SWEET ANARCHY-EXARCHEIA PRIVATE TOUR
Athens
All Year Round
95
3 Hours
Food & Culture Tour
Private Walking Tour
Highlights
- Explore Athens’ most alternative neighbourhood that is undoubtedly considered one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Europe
- Walk through the hidden streets and corners of Exarcheia and hear stories about student rebellions and anarchist riots
- Learn about the intellectual and artistic side of Exarcheia and discover one of the biggest Street Art scenes worldwide
- Browse vintage fashion stores and second-hand vinyl stores and dig up the most unexpected souvenirs
- Enjoy a traditional Greek coffee like locals love to do and sweeten your palate with some special delights
Tour snapshot
Follow us on a unique adventure as we will venture into the “forbidden” rebellious neighborhood of Exarcheia. The locals and the press have given to Exarcheia the title of Greece’s Anarchism capital. Exarcheia is known for its student movements, political riots, and revolutionary ideas. However, Exarcheia was undoubtedly selected among the coolest neighbourhoods of Europe, as here, it is the district where students, intellectuals, and artists prefer to live. Get off the beaten path and visit contemporary art spaces and independent coffee shops, browse second-hand vinyl and vintage fashion, and sample special sweet delights, in places only known by locals!
Local impact — How you help the local community by joining this tour:
- Local businesses in a district that doesn’t generally benefit from tourism are supported.
- By supporting 100% local, small-scale businesses, you promote their work and their enterprises to thrive through financial crisis
- By visiting a 100-year-old local bakery, you help them to continue serving authentic local delicacies.
- By joining this tour, Exarcheia’s unconventional and creative characters are kept in the spotlight, in contrast to the tension created by the national forces.
Full Itinerary
On this Athens private walking tour, experience one of the most unconventional neighborhoods of Athens, Exarcheia, where students, anarchists and lefties, intellectuals, artists, refugees, and old local families insist on living here giving the area a lively yet local feel.
Selected among the coolest neighborhoods of Europe, Exarcheia’s identity is a well mix of revolutionary ideas, young creativity and street culture. With a local guide by your side, you’ll wander through the backstreets of the area, discover lesser-known stores, coffee shops and co-working spaces, and see why world-famous artists such as Nick Cave chooses Exarcheia for all-night drinking sessions!
After meeting your local guide, you’ll pass by the Academy of Athens and the other impressive surrounding buildings, heading to a local coffee shop for sipping a Greek coffee and savoring traditional loukoumades, our sinful, Greek-style doughnuts.
Then, you’ll continue your walk through the boem neighborhood and hear stories of neighbourhood’s tumultuous recent history as well as urban legends and myths.
Continuing our walk, you’ll wander along Exarcheia’s most characteristic street, Kalidromiou street with the stunning neoclassical buildings, the edgy street art, the charming vintage stores, and the old coffee shops, while then, you’ll walk all the way up to Strefi Hill where you’ll admire panoramic vistas of Athens as well as, not-often-seen perspectives of the Acropolis.
Going downhill to Exarcheia’s center, you’ll wake up those taste buds with an ice cream flavoured with dry figs and tsipouro, a grape-based alcoholic beverage, from a local sweets shop with more-than-a-century history.
Next, you’ll explore the streets of Exarcheia passing by the oldest open-air cinema of Athens. Did you know that open-air cinema culture is an important part of Athenians’ summer lifestyle? If you’ve never tried before, you should come back later to watch a movie under the stars!
Of course, this walking tour around Exarcheia couldn’t be completed without visiting Exarcheia’s main square. Feel the vibes of a place that is the symbol of urban resistance, riots and anarchists, covered in graffiti and political posters and housing local-favourite alternative cafes and restaurants.
Before getting back to the meeting point, you’ll have the chance to sweeten your palate with more delights at two more stops.
Don’t forget to ask your local guide for more hints and tips on how to get the best out of your trip to amazing Athens.
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, 4 special sweet delights at 4 different stops, bottled water, and a Greek coffee.
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, souvenirs and items of a personal nature, tips and gratuities for your guide