podtour
From the Temple of Zeus to the 1896 Games
From Hadrian's Arch to the marble stadium, follow the ruins and projects that prepared Athens for the first modern Olympic Games.
Around the Acropolis: audio walk in Athens
The world's most famous rock without buying a ticket: who paid for the Parthenon, where the other half of its sculptures are, who took down the swastika in 1941 and who might have fired the bomb that split it in two.
See the walkFree route
What this walk is about
You start on the glass floor outside the museum, above a neighbourhood first lived in more than five thousand years ago, and look up at the gallery turned to line up with the temple. Then you follow the pedestrian promenade: the theatre where Athens saw its court being born, the bastion where two students tore down the swastika in 1941, the allies' money that paid for the Parthenon, and the odeon a millionaire dedicated to the wife he was accused of killing. You climb Pikionis's stone path to the Areopagus, the rock where bloodshed was judged and where Paul spoke, and finish facing the hills of the cannon of 1687 and the tomb of a prince whom a traveller called simply "a Syrian".
- Start
- A Neighbourhood Beneath the Glass
- Finish
- The King Without a Kingdom They Called a Syrian
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for history and archaeology lovers. A choice for families with teenagers.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level. There are cobbles or uneven surfaces. The route notes mention stairs or steps on the walk or its approaches.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
A Neighbourhood Beneath the Glass
- 2
The Angled Gallery and the Other Half
- 3
The Eumenides: A Court Is Born in a Theatre
- 4
Two Students and a Flag
- 5
Who Paid for the Parthenon?
- 6
The Odeon of a Dead Wife
- 7
Pikionis's Stone Path
- 8
The Unknown God and the Name of the Walk
- 9
A Court on the Hill of Ares
- 10
Church, Mosque, Gunpowder Store: 1687
- 11
Who Aimed from Those Hills, and What Was Lost?
- 12
The King Without a Kingdom They Called a Syrian
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Athens, before you go
Shade helps shape the walk here. Between city pavements, smooth rock and lanes beneath the Acropolis, a flexible plan and a bottle of water go a long way.
More walks nearby
Plaka, Anafiotika and the Catalans of the Acropolis
The Acropolis was once a Catalan castle. Walk its northern slope towards Plaka and Anafiotika for a history that goes far beyond the temples.
Legends of Monastiraki and Plaka
Below the Acropolis lies an Athens of mosques, baths and small churches. Walk Monastiraki and Plaka through legends and eyewitness accounts.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.