Central Athens is compact, and much of the old town around the Acropolis is pedestrian, so a private tour of Athens by car is not about driving past monuments. It is about joining up the places that are far apart or uphill, avoiding the midday heat between them, and having somewhere cool to leave your bags, jackets and shopping. The car takes you from your hotel to the edge of the Acropolis area, on to the Panathenaic Stadium and the National Archaeological Museum, up to a viewpoint at sunset, and down to the sea for dinner.
With Elly8.net the private city highlights tour costs from US$340 per vehicle in a business sedan to US$680 in an Executive Sprinter, fixed and all-in, and covers the Acropolis area, Syntagma and the Parliament, Plaka and the city viewpoints, with the chauffeur waiting while you walk. For a longer or freer day, book by the hour from US$85 with a 3-hour minimum. This guide is about the city itself; for Cape Sounion, Mycenae and Delphi, see our guide to Athens day tours with a private driver.
How much does a private tour of Athens by car cost?
The Elly8.net private city highlights tour costs from US$340 in a business sedan, US$440 in a business SUV, US$520 in a First Class SUV, US$560 in a First Class Sedan and US$680 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. By the hour, Athens costs from US$85 in a business sedan with a 3-hour minimum.
Every price is per vehicle, not per person, and includes the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity. Parking is billed at cost. Entry tickets for sites and museums are paid separately, and a licensed guide, if you want one inside the sites, is booked separately too.
Three ways to book a city tour
| Booking | Price from, per vehicle | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Private city highlights tour | US$340 sedan to US$680 Sprinter | A first look at the city with set highlights |
| Hourly chauffeur, 3-hour minimum | US$85 sedan, US$110 SUV, US$170 Sprinter per hour | Your own route, a museum morning, a shore day |
| Evening out and event night | US$425 sedan to US$850 Sprinter | Sunset, dinner and a performance with the car waiting |
| Full-day chauffeur | US$630 sedan to US$1,255 Sprinter | City in the morning, Riviera in the afternoon and evening |
All four are on the Athens fares panel. The package is the simplest choice for most first-time visitors; the hourly booking suits travellers who already know what they want to see.
Route 1: the classic morning
Start early at the Acropolis. In summer the hill is hot and crowded by late morning, so a 7:30 or 8:00 pickup is worth the effort. Cars cannot drive up to the gates; the chauffeur drops you at the nearest permitted point on the edge of the pedestrian zone and agrees a meeting point for afterwards. The UNESCO listing for the Acropolis is a good short read before you go, and tickets and hours are set by the site, so check them when you book your visit.
The Acropolis Museum. At the foot of the hill, and the natural second stop while the sun climbs. You walk there from the site.
Plaka and Monastiraki. The old lanes below the Acropolis are mostly for walking. The chauffeur meets you at the edge of the neighbourhood when you are ready, rather than you walking back up in the heat.
Syntagma and the Parliament. A short drive or walk to the square, then back to the hotel for the hottest part of the day.
This is close to what the city highlights tour covers, and it is a comfortable half day.
Route 2: museums and marble
The Panathenaic Stadium. The stadium of the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896, built in white Attic marble, as the Panathenaic Stadium site describes it. It is a short drive from Syntagma and an easy stop of 30 to 45 minutes.
The National Archaeological Museum. North of the old centre, the National Archaeological Museum calls itself the largest archaeological museum in Greece. It is a long walk from Plaka, and a car makes it an easy morning. Visiting before a day trip to the ancient sites later in your stay gives useful context for what you will see.
Kolonaki. The district of galleries, cafés and boutiques on the slopes north of Syntagma is the lunch stop. The streets are steep and narrow, which is exactly where a car that waits for you is worth having.
Book this route by the hour: three to four hours covers it at a relaxed pace, from US$85 an hour in a business sedan or US$110 in a business SUV.
Route 3: sunset and the Riviera
A city viewpoint at sunset. Athens is built around hills, and the views over the city from Lycabettus or the hills facing the Acropolis are the reason many people want a car in the evening.
Down to the coast. The coast south of the city runs through Palaio Faliro, Glyfada and Vouliagmeni. Vouliagmeni is about 20 km (12 mi) and 25 minutes from Syntagma by our routing, and the official City of Athens Riviera guide covers the beaches, seaside lunches and nightlife along the coast.
Dinner by the sea, and back. The evening out and event night package keeps the car with you through dinner, from US$425 in a business sedan, US$550 in a business SUV and US$850 in an Executive Sprinter. The chauffeur follows local rules on everything inside the vehicle.
A sample full day in the city
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | Hotel pickup | Earlier in July and August |
| 08:15 | Acropolis, then the Acropolis Museum | Dropped and collected at the edge of the pedestrian zone |
| 12:00 | Plaka for lunch | Collected at the edge of the lanes |
| 13:30 | Hotel break | The hottest hours in summer |
| 16:30 | Panathenaic Stadium | About 30 to 45 minutes |
| 17:30 | City viewpoint | Time it for the light |
| 19:30 | Riviera dinner | About 25 minutes to Vouliagmeni |
| 22:30 | Back at the hotel |
This is a full-day chauffeur booking, from US$630 in a business sedan to US$1,255 in an Executive Sprinter. If you would rather skip the hotel break, the same plan fits as a long hourly booking.
