What Alternative Athens does

Alternative Athens (legal entity: 365 Alternative Travel IKE) is a licensed Greek travel agency and tour operator founded in 2012 and headquartered in Athens, holding Greek National Tourism Organization license MHTE: 0206E60000680301. The company designs and operates a curated portfolio of approximately 50 themed tours and experiences organized across in-Athens walking tours (city, Acropolis & mythology, food, family, local, nightlife), beyond-Athens day trips and multi-day excursions (Delphi, Meteora, Peloponnese, Hydra, Aegina), a self-drive road-trip product covering mainland Greece, the Peloponnese, Northern Greece, Crete and the Cycladic Islands, and a corporate team-building vertical. Its core technology is a proprietary custom trip planning mobile application that accompanies self-drive travelers with navigation, audio storytelling, thematic itineraries, local tips and activity recommendations.

The business operates a primarily transactional, per-booking revenue model: per-seat pricing for guided tours (€49–€100), per-group pricing for self-drive packages and tailor-made itineraries, and quote-based pricing for corporate events and team-building activities. Distribution is hybrid — direct booking through the company's own website (powered by Xola, with Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.Net and EVO Payments as the payment stack) and channel sales via Viator (Badge of Excellence), Get Your Guide (Top Partner) and Tripadvisor (Certificate of Excellence). Customer segments are predominantly international leisure tourists served in English and French, with a secondary corporate segment whose named clients include Amazon, Google, Siemens, Ericsson, Nokia, P&G, Guerlain, Suzuki, Four Seasons, Klarna and NN Group. The company is privately held, appears founder/management-owned with no disclosed institutional funding, and has been recognized through Greek Tourism Awards (2019), Booking.com's Sustainable Tourism Award (2017), and feature coverage in The Guardian, CNN, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Der Spiegel and Le Monde.

Name

Alternative Athens

Legal name

365 Alternative Travel IKE

Website

https://alternativeathens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alternative Athens is a privately held, licensed Greek tour operator (founded 2012) offering ~50 themed guided tours, self-drive road-trip packages, and corporate team-building experiences across Athens and broader Greece, distributed via its own website and major OTAs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tour and Travel Experiences

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Bespoke Multi-Day Itinerary Planning & Custom Tour Design (THAJALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

FIT & Private Tour Operators (Customized Day Tours) (THAKAEAC), Domestic/In-Country Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAL), Luxury Self-Drive Touring Packages (THADAMAI), Escorted Coach & Bus Package Tour Operators (THAKADAA)

Keywords

• Guided tours
• Self-drive tours
• Cultural tourism
• Team-building activities
• Culinary experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Guided Tours and Experiences: Walking tours, mythology tours, food tours, street art tours, nightlife tours, day trips, and specialized activities in Athens and throughout Greece, sold per person at varying price points.
2. Self-Drive Tours: Comprehensive road trip packages including car rental, accommodations, breakfasts, and app-based guidance, priced per group based on car category and room occupancy (typically 4 people per car, 2 per double room).
3. Multi-day Guided Tours: Multi-day escorted tours covering major Greek destinations (Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, Peloponnese), including transportation, guide, meals, and accommodations.
4. Tailor-Made Tours: Fully customized private itineraries designed based on customer interests and travel needs, with pricing by quote.
5. Culinary Experiences: Home-cooked meals, cooking classes, and food tours offered at various price points (e.g., €95 per person for cooking class), sold per person.
6. Team-Building Activities: Corporate events and team-building activities including Olympic Games challenges, comics workshops, and mythology walks, priced by quote based on group size.
7. Ticket Sales: Sale of entrance tickets to archaeological sites (e.g., Acropolis tickets) as part of tour packages or independently, with specific refund/exchange policies based on ticket type and timing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alternative Athens is a licensed Greek tour operator that designs and delivers guided tours, self-drive road trip packages, day trips, multi-day excursions, culinary and local experiences, and corporate team-building activities in Athens and across Greece. Offerings are sold per person or per group via the company website (Xola-powered booking) and third-party travel marketplaces, with corporate engagements handled via direct quote-based sales. A proprietary mobile app accompanies self-drive tours with navigation, audio storytelling, and curated local recommendations.

