Choose a morning of afternoon departure, and meet your expert driver at your central Athens hotel. Board your air-conditioned vehicle and begin your private tour, exploring the sights independently. While your itinerary is pre-planned, it can be customized, so tell your driver if you want to spend more or less time at any site. View the Panatheniac Stadium, the white-marble arena built for the first modern Olympics in 1896. Learn how the stadium replicates its 4th-century BC predecessor, and then continue to see the nearby ruined Temple of Zeus, the Athens National Gardens and the Greek Parliament building on Syntagma Square. At the parliament, take photos of the traditionally dressed guards, and watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, set at the front of the building.  Next, walk up to the Acropolis to witness the glorious 5th-century BC monuments of this ancient citadel. View the Parthenon, Propylaea, Erechtheion and Temple of Athena Nike, and gain insight into how they represented the incredible wealth and art of ancient Athens. Admire the city views from here, and perhaps pause for refreshments (own expense), before descending to the ruined Agora, the city’s one-time marketplace and civic center. Afterward, reconvene with your driver and finish with a hotel drop-off.