Athens Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

Taking in the beauty of the Greek capital can be exhausting; the hill leading up to the Acropolis alone is physically demanding. The city also has so many sights to see, how do you cover them all? With the sightseeing bus.

The Athens sightseeing bus with panoramic views and free stops is a very popular means of transport in Athens. It covers the most important points of the city and has three different routes, one of which goes all the way to the Piraeus area. It's a practical, comfortable and informative way to get around the Greek capital. For £13 you can get your tourist bus pass.

What you need to know about the sightseeing bus

If you have never used this service on any of your trips, the first thing you should know is the main differences (and advantages) that tourist buses have over regular buses:

The main tour bus company in Athens is City Sightseeing (with red buses), they have three different routes and you can choose between a 24 or 72 hour pass (the 72 hour pass automatically includes all three routes).

During the time your pass is active you can use the tour buses as many times as you like, hopping on and off at the stops of your choice. You can take the full route around the city enjoying the sights and audio commentary or you can use it as a means of transport that takes you from one point of interest to another without detours.

An important thing to note is that the main route around the city of Athens is available all year round; the same applies to the Piraeus route. However, if you want to do the Beach-Riviera route, you can only do so if you travel between April and October inclusive.

Athens Route

On the Athens sightseeing bus tour you will pass by different places of cultural interest such as the Acropolis and the Pantheon, the Temple of Zeus, the Panathinaikos Stadium, the National Garden, the Acropolis Museum or Syntagma Station, among others.

Piraeus Route

Along the route to the Piraeus area, you will see sites of interest such as the Piraeus Municipal Theatre, the Lion's Gate, the Archaeological Museum and the Planetarium.

Ana's Traveller Tip

The sightseeing bus pass does not operate on a calendar day basis but on an hourly basis, i.e. if you activate a 24-hour pass on Monday at 15:00 you can use it until Tuesday at 15:00.

If you purchase your Athens Sightseeing Bus ticket between April and October, you can enjoy two guided walking tours of Athens at no extra cost. During the rest of the year, the weather varies and the number of tourists in Athens decreases, so this option is not available.

These tours are the perfect complement to the bus tours. While the on-board audio commentary focuses on cultural and historical information about the sights the bus passes, the walking tours focus on more everyday aspects of the city, which are also essential to get a full picture of the city.

An expert guide covers a different area of the city on each of these tours and for about two hours not only shows you places that tourists don't normally notice, but also tells you about the city and its way of life from the point of view of a local, something that I can assure you will be very enriching.

Whether you buy the 24-hour tourist bus pass or the 72-hour tourist bus pass, you can do it:

In person

The City Sightseeing company has different offices spread throughout Athens. You can locate any of them and buy your pass in person when you arrive in the city.

Online

It is best to buy your tickets for the Athens sightseeing bus with panoramic views and free stops online in advance. This is the most convenient way to buy your pass as you won't have to waste time in Athens and you will receive your ticket directly on your mobile phone.

Activation

You can do it as far in advance as you want because, once you have purchased your pass, you have 12 months to activate it and from the first use, the 24 or 72 hours time starts to count. When you go to buy your sightseeing bus pass you will need to specify the day you start your journey (this does not mean you have to activate your ticket on that day) and if your plans change you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before that date.

The sightseeing bus is an ideal option for a trip to places further away from the centre of Athens, such as the Piraeus area. If after this visit you still want to explore the area around the Greek capital, I recommend that you consider taking one of the trips that I talk about in this article. Best Tours and Day Trips from Athens.

Greece is a country with a lot to offer the traveller and it is a shame that during your trip you will only discover one city, even if it is as exciting as Athens. With organised tours you will have the opportunity to visit places like Delphi, the Peloponnese or the Greek Islands in one day.