• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Take a walk off the beaten track, away from the tourist crowds, and see the real side of Athens. On this private tour, go beyond the classic route and explore the Akadimia where you’ll experience a different Athens, like a local with a local by your side!

Destination

Athens, Greece

Category

Off The Beaten Track

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Italiano, Ελληνικά, العربية, Español, Français, Čeština, Русский

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 15 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Entrance of Kafeneion 111, on Ermou 111 - Athens to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Off the Beaten Track

   Done with the main highlights of Athens? Check out the Akadimia. Explore a lesser-known part of the city that will give you a more authentic feel of Athens. Check out Strefi hill, Psirri and more!

4. The Real Deal

   Let a local expert in the area you’ll visit show you their Athens from a different perspective - away from the tourist traps. See street art, cultural hot spots, local vendors, hangout spots, and historical gems, and embrace the vibe!

5. Personalized Recommendations

   Want to explore more of the area after the tour? Your host is happy to recommend their favorite eateries and where to take a break while wandering in this vibrant area

6. Unique Plan

   Depending on your host, this tour will be experienced based on their knowledge, passion, and expertise. Pick a host that matches your interests and see their city through their eyes!

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Dina Wiberg

(About local Dimitri)

6 June 2025

Dimitri are a relaxed, cosy host, who takes time to get to know you, has a really good English, and have a good local knowledge to show you around, wherever you want to go. Get a local Friend

Marissa

(About local Irini)

5 June 2025

Irini was simply wonderful! She was very sweet, knowledgeable, and friendly. I truly enjoyed walking around Athens with her, she made it so enjoyable! It was so much better than the big group tours we also did on our trip. She was a wealth of information and also helped us get a taxi at the end of our tour. I would highly recommend her for anyone looking to see some interesting things in Athens that are not as well known as the major sights!!Amazing experience!!

Marcus🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Manos)

3 June 2025

We were spoilt having Manos as our guide. He is extremely knowledgable about Athens , its history and gave us an amazing insight of life in Athens both current and past Highly entertains and all round good guy I highly suggest you look for him As we had a fantastic morning out Marcus AustraliaSpoilt

Oliver🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Nikolas)

3 June 2025

My family and I did a 2.5 hour walking tour with nikolas in the afternoon. It was a great whistle stop tour of the city. We covered a lot of ground. Nikolas was an engaging guide and we learned a lot. Great overview of the city

roula🇺🇸 United States

(About local Irini)

2 June 2025

Amazing tour with Irini!!! Thank you!!

Stephanie 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Manos)

28 May 2025

Overall the day was fine. Our first impression of our guide was a bit brash. He may have been put off by Americans... Immediately he made a comment about my greeting with him saying something to the effect that I was loud - an American. It has been a while so I am unable to find his exact words. Over time he did warm to us. We were an eclectic group with varied backgrounds and ethnicities. 6 women/friends from Spain, UK, and the USA. Religions included Baptist, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish creating a diverse knowledge of the world and very open minds. Some well traveled, others not with the age ranging from 28-60. While the tour was interesting it didn't feel as if it matched the itinerary/description or maybe the interpretation was wrong. We learned some interesting history. A fair amount about the seedy side of Athens inclusive of the sexual exploits both accepted and not accepted, the markets with antiquities, street art, and so forth. Again interesting and chock full of details but my (I organized the tour) interpretation of the description was very off. We had also hoped to see some of the local artists "with off the beaten track" shopping - but unique, not mass produced. Overall it was good but the first impression being corrected for my loud american "warm" hello was off-putting and therefore maybe it tainted my impression. Though I did warm to him and might I say he to me when he realized that I had substance, traveled, enjoyed local history of all kinds, and was not as loud and shallow as he may perceive Americans to be.Sounded amazing, a bit of a let down

Debora🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Dionysis)

26 May 2025

Our family of four spent three hours with Dionysis walking around central Athens. We were taken to fascinating areas away from the tourist hot spots. Dionysis told us many interesting facts and answered our questions clearly. He also provided links to recommended eating places and good, practical advice about where and when to see the sights. We would recommend Dionysis without reservation.Interesting and informative

Unknown

(About local Spyros)

26 May 2025

Spyros was the most fantastic tour guide! myself (21 f) and my mother absolutely loved him. Firstly he gives off the kindest fun uncle vibes and secondly he knew so much about the city and it’s heritage every question we asked he had an answer for plus he spoke so passionately about the each little part he showed us and introduced us so to so many little gems. When our two and an half hour time ended he was still going trying to squeeze in showing us everything he thought we would be interested it - there was no slowing him down! Also he took some fantastic photos of me A+ photographer very Instagram worthy! we felt like we saw so much of the city in such a time efficient way. I highly highly recommend him for a tour! Kindest most colourful guide!

