Day Trips to Cape Sounion from Athens

Where the land ends and the Aegean overlooks, a monument dedicated to the Greek god of the sea, the Temple of Poseidon, emerges. It's located on the southeastern tip of Attica, at Cape Sunion, and anyone who flirts with Greek mythology, pristine beaches and the best things to do in Athens should put this destination on their list of places to visit in the Greek capital.

In this post you will find the best excursions and tours to visit Cape Sunion from Athens with prices, duration, tips, pros and cons for you to choose the option that suits you. Let's get started.

This is one of the best day trips and excursions from Athens thanks to its versatility, the personal attention, the luxury transport used, the sights and monuments visited.

Although the times and destinations are tailored to your requirements, generally the route of this private tour starts with a pick-up from your hotel to go straight to visit the Acropolis, stroll around the Parthenon, the Theatre of Herod, the Temple of Athena Nike and other prominent temples of the "upper city".

Take your time to see these fortifications, it is worthwhile to understand the connection the Athenians had with the deities, their political and economic system, told through archaeological sites. After a couple of hours in the surrounding area, continue the tour to the New Acropolis Museum, where the contrasts of history are present among more than 4,000 artefacts classified by UNESCO experts.

Next, you tour the University, the Academy and the Athenian Library. The Greek White House, the Parliament building, the Temple of Olympus of Zeus, the magnificent Kallimarmaros Stadium, the Temple of Poseidon and many other monuments.

Details of interest

• Price: From 259 €.
• Duration: 8-9 hours.
• Timetable: morning.
• What the tour may include: Round-trip transportation by luxury car to selected hotels, villas, residences and other stays in Athens, you can even arrange your pick-up directly from the airport. Wi-Fi service in the car. Bottled water. English speaking driver and guide available all day. Lunch.
• Means of transport: luxury car usually Mercedes or similar.
• Pros: Flexibility in schedules, you control the time you want to spend at each site of interest. The number of sites visited. Personalised attention.
• Cons: The service is rarely offered in Spanish. None of the tickets are included, although on average they cost from €6 each. I particularly recommend that if you are going to bein Athens for 3, 5 or 7days you buy your AthensCard Pass which includes entry to 22 of the iconic Athenian sites, including all those on this tour plus other benefits and discounts.

As the red twilight fades into the landscape, a magical atmosphere is created, perfect for approaching one of the most important sites in the history of Greek mythology, Cape Sunion. You begin the tour with a relaxing drive through some of Athens' most beautiful suburbs, such as Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza as you travel along the Saronic Gulf.

You pass the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sunion, where you can witness spectacular views of the Saronic Gulf. According to mythology, this was the point where Poseidon scattered the Greek armada when it tried to return to Attica. The Odyssey records the details of the myth.

Next, you head to a taverna at Cape Sunion with a stunning natural canopy in the background to admire the sunset over the Aegean Sea, just as you prepare to enjoy Greek culinary delights. On the way back to your hotel, you stop for a typical dessert like the locals.

Details of interest

• Price: From 155 €. Price varies according to the number of participants and the date of the tour.
• Duration: 5 hours.
• Schedule: Afternoon.
• What the tour may include: Professional guide service. Dinner at an exclusive restaurant in Cape Sunion. Transport service to and from your hotel.
• Means of transport: minibus or luxury car.
• Pros: The group is small, up to 7 people can travel together on this tour. Plus the included lunch is a plus.
• Cons: Available in English and French. Entrance fees to the monuments are not included.

This is perhaps the most exciting tour on this list as you drive around the coastal area with the Aegean Sea in the background while making stops at tourist sites and suburbs that are not accessible on other types of tours.

The adventure starts with an introductory talk in Athens. Then you drive through Kavouri, Alimos, Glyfada, Voula and Faliro with your buggy, the cosmopolitan suburbs of the area where the trendy restaurants and cafes take place. Then you reach the ancient hot spring caves located at Lake Vouliagmeni.

The myths surrounding the water of this lake claim that it has healing powers. You will have the opportunity to swim before moving on to Cape Sunion and the Temple of Poseidon.

The next stop is for lunch between Varkiza, Lagonisi, Saronida and Anavyssos, suburbs where any Greek gastronomic tour could take place.

Details of interest

• Price: From 199 €.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Timetable: morning.
• What the tour may include: Professional guide service in English. Lunch with Greek souvlaki. Snacks. Bottled and carbonated water.
• Means of transport: buggy or jeep.
• Pros: This is an adventure tour from Athens to Cape Sunion. Groups are usually up to 24 people. Stops are made at beaches and natural pools.
• Cons: Entrance fees to monuments are not included. You must travel to the central meeting point in the Greek capital.

This tour starts with a pick-up from your accommodation to enjoy the best views of the Athens Riviera amidst picturesque villages and unspoilt beaches.