Package or hourly: three worked examples
A couple on their first full day. The city highlights tour in a business sedan at US$340 covers the Acropolis area, Syntagma, Plaka and a viewpoint, with the chauffeur waiting at each stop. Three hours by the hour would cost US$255 in the same car, but the package removes any watching of the clock, which most first-time visitors prefer.
A family of five with a museum list. A Business SUV by the hour, four hours at US$110, comes to US$440 for the stadium, the National Archaeological Museum and lunch in Kolonaki. As arithmetic for comparison only, that is US$88 a person; the fare is charged per vehicle.
Ten friends celebrating a birthday. One Executive Sprinter on the evening out and event night package, from US$850, keeps the group together from a sunset viewpoint to dinner on the coast and back to the hotel, instead of three or four taxis meeting in the same place at the end of the night.
In each case the price is fixed when you book, charged in US dollars, and does not change with traffic or the time you spend at each stop within the booking.
Car, walking, hop-on bus or taxi
Be honest about Athens: the centre is walkable, and the metro is good. A fit couple in spring or autumn can see the Acropolis, Plaka and Syntagma on foot in a day and take a taxi to the stadium. That costs very little.
A private car earns its fare in summer heat, with children or older travellers, for anyone with limited mobility, on a short shore day from a cruise ship, and when you want to combine the city with the coast in one day. It also helps when time is short: one car, one fixed price, no waiting at taxi ranks between stops.
A hop-on bus covers the main sights on a loop for a low fare, with a shared timetable and no door-to-door service. A taxi between each stop is cheaper than a car by the hour for two people doing two or three stops, but you hail or call a new car each time, and there is nowhere to leave your things. For the general comparison, see chauffeur vs taxi.
For cruise passengers on a shore day
If your ship calls at Piraeus for the day, the car can collect you at the terminal and bring you back before all-aboard. Piraeus is about 11 km (7 mi) from Syntagma by our routing, roughly 15 minutes on a clear road, but port traffic in summer can double that, so the desk builds in margin. Give us the ship name, the date and the all-aboard time. An hourly booking of four to six hours covers the Acropolis, the museum and lunch in Plaka with time to spare. Our guide to Athens to Piraeus explains how the port pickup works.
Timing tips for an Athens tour
Summer. From June to September, plan outdoor sites for early morning and late afternoon, and keep the middle of the day for museums, lunch or the hotel.
First day after landing. Keep it short. A three-hour hourly booking in the late afternoon, ending with dinner, is an easy way to see the city on arrival day. Our Athens airport to city centre guide covers the transfer in.
Marathon weekend. The Athens Marathon, The Authentic, runs on 8 November 2026 according to the race organisers, with roads on the route closed on race morning. If your tour falls that weekend, the desk plans around the closures.
Site hours. Archaeological sites and museums set their own hours, which change through the year and on public holidays. Check before you set the day.
Vehicles for a city tour
A business sedan seats three passengers with two bags, enough for a couple's shopping and jackets. A Business SUV or First Class SUV seats six and takes six bags, the usual choice for a family. An Executive Sprinter seats twelve, for a family group or friends who want to stay together. See the fleet, private city tours and group transportation.
Rides in Athens are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer.
How to book an Athens private tour
- Pickup. Enter your hotel, the date and the start time, and list the places you want to see.
- Vehicle. Choose the vehicle for your group.
- Reserve. Book the city highlights tour, the evening package or the full day from the Athens price list, or use the web booker for an hourly plan. Confirmation arrives by email.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. See the cancellation policy.
Hotels booking tours for guests can use a hotel account. For more about the city, see the Athens chauffeur page, and for the islands, Mykonos and Santorini. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a private tour of Athens by car?
The city highlights tour fits comfortably in a half day. Hourly bookings start at three hours, which covers the Acropolis area and Plaka at a relaxed pace, and a full day lets you add the stadium, a viewpoint and dinner on the Riviera. Tell the desk your list and we suggest the length.
Can the car drive to the Acropolis entrance?
No. The approaches to the Acropolis are pedestrian, so the chauffeur drops you at the nearest permitted point at the edge of the pedestrian zone and agrees where to meet you afterwards. The same applies to many lanes in Plaka.
Is a guide included in the private tour?
No. The chauffeur drives, waits and handles timing and bags, but is not a licensed site guide. If you want a guide inside the Acropolis or a museum, book one locally and tell the desk the meeting time and place so the tour is planned around it.
How much is an hourly driver in Athens?
From US$85 an hour in a business sedan, US$110 in a business SUV, US$130 in a First Class SUV, US$140 in a First Class Sedan and US$170 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. Prices are per vehicle and include the chauffeur, taxes and standard gratuity.
Can we book a tour on a cruise shore day?
Yes. Give the desk your ship, date and all-aboard time. The chauffeur meets you at the terminal and brings you back with a margin for port traffic. Four to six hours by the hour usually covers the Acropolis, the museum and lunch.
Are child seats available?
Yes. Ask for child or booster seats when you book and give the children's ages, and the partner fits them before pickup. A Business SUV leaves room for seats, a stroller and a day's supplies, and the seats are confirmed in your booking email before the day.
