We will be in Athens mid October and and are trying to decide if we want to hire a guide/join a tour for some of the attractions. We generally like exploring on our own but believe that some attractions - such as the Acropolis - could be more thoroughly enjoyed by taping into the expertise and knowledge of a professional guide. We would appreciate any recommendations for small group tours and/or private guides, as well as thoughts on which attractions in Athens would be best suited for a guided tour and which are best explored on our own. Thanks!

Go with a local Athenian, Kostas. He owns Athens Walks and gives an excellent tour experience. athens-walks.com

I agree with HappyTrvlr. Kostas Chatzivasiliou was an Evzone (presidential guard) during his national service, and his company gets top ratings. You can take either a private or group tour with Athens Walks, and have a choice of several different tours.

https://www.athens-walks.com/

We hired Athens Walks this past May for a guided tour of the Acropolis, and it was wonderful. You are right in that having a guide for the Acropolis helps you understand so much more. They do many, many more guided walks around Athens. You can combine a tour of the Acropolis with a tour of the Acropolis Museum. We didn't do that but that is what I would recommend. We visited the Acropolis Museum on our own, and they don't have audioguides. I don't remember if they have brochures, (if they do probably just a map). We noticed a lot of small groups in the museum with their own private guides. I really do believe having a guide in the museum would have enriched our experience.