Best Bike Tours in Athens

Athens has plenty of things to do. In this regard, the things to see in and around the Plaka district are particularly popular. The best way to see Hadrian's Arch, the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the Temple of Zeus is by bicycle.

Outside the central circuit, there are also routes to visit by bike, such as the Athenian coast or the street art trail. With a bike tour you can save time and optimise your stay to make the most of the tours and excursions in Athens or visit the Greek islands.

This is another of the alternative bike tours you can do in Athens and consists of going out of the historical central circuit to see the Athenian coast.

On this tour you will be able to cross the Greek capital to the Saronic Gulf to visit the marinas of Flisvos and Mikrolimano and cycle along the coast to Piraeus.

This type of tour allows you to get to know another side of Athens, that of its ancient maritime history, visiting the ancient Hellenic Maritime Museum and the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre Foundation, which pays homage to one of Greece's great contemporary shipping entrepreneurs.

The tour also usually includes a visit to the ruins of Kerameikos, which was the cemetery of Ancient Greece.

These tours are ideal for getting to know the city' s ports, which are still operational for cruise excursions from Athens and for tours to Mykonos and the rest of the Greek islands. Plus, you can do it comfortably on an electric bike and with the assistance of an expert local guide.

Interesting details

• Price of the tour... These tours cost approximately 60 euros, including the electric bike and the assistance of the expert local guide.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... You will get to know the ports that made the maritime power of Ancient Greece famous and also enjoy the marvellous landscapes of the Athenian coast.

Athens, with its illuminated Acropolis, has one of the best night skylines in Europe, so cycling around it after sunset can be one of the best things to do during your trip.

On these tours you can visit the Agora, the Presidential Mansion and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which takes centre stage in Athens during the summer when the city hosts the Athenian festival.

The tour also includes a visit to Plaka, the old quarter, located at the foot of the Acropolis and one of the most picturesque in Athens, as well as a stop at Pnyx, the rocky hill that is considered the cradle of democracy.

This tour is a good alternative to escape the daytime heat and get to know Athenian secrets with the assistance of an expert local guide and with a small group of ten people.

This tour is one of the best activities in Athens during the night, as it allows you to see another side of the city and offers a closer experience in a smaller group than that offered by the different Athens tour buses.

Interesting details

• Price of the tour... These tours have an approximate cost of 50 euros.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... The tours are in small groups so it is a personalised alternative to see the best attractions of Athens at night.

This is one of the most common tours, because it consists of a bike ride around the ancient monuments of Athens.

You will see the Acropolis, the Agora, the Roman Forum and the Dipylon Gate as well as the narrow streets of the Plaka district and the ancient city walls. You will also have time to stop at the Greek ruins, always with the assistance of an expert local guide.

This type of tour usually includes a stop at the Panathinaikos Stadium, which was the site of the first Olympic Games of the Modern Era, as well as the National Observatory of Athens, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Presidential Mansion.

They usually also include a walk in the National Garden, a public park in the centre of the Greek capital and one of the city's largest green lungs.

These tours cost approximately 35 euros and last about three hours. They always include the permanent assistance of an expert guide and the safety elements that are mandatory for cycling in Athens.

Interesting details

• Price of the tour... These tours cost approximately 35 euros.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... This is the most complete tour of the main and historical sights of Athens and also a good value for money alternative.

With these half-day tours you will be able to tour the historical sites of the Greek capital, such as the Roman Forum, the Agora, the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis, but also visit local food stalls and restaurants in the Plaka neighbourhood for lunch before continuing the tour for the rest of the itinerary.

This bike tour can also be turned into a gastronomic tour of Athens by browsing the street food stalls on Adrianou Street where you can try horiatiki, which is the most famous Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, stuffed grape leaves called dolmadakias and moussaka, which is the most famous local dish.

After lunch, the tour continues to the Academy of Athens, the University and the National Library, the trilogy of Athenian institutions that gave birth to democracy.

Towards the end of the tour, the excursion usually passes through Monastiraki Square and the Plaka quarter, with a visit through its narrow alleys and small picturesque houses.

These tours usually last approximately six hours and cost from 104 euros. Departures are in small groups and with the permanent assistance of an expert local guide.

Interesting details

• Price of the excursion... These excursions have an approximate cost of 104 euros.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 6 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... You will enjoy a typical Greek lunch as well as a cycling tour through the most characteristic and historical sites of Athens.

