Itinerary
Our experience will begin right after we meet and get our ancient Greek names. Then we will walk uphill for about 300m until we arrive at the archeological site of Pnyx (free entrance). We will take our position under shaded trees, close to the ancient speaker's platform. You will then discuss the facts that led to the birth of Democracy at that particular place and time through the history of Athens from 20th to 5th century BC. You will then become an ancient citizen speaking and voting on a city matter, using our unique replicas of the ancient objects (The Clepsydra/Waterthief and the Ostracon). A productive and joyful way to learn all about the Athenian government, and develop your critical thought and self-reflection. Our professional expert will guide you through the whole process, reassuring that everyone is equally involved. The workshop will last 1.5-2 hours approximately.
Stop At:
• Pnyx, Philopappos Hill, Athens Greece
See Availability.
Apostolou Pavlou 7, Athina 105 55, Greece
1 hour 40 minutes(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This workshop is an outdoor experience therefore it requires good weather. In case it is canceled due to poor weather, you will be notified at least 3 hours ahead, and will be offered the option to choose between a different date, a similar workshop, or a full refund.
Language is plain English. There will be no difficult words or terminology.
There are no toilets or canteens on the hill. Near Pnyx, in the area of Thisio, there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops.
As this workshop takes place at a Historical site, involving Heritage and Cultural aspects, all participants are required to respect ethic, law and respectful conduct etiquette (soberness, cleanliness, photo/video shooting, dress-code, loudness etc) and be respectful and polite during the entire session. Our facilitator has the right to terminate your participation without any refund in case your behavior is disrespectful in regards to the place or the people.
Suitable for adults and teenagers over 12 years old. Underaged participants CANNOT book alone, at least one adult should book too, who is also responsible to supervise them.
Attending this workshop in public space means you consent to photo/video shooting which may occur within the course of this service, including the future publication of this material by us or the other participants. You may withdraw your consent at any time (before or after the workshop) by contacting us in writing. We shall not be held accountable for pictures and videos of you, taken by others during our services and for the use of such photo and video materials by those third parties.
Facilitators/ Instructors are First Aid trained & certified, however, by law, they are not allowed to provide any medication, so please have your medication with you (especially for allergies, since you will be outdoors).
There will be a 300m uphill walk in order for us to arrive at the Pnyx speaker’s platform, which could be physically demanding. Please ensure that you wear comfortable shoes and clothes and that are suitably fit to allow full participation.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : ChrisLUSA
Amazing experience, we all loved it! It is a fun and educational activity and I highly recommend it for families with teenagers as ours. My son proved himself a great orator, while my daughter surprised us with her solid arguments. It was definitely the best couple of hours that we spent together as a family in Athens.
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Posted On : 2024-02-06
Posted By : fabiann803
Unique and authentic experience, we got substantial information on how politics evolved until the birth of democracy 2500 years ago, and then we acted as citizens, spoke and took decisions and voted on ostrakons! Olga was an amazing instructor she makes it look as if we knew many things already. The place is also wonderful, it is the real location where the ancient people gathered to vote, right opposite the Acropolis with great view.
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Posted On : 2023-11-19
Posted By : D6176PPjasmine
Cannot recommend it enough! Beautiful location with Acropolis view, very close to Acropolis. The tour was amazing! Best thing my family did in Athens (3 teen girls) ! Learned a lot about the history, but most important in a fun way, we spoke, we voted, we took roles. My teens did not allow me to show the action pictures, but well I hope I gave an idea. The price is for 5 persons.
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Posted On : 2023-10-14
Posted By : BrianO1037
This was a great activity for the kids. They learned fun facts about democracy in Ancient Greece. The setting, the content, and the length were just perfect. Thank you for this experience!
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Posted On : 2023-08-11
Posted By : Amedeo S
This workshop was so different and so playful we will never forget it. First, we took names like ancient Athenians and walked up to the Pnyx hill – amazing view- where the democracy was born. We learnt a lot about the city’s ancient history and how democracy operated. We took roles and discussed a case study and then we voted and carved on an ostracon and there was also an ancient timer. It was easy, interesting, fun and emotional – because we were standing at the same place where these great people took life and death decisions. This is how history should be taught!
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Posted On : 2023-05-26
Posted By : carolynpell
Cannot recommend it enough! I attended this amazing workshop with 2 friends, and we had great fun taking up roles and trying to convince each other about which decision to take as ancient Athenians. We learnt many things about how democracy started and worked in ancient Athens! The view is incredible too! A must experience for everyone!
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Posted On : 2023-01-07
Posted By : matthewmQ6986UR
Family of 4 (boy 14, girl 18) visited relatives in Athens. My daughter has read a lot about ancient greek history and mythology, it’s her passion. But the rest of us, not much of history funs, plus me and my wife have already been to all major Athens sites – been here 2 times already. She found this workshop online and she promised it would be fun, so we followed. I must admit it was the best experience we ever had in Athens! The location is wonderful, host is young and knowledgeable and certainly not boring, a big plus the interactive games (re-enacting an ancient democratic process). The entire family enjoyed it! Next time we will join their philosophy workshops!
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Posted On : 2022-12-16
Posted By : katharinaf804
I can’t say enough about this activity! It is the best thing to do when in Athens, to understand the story behind the glory of this city. It is NOT a guided tour; it is a combination of roleplay and discussion. Our facilitator was amazing, he was not just sharing info, he was discussing historical facts with us and we were the ones to discover the conditions that led to birth of Democracy. Then we took roles as ancient Athenians and we debated and we voted (also carved an ostracon!). In the end we compared the case of pandemic in ancient Athens with Covid time -quite interesting to see how cities and people react in different periods. And I must say that the activity takes place on Pnyx at the exact location where the Athenians gathered for their public meetings, we could see the speaker’s platform; it is a lovely hill very close to Acropolis, great views, took lots of pictures.
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Posted On : 2022-12-10
Posted By : oliverEriksen
Family of 4 with 2 teen boys, we did the democracy workshop in our last day, if we had it earlier, we would definitely see all the other sites differently. We were at the very same spot where Athenians took major decisions which affected the entire world’s history! We learned how ancient Athens became what we know, and what was their democracy, many examples we should take from them. Big fun with debate game and the ostracon was amazing! We counted time with an ancient greek clock and also discussed the advantages and failures of the state. Exceptional hosts, exceptional views and most amazing my sons were entirely engaged to it!
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Posted On : 2022-07-11
Posted By : 215owenh
This was an excellent experience! A must for anyone visiting Athens. I wanted to learn more in detail about the origins of democracy, which was established in Athens, and this was an excellent way to do this. The Pnyx, where this event took place, is absolutely a must visit given the importance in history.
The hosts were excellent and the interactive element was what made this what I will remember the most from my trip. Out of all of the experiences and tours, I learned the most from this. Topics covered included all leading to the development of democracy in Athens, how the democracy worked, how voting worked, ostracism, among other topics. We even carved a ostracon which was provided as a gift/souvenir which is very cool. The clay used for it is from the same sources as the originals actually used by ancient Athenians.
I wish everyone has the chance to join this workshop, and I look forward to trying the others on my next visit!
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Posted On : 2021-11-27
