Athens is often looked as a stopover on your way to Greek islands. Some people just spend a day and some give this city a miss altogether and directly go to the islands.
But if you are a history buff, then you are going to love Athens. Just like Rome, walking in this city feels like you are in a museum.
But even if not a history buff, Athens has plenty to keep you busy. This city totally impressed me with its trendy cafes, restaurants, award-winning bars, age-old monuments and charming streets!
The best thing is that Central Athens is compact, walkable and most of the sights to see are close to each other. You can see most of the city in a day, but I would suggest spending at least 2 full days to make the most of your time here. After all, you don’t want to just rush from one place to another without actually soaking in the character and charm of this city.
I visited Athens as part of my two-week Greek island-hopping trip in May 2025. Click on the individual links for detailed guides on Paros, Santorini, Mykonos and Crete.
Best Way to Get Around
From the airport, you can either take a taxi or use the metro to get to the city. A taxi ride costs around €45-€55.
If you plan to take the metro, note that there are trains departing from the airport every 30-40 minutes, which take you to the city center. You can buy a ticket (€9) using one of the machines at the train station.
Once you reach the city center, most of the sights to see are located close to each other. You can easily walk around or use the metro. If you plan to use the metro extensively, then you can even buy a day-pass. Read more about it here.
If your feet get tired, hop into a taxi. Taxis are very affordable here. You can book taxis via Uber or FreeNow, their local UBER app.
Best Time to Visit
Greece is a popular summer destination. However, these months are extremely hot in Athens with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius.
Shoulder seasons of April – early June as well as September and October, are ideal for visiting Athens. The weather in spring and autumn months is lovely. Cooler in mornings and late evenings but pleasant during the day. The city is less crowded and hotels are a lot more affordable.
When we visited in early May, we saw plenty of spring blooms – from colorful bougainvillea, to vibrant jacarandas, fragrant jasmine and other flowers. It was such a visual treat walking around the city.
Even winter months are a great time to visit – everything is open and it isn’t very cold either. But of course, the islands may be closed so if you are using Athens as a stop-over destination, then winter may not be ideal for you.
Where to Stay
Athens is a huge city but the good this is that most of the popular things to see and do are all located within walking distance of each other.
If you are in Athens for a limited time, I recommend staying somewhere central. Here are some of the best neighborhoods to stay at:
- Monastiraki: This is Athens’ historic center. This area is home to many historic sites such as Roman Agora, Ancient Agora, and Hadrian’s Library. The heart of Monastiraki is Monastiraki square, from where you get an impressive view of the Acropolis.
- Psyrri or Psirri: This area is located next to Monstastiraki and all the tourist spots. There are some popular cafes and restaurants here.
- Syntagma square: Syntagma square is a significant political and cultural hub.
- Plaka: This neighborhood is located at the foot of the Acropolis. Plaka’s charming streets, colorful houses and tons of restaurants make it popular among tourists.
- Thiseio: Just like Plaka, Thiseio is located at the foot of the Acropolis, but on the northwest side. If you stay here, you are close to important sites of Ancient Agora, Areopagus Hill, and Acropolis and a stone’s throw away from popular bars and restaurants. This is the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a calmer atmosphere.
We stayed in Athens for four days, first when we reached the country and later after visiting all islands. While three days here would have been ideal, we had to extend our stay by a day since one of the days we were here was May 1. Being a public holiday, all sites, shops and ferries were closed. So, we couldn’t do any sightseeing on that day.
For the first leg of our trip we stayed in Athens’ Pagrati neighborhood at this Airbnb. Since weren’t doing any “sightseeing” on these days, we decided to stay a bit far and save costs. Even though far, taxi ride into the city cost just €6-€8 one way. Also, there were plenty of restaurants nearby so we didn’t have to walk too far for a meal.
On our second leg of the trip, we stayed right in city center at this Airbnb. The apt was nice and clean and location was FABULOUS! Literally steps away from the shopping street of Ermou, tons of cafes, restaurants and a 5-minute walk to Monastiraki square. Highly recommend this Airbnb.
Things to Do
See the Acropolis
The most famous site in Athens is, without a doubt, the Acropolis. The Acropolis towers over the city and you can actually spot this ancient monument as you are walking around the city.
