One of the world’s most visited ancient monuments, the Acropolis of Athens, has launched private tours for 5,000 euros outside official opening hours, according to the Greek heritage e-ticket website on Tuesday.
The private tours, which are reserved for groups of up to five people and which sparked controversy when they were announced, start at 7:00 a.m. (04:00 GMT) or can be held in the evening after 8:00 p.m. (17:00 GMT).
“This exclusive service is only available for four groups of up to five people at a time and can include a personal guide” if customers wish, according to the “Hellenic heritage” website, which presents these visits under the name “The Acropolis experience.”
According to Greek media, a first private visit took place last Saturday after the official closure, carried out by a Russian couple accompanied by their own guide.
On Tuesday, at the Greek heritage site, it was possible to book a private tour without a guide from July 12.
These private tours will then take place on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and should allow you to escape the crowds that climb the “Sacred Rock” located in the historic center of Athens every day.
Announced last year, these private tours of the Parthenon and other treasures of the Acropolis were initially due to be launched on April 1, but the Ministry of Culture ultimately told AFP that the launch had been postponed.
The union of guardians of Greek archaeological sites said it was opposed “to the way in which these private visits are organized, which are carried out without their participation,” its president, Georgia Kondyli, told AFP.
“We have not had any information on the organization of these visits,” she added.
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Acropolis of Athens, built in the 5th century BC, continues to see its attendance increase, particularly due to tourists boarding cruise ships.
Last year it recorded a record number of visitors, with almost four million, an increase of more than 31% in one year, to the point that the National Organization of Archaeological Resources (ODAP) had to introduce time slots to stem the flow.
The Acropolis of Athens is open to the public every day from 08:00 to 20:00 (05:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT). The normal entrance ticket costs 20 euros and combined with other ancient sites 30 euros.
