archaeologist
✔ Skip-the-line entry
✔ Small group (max. 8 persons)
✔ Wireless tour guide system
Click here for prices and to book your Ancient Agora Walking Tour
4. Acropolis Tour with Ancient Agora
Families with older children who want to visit both the famous Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, are recommended to pick this combined 4 hour Acropolis and Ancient Agora Walking Tour. During this walk, you’ll get to climb to the top of the Acropolis to see the ancient temples and descend the hill to experience the ancient marketplace. You’ll get a complete image of ancient society with the Greek gods, the foundations of democracy, and how these were part of Athenian everyday life.
The monuments that you will visit are the Parthenon, the Erechteion, the theatre of Dionysus, and the Odeion of Herodus Atticus as well as the temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora. You will experience all of Athens’ must-see attractions during this walking tour, so you can tick them off your “top things to do in Athens” list!
Included in this 4-hour guided tour in Dutch or German
✔ State-licensed tour guide/ archaeologist
✔ Skip-the-line entry
✔ Small group (max. 8 persons)
✔ Wireless tour guide system
✔ Short break
Click here for prices and to book your Acropolis Tour with Ancient Agora
About Little Owl Family Walking Tours
Little Owl is the idea of Jessica van der Does, a Dutch archaeologist, a state-licensed guide AND a parent of two young kids. I met up with Jessica to talk about vacations in Greece with kids, and the Athens sightseeing tours that she designs for Little Owl.
Jessica, tell us a bit more about yourself, you are originally from Holland, how did you end up in Greece?
I had my first Greece-experience during my studies Archaeology at the University of Amsterdam. In the second year of my Bachelors, I had to choose a hands-on archaeological summer project. I actually wanted to go to Israel, but this was a project from another university and it didn’t have any free spots left. Then there were two options left, I could join an excavation in the Netherlands, or I could go to Zakynthos for a field survey.
Although I didn’t know much about Greece, a Greek island sounded more attractive than an excavation in the clay grounds of the Netherlands. So, without any background information and expectations, I signed up for the field survey in Zakynthos. It was a life-changer.
I fell in love with Greece, with its history, archaeology, mythology, food, people, landscapes and the Mediterranean lifestyle. I attended more field projects in Greece and when I finished my MA studies in 2012, I decided to move to Athens for six months to learn Greek. I got stuck and these six months are now more than seven years. I have married here and live in Athens with kids.
What is the best place in Athens or Greece?
Greece has so many things to see and discover that picking one place is very difficult. My favorite island so far is Amorgos. I love the atmosphere on the Cycladic islands with the contrast and simplicity of sky blue and white. Amorgos is not too touristic yet and the rough landscape is impressive.
I live in Piraeus, and in my everyday life, I like to walk. One of my favorite walks is along the coastline from Mikrolimano, Kastella, to Pasalimani. You can see Athens with the Acropolis from afar and the smell and the view of the sea is relaxing. When the weather is good, there are many small sailing boats on the water, and it doesn’t feel like you are part of a metropole but outside of the city.
From your experience, why do families love your walking tours?
It’s hard to speak for my guests but what I hear is that people appreciate the storytelling and the links to their everyday life. I believe it’s important to create short stories with a mix of history, archaeology and mythology in order to build a context around the ancient monuments.
Why should families choose a guided tour?
In my opinion, it’s an easy and relaxed way to visit a site or museum, especially when you have kids. First of all, you will appreciate the monuments better when you hear the background stories, you can place them in a context and understand why and how they were built and used. Of course, you can visit a museum or archaeological site yourself, read the signs or read a travel guide, but I believe that you will never read as much in the same amount of time than that you hear when you have a guided tour.
A live guide can point to some details and answer your questions when something is not clear to you or in case you want more information. A tour in your mother language from a native speaker (in this case Dutch) is also nice when you are travelling with children. Plus, it’s easy to have a guide because you don’t have to prepare yourself, you don’t have to read, only to listen and enjoy what you see around you.
You are a parent yourself. Why is Athens with kids such a great experience?
The historical city center of Athens has lots of pedestrian and green areas where children can easily walk, run and play without dangers of traffic. In general, Greeks love children, so they can be loud and noisy, and nobody will mind.
What will teenagers love most about Athens?
Based on my experience, teenagers love mythology (and Percy Jackson). In Athens this will come to life on the many archaeological sites and museums.
Are you travelling with teens to Athens? Have a look at Things to do in Athens with Teens
Tell us a secret about Athens?
It looks like chaos but around every corner there is a hidden real quit courtyard with a bar where you drink a coffee for hours.
Tell us a secret about one of your tours?
Our tours are designed to entertain for people who are looking for a Dutch speaking guide or German speaking guide in Athens. Joining a tour should be a relaxed and fun experience with lots of stories and visuals.
The best time to join a tour with you in Athens?
I suggest March and November. No high season, less touristy, cheaper entrance fees and when you are a bit lucky, very good weather for the time of the year.
Which tour do you recommend for families?
All tours are suitable for families. Our tours take 2-4 hours, so this is a time span that’s doable for children. Of course, it also depends on the age of the children. For younger children, I would recommend the Acropolis tour. This tour is outdoors, they can run, play and be loud without any problems, and the tour takes only 2 hours.
For children from about 8 years old it’s nice to combine it with the Acropolis museum. In the museum there are lots of videos and extras for children to make the museum more attractive, like a LEGO reconstruction of the Acropolis!
Are you looking for things to do in Athens and do you want to meet the mythological and legendary figures of Athens? Join Jessica right in the very heart of the Greek capital for an interesting Athens sightseeing tour. Her Little Owl tours are ideal for those who want to explore the city on foot, have limited time and love Greek mythology and storytelling. And if you are specifically looking for a tour in Dutch or tour in German, you came to the right place!
Click here to book your Little Owl Child-Friendly Acropolis Tour
Related Post: For a comprehensive guide of family tours and activities for kids in Athens, please go to Top things to do in Athens
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