zccvkwd4tg🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Spyros)

26 May 2025

We had a fantastic tour with Spyros. He adapted the tour on the basis of the little we had seen of Athens prior to the tour and packed in so much. We visited well known and little known places and he was full of information and anecdotes regarding the sites and places. Spyros is passionate about Athens and highly knowledgable as well as friendly and welcoming. His enthusiasm for his home town is infectious!Excellent tour with wonderful guide

Boyd🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Yorgos)

25 May 2025

Carolyn🇺🇸 United States

(About local Irini)

25 May 2025

My husband and I had a fantastic walking tour with Irini. Her knowledge of the city and the neighborhoods were amazing and made the city come to life. We loved her stories on the history and mythology of Athens. She is such an engaging and gracious guide and we would recommend that anyone thinking of booking this tour do so and choose Irini. Amazing Afternoon Tour With Irini

Unknown

(About local Irini)

25 May 2025

It’s a was a private tour for 4, including our two year old toddler. Irini was very considerate about having to push a stroller around and also the very short concentration and patience our toddler had. Nevertheless we all learned a lot and a had a really great experience. It was the best.Best guide in Athens

Melissa

(About local John)

24 May 2025

We were a group of 6 and chose to do the "Off the beaten path" tour through Athens. We had a great time with John. He took us to spots we would have never found ourselves and he did so with great humour and spirit. He had great knowledge about pretty much everything so you'll learn a thing or two as well. After the tour he was very helpful in providing us tips for the rest of our trip in Athens. I would highly recommend doing a tour with John. You'll for sure have a blast.We had a great time!

Rachael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Dionysis)

23 May 2025

Roger🇺🇸 United States

(About local John)

18 May 2025

John was exceptional and an example of why I use and recommend WithLocals. He put me at ease and comfortably discussed items of interest to me. He let me feel a part of the local community, if only for the tour time.Great off the beaten path

Timothy🇺🇸 United States

(About local John)

18 May 2025

Thank you John

SUSAN

(About local Dionysis)

14 May 2025

Dionysius was extremely knowledgeable and informative about Greek history and mythology. We learned that the words, “politics and idiot” were derived from Greek. Love it! He was lots of fun and answered every question we had with great depth. An informative morning with Dionysis!

Sharlene and Richard🇺🇸 United States

(About local Voula)

13 May 2025

My husband and I took the tour with Voula. She is very versed on the history of Athens and the ruins of the past. Voula also knows a lot about how the artifacts of the past are handled today. Try building a bank and uncover parts of the ancient Athens' wall...then what? Voula showed us places that we would never have seen on our own and she paced the tour to our needs. We had a very good discussion on today's Athens and her citizens.Have a question? Voula has an answer.

Ίρις και Μιχάλης🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Thomas)

13 May 2025

Imagine walking through a foreign city with a good old friend who has lived there for a long time: in addition to some of the “typical” attractions, you will hear stories and gain insights that only a real “local” can present to you, especially if he loves his city with all his heart. That actually describes our tour “off the beaten track” with Thomas perfectly. I generally feel well informed about my vacation destinations thanks to extensive reading - and we've already been to Athens several times. But Thomas always had that one extra story to share that you wouldn't find in a travel guide. We touched on topics such as mythology, history, architecture, trendy districts and the Tembi railroad accident (currently there is a temporary memorial in front of the parliament building) as well as people such as Kekrops, Zorbas, Kazantzakis, Babis Stokas, Callas, Onassis and Melina Merkouri, and Thomas never failed to provide answers. When he left us after around four and a half (!) hours with an insider tip for a type of greek beer that is rarely available on draught, the time had just flown by. My conclusion: definitely recommended!Περί ανέμων και υδάτων στην Αθήνα

Stefan🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Ioannis )

5 May 2025

“We had a fantastic time on this tour! Our guide Ioannis was excellent – knowledgeable, engaging, and fun. The tour was both interesting and entertaining from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore Athens with a local touch!”Excellent!

