A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens drives south along the coast to the Temple of Poseidon on its cliff, so you watch the sun go down over the Aegean before the ride back to the city. Find more tours in Greece on our homepage.
This page walks through the pickup, the coast road, the sunset times, the time at the temple and what to bring on a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens.
What happens on a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens?
A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens is a half-day coach trip. You ride the coast road south. You explore the Temple of Poseidon at your own pace and watch the sun go down over the Aegean Sea. Then you return to Athens by coach.
The drive along the Athens Riviera comes first, in an air-conditioned coach. An expert escort tells the history and legends of the region. One tour puts an archaeologist on the bus to share ancient myths. Another offers audio commentary in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian.
On a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens you then step into the archaeological site of Sounion. The tour gives you free time inside the site to walk around the temple and to watch the sunset. One tour has a morning and a sunset option. Choose the sunset option to see the sun dip into the sea.
When the sun has set, the coach takes you back. The tours run as round-trip coach transfers, so the coach brings you back to central Athens.
Tour pages list the full outing as 4 or 5 hours. One traveller review says a tour took five hours even with no traffic. Plan a full evening for a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens.
Where does the pickup start, and which road do the coaches take?
A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens starts at a central Athens meeting point. Plaka, Syntagma Square and Omonia Square are named on tour pages. The coach then follows the Athens Riviera coast road south to the cape.
Each Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens sets its own meeting point. One operator lists three departure points in the city centre. These are the points named on the tour pages:
- The Melina Mercouri stop in Plaka, where you wait at the stop of the blue hop-on hop-off buses.
- Platia Karaiskaki, where a trip attendant holds a sign.
- Outside Halandri metro station on the Blue Line, on Doukissis Plakentias.
- A tour office at 26 Athanasiou Diakou Street.
- Your hotel in central Athens, on one tour with hotel pickup.
Arrive early. The tour pages ask for 10 to 15 minutes before departure. Hotel pickups on one tour start 40 to 50 minutes before the stated tour time. The exact details arrive by email 24 hours earlier. Check your voucher for the final point.
Cape Sounion lies 69.5 km southeast of Athens, at the southeastern end of the Athens Riviera. On a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens the coaches take the coast road, Poseidonos Avenue. The ride passes Hellinikon, Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza.
After Varkiza the road twists between hills and cliffs and stays beside the Aegean Sea. The Greek National Tourism Organisation names Lagonisi, Anavyssos and Sounio among the main areas of the Riviera. One tour lists Vouliagmeni Lake and Anavyssos on the route of its Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens. Another sets the coach ride at about 1.5 hours.
When does the sun set at Cape Sounion through the year?
Near Cape Sounion the sun sets at about 5:05 pm in early December and about 8:50 pm in late June. That gap sets the departure time of every Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens.
These times come from Lavrio, the town 8 kilometres north of the cape. The earliest sunset of the year falls in the first week of December. The latest comes in the last week of June.
Here is sunset in the middle of six months, rounded to the nearest five minutes.
- Mid-December: 5:05 pm
- Mid-February: 6:05 pm
- Mid-April: 8:00 pm
- Mid-June: 8:45 pm
- Mid-August: 8:15 pm
- Mid-October: 6:45 pm
Greece moves its clocks forward one hour on the last Sunday in March. They go back on the last Sunday in October. So sunset shifts by about an hour in those weeks. A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens changes its departure with the season and the sunset time.
One operator’s Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens leaves the Plaka stop at 2:30 pm in winter. From late spring through August it leaves at 5:00 pm. In March and October it leaves at 3:30 pm. In April and September it leaves at 4:30 pm.
Sunset also ends the visit on a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens. The Ministry of Culture opens the site from 9:30 am until sunset. Last entry is 20 minutes before sunset. About 30 minutes after sunset it is too dark to be outdoors without a lamp.
What do you see at the Temple of Poseidon before dark?
A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens reaches the Temple of Poseidon, where 15 white marble columns still stand. The temple dates from 444 to 440 BC, and the Aegean Sea surrounds the headland on three sides.
The temple once had 34 columns, so fewer than half remain. Each stood 6.10 metres high and one metre wide at the base. The marble was quarried nearby.
On a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens, look for Lord Byron’s name cut into the base of one column. The English poet spent months in Athens in the early nineteenth century and made two documented visits to the cape. No direct evidence shows that he carved the name himself.
In clear weather a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens sees Kea and Kythnos in the south. The Peloponnese shows to the west. One operator counts up to seven islands on a clear day.
The cape also holds the ruins of the Temple of Athena. It stood on a low hill about 300 metres northeast of the Temple of Poseidon. Little remains besides traces of foundations and the bases of columns. The Athenians fortified the cape with a wall and towers in 413 BC.
