An acropolis tour in French follows a French-speaking licensed guide through the monuments of the Acropolis of Athens. Find more trip ideas on Greece Tours.
The sections that follow sort the French-only and multilingual tours by format, group size, length, meeting point and booking rules.
What is an acropolis tour in French and which formats exist?
An acropolis tour in French is a guided visit to the Acropolis of Athens led by a French-speaking licensed guide. The formats run from a walking group and a small group to a private tour that adds the Acropolis Museum.
Three GetYourGuide Acropolis listings run only in French. They are a walking group tour, a small-group tour and a guided tour. Athenian Tours adds a private tour in French that includes the Acropolis Museum. TripCanvas lists an Acropolis Tour in French as one of eight options on a single Athens tour page.
Other tours offer French next to other guide languages, so the choice happens at booking. This page sorts each format by group size, length, meeting point and booking rules. Our guide to Athens tours places the Acropolis among the other sights of the city.
How does the walking group acropolis tour in French work?
The Acropolis Walking Group Tour with a French Guide is an acropolis tour in French for a small group. GetYourGuide rates it 4.6 out of 5 from 604 reviews. It offers free cancellation and lists French as the only tour language.
TourDesk lists the Acropolis Walking Tour with a French Guide as a small group afternoon walk. A French-speaking licensed guide and archaeologist leads it. The one inclusion on that page is the licensed French-speaking guide. TourDesk adds that almost all of Athens can be seen from the Parthenon.
GetYourGuide asks guests to book at least 40 minutes in advance. That is the shortest notice among the three French-only listings.
Which south slope stops does a French guide cover on the way up?
The south slope holds the Theatre of Dionysus, the sanctuary of Asclepius and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. TourDesk names all three on its French-guided Acropolis walk. French sources call them the théâtre de Dionysos and the odéon d’Hérode Atticus.
The Theatre of Dionysus stands on the south slope of the Acropolis hill. Its first orchestra terrace dates to the sixth century BC. By the fourth century BC the theatre held up to 25,000 people. Athens Walking Tours says the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides first echoed here.
Herodes Atticus built the Odeon in AD 161 in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It seated 5,000 people. Since its marble restoration in the twentieth century it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival. See our page on the Odeon of Herodes Atticus for concert nights.
Athens Walking Tours calls the Asklepeion the place where ancient Athenians sought cures and gave thanks for restored health. The sanctuary honours Asclepius, the god of medicine.
Which small group acropolis tour in French is built for French-speaking travellers?
The Top-Rated Acropolis Small-Group Tour in French is an acropolis tour in French created exclusively for French-speaking travellers. A licensed professional guide leads it, and the booking widget lists French as the only tour language.
The listing promises exclusive First Access to the Acropolis. It scores 4.6 out of 5 from 8 reviews and carries free cancellation. Guests must book at least 10 hours in advance.
A larger First Access listing exists in six guide languages, French among them. The First Access Acropolis and Parthenon Guided Tour holds 4.8 from 2,787 reviews. Pick the French-only small group when you want every guest in the group to share the language.
What are the Acropolis monuments called in French?
In French the Parthenon is le Parthénon and the Erechtheion is l’Érechthéion. The Propylaea are les Propylées, and the Temple of Athena Nike is le temple d’Athéna Nikè. French Wikipedia lists all four among the monuments of the Acropolis. An acropolis tour in French visits all four.
The French article explains the roots of two words. Parthénon means literally “the hall or the home of the virgins”. A propylée comes from the Greek pro, “in front”, and pulê, “gate”, and it names the entrance to a sanctuary.
The temple d’Athéna Nikè sits on the south-west edge of the plateau, beside the Propylées. TourDesk names the Temple of Athena Nike and the gateway to the Propylaeum in one sentence on its French-guided walk.
The Érechthéion stands north of the Parthénon. Athens Walking Tours says six maiden statues support its Caryatid Porch. For the Parthénon itself, read our Parthenon guide.
How long does an acropolis tour in French take?
An acropolis tour in French takes 1.5 hours on the walking group tour and 2 hours on the small-group tour. The Acropolis Guided Tour in French runs 2 to 4 hours. A private tour with the museum runs 3 to 4 hours.
The Acropolis Guided Tour in French holds a 5 out of 5 rating from one review. GetYourGuide says it explores the Parthenon and other monuments, with the history and mythology of ancient Athens. Guests book at least 10 hours ahead.
TripCanvas explains the range. An Acropolis-only tour lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. A tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum lasts 3 to 4 hours. The pace of the group and the weather change the length.
Athens Walking Tours puts its walk at about 2 hours. The tour ends on top of the Acropolis, which leaves time for more photos.
What French history does an acropolis tour in French recall?
Three French names tie the Acropolis to Paris: the artist Jacques Carrey, the consul Louis-François-Sébastien Fauvel and the diplomat Choiseul-Gouffier. Wikipedia records what each did for the Acropolis and its sculptures. An acropolis tour in French stands on the same rock.
In the seventeenth century the French artist Jacques Carrey drew about fifty-five Parthenon sculptures in two weeks. Thirty-five of the drawings survive in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. A Venetian bombardment destroyed a large number of the sculptures later. His drawings are the sole record of much of the missing sections.
Fauvel was a French painter, diplomat and archaeologist who was long stationed in Athens. He sent a metope and a section of the Parthenon frieze to the Louvre. He also acted as a cicerone, or guide, for the tourists who visited him.
