Athens Panoramic Tour with Guided Acropolis & Museum Visit

Covered the key areas with a very knowledgable guide

we booked this tour via our holiday operator Jet2. Arrangements were simple and we were due to arrive at the office in Athens by 8 am. The office was very busy at this time and a little chaotic but we managed to find the right bus for our specific tour. We had approximately a one hour bus trip around the key sites of Athens at low level and then were driven up to Park towards the Acropolis. We then spent some time going through all the key parts of the Acropolis with Dimitris, our guide. His English was excellent and his knowledge of his subject was impeccable. We had an opportunity to ask questions at each point and our group total to 13 people which made it very manageable. We then walked back down from the Acropolis to the new Acropolis museum. Dimitris then led us through key points of the museum. This was less effective with a guide because of the crowds in the museum and the jostling to get near important exhibits. We were released at exactly 1:30 pm which was the time agreed in advance. A well planned tour with an excellent guide

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Great experience

Our tour with was absolutely fantastic and so well planed. Thanks to our guide, we got so much interesting and important information about the Acropolis and many other sights and attractions in Athens. The museum also was very impressive. If you have a day in Athens this is the best way to explore the city!

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Unstable company with horrible customer service

The transfers from hotels were included in the tour of Acropolis and The private museum. The company left us in the museum with an excuse for demonstrations blocking the town centre and advising us to find our ways to the hotel. The guide was excellent but could not ignore the instruction from the tour office. All responsibility of transfer was ignored and we were left in an unknown new city with no local currency. We travelled by subway after new card payment at the counter.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for leaving us your feedback, letting us know about your experience during your time with us. We feel very sorry for your disappointment. We always try to serve our guests in the best way. On your occasion, please note that due to the demonstrations that were taking place that day, the choice of ending the tour outside the museum was the best one. We guarantee that if we had tried to reach all the pick-up points/hotels, you and all the guests would have spent hours on the bus. It was a prudent decision we made in order not to spend your time so aimlessly. However, we apologize for your inconvenience, and we remain at your disposal. Best Regards, Marianna Papakosta

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Avoid this company

We were on a half day tour incorporating the Acropolis, city sightseeing and the Acropolis museum. Our tour guide was Irene. Our confirmation details read that pick up would be 8.25am. It also read that we had to confirm our attendance within 24 hours of the tour which we felt was a bit of a pain. When we did phone, we were told that pickup was actually at 7.40am. At the appointed time the following morning, we were escorted to a large coach which spent the next hour picking people up from various hotels and delivering them to other destinations in Athens, presumably to join them with guides speaking their respective languages. The tour finally got underway at 8.45. At the Acropolis, Irene set off at a pace with a small pink umbrella held up, and throughout the tour she had no regard for some members of the party who had mobility problems. She also seemly had no awareness that most of the group (30 plus of us) couldn't hear her commentary as she took us around a very crowded Acropolis. Other tour companies use electronic communication devices to enable everyone to hear the guide but not this company. At the end, we were left to make our own way back to the parking lot which was by now full of numerous coaches and other vehicles and looked very different. We struggled to find our coach, concerned we would be left behind, but eventually found it after weaving our way through many vehicles. There then followed a sightseeing tour and then we went to the museum. At around 12.30, after almost 5 hours involving a lot of walking with no opportunity to take a break for water and refreshments, a half a dozen of us finally gave up trying to hear and keep up with the guide and made our way to the café. The guide told us she would meet us at the museum entrance at 1.10 when we would be escorted the wherever the coach was parked and be taken back to our hotel. We had much needed refreshments and a rest and made our way to the entrance, having been slightly delayed by the café staff taking an age to bring the bill over. When we got there, she had already left and we needed to take a taxi back. Admittedly we were late but only by 3 minutes (no exaggeration). In summary, the sites we visited were amazing but I would never want to book with this company again because of all the difficulties we experienced and the lack of being able to hear any of the guide’s commentary.

Response from the operator: Dear Guest, Thank you for your comments. We are very sorry to hear about your experience. This is definitely not the standard of service our customers have come to expect from us. We will investigate the issue. We apologize for the situation and the hard feeling you dealt with, and we remain at your disposal. Kindest Regards, Marianna Papakosta

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Awful day.

We booked this tour after being advised that we would be picked up specifically from our hotel, as that was the deciding factor in our booking as well as the sights. Once we paid we were informed that we wouldn't be picked up from there, and we had to make our way to another hotel, a 5 minute walk apparently. Try 15 -20 mins in the heat and steep paths. Once we were picked up, we sat in the bus for ages with other people and waited at the depot. Then we were called out with another couple to go to another bus. As we were last, we were at the very back. Unfortunately we couldn't hear anything and the tour guide didn't bother to explain or ask if we could hear her. Plus we didn't want to shout down to her in the bus! The trip itself was marred because I had a restroom break at the foot of the Acropolis, and when I emerged from the long line, the group had gone. (I don't blame them for this, but it would have been nice to have someone or some indication of where they were, maybe at the beginning?) My husband said he looked for the group, but with the crowds it was impossible. So we searched for the group and didn't appreciate where we were as we were concerned at losing the group and needing to catch up. My lifelong dream of seeing and enjoying the Acropolis was lost. Once we got down, we decided to go to the meeting spot in the museum and wait at the place we overheard the tour guide tell another couple.After over an hour I called the company and explained and she said the guide was on her way as a client had been hurt. Once the guide arrived, she completely ignored us and was very rude. When I quietly advised her that we were unhappy with the whole situation, she very loudly and rudely berated us and involved the whole group in publicly humiliating my husband and I about being late, not allowing myself or my husband to speak a word. Subsequently the group starting yelling and it was completely embarrasing and totally humiliating. The situation got worse, but in the end, the guide refused to allow us into the group. We have travelled over 20 years around the world, and have taken numerous tours by car, bus, coach and ship and have never ever had an experience like this.We have always had wonderful guides who have been a credit to their company and country. It was shocking to say the least, and it could have been dealt with much better if the tour guide listened to what had happened, been more professional, and not inflated the situation. As travellers, your tour guide is a representative of their company and their country, this guide let them both down. If there is a next time, we will definately look elsewhere for a tour.

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