Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, dating back over 3,400 years, so it’s no surprise that it’s brimming with history and culture. While there are many ways to explore Athens as a tourist, if you want to experience Athens like a true Athenian, the premier option is Athenian Tours. Athenian Tours has been in operation for over a decade, and they’ve established themselves as the one-stop shop to best discover Athens. With over a dozen different tours, you’re able to experience every aspect of Athens as well as day trips to other parts of Greece. Their day trips go to historic sites such as Delphi and Meteora, while they also offer daily cruises enjoying the coastlines and islands in the Athens area. If you’re looking to stay in the city of Athens, Athenian Tours provides multiple options to explore the sights and tastes of Athens.
The crown jewel of Athens tourism is the Acropolis, an ancient citadel towering over the modern city that has become one of the most visited sites in the world. While you can buy tickets yourself and wander around, it’s highly advisable to take a tour with an expert. On our “Acropolis, Parthenon, and Museum guided tour”, we began the day meeting at Athenian Tours headquarters, not far from the entrance to the Acropolis. 
We met with our guide Iris, who explained the history of this majestic site. We learned how the ownership of the site has changed hands and identities multiple times between empires, why some historical artifacts are far away in the British Museum, and how to spot the difference between original marble and newer marble used for repairs. While many think first of the Parthenon, one of the most famous buildings in the world, there are so many other areas on the site of the Acropolis worth seeing. Iris showed us the Asclepieion of Athens, an ancient hospital where people would come to heal their bodies, as well as the Theatre of Dionysus, an ancient amphitheater that once held approximately 25,000 people for those who wanted to heal their souls. At the top of the Acropolis, we were brought to the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, two temples with fascinating history that Iris explained to us.
Following the Acropolis grounds, it’s essential that you visit the Acropolis Museum, or else you’re missing out on a huge collection of original artifacts from the site itself. 
This museum opened in 2009 and has thousands of objects recovered from the Acropolis, including pieces from the Parthenon itself. They even have the statues that once encompassed the temple’s pediments, all spaced out in their original placement, so you can envision how the magnificent structure originally looked. You might assume that the Acropolis Museum isn’t necessary, especially after a tour of the grounds, but being guided by Iris through the museum was crucial to getting the full picture. While it’s possible to visit the Acropolis and Museum on your own, you’d be doing yourself a big disservice by not having a local guide walk you through everything.
The true highlight of our time in Athens was our food tour, led by our Athenian Tours guide Vasilieia. She was a phenomenal tour guide, really making us feel like locals and taking us to all the best spots in town. 
We started our day at a pie shop called Ariston, sampling some of Greece’s sweet & savory pies from bougatsa, a custard filled pie, and spanakopita, a spinach filled pie. With a local guide like Vasilieia, we were assured that this shop, unlike many others, hand bakes their pies every morning so they’re truly fresh. Following this, we went to a Krinos, a dessert shop and café, for some Greek coffee and loukoumades, traditional Greek donuts. The loukoumades were drizzled with cinnamon and honey and Vasilieia taught us the proper way to sip the rich coffee so we can appreciate the flavor. We then were taken through the Varvakios Central Municipal Market, where locals go to buy their meat and fish fresh and direct. Outside of the market, we got to sample pistachios from the Greek islands as well as caramelized peanuts, a delicious snack. We also tasted fresh strawberries, clementines, and loquats from the fruit vendors in the area. All of the food we had in Athens was incredibly tasty.
Of course no visit to Greece without olives, Vasilieia took us to a shop where we tried almost a dozen wildly different types of olives with completely unique flavors. Our final stop of the tour was to Hoocut, a phenomenal restaurant for gyro/souvlaki, two names for meat with veggies and tzatziki on pita bread. 
It tasted so fresh and authentic; it was undoubtedly the best gyro I’ve had in my life. At the end of the tour, Vasilieia gave us recommendations for the rest of our trip, including where to get the best koulouri, a Greek bagel, and what streets have some of the best restaurants in town. It was a lovely afternoon of eating and chatting with Vasilieia about what life is like as an Athenian.
I insist Greek food is one of the best cuisines on the planet, but this food tour was about so much more than just tasting the local culinary delights. We really got to know the history and culture of Athens through the food they eat and the knowledge of our guide Vasilieia. It’s the knowledge of a local who felt like a friend that allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in Athens. Athenian Tours provides excellent guides delivering special experiences so you can experience Athens like a local.
To book a tour with Athenian Tours, you can visit www.atheniantours.gr.