Athens Shore Excursion: Athens and Piraeus Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
No matter what cruise ship you arrive on, discover the very best of Athens with a 24 or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass. Athens is an incredibly ancient city, and on this double-decker bus tour you'll see all of the key sights, including the Temple of Zeus, the Acropolis & Parthenon, the National Library, the Ancient Olympic Stadium, the National Gardens and much more! Learn all about ancient Greek mythology and philosophy, thanks to the informative on-board audio commentary. Hop on and off as many times as you please within the chosen time period, getting a closer look at the Athenian history on show. This sightseeing tour provides access to up to 3 bus routes depending on the ticket chosen.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
For cruise passengers arriving at the Cruise Terminal, bus stops 4, 5 & 6 on the Piraeus route will be the nearest stops at which to join the tour (if ticket including Piraeus route is selected).
Athens route operates all year round, excluding 17th November, 25th December and 1st January.
Piraeus, Beach & Riviera routes operates April - October only.
Athens Route (Terminal: A1 - Syntagma Square): First departure at 8:30am. Last departure at 6:30pm. Duration: 90 minutes. Frequency: every 20 - 30 minutes
Piraeus Route (Interchange: A4 - Acropolis / Parthenon): Departures every 60 minutes between 11am and 5pm. Tour duration: 80 minutes
Beach-Riviera Route (Interchange: A2 - Acropolis / PLAKA): Departures every 60 minutes between 9am and 5pm. Duration: 110 minutes
With your voucher, enjoy flexible access for up to 12 months from the travel date you select at check-out.
Mobile and printed paper vouchers accepted for this tour
The electronic voucher is not a ticket. The voucher must be redeemed by one of the agents at the stop or on the bus before passengers board
Once the electronic voucher has been redeemed and exchange for a printed paper ticket, passengers are required to keep the printed ticket with them for the whole duration of their journey, as electronic vouchers cannot be used after redemption
Please note that the tour will not operate on Sunday 10th May due to the Cycling Tour Hellas
What To Expect
Duration:1 hour 30 minutes
Operating Schedule:Terminal: A1 - Syntagma Square: First departure at 8:30am. Last departure at 6:30pm. Frequency: every 20 - 30 minutes
Syntagma Square
Acropolis / Plaka
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis & Parthenon (Interchange: Piraeus Route)
Temple of Zeus
Parliament / National Gardens
The Four Museums
The National Gallery
Anicent Olympic Stadium
National Library
National Archaeological Museum
Omonia Square
Karaiskaki Square
Monastiraki Square
Kotzia Square
Duration:1 hour 20 minutes
Operating Schedule:Interchange: A4 - Acropolis / Parthenon: Departures every 60 minutes between 11am and 5pm
Pantion University
Niarchos Foundation
Municipal Theatre
Cruise Terminals A & B
Lions Gate
Archaeological Museum of Piraeus
Votsalakia Beach
Mikrolimano Harbour
Planetarium - Marriott Hotel
Grand Hyatt & Intercontinental
The Acropolis & Parthenon (Interchange: Piraeus Route)
Duration:1 hour 50 minutes
Operating Schedule:Interchange: A2 - Acropolis / PLAKA: Departures every 60 minutes between 9am and 5pm
Acropolis / Plaka
Pantion University
Niarchos Foundation
Faliro / Flisvos
Edem
Agios Kosmas Beach
Bomo Palace
Glyfada Beach
Asteria Beach
Divani Apollon
Oceanis Beach / Astir Palace
Vouliagmeni Lake
Pigadakia
Blazer Suites
Glyfada Town
Golf
Agios Kosmas
Kalamaki
Poseidon Hotel
Planetarium - Marriott Hotel
Grand Hyatt & Intercontinental
Temple of Zeus
Options
24-Hour Ticket - Athens Line
48-Hour Ticket - Athens Line
48 Hour - Athens Line: Explore the Athens Line with our 48-hour hop on hop off bus ticket.
48-Hour All Lines
Explore the Athens, Piraeus & Beach Riviera lines with our 48-hour hop on hop off bus ticket.
What‘s Included
Free glass of Greek bar
Free Wi-Fi
Stops near the major sights
Access to up to 3 bus routes depending on ticket selected
Audio guide commentary in 13 languages + headphones
24 or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus pass depending on ticket selected
Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities
Entry to attractions
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
627 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Hang on to the printed ticket
Denise C,Jun 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00They are dead serious about hanging on to your ticket. Once you have done the electronic converted to the paper that ticket is no longer valid. The cheapest they would provide a ticket for 25 euros which was more than was paid for the original ticket plus the bus was running for 2 more hours.
Quick and Easy Athens
Valerie T,Jun 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00A great way to get around Athens and very easy from Cruise port, but note you will need tickets for both the bus from Port and Bus for city.
Nice tour, busy traffic
hansv245,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The Athens Line (red buses) cirkel the center and with the traffic congestion it is not always the best option, the underground could be a better and cheaper alternative. There is no time table to see how frequently the bus rides. You can however scan the QR code on the bus stop sign and see were the bus is in real time.
Very well informed nice...
JoseC,Jun 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very well informed nice clean and self explanatory the workers very nice and courteous places accessible and quick just depends on traffic and it was not bad
Athens Hop On/Off
Maregni K,May 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The bus gives a good overview of Athens’ highlights. The ride may take longer than expected due to the city traffic, so plan accordingly.
CitySightseeing Athens & Piraeus Hop-on/ Hop-off Tour
Steven I,May 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Bus was clean, audio worked well. We did both CitySightseeing Athens and Piraeus tours. Most waits less than 15 minutes at stops. Great way to get familiar with the location.
Loved it
Katrina H,May 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Be patient. Traffic can be bad. We did the entire round trip first then decided where and when we wanted to hop off and on. Every one was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful 💙💙
Athens history tour
jessica,Apr 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was great. A good way to see the city. You get a good feel of the history of all thats happened over the centuries
Top class in terms of routes, stops and timings
Zulfiqar D,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Hop on hop off Red Bus is excellent as always. Most of the European cities we have covered, we have always taken Hop on hop off Red Bus. It’s top class in terms of routes, stops and timings. Same with Athens service. Just love it and highly recommended for city tour.
Great introduction to Athens
890JeremyL,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Was a really informative introduction to the city. Good view of key sights and great explanations. Covers areas for shopping, dining & entertainment, not just the antiquities. Check the map to see where to catch the bus and for timings. Because of traffic they are ballpark. Physical maps are left at some of the stops throughout the day. Look for the billboards on the street / kerbside for stops. There are a couple of competing companies. Make sure you are standing at the City Sightseeing stop! They are mostly quite close, but not always! The "free beer" is at stop A1 if you get there at the right time.
Related Experiences
Operated by City Sightseeing Ltd - Europe