Agnieszka🇵🇱 Poland

(About local Eleni)

3 May 2025

It was a truly enjoyable afternoon – full of local flavors, hidden gems, and fascinating stories. The atmosphere was unique, and every moment brought something new. Definitely an experience worth having! truly enjoyable afternoon

Nafees🇺🇸 United States

(About local Dionysis)

2 May 2025

Dionysis was on time, warm and friendly. He took his time to give us a wonderful walking tour interspersed with many facts of Greek mythology and history, and other nuggets that only locals would know ranging from underground rivers to ancient politics. Dionysis is a must have guide for anyone who wants to experience Athens off the beaten track.A Walk with a Learned Historian

Unknown

(About local Ioannis )

26 April 2025

We already have written a detailed review

Rob and Wendy🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Ioannis )

25 April 2025

Ioannis gave us so much in a few very enjoyable hours. He was knowledgeable, patient, and understanding all at the same time. Showed us some hidden gems, really cool places, had some great tips on what we could do for the rest of our stay. He explained some of the history as only a true local could. Highly recommend if you want to make the most of your time in Athens. Ioannis, The Great guide!

Margaret🇺🇸 United States

(About local John)

25 April 2025

John showed us an Athens. He never would have seen walking about on our own. He loves his city and his country and it showed with every comment he made. He was so friendly and outgoing. Our experience with Chan could not have been better!It was a 10❤️

Unknown

(About local Ioannis )

19 April 2025

Ioannis was a kind, entertaining and knowledgeable guide. His background in history as well as local culture, and his lovely personality made our tour so enjoyable. Instead of droning with a continuous monologue like so many tour guides, Ioannis asked us up front what are interests were, answered our questions as they came upon, and interacted skillfully with our group. Yiamas to Ioannis for a great tour!DC family had a great tour!

Letitia

(About local Ioannis )

19 April 2025

Ioannis was fun and extremely informative. Tour was great value for money. Fun in the back streets of Athens

8qthyn6hws

(About local Dimitri)

16 April 2025

Dimitri nous a emmené dans le centre pour une merveilleuse visite hors des sentiers touristiques, nous faisant découvrir les lieux appréciés des Athéniens. Il est très sympa et de bon conseil. Super découverte du centre ville

Julie🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Dionysis)

7 April 2025

Dionysius gave us a wonderful tour of Athens which included many hidden treasures that we never would have found by ourselves. He was knowledgeable and provided facts and information at each stop. He even took the time to provide restaurant tips & he also sent other tips for Athens to us via WhatsApp.Fantastic tour of Athens

Brice

(About local Voula)

2 April 2025

Loved my walk with Voula. 3h weaving in and out of ancient and modern parts of the city, chatting about Greece’s history, culture, society, journalism, economy. A fantastic way to understand the country beyond the Acropolis.An amazing dive into modern Greece

christel🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Dionysis)

2 April 2025

We just had some fantastic hours with Dionysos. What a fantastic guy ‼️‼️Dionysos

hadar

(About local Yorgos)

1 March 2025

Our morning tour with Yorgos was delightful, he is a generous and performative guide that gently adjusted himself to our wishes and interests. Thanks to Yorgos we had a welcoming intriguing encounter with Athens. Many thanks! Highly recommended private tour

Panos

(About local Tatialena)

27 February 2025

Tatialena was an awesome guide and excellent for families. Much recommended Excellent for kids

Christine

(About local Ioannis )

6 February 2025

Ioannis is passionate about his Athenian knowledge and carefully listens to your own interests.He explains that he is a court lawyer and actor by profession. He communicates politely and professionally to understand our wishes for the tour. We talked about what we had experienced already and skilfully Ioannis worked out that we were interested in art and modern politics. We are Scottish and he had interesting insights when comparing our legal systems for instance. Our conversation varied widely using the starting point of the Athenian archeology we walked past. We progressed to modern Greek art by visiting hidden spaces an art cooperative we would never have found. Next we were debating graffiti as art as we walked up the Plaka houses beneath the Acropolis walls with a fascinating story about their origins. He found hidden fresco details which again we would never found without Ioannis. We walked back down through the maze of small streets and markets. Again he skilfully guided us with our interests in mind. At each step of the way he was knowledgable and had an infectious enthusiasm for his local culture. We were returned to near our hotel in a master stroke at a bar called Noel. He understood our enthusiasm for whacky art! What a wonderful man and experience. A real privilege to meet Ioannis. His English is impeccable. Unique insights into Athenian culture

Neta

(About local Yorgos)

11 January 2025

I want to express my sincere gratitude to our tour guide in Athens. He had extensive knowledge and shared fascinating insights about the city’s history and culture. His English was clear and easy to understand, making the entire experience enjoyable. He was attentive to our requests and tailored the tour to meet our interests, taking us on a comprehensive journey to some of Athens' most magical spots. He also recommended excellent restaurants, bars, and taverns, which added so much to our trip. Even after the tour, he was available to answer our questions and provide further tips. We are truly grateful for his dedication and highly recommend him to anyone visiting Athens. An Exceptional Tour Guide in Athens

Margarita🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Ioannis )

7 January 2025

Ioannis was very kindly able to accommodate us when we had a problem with our flight and were delayed by a day and I was worried we were going to lose our different bookings we had planned. He offered to move it to the next day and adapt the time to fit with another booking (for the Acropoli) we already had. Thanks to Ioannis we had a great time discovering some great places whether on the cultural /historical front or the food and drink front! We were able to see places and areas we probably would have missed had we not been with someone local. The concept of a local guide is amazing , I will be looking out for this on our travels in other countries and for Athens Ioannis was an extremely fun ,cheerful and interesting guide who I highly recommend, Thank you Ioannis!!!A beautiful tour with a great guide!!