On these tours you will get to know the avant-garde side of Athens... The tour moves away from the historical relics of the Acropolis to a circuit of graffiti and murals hidden in narrow alleys and alternative shopping districts.

With the assistance of a local guide, you'll be able to marvel at Athenian street art. The tour usually starts in Psiri, the Greek capital's trendy neighbourhood, characterised by its markets and cafes.

You'll also visit The Meet Market, a flea market selling fish, local foods, herbs and spices, where you'll find shops and live music.

The tour usually ends in Ceramico, the street art and ancient Greek cemetery district and Gazi, the traditional restaurant and tavern district.

I recommend this tour especially if you are visiting Athens during Christmas time, as the city is dressed in Christmas colours and lights in and around Psiri and the local atmosphere is magical.

The neighbourhood is also home to a small-scale replica of the Temple of Poseidon at Sunio, the headland on the Aegean Sea that you can visit on a tour from Athens.

Interesting details

• Price of the excursion... These excursions are priced at approximately 50 euros.
• Duration of the excur sion... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... You will get to know an alternative side of the city and the suburbs of Athens, full of street art and narrow paths ideal for cycling.

Athens bike tours can be booked online in advance or once you are in the Greek capital.

If you are travelling to Athens in the summer, which is the high season, it is best to book in advance to avoid any problems with space or last minute price increases.

Before booking your tour I recommend that you take into account the weather in Athens during your visit, as temperatures are high in summer, so it may be better to opt for an electric bike tour or tours with lunch stops and rest periods.

The answer depends on the tour chosen and the activities included, but generally an Athens bike tour lasts between three and four hours, either those that tour the Acropolis and the main historical monuments of the Greek capital or those that include an alternative tour of the street art route and the commercial ports and the Athenian coastline.

Half-day excursions with a lunch stop last approximately six hours and offer a more leisurely tour, with time to rest and enjoy the activities with free time to discover the sights at your own pace.

Depending on the tour you choose, you can discover different attractions and do different activities.

Most bike tours include a tour of the historical circuit, consisting of the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, the Agora, the Parthenon, the Benaki Museum, Hadrian's Arch, the Roman Forum, the Dipylon Gate and the Plaka quarter.

Other excursions offer a tour of the street art circuit of Athens' avant-garde neighbourhoods, including Gazi and Psiri, with their street murals, graffiti and also the city's alternative restaurants and bars.

On the outskirts of Athens you can opt for excursions to discover the ports of Flisvos, Mikrolimano and Piraeus and the Athenian coastline.

For a cycling tour of Athens I recommend that you book your tour in advance if you are travelling to Athens during the high season. It is also advisable to consider the weather, especially if you are travelling in summer, as temperatures in the Greek capital tend to be very high.

Most bike tours start at the offices of the tour service providers, which are usually located in the city centre. If you are only in Athens for a few days, a cycling tour of the historical monuments can save you time.

Here is a list of activities you can do if you have a three-day stay in Athens.

The answer depends on the type of tour you choose. The least expensive option and, in my opinion, the best value for money, is the three-hour tour of the Acropolis and the historical monuments of Athens, costing approximately 35 euros.

You can also opt for half-day tours with lunch at a local restaurant for a starting price of 104 euros.

The alternative circuit tours of the Athens street art route start at around 50 euros and the tour of the Greek capital's periphery around the marinas starts at 60 euros.

All options include the assistance of a local guide and all the safety equipment required for cycling in Athens.

Next to the Peloponnese tours, the Acropolis and the historical monuments of Athens are the most visited attractions by tourists, as they hark back to the history of Ancient Greece.

A cycling tour with a local guide will allow you to save time and money while getting to know the main circuit of the historic centre.

Since there are many attractions to visit in and around the centre of Athens, a cycling tour will allow you to optimise your tour, especially if you are planning a short stay in the Greek capital.

On these tours you'll also get to see alternative circuits and take some of the best pictures of Athens if you choose to go on a night tour.

Athens has so many historical sites to explore that it can be a bit overwhelming to do it all on your own, so a guided tour can help you save time on sightseeing and also allow you to have the constant assistance of an expert so you don't miss out on the best historical secrets of the city.

On the other hand, doing it by bike will make you much less tired than if you go around all the sites by public transport or on foot.

If you decide to go on a tour of the alternative circuit neighbourhoods, the assistance of a local guide will be crucial to know which are the best places to eat and will also show you places that only locals know about and which are very difficult to access if you don't have accurate information.

For all these reasons, touring Athens on a bike tour has many advantages - I'm sure you won't regret the experience!