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

"Taking the walking and food tour with Alternative Athens was one of the highlights of a 3 day tour of Athens. It was the best introduction to the city and local neighborhoods. We had tastings of wine, cheese, meze, coffee, and chocolate in a variety of local restaurants and stores that we would not have found on our own. At each stop we were treated as VIPs. We highly recommend this tour to people who want to experience life in Athens beyond the tourist spots."

Diane B

"My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Athens Neighborhood tour. Our guide gave us some indepth history and interesting facts about the history and evolution of the Athenian neighborhoods. An awesome and very informative walking tour."

Promod L

"Truly amazing! Some of the hidden sites have been our favorites while in Athens. The tour allowed us not only to see interesting places and some street art, but also gave us a feel for Greek culture and the lives of the residents of each neighborhood, something we could not get simply by ourselves. Our tour guide was exceptionally kind, and engaging; we felt we were walking with a friend. It was definitely a highlight of our trip, and we are so glad we did it."

offthebeatenpath2019