Athens Essential: 48-Hour Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

Summary Description

Enjoy a 48-hour hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour of Athens, giving you the freedom to explore the city at your own pace over 3 routes.

Highlights

Discover Athens your way with our hop-on, hop-off tours—explore top landmarks at your own pace or relax and enjoy the full route from the open-top deck.
Enjoy pre-recorded commentary in 14 languages with disposable earphones available on board every bus
Enjoy top-deck views of Athens on three scenic routes with stops near iconic sights like the Acropolis, Plaka, Temple of Zeus, and the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.
Explore the port city of Piraeus and discover maritime history, Greek Culture and the waterfront!
Enjoy coastal views of the scenic Athenian Riviera.
Free Wi-Fi available on all buses

Description

Discover the history, charm, and coastal beauty of Athens, Piraeus, and the Athens Riviera aboard a modern open-top double-decker sightseeing bus. With three distinct routes, it’s easy to explore the city’s iconic landmarks and vibrant neighborhoods—enhanced by digital audio commentary in 14 languages.

From the top deck, take in panoramic views of Athens’ most treasured sites, including the Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the atmospheric streets of Plaka. In Piraeus, admire neoclassical architecture like the Municipal Theatre and soak up the maritime energy of one of the Mediterranean’s largest ports.

Head toward the Athens Riviera to discover elegant marinas, beautiful beaches, and coastal gems such as Alimos Marina and Flisvos Marina.

Whether you're interested in ancient history, urban culture, or seaside relaxation, this tour offers a rich and seamless way to experience the best of Athens and beyond.

Included / Excluded

48 - hour Hop-on, Hop-off ticket (All Routes)
See all the top landmarks like Acropolis, Temple of Zeus and Parliament
Open-top, double-decker bus
Multilingual audio commentary in 14 languages
Free Big Bus app for live bus tracking and service updates
Free onboard Wi-Fi

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food & Drink

Start / End Locations

Start Location: Ermou 1, Athens, Greece

Start Location Notes: Stop 1, Red, Green and Purple Routes: Syntagma Square

Start Location Directions: In front of Nike store

End Location: Akti Moutsopoulou 6, Akti Moutsopoulou 6, Pireas 185 35, Greece

End Location Notes: Stop 21, Purple Route: Pasalimani

End Location Direction: Opposite the statue of the "Clock"

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible

Commentary

Audio : English, Afrikaans, Arabic, German, Greek, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Turkish, Chinese Mandarin, Hebrew, Ukrainian

Important Information

Know Before You Book

Buses are not equipped with toilets or lifts/elevators
Busses are 100% wheelchair accessible on the lower deck

Know Before You Go

Redeem voucher with a Big Bus staff member at any stop
Stops directions, Bus live-tracking and more: Download Big Bus App, it's free!
Free Headphones available on Every Bus
Wheelchair accessible

Cancellation

Cancellation Cutoff: 24 hours

Cancellation Notes: Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund

Options and Pricing

Unlimited 48-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket

Athens Essential	RETAIL PRICE
Adult (13 - 99 years)	N/A
Child (4 - 12 years)	N/A

Points of interest

Terms and Conditions

Voucher is non-refundable after it has been scanned and activated by a member of staff.

Additional Information

First tour of the day on the Athens Route departs at 09.00 am from Stop 4 at the Acropolis, and buses will come every 20 minutes until 4.30pm depending on the of time of year. Other popular stops to start the tour include Stop 2 at the Melina Statue and Stop 13 at Monastiraki Square, however you can redeem your ticket at any of up to 14 Big Bus stops. Please see more details on your voucher.
The full tour circuit durations are as below:
ATHENS (Grey) Line: 1hr 30 minutes (approx.)
PIRAEUS (Purple) Line: 1hr 15 minutes (approx.)
RIVIERA (Green) Line: 1hr 40 minutes (approx.)
Please note that tour duration is subject to traffic and road closures.

Redemption Information

Tickets will be held at the box office

FAQ

What audio commentary is available on the tour?

Our bus tours feature pre-recorded commentary in the following languages: Greek, English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Russian, Japanese, Turkish, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew and Ukrainian. Disposable wired earphones are available from your driver.

How long does the tour take?

The full tour circuit durations are as below:

ATHENS (Red) Line: 1hr 30 minutes (approx.)

PIRAEUS (Purple) Line: 1hr 15 minutes (approx.)

RIVIERA (Green) Line: 1hr 40 minutes (approx.)

Please note that tour duration is subject to traffic and road closures.

How often do the buses run?

Buses will come every 25 minutes until 4.30pm depending on the of time of year.

How do I redeem my ticket?

Show your ticket (printed or on a device) to a member of staff at one of the stops or aboard the bus. They'll issue you a receipt that you'll be able to use to hop on the bus throughout the validity period of your ticket.

Day Tour Departure Times

First tour of the day on the Athens Route departs at 08:30 am from Stop 1 at the Syntagma Square, and buses will come every 20 minutes until 4.30pm - 18.00, depending on the of time of year. Other popular stops to start the tour include Stop 2 at the Melina Statue,Stop 4 at Acropolis and Parthenon and Stop 13 at Monastiraki Square however you can redeem your ticket at any of up to 14 Big Bus stops. Please see more details on your voucher.

What is the child ticketing policy?

A child ticket is available for children between the ages of 4-12 Children under 4 may travel free of charge. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Operator Website

Operated by:

About operator:

Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours, inspiring the spirit of adventure in 26 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey 28 years’ ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has swiftly expanded to a global fleet of hundreds of open-top buses, turning 6 million tourists into explorers, every year. Big Bus Tours operates in Prague, Boston, Madrid, Munich, Los Angeles, Singapore, Dublin, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Miami, Muscat, Rome, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Darwin, Sydney, Vienna, Washington DC and Berlin, with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a
variety of interesting locations, with complimentary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience.

We envision to be the number 1 thing to do in every world-famous city. Our vision is to be the #1 thing to do in every world famous city. In doing so, we are dedicated to providing the highest quality Hop on Hop off service in the industry. Our tours are enriched with state-of-the-art digital audio-guides that are not only informative, but also entertaining for individuals of all ages. Covering all major landmarks and points of interest in each city, our buses offer the flexibility for customers to hop on and off at their convenience throughout the duration of their ticket. We pride ourselves in offering a wide variety of products tailored to meet the needs of every traveller, with many tickets even including additional exciting activities such as boat tours, walking tours, and attraction tickets.

Basic Information