The tour includes the cliffs of Lake Vouliagmeni where springs feed beautiful natural pools. Then it's on to one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Temple of Poseidon.

This monument was built on the southernmost cliff of the Aegean Sea, at the top of the ancient Greek Sacred Cape, better known today as Cape Sunion. Then it's down to Sunion Beach where you can dive into the crystal clear sea if you visit between May and October.

Make a note of this walk as one of your summer things to do in Athens, the views are breathtaking, just check out this video. At the end you will be taken back to your hotel.

Details of interest

• Price: From 90 €.
• Duration: 5 hours.
• Timetable: morning and afternoon.
• What the tour may include: Bottled water. Transport to and from your hotel.
• Means of transport: bus.
• Pros: The beach stops are perfect for getting to know Athens on land and sea, you get to combine the best of Cape Sunyon in one tour.
• Cons: Entrance fees to any of the monuments and beaches are not included.

The ancient monuments of Athens offer a spectacular view of the city to all visitors and, at the southernmost tip of Athens, you'll find Cape Sunion, the site from which the Greek sea god protected the central Athenian harbour. It is a strategic point from which the sea passage to the Aegean Sea and Piraeus was controlled, as well as the Lavrion peninsula, which included the rich silver mines from which Athens emerged as a leading power in the 5th century BC.

Your scenic drive from Athens to Cape Sunion allows you to see the Temple of Poseidon and more. After a short drive along the coastal road, you stop at Glyfada and Lake Vouliagmeni, where the Athenian suburbs meet the sea. You can have a drink at a beachside cafe or restaurant, your guide will be waiting for you.

Arriving at Cape Sunion you tour the Temple of Poseidon while listening to the expert guide. A photo tour of Sunion Beach is also included. There is time to explore this beautiful place before returning to Athens.

Details of interest

• Price: From 54 €.
• Duration: 4 - 5 hours.
• Timetable: morning.
• What the tour may include: Professional guide service. Transport to and from the accommodation.
• Means of transport: minivan.
• Pros: the guided tour. The journey along the coast in comfortable transport with sightseeing at places of interest.
• Cons: The tour is ideal for taking pictures and learning about the history of this Greek cape, however, the time is insufficient to enjoy the beaches and seaside resorts.

Discover the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sunion at the southern tip of Attica. During this guided bus tour from Athens you listen to commentary about Greek mythology, historical facts and cults paid to the ancient God of the sea with the audio guide in your language. The panoramic views are a sight to behold and on this type of tour you usually wait until sunset before returning to your accommodation area.

After being picked up from your hotel you board the bus and receive the audio guide so you can learn some interesting facts about the Athenian region. The first stop of the tour takes you to Lake Vouliagmeni, an ancient hot spring cave with 14 tunnels inside. The water of this lake is considered to have therapeutic powers, and you can splash around in the water before reaching the next stop at Cape Sunion.

This cliff is an emblematic place as well as telling us about **Poseidon'**s position as the protector of Attica, according to Greek mythology, it was exactly on this cape that Aegeus took his own life when he thought he had lost his son Theseus. From this myth came the name of the sea you will be flanking from the bus. And once you reach the southern end you come across the Temple of Poseidon.

The temple is the ideal place for devotion to this Greek god. It is located at a height of 60 metres above sea level. It is hexastyle, originally conceived with 36 columns of 6.1 metres high, however, nowadays only 16 are left standing. And in the middle of the majesty of the place you will contemplate the sunset, a memorable sight, which will leave you speechless. After taking your photographs and enjoying the moment, you will be taken back to your accommodation.

Details of interest

• Price: From 35 €.
• Duration: 4 hours.
• Timetable: morning.
• What the tour may include: Small groups. Audio guide in English. Transport to and from your stay to Cape Sunion.
• Means of transport: Air-conditioned bus.
• Pros: The English speaking guide is excellent and the tour has all the tourist stops from Athens to Cape Sunion.
• Cons: Time is short when the fun is good and there are four or four hours of which half is on the road.

• The beaches and natural pools along the Athens Riviera are only available as seaside resorts between May and October. You can always take a cruise along the coastal area of the Saronic Gulf and enjoy the spectacular Greek scenery, but if your desire is to dive into the Aegean Sea, book your Athens in Summer tour or excursion.
• As well as bringing your swimming costume when you go to Cape Sunion, pack an umbrella and jacket especially if you're staying for the sunset.
• Excursions and tours usually include expert guidance throughout, however, entrance fees are not usually included, so be sure to check with your tour operator.

• Language. English-speaking tourist assistance is rare in Athens. Ideally, you should book a guided tour in advance to get the most out of your visit.
• Although it is true that you can go on your own from Athens to Cape Sunion, you should take into consideration that there are no guided tours in English in the place, in fact, from their website the information is all in Greek or English.
• The comfort offered by private tours and excursions is always superior to that of public transport.
• The recommendations, commentary and history offered by the local guides are useful and enriching.