Acropolis is not just one monument – it actually consists of several different monuments. An entry ticket of €30 grants you access to the Acropolis which includes the iconic structures of Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion and the Propylaea as well as access to the North and South slopes which have Dionysus Theater and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Parthenon is the most famous one but the other structures are equally impressive.
If you are visiting in summer months, it is advisable to buy tickets in advance. You can buy tickets for a particular time slot and entry is possible only during the selected time slot. Reach at least 15 minutes before the selected time slot. Click here for more information.
The best time to visit Acropolis is right when it opens. But the opening times vary as per season so please click here to check timings on the date of your visit.
We actually lucked out when we visited Acropolis. We reached here around 11 am and it was sheer madness. Instead, we chose to buy tickets for 4 pm slot and by the time we reached, there was hardly any crowd at the top.
Here are some of the main sights to see at the Acropolis:
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
This is first main monument you will see as soon as you enter. It is a stone Roman theater built in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950.
With marble seats and chequerboard stage floor, the architecture here is a sight to behold. Even today, this theater is used for concerts and it seats over 4,500 people.
A fun fact – this is the main venue of Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International artists.
Parthenon
The Parthenon is the most iconic spot in the Acropolis. 
It was built between 447 and 438 BC and what you see today is actually the third version of the Parthenon, replacing two previous versions. A little fun fact – this was converted to both a Christian church and a mosque, depending on who was in power at the time.
Over the years, several large-scale restoration projects have been undertaken to preserve remaining artefacts and ensure its structural integrity. So, 90% of the time, it is under construction ☹️
Erechtheion
The Erechtheion is most famous for its Caryatids, which are the columns made of female figures. Even though the originals are located in the Acropolis Museum, these replicas are still beautiful and make the Erechtheion a stunning ancient site.
Then there is the Temple of Athena Nike, the Old Temple of Athena, the Propylaea, Theater of Dionysus and the legendary Olive Tree of Pandrosion.
Oh, and while you’re exploring all of the monuments on top of the hill, make sure to wander off to the sides to soak in a birds’ eye view of the city. You will even spot the Hadrian’s Arch from above.
You can easily spend 1.5-2 hours here. Download “Cosmote Chronos” app for an interactive audio guide as you tour Acropolis. Or you can sign up for guided tours if you want to learn more about the history of this place.
Visit the other ancient monuments in Athens
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been inhabited for around 5 000 years. While Acropolis gets all the attention in Athens, this city is actually filled with many other important monuments.
Throughout history, Greece has had different rulers and gone through many different eras: for example the Athenian, the Roman, the Byzantine, and the Ottoman. You can actually see the influence of different rulers throughout the city in their architecture.
Some of the most impressive monuments worth checking out are:
- Ancient Agora of Athens
- Roman Forum of Athens
- Hadrian’s Library
You need to buy separate tickets for each of these attractions. But one of the coolest things about Athens is that as you are walking around the city, you can see these historical sites from outside.
Since most of our actual “sightseeing” was left for our last day (due to May 1 closure), we had a lot to see and do. We were satisfied with peeking in through the fence and didn’t actually go inside due to lack of time.
But if you are planning to visit other monuments, then consider buying an Acropolis Pass. This Pass provides access to the most important historical locations of Athens, without needing to purchase multiple individual tickets.
The Acropolis Pass is valid for a duration of five days from the first use, allowing flexibility for travelers. Read more about Acropolis pass here.
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum is just 10 minutes on foot from Acropolis. I recommend visiting the Acropolis Museum after the Acropolis. Many of the exhibits reference the layout of ruins and are original or recreated elements from within the site – so it will make more sense if you have seen the actual Acropolis first.
Entrance costs €25 and you can purchase your tickets here.
Visit Areopagus Hill
This hill is located next to Acropolis’ main entrance. However, when we visited in May 2025, this entrance was blocked for construction work. So, we had to get down the hill and walk back up another way. Since a part of the climb was up a mountain, there were no proper steps. Please ensure you wear comfortable shoes.
We finally made it to the top and loved a close-up view of the Acropolis!
Take in the views from Philopappos Hill
Philopappos Hill (also spelled Filopappou Hill) is a hilly park located southwest of the Acropolis. It offers great views of the Acropolis, the whole city of Athens and the Aegean Sea.
