podtour
Around the Acropolis
Walk around the Acropolis on its outer paths to discover what happened to Athens' most famous rock. Its story begins before you enter.
In the Footsteps of Socrates: audio walk in Athens
The edge of the Agora with Socrates as the thread: where he was charged, who his neighbours were, where the assembly voted and how an 1840 guidebook invented a prison for him.
What this walk is about
You start on Adrianou Street, facing a neighbourhood that was knocked down wholesale to find the Agora. Across the street, the painted stoa where a shipwrecked man called Zeno paced up and down teaching; beside the railway line, the altar from which Athens measured its distances, the portico where Socrates waited because he'd been charged, and the railway that opened up the Agora before the archaeologists did. In Thiseio, a temple with someone else's name, the "lazy" saint and the last service before a nineteen-year-old king. Along Apostolou Pavlou, the workshop of Simon the shoemaker, thirty votes that would have saved him and the cup of a prison the archaeologists point to only tentatively. You climb the Pnyx, where the assembly met at dawn, pass a saint with a cannon for a nickname and finish in front of the three caves the guidebooks christened the "Prison of Socrates".
- Start
- Vrysaki: The Neighbourhood Demolished to Find the Agora
- Finish
- The Prison That Was Not Socrates's
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for philosophy and ancient history lovers. A walk for students.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk has slopes or changes in 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.
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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Vrysaki: The Neighbourhood Demolished to Find the Agora
- 2
The Painted Stoa and the Shipwrecked Man
- 3
Athens's Point Zero
- 4
Socrates Stands Accused
- 5
The Railway That Cut the Agora in Two
- 6
The Temple with Someone Else's Name
- 7
Saint George the Lazy
- 8
A Nineteen-Year-Old King and the Last Mass
- 9
Simon the Cobbler's Workshop
- 10
Thirty Votes and a Cup
- 11
The Assembly at Dawn
- 12
The Saint Named After a Cannon
- 13
The Prison That Was Not Socrates's
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
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.
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.
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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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.