Greece ABD - Athens Sites not covered by ABD?

[DisneyWishes14]

Hi everyone! We FINALLY made a decision and will be doing the Greece ABD this June - so excited!! I'm putting together our pre- and post-itinerary now and it looks like we will have all of the ABD arrival day (up until the welcome dinner) plus the afternoon/evening of our first ABD day to do things in Athens on our own.

According to the most current itinerary, we will only do the Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis with ABD on the morning of our first day. Does anyone know what they do in the afternoon? Do they still offer tickets to the Museum of the Acropolis? Do they drop you off at the Plaka?

Can anyone suggest other sites in Athens we should see that aren't covered by ABD? On the ABD arrival day, we will have all day until the welcome dinner. I was thinking of going to the Museum of Archaeology and the Agora that day. Any other thoughts or ideas?

Thank you so much for any help or guidance you can provide!

 

[sayhello]

I really, really enjoyed the ancient Agora. Rick Steves has an audio walking tour of the Agora on his free app that was amazing and invaluable! The museum of the Acropolis is also *wonderful*. They had an amazing exhibit showing how ancient statues were actually originally painted which I really loved. The view of the Acropolis from the cafeteria is spectacular! I don't know if they still include tickets or not, but it's worth it either way. I can also highly recommend the National Archeological Museum. I did that one with a Rick Steves audio walking tour, also. Some of the exhibits were in different orders, but it wasn't that hard to find & figure out. I like the explanations of what you're seeing. At the time, the whole first floor was basically a history of sculpture in Greece from primitive ancient to more modern times. Fabulous!

It's been 4 years since I did the Greece trip, but I don't think they've changed the itinerary much since then. After our morning at the Pananthenaic Stadium and the Acropolis, they walked us down along the base of the Acropolis (pointing out the Museum of the Acropolis as we passed) and dropped us off at the beginning of the Plaka, which was to be our meeting place later in the afternoon to meet the motorcoach back to the hotel. You could easily do the Museum of the Acropolis then. I ended up exploring the Plaka and getting lunch there.

One thing I did on my pre-day in Athens was take a tour out to the Temple of Poseidon. We managed to get it as a sunset tour (which wouldn't work if you did it the first day of the ABD). But I think it would be a fascinating stop even without the sunset.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I still adore this trip, and consider it my favorite ABD (although there are several other ABDs crowding it as a very close second!!)

Sayhello

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I really, really enjoyed the ancient Agora. Rick Steves has an audio walking tour of the Agora on his free app that was amazing and invaluable! The museum of the Acropolis is also *wonderful*. They had an amazing exhibit showing how ancient statues were actually originally painted which I really loved. The view of the Acropolis from the cafeteria is spectacular! I don't know if they still include tickets or not, but it's worth it either way. I can also highly recommend the National Archeological Museum. I did that one with a Rick Steves audio walking tour, also. Some of the exhibits were in different orders, but it wasn't that hard to find & figure out. I like the explanations of what you're seeing. At the time, the whole first floor was basically a history of sculpture in Greece from primitive ancient to more modern times. Fabulous!

It's been 4 years since I did the Greece trip, but I don't think they've changed the itinerary much since then. After our morning at the Pananthenaic Stadium and the Acropolis, they walked us down along the base of the Acropolis (pointing out the Museum of the Acropolis as we passed, and dropped us off at the beginning of the Plaka, which was to be our meeting place later in the afternoon to meet the motorcoach back to the hotel. You could easily do the Museum of the Acropolis then. I ended up exploring the Plaka and getting lunch there.

One thing I did on my pre-day in Athens was take a tour out to the Temple of Poseidon. We managed to get it as a sunset tour (which wouldn't work if you did it the first day of the ABD). But I think it would be a fascinating stop even without the sunset.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I still adore this trip, and consider it my favorite ABD (although there are several other ABDs crowding it as a very close second!!)

Sayhello

Thank you so much, Sayhello! This is fantastic info!! So we will plan on doing the Museum of the Acropolis and the Plaka in the afternoon of the first ABD tour day as it sounds like we will be super close and it will be really convenient. I think the day before (the welcome dinner day), we'll do the Archaeology Museum and the Agora! That, I think, will give us a pretty good overview of Athens. I will look into the Rick Steves audio walking tour - thank you for the suggestion! We will most likely do our pre-nights in the Athenian Riviera area, so we'll do the Temple of Poseidon at sunset then. I can't wait!!! We have been looking at this ABD for quite a while and I can't believe we are actually going!!

 

[sayhello]

Thank you so much, Sayhello! This is fantastic info!! So we will plan on doing the Museum of the Acropolis and the Plaka in the afternoon of the first ABD tour day as it sounds like we will be super close and it will be really convenient. I think the day before (the welcome dinner day), we'll do the Archaeology Museum and the Agora! That, I think, will give us a pretty good overview of Athens. I will look into the Rick Steves audio walking tour - thank you for the suggestion! We will most likely do our pre-nights in the Athenian Riviera area, so we'll do the Temple of Poseidon at sunset then. I can't wait!!! We have been looking at this ABD for quite a while and I can't believe we are actually going!!