There are several entrances to this hill. I would say enter from one end and then get down from the other so you get to appreciate different vantage points.
It is an uphill hike and steep in some parts. Also, some of these paths are well laid out with marble and some are dirt tracks with uneven steps. I would suggest wearing comfortable shoes and carrying water. Also, visit in the evening – the weather will be better for climbing and you can even enjoy sunset from the top.
At the main viewpoint, there are benches where people usually gather to soak in the views. But I feel that the best viewpoint is slightly further up near Philopappos Monument, where you can get a clear view of the Parthenon. 
Type in “Pnyx” in GoogleMaps for exact location. This platform is a bit rocky and uneven so be careful while climbing up.
Apart of the views, Philopappos Hill is filled with important historic monuments and attractions. Some me of these are only ruins today but thankfully there are information boards you can read up to know more. You will even find Socrates Prison as you start descending the hill.
Hike to Lycabettus Hill
Lycabettus Hill is Athens’ highest peak. From the top, you get an impressive view of entire Athens, the Acropolis, the sea, and the nearby islands.
To get to Lycabettus Hill you can take the metro to Syntagma or Panepistimio. From the foot of the mountain, it is a fairly easy 20-minute hike. If you don’t feel like hiking, you can take a cable car to the top. The cable car ticket costs €12 for a roundtrip / €9 for one-way. Click here to read more.
Since we had already seen the views from two viewpoints, we skipped this one.
Stroll around Plaka
One of the loveliest neighborhoods in the city of Athens is Plaka, located between Acropolis and Syntagma square. The area is car-free and filled with narrow pedestrian streets lined with restaurants and shops.
What to do in Plaka? Well, not much except wandering around leisurely, getting into little side streets and browsing through the stores 😊
Visit Anafiotika
Right next to Plaka, you will find a unique neighborhood, Anafiotika. This area is known for its special architecture, with white houses and blue doors similar to the Cycladic islands. The area actually got its architecture from the Cycladic builders who lived in the area in the 19th century.
The builders were invited to Athens by the king to help build some of Athens’ most impressive buildings, like the Royal Palace. In exchange for their work, they got some land to build homes for their families while they lived in Athens. They called their neighborhood Anafiotika (“Little Anafi”) after their home island.
Anafiotika reflects a typical Cycladic town and gives tourists a feel of Greek islands in the heart of the city, with white walls, narrow spaces and bougainvilleas of course😉
Oh, and if you continue walking up, you will also get lovely view of the city from the top.
Grab a drink and bite at Mnisikleous Street Stairs
While you are in Plaka, check out liveliest spot here – the unique Mnisikleous Street Stairs. This is basically a set of stairs lined with restaurants and outside tables for alfresco dining.
After we were done wandering around Anafiotika, we grabbed drinks and bites at Lyra Restaurant. This street is buzzing with both locals and tourists and makes for a fun experience.
Changing of Guards
The changing of the guard ceremony takes place in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Hellenic Parliament building opposite Syntagma Square.
There is an elaborate ceremonial change every Sunday at 11:00 am, where the Presidential Guard, including a band, marches from their barracks to the Tomb. But even if you are not visiting on a Sunday, a small ceremony takes place every hour and lasts for around 15 minutes. Try to arrive around 15 minutes early to get a good spot.
Panathenaic Stadium
This is the site of the first modern Olympic Games. This is the world’s only stadium built entirely of marble. Built in 330 BC, it was home to the first modern Olympic Games, way back in 1896.
Entry costs €10 and this ticket includes a 30-minute audio guide.
We saw it on our way to the city center as well as from top of the Acropolis but did not have the time to go in.
Shopping in Athens
Here are some places to check out if you want to shop:
- Monastiraki Flea Market
- Ermou Street – This is where you find all the big brands, like H&M, Zara, Mango, etc.
- Plaka – The narrow streets of Plaka are filled with small shops selling crafts, leather bags, souvenirs, etc.
Check out a Rooftop Bar
This city has quite a few rooftop bars, offering a breathtaking view of the Acropolis. The best time to visit a rooftop bar would be sunset hour. Here are some of the popular ones:
- 360 Cocktail Bar
- A for Athens
- Attic Rooftop
- Coleur
But I will be honest, you get more or less similar view