Discover The Hidden Shops and Artisans of Athens! Duration 4 Hours Highlights Discover hidden shops of Athens that only locals know about. Explore the city’s backstreets, populated by workshops and galleries where artisans handcraft unique pieces of art. Meet a famous Greek sandal-maker who is also a poet. Learn about iconic Greek items (and popular souvenirs), such as evil eyes and worry beads. Dig into authentic Greek flavors with a meze platter and glass of wine at a traditional venue. Discover The Hidden Shops and Artisans of Athens! Tour snapshot Uncover a hidden community of Athens, one that is made up of artists, artisans, and craftspeople. Athens is often described as one of the most “alternative” cities in Europe, so you won’t be short of interesting encounters and sights on this tour! Explore open markets dedicated to antiques and shop for souvenirs that are so much more interesting than fridge magnets – and that, of course, comes with a story of their own. Local impact — How you help the local community by joining this tour Your tour supports the new generation of Athenians, such as young artists, by promoting their work and their enterprises to help them thrive through the financial crisis. This tour also offers you the opportunity to see street art and visit alternative neighborhoods that don’t generally benefit from tourism. All of the stores you visit on your tour are 100% locally owned and run. Supporting small-scale, locally-run businesses helps to preserve the traditional character of old Athens. By joining this tour you are supporting a street vendor who sells traditional koulouri sesame rings, which helps increase his income. At least one store on your itinerary is dedicated to the preservation of locally-produced crafts. Full Itinerary Your Athens shopping tour will start out with a lesson in one of the most authentic traditions of local folklore: the Mati, also known as the evil eye. You will learn about its origins and hear the legends that surround this magical object, which is part of virtually every household in Greece. We’ll also grab a cup of Greek coffee in a very special art gallery so that you’ll have a jolt of caffeine to kick off the rest of your Athens tour! Next up, you’ll learn about worry beads, locally known as komboloi, and a long-standing tradition. We’ll pop into the Komboloi Museum, where you can discover why these fidgety beads are found everywhere in Greece. Next, we’ll head to a shoe workshop that has had customers such as The Beatles, Barbara Streisand, Lily Tomlin, and Sarah Jessica Parker, just to name a few! Find out from the artisan which sandals these celebs eventually bought. Athens holds its own when it comes to contemporary art, so we’ll lead you into one of the most innovative shops, which sells souvenirs crafted by the new generation of Greek artists. You’ll find delightfully fresh and different mementos to take back home, for a very original present for your friends (or yourself!). From art, we’ll move on to another staple of the local culture: ouzo! You’ll visit a store selling endless ouzo varieties, as well as other local products such as olives, olive oil, and honey, all of them from Greek producers. Finally, you’ll learn a bit about a favorite local game. Old cafés in Athens often host men playing tavli, the local version of backgammon. We will tell you everything about this popular game, and you’ll be able to shop for a game to take home with you if you like. Finally, we’ll end our Athens shopping tour at a shop that sells more local tastes (such as more olive oil, of course!), before actually tasting some goods ourselves! We’ll visit a traditional venue and enjoy a platter of meze (seasonal Greek appetizers), paired with a glass of Greek wine. Language: English Inclusions: Food samples (Greek sweets, bread, olive oil, olives, cheeses, rusks, wine, ouzo, traditional meze, and a Greek coffee), train tickets Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs or personal shopping, tips/gratuities.