Oh, yes, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon are much closer from the Athenian Riviera that from Athens proper. So glad you can make it there for sunset! It's really magical.

I think your plan sounds great, and very doable! I just looked at the itinerary, and it looks like dinner is on your own the second day (which it wasn't for us) as well as lunch being on your own. I'm sure the Adventure Guides can give you suggestions for a great Taverna in the Plaka that you can go to. Depending on the order you do things that day, and the hours for the Museum, you could do one meal at the Museum of the Acropolis (the "cafeteria" there, as I mentioned, has a fabulous view of the Acropolis, and the food was actually restaurant quality, and quite delicious.) Then, for the other meal, you could hit a Taverna in the Plaka. Obviously just suggestions.

I also looked at this ABD for a while, and was so glad when the folks on this Forum cheered me on to sign up for it already! It's a wonderful trip, and a wonderful itinerary and a wonderful country. Enjoy!!

Sayhello

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Oh, yes, Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon are much closer from the Athenian Riviera that from Athens proper. So glad you can make it there for sunset! It's really magical.

I think your plan sounds great, and very doable! I just looked at the itinerary, and it looks like dinner is on your own the second day (which it wasn't for us) as well as lunch being on your own. I'm sure the Adventure Guides can give you suggestions for a great Taverna in the Plaka that you can go to. Depending on the order you do things that day, and the hours for the Museum, you could do one meal at the Museum of the Acropolis (the "cafeteria" there, as I mentioned, has a fabulous view of the Acropolis, and the food was actually restaurant quality, and quite delicious.) Then, for the other meal, you could hit a Taverna in the Plaka. Obviously just suggestions.

I also looked at this ABD for a while, and was so glad when the folks on this Forum cheered me on to sign up for it already! It's a wonderful trip, and a wonderful itinerary and a wonderful country. Enjoy!!

Sayhello

The cafeteria sounds great and I can't wait to go to a (or several!) Tavernas! Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[sayhello]

The cafeteria sounds great and I can't wait to go to a (or several!) Tavernas! Thank you so much for your help!!

My pleasure!

Sayhello

 

[2littlestitches]

We really loved the Temple of Poseidon. Beautiful spot to see with the ruins and the ocean as a backdrop! We did one pre-night in Athens, and did this on the morning of our first day, before the Disney welcome dinner.

 

[sandhya]

After Acropolis and Olympic stadium we went to a Taverna for a very leisurely and sumptuous lunch.
There was a wonderful surprise during lunch, a very good one.
You will get tickets for Acropolis museum and after that you are OYO. Taxis are reliable and honest to meter.
Musts: . National museum.(has relevance to excavations in Santorini and Crete)
. Cape So union and the Temple of Poseidon (recently WSJ had a photo shoot)
. Lycabettus hill (gorgeous views of Athens, Take a taxi to Funicular). Have a coffee there.
Avoid HO HO bus.
Dinner on your own: Premiere, Restaurant at Atheneaum very elegant, Overlooking Acropolis!
Suggest, Cube for dessert.

 

[abdgeek]

Hi everyone! We FINALLY made a decision and will be doing the Greece ABD this June - so excited!! I'm putting together our pre- and post-itinerary now and it looks like we will have all of the ABD arrival day (up until the welcome dinner) plus the afternoon/evening of our first ABD day to do things in Athens on our own.

According to the most current itinerary, we will only do the Panathenaic Stadium and the Acropolis with ABD on the morning of our first day. Does anyone know what they do in the afternoon? Do they still offer tickets to the Museum of the Acropolis? Do they drop you off at the Plaka?

Can anyone suggest other sites in Athens we should see that aren't covered by ABD? On the ABD arrival day, we will have all day until the welcome dinner. I was thinking of going to the Museum of Archaeology and the Agora that day. Any other thoughts or ideas?

Thank you so much for any help or guidance you can provide!

It’s been almost 6 years since I did this ABD, but I came in 1-2 days early to see the Athens sights that ABD wasn’t going to visit. On my pre-days I went to Hadrian’s Arch(across street from Plaka), walked around the Plaka, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and changing of the guard at Parliament Building in Syntagma Square, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Acropolis Museum. When I went, the Agora was included with the Acropolis ticket so I went to the Agora(down the hill from the Acropolis) while everyone else went to the Plaka after we visited the Acropolis. I also went to the Benaki & National Archaeological Museums. I wanted to go to Mt. Lycabettus, but didn’t make it. If you’re looking for Greek sandals, the Poet Sandalmaker in Monastriaki Square behind the Agora(back entrance) is great! He only takes cash. If ABD is still staying at the Intercontinental, they should still have a free shuttle to Syntagma Square. You can easily walk to everything from there.

 

[Jordan222]

We are also doing the Greece trip on June 6th. Is anyone else going on this trip?