The sunset over the Aegean Sea, seen from these ruins, has drawn visitors since the early nineteenth century. A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens finishes the day with that view.
How long do you stay at the cape, and is the site ticket included?
A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens gives you about one hour to 90 minutes at the site. Entry to the Temple of Poseidon is included only when the option says so. Read the inclusions line before you pay.
Key Tours lists one hour of free time inside the archaeological site. Ammon Express lists 1.5 hours at the Temple of Poseidon. Both stops are free time, so a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens lets you explore at your own pace.
On a private Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens you set the pace. Athens Taxi Travel says you explore the site at your own pace, and its pick-up time is adjustable on request. Siva Travel lets you choose the departure time and recommends an afternoon start to catch the sunset.
Operators word the ticket in different ways. Ammon Express and the 1Sticket listing both say the entrance ticket is not included. Key Tours and Sights of Athens add it only when you choose that option. Headout says you pay at the site unless you pick an option with entry included. Check this on every Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens.
Free and reduced entry follows age rules. Ammon Express lists free entry for EU citizens up to 25 and for non-EU visitors up to 18, with ID. Reduced entry for EU citizens aged 65 and over applies only from October to late spring. Ask your operator how your Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens handles these cases.
Which formats does a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens come in?
A Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens comes in four formats on the tour pages. These are a shared coach, a coach with a bus pass, a small-group minivan and a private car. Each changes the group size and the extras.
The shared coach is the base format. A basic Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens on Ammon Express or 1Sticket leaves out any tour inside the site. Headout offers an upgrade with an English-speaking archaeologist and the entry ticket. Sights of Athens lists a licensed expert inside the temple.
The bus-pass format links the trip to the city buses. Sights of Athens sells a 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticket together with a four-hour Cape Sounion tour. The date you pick is the date of the cape trip. The bus ticket is open-dated and works on any two days in a row.
Small-group minivans add stops. Athens Pass lists a six-hour small-group tour for up to 15 people, with live English commentary. It adds a photo stop at Vouliagmeni Lake and, from late spring to October, a beach stop for a swim. This Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens leaves the entry fee to you.
The private format sets its own timetable. Athens Taxi Travel lists a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens at five hours round trip. Pickup is at hotels or Piraeus port, and a licensed expert joins on request. Siva Travel includes entrance fees and a licensed expert. Other private listings add a food tasting or stargazing and run seven hours.
What do you wear and bring for an evening at the cape?
Wear comfortable shoes on a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens. Pack sunglasses, a hat, a water bottle and a light jacket. The temple and cape are exposed, and temperatures can drop in the evening.
Start with your feet. The walk at the Temple of Sounion is uphill over dirt surfaces. The visit also involves a fair amount of walking. Choose walking shoes, ideally with flat soles. Operators ask for comfortable clothes too. Walk back to the coach in good time, because it gets dark quickly after sunset.
Sun protection still matters on a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens. Operators list sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen for the exposed cape. Late afternoon is cooler than midday, and the evening cools further, so add a jacket or sweater. In winter, choose a windproof jacket, since the cape is exposed to strong winds.
Coach tours with an audio app at the site need headphones and a charged phone. One coach operator activates its app on the day of the tour. Mobile signal can be weak at the site, so download the audio tour before you arrive. Bring your camera too, to capture the sunset.
Carry a valid photo ID and show your booking voucher on your phone at the start. One small-group minivan expects no more than one backpack-sized bag per person. If your Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens adds beach time, pack swimwear, a towel and cash for sunbeds.
What else do travellers ask about a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens?
Can you cancel a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens?
Yes. Key Tours, Headout and Musement all give a full refund. You must cancel up to 24 hours before the experience begins. One reseller of the Key Tours departure asks for 72 hours, so read your voucher before you pay.
Is a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens suitable for wheelchairs and strollers?
One coach option is not accessible for wheelchair users, but it is pram and stroller accessible. Another listing asks for a moderate level of physical fitness, because the site has uneven terrain and stairs.
Does the weather change a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens?
One operator listing says the tour is subject to weather conditions, so check the forecast before you book. Summers at the cape are hot and dry, while winters are milder and wetter. Pack sun gear for summer and a windproof jacket for winter.
Can children join a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens?
Yes, with an adult. For a Cape Sounion sunset tour from Athens, one listing says children under 12 must have an adult with them. A private-transfer listing also offers child safety seats on request.
Is there a cafe near the temple?
Yes. The site entrance is close to a cafe, a souvenir shop and the intercity bus stop. The entrance sits to the east of the sanctuary.