Espa

You've come all this way - why not go just a little further?

our story

Alternative Athens started in 2013 with just one aim: To show travelers the genuine side of Greece, away from easy tourist stereotypes. Since then, we’ve put together a range of local experiences and tours that show you interesting places less frequented by tourists, where you can get a real understanding of the country, its capital and the local way of life here.

Our tours are unique, but it’s our people who make them truly unforgettable. That’s why we pick our guides very carefully and according to two criteria: how well they know their city, and how friendly and open they are to the world. After all, it’s the encounters you make on your trip which create the best memories to take home.

We’re a small, local company with a global way of looking at things, so we’re very excited that we’ve been featured in the international press in a number of articles that described us as, among other things, an innovative company helping to change the face of Athens. We’re also very proud to have earned TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence every year we’ve been in business.

We love what we do; we love meeting people, exchanging ideas and – because this is what travelling is really all about – sharing all we can about our country and our culture.

our difference

01

We design and operate all of our tours and activities ourselves. We’re not resellers of tours, like most other tour companies are.

02

We craft all our tours based on what we really like and want to share about our country, not based on market research or marketing hype.

03

Our guides work exclusively for Alternative Athens, which means they share our way of thinking and our ideas about how people can travel differently.

04

We love innovating and offering different, genuine experiences. We’re the first in Athens to create a Mythology tour, a Street Art tour, a Greek Designers Shopping tour, an LGBTQ tour and a Meals with Locals activity.

05

We like to think of our customers as guests: we’re here to offer them an opportunity to discover Athens and Greece in an honest and friendly, yet highly professional, way.

responsible travel

Travelling with Alternative Athens means travelling in a way that respects and benefits the local people, their culture and the environment.

  • We focus on areas that are less visited by tourists
  • We support local businesses that promote high-quality Greek products.
  • We eat in small locally-owned establishments.
  • We travel in groups of no more than 12 people, minimizing any negative impact or disruption to the local way of life or the environment.
  • We limit (as much as possible) the use of motorized transportation; our activities are mostly walking tours, and when we do need to rely on motorized transport, we promote the use of public transportation wherever possible.

We craft our tours and experiences with the aim of encouraging real-life interactions which help people from different cultures understand each other and the world we all live in.

A photo collage of travellers enjoying our unique tours in Athens that span from culinary ones to mythological ones.

in the media

Awards & Accolades

Testimonials

"My friends and I booked this tour last minute and Alternative Athens was extremely accommodating to fit us in.We had a GREAT experience with Andreas, who walked us through the history of Greek wine and wine making. There was plenty of wine to enjoy and a lot of delicious small plates to snack on at the cozy cafe where this all took place. I never felt like we had a tour guide just spouting off a script about wine, food, and Greece. It was more like hanging out with an old friend who is well-traveled, cultured, and extremely knowledgable. Well worth the cost!"

sighoss999

"We had an amazing tour through the sites with stories about the gods and goddesses with our kiddos, ages 5 and 9. I highly recommend Alternative Athens! Not only did we have a great guide, but we were also greeted and treated to excellent customer service. This tour was a highlight of our trip!"

Rosanna

"Amazing Tour! It exceeded my expectations. Our guide Demetra was wonderful and had an amazing knowledge of history, archaeology and culture; she did a great job highlighting things of importance and interest, while not bogging us down with too much detail. Our tour included a number of cultural stops (wine tasting, icon painting, Greek lesson, tanner and bellmaker visits, stops for local sweets and food, etc.) and every stop added to the richness of our trip. I honestly cannot say enough good things about Alternative Athens and Demetra!!"

Elizabeth B, TripAdvisor