Greece will offer exclusive guided tours of the famed Acropolis, but it’ll cost thousands of dollars.
The Associated Press reported on Saturday that Greece will start offering the tours on April 1, 2024. Per the outlet, the perk will allow a maximum of four tour groups with up to five people each. Each group will cost €5,000, or approximately $5,500 USD.
The guided tours will be scheduled outside regular business hours — from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. — to help accommodate the demand from history-loving visitors, according to AP.
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“We decided to implement (the measure) … because there is demand, people have been asking for it,” Nikoletta Divari-Valako, head of the ministry’s cultural resources development, told AP. “It won’t harm the archaeological site, indeed it will contribute to its better promotion, and the revenues will be reinvested in cultural projects and monuments.”
Representatives from Greece’s Ministry of Culture did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
The Acropolis is a popular tourist spot in Athens that draws tens of thousands of visitors a day. Its citadel houses several historic artifacts and sites, including the Parthenon. In August, Greek officials announced that they would limit the number of tourists to 20,000 after overtourism hit Europe this summer.
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At the time, Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, told a local radio station that they implemented the cap to prevent damage.
There have been a number of incidents this year of badly behaved tourists in Europe, including Greece. In September, a tourist was arrested at the Acropolis after police said he tried to steal pieces of ancient marble.
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