Choiseul-Gouffier, the French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, obtained a firman to remove antiquities from the Acropolis. He sent a two-metre piece of the Parthenon frieze to France, and it now rests in the Louvre. The French School at Athens was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is the oldest foreign institute in the city.
How big is the group on an acropolis tour in French?
The group on an acropolis tour in French holds from 10 to 24 guests. TripCanvas lists up to 24 for its French-guided option. The GetYourGuide small-group tour in English and French caps the group at 10 guests.
GetYourGuide sells a Premium 2-Hour Tour in a Small Group of Up to 12. It offers four guide languages, French among them. Tripadvisor carries a similar title, Acropolis Small group Tour Max 12 in English French Italian.
Headout describes its multilingual guided tours with entry tickets as a small group of 20. TripCanvas also lists a small-group option for up to 10 guests. Its page does not name French for that option.
The GetYourGuide small group of 10 rates 4.7 from 45 reviews and needs at least 30 minutes of notice.
Is there a private acropolis tour in French with the Acropolis Museum?
Yes. Athenian Tours runs an Acropolis and Museum private guided tour in French. A licensed guide with expertise in history and archaeology leads it. The tour climbs the Acropolis rock first and then crosses to the Acropolis Museum.
On the rock the itinerary includes the Erechtheion with the Caryatids. It adds a panoramic view of Athens from the top of the hill. In the museum the tour reaches the top floor, where the Parthenon frieze and a view of the rock wait. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start.
Athenian Tours says its guides can change the order of the sites for comfort. TripCanvas adds that the private option gives a more flexible start time. For what the museum holds, see our Acropolis Museum highlights page.
GetYourGuide sells Private Guided Tour: Athens, Acropolis and Acropolis Museum in six guide languages, French among them. It lasts 5.5 hours, holds 5 out of 5 from 64 reviews and needs 24 hours of notice.
Which multilingual tours list French among their guide languages?
GetYourGuide shows the guide languages in the booking widget of each tour. Every tour in this list offers French beside English and other languages.
- Athens: Acropolis and Mythology Highlights Small Group Tour: English and French, rated 4.8 from 2,775 reviews.
- Athens: Acropolis Beat the Heat Guided Tour: English and French, rated 4.7 from 368 reviews, with a private option.
- Acropolis: Premium Acropolis and Parthenon Guided Tour: English, French and German, rated 4.7 from 7,506 reviews.
- Acropolis: Premium 2-Hour Tour in a Small Group of Up to 12: four languages with French, rated 4.9 from 608 reviews.
- Athens: Acropolis and Parthenon Highlights Tour at Sunset: four languages with French, 1.5 hours, rated 4.6 from 45 reviews.
Pick French in the language field, and each of these becomes an acropolis tour in French. Headout lists a Premium Sunset Guided Tour with a licensed guide who offers French among three languages. The tour adds earsets and golden-hour photo stops.
Where does an acropolis tour in French meet?
Operators meet groups at their own offices or at a fixed spot near the Acropolis. Athenian Tours meets at Mitseon 2, a short walk from Acropolis Metro. The French walking tour on TourDesk meets at the Athens Walks office at Athanasiou Diakou 16.
The Athenian Tours office stands at the corner of Mitseon Street and Strataion Street. TripCanvas adds that a taxi from the Port of Piraeus takes 30 to 40 minutes, and longer in morning traffic.
Athens Walking Tours meets at 3 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. That is the start of the pedestrian walkway from Hadrian’s Arch to the Acropolis. The guides wear orange t-shirts and sit at outdoor tables of Lukumades, Kayak/Fresko or Pilino. The spot lies a 3-minute walk from Acropolis Metro.
Athens Walking Tours asks guests to arrive 20 minutes early. Both Athens Walking Tours and Athenian Tours say that strict Acropolis entry times mean latecomers cannot be accommodated.
Where and how does booking and cancelling work for an acropolis tour in French?
Book an acropolis tour in French on GetYourGuide or with the operator. Pick French when the booking page asks for the language. GetYourGuide tags the three French-only listings with free cancellation.
Athenian Tours lets guests cancel for free until 24 hours before its private French tour. TripCanvas states a full refund for cancellations made at least 24 hours before departure. It adds that confirmation arrives at the time of booking.
TripCanvas lists water, a hat, sunglasses and an umbrella for rain. It notes that the site has no cafés, only a water fountain. Athens Walking Tours adds comfortable walking shoes and sunscreen.
TripCanvas calls the hill steep and warns of slippery paths when it rains. Athens Walking Tours does not allow baby strollers on the site and advises a baby pouch instead.
Which questions come up about an acropolis tour in French?
Who is an acropolis tour in French not recommended for?
TourDesk does not recommend its French-guided walk for people with back problems, pregnant travellers or people with heart conditions. Athenian Tours says its private French tour is not suitable for children under 6 years old.
Do guests need ID on an acropolis tour in French?
TourDesk asks guests under 25 years old to bring a passport. TripCanvas adds that holders of reduced or free tickets face an ID check at entry.
Does an acropolis tour in French include hotel pickup?
Athens Walking Tours lists hotel pick-up and drop-off as not included. Athenian Tours and Athens Walks both give an office as the starting point.
Do French-guided groups wear earsets?
Athens Walking Tours lists personal earsets in its inclusions. TripCanvas warns that audio quality can be affected by the equipment of other groups.