Product overview

Alternative Athens is a licensed Greek travel agency (ONTH license 0206E60000680301, operating as 365 Alternative Travel Private Company) offering a portfolio of guided tours, self-drive road trip packages, and tailor-made travel experiences centered on Athens and the broader Greek mainland. The product portfolio spans approximately 50 distinct named tours and experiences organized across several product lines: In-Athens walking tours (city tours, Acropolis & mythology tours, food tours, family activities, local experiences, nightlife tours); Beyond-Athens day trips and multi-day excursions (Delphi, Meteora, Peloponnese, Hydra, Aegina); Self-Drive Tours (8 distinct road trip packages across mainland Greece, Peloponnese, Northern Greece, Crete, and the Cycladic Islands, each featuring a proprietary customized trip app with navigation, audio storytelling, and local recommendations); Corporate Team-Building Activities (Olympic challenges, comic workshops, mythology walks, ancient lyre experiences); and Tailor-Made Tours (fully customized private itineraries). Self-drive tours represent a distinctive platform offering combining car rental, boutique accommodations, traditional Greek breakfasts, and a mobile app with themed itineraries, audio guides, restaurant recommendations, and 24/7 road assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Athens City Tours Guided walking tours of Athens exploring city neighborhoods, street art, local culture, and urban attractions for individual travelers and small groups.
• Acropolis & Mythology Tours Guided tours of the Acropolis, Parthenon, and related archaeological sites, combined with storytelling about Greek gods, heroes, and ancient myths for cultural tourists.
• Athens Food Tours Culinary walking tours of Athens including visits to Varvakios Market, local tavernas, bakeries, and food boutiques, with tastings of Greek specialties such as souvlaki, meze, bougatsa, and koulouri for food-focused travelers.
• Kids & Family Activities Family-friendly tours and activities in Athens, including mythology-themed experiences, interactive workshops, and accessible tours designed for children of various ages.
• Local Experiences Immersive local experiences such as home-cooked meals with Greek hosts, cooking classes, street art tours, and neighborhood walks that connect travelers with authentic Athenian life.
• Athens Nightlife Tours Evening and nightlife tours of Athens, including LGBTQ-friendly tours and bar-hopping experiences showcasing the city's vibrant after-dark culture for adult travelers.
• Day Trips from Athens Full-day guided excursions from Athens to destinations such as Delphi, Cape Sounion, Hydra island, Mycenae, and Nafplio, with transportation, guide, and meals where indicated.
• Multi-Day Excursions Multi-day escorted tours covering major archaeological and scenic destinations across Greece, including Olympia, Delphi, Meteora, and the Peloponnese, with transportation, guide, meals, and accommodations.
• Self-Drive Tours Self-guided road trip packages including car rental, pre-booked accommodations, traditional Greek breakfasts, and a proprietary customized mobile app providing navigation, audio storytelling, local tips, restaurant recommendations, and activity suggestions across mainland Greece, Peloponnese, Northern Greece, Crete, and the Cycladic Islands.
• Team-Building Activities & Corporate Events Corporate team-building tours and activities in Athens, including Olympic Games-style challenges, comic book workshops, mythology storytelling walks, and ancient lyre music experiences, tailored for corporate groups.
• Tailor-Made Tours Fully customized private itineraries designed based on individual traveler interests and needs, delivered by Alternative Athens's team of expert travel designers with quote-based pricing.
• Acropolis Mythology & Food Tour A 5.5-hour combined tour visiting the Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, Propylaia, and Theater of Dionysus, followed by a culinary walk with tastings of Greek street food, souvlaki, meze, bougatsa, koulouri, and Greek coffee. Priced at €100 per person; max group size 12; available in English and French.
• Acropolis and Archaeological Site Tickets Sale of entrance tickets to archaeological sites (e.g., Acropolis tickets) as part of tour packages or independently, with specific refund and exchange policies based on ticket type and timing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-rated tour operator with multiple platform awards from Tripadvisor, Viator, and Get Your Guide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Xola, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party booking management platform providing online reservation and payment processing infrastructure. Located at 995 Market St, Floor 2, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Handles customer data collection and cardholder data for bookings made through the Alternative Athens website.
• Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment processor provided by Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd., located at 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland. Handles payment processing for bookings.
• Authorize.NetcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment gateway provided by Authorize.Net, c/o CyberSource Limited, P.O. Box 3073, Reading, RG1 9YB, United Kingdom. Handles credit card transaction processing.
• EVO Payments International GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit card processor provided by EVO Payments International GmbH, Elsa-Brändström-Straße 10-12, 50668 Cologne, Germany. Handles payment processing.
• PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. et Cie, S.C.A.coreTechnology or IntegrationAlternative payment option for booking transactions, located at 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg.
• ViatorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor travel experiences marketplace (Tripadvisor company) where Alternative Athens tours are listed with Badge of Excellence recognition.
• Get Your GuidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading tours and activities platform where Alternative Athens holds Top Partner status.
• American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing credibility and professional network for travel agents.
• Greek Tourism Confederations (SETE)minorOthersNational tourism industry confederation membership representing Greek tourism businesses.
• Hellenic Association of Tourist and Travel Agents (HATTA)minorOthersProfessional association for licensed travel agencies and tour operators in Greece.
• Develop Athens (This is Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial city convention and visitors bureau partnership for Athens destination marketing.
• Discover GreeceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Greece tourism marketing organization partnership for destination promotion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Context Travel: Context Travel offers small-group, expert-led walking tours in cities worldwide, including Athens, with scholar guides and themed itineraries. Directly comparable to Alternative Athens on small-group format, expert-guide positioning, and premium cultural-touring category.
• Urban Adventures: Urban Adventures (part of Intrepid Travel) operates locally-led city tours with an emphasis on authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences. Comparable to Alternative Athens in city-tour format, niche themes (food, nightlife, culture), and small-group delivery.
• Athens Walking Tours: Athens Walking Tours is a long-standing local Athens tour operator offering guided walking tours, food tours, and day trips. A direct geographic competitor with overlapping product categories including Acropolis tours, food tours, and street art experiences.
• Withlocals: Withlocals is a marketplace connecting travelers with local guides for private and small-group tours across many destinations including Athens. Comparable as an experiential tours platform targeting independent travelers seeking authentic local experiences.
• Walks: Walks (formerly Walks of Italy and Walks of Greece) operates small-group expert-led tours in major destinations including Athens and Greek sites. Highly comparable to Alternative Athens in product format (guided walking tours, food tours, multi-day excursions) and target market (cultural travelers seeking expert-led experiences).

Others

• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a leading tours and activities marketplace where Alternative Athens holds Top Partner status. Functions as both a distribution channel and an indirect competitor that aggregates competing Athens tour operators on its platform.
• Viator (Tripadvisor): Viator is a major tours and activities marketplace (owned by Tripadvisor) and a distribution partner of Alternative Athens. Functions as both a booking channel and an aggregator of competing Athens tours, shaping consumer discovery dynamics.
• TourRadar: TourRadar is a multi-day tour marketplace that lists experiential tour operators including those offering Greek itineraries. Comparable on multi-day guided tour category; serves as an indirect channel and aggregator for the broader tour-operator ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Pelago: Pelago is an experiences platform (backed by Lufthansa) offering tours and activities globally. Comparable on curated tours/activities category and partnership distribution model; competes for the same experiential traveler demand in Mediterranean destinations.

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid Travel is a global experiential travel operator offering small-group tours worldwide including in Greece. Comparable on multi-day guided tour format, sustainability positioning, and cultural-touring category, though at much larger scale and broader geographic coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AltAthens
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlternativeAthens
• Instagraminstagram.com/alternativeathens

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alternative Athens