Robert🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tatialena)

10 December 2024

We were delayed in meeting Tatialena but she waited for us and provided a great tour. She was fun and the pace of the tour met our needs. A Great Tour

Sheila🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Dimitri)

7 December 2024

Dmitri was a great person, he showed up places we would never have seen on our own. All very interesting, in the present, so much more to Athens than the Acropolis! He was fun to be with yet explained so much to us. We would definitely recommend. Excellent, fun and informative

Virginie

(About local Nikolas)

2 December 2024

Merci Nikolas pour cette visite qui a correspondu en tous points à ce que nous souhaitions. Pas besoin de marcher beaucoup pour découvrir Psiri par les petites rues et Anafiotika, Un peu d’histoire mais pas trop, Et surtout en-dehors des sentiers battus remplis de touristes. La durée de 2:30 est juste parfaite. Je recommande vivement cette expérience !Absolument genial !

Alan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Spyros)

30 November 2024

I enjoyed my tour of Athens with Spyros. Even though I’d been through some of the locations previously, he showed me what I hadn’t seen before including those that were less touristy. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about Athens and its history. His perspective from a life in the city added greatly to the tour and is exactly why I was looking for.Like Seeing Athens With A Local Friend

Sue

(About local John)

21 November 2024

John was great with lots of interesting views on all things Greek . We had a great time Great Experience

Rayomond🇺🇸 United States

(About local Voula)

21 November 2024

What a pleasant experience! Voula was very accommodating and showed us parts of the town we would not have otherwise seen. She was very patient with our numerous questions. She also emailed recommendations after the tour. If you're in Athens, seek her outSuperb walk around town

Charla🇺🇸 United States

(About local Spyros)

13 November 2024

First our transportation was delayed and we contacted Spyros and he allowed us to be late to the tour. We got there and had to use the restroom and kindly allowed us more delay. As we began the tour, I was uncertain it would be all we hoped for. Soon enough, we started exploring. Spyros took us through back alleys, into coffee shops, by new and old marketplaces and restaurants, sharing each step of the way little nuggets on culture, history, food, and stories over time how Athens has changed, etc. We had already spent 10 days touring Greece with a specialized guide and yet we still got so much insight. We almost felt local because we went to places we never would have otherwise. It was one of the highlights of our trip! He could have gone for hours if we hadn’t had a cutoff! He is passionate and you sense it as he stops, pauses and leans in to share another nugget. High Expectations- Didn’t disappoint!

Derek🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Dionysis)

9 November 2024

A pleasant well paced walk with a knowledgeable guide made Athens far more welcoming. Highly recommended! Derek LA walk through hustory

Simona

(About local Eleni)

6 November 2024

1

Eleni has a deep knowledge of history and archaeology and is passionate about her job. She was very patient since I asked her to practice Greek but she was helping with English when I did not understand 100%. She was very nice and welcoming. I highly recommend her as a guide :)great experience!

Vernon

(About local Makram)

5 November 2024

Makram gave us a fascinating tour of Athens and exactly what we were looking for. He recommended and helped us book an excellent restaurant and ended the tour in a rooftop bar with amazing views of the acropolis.Athens Hidden Gems

A.M.

(About local Dionysis)

1 November 2024

Dionysis gives a good tour with a lot of background. Was a very nice experience.Walk in Athens

Nick

(About local Dionysis)

1 November 2024

Very friendly and helpful with good tips and interesting explanations About Green mythology. Great guide

Rachel🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Ioannis )

30 October 2024

Ioannis was fantastic. He met us on time, showed us so much of the city that we wouldn’t otherwise have seen. He was so knowledgeable, his story telling was incredibly engaging. He answered all our questions and we were totally captured from start to finish. He clearly has such a passion for his city. We would 100% recommend. Perfect!

Lee🇮🇱 Israel

(About local John)

27 October 2024

John is an excellent tour guide, who was also able to connect and personalize the tour for our 14 yo daughter. You won’t be disappointed.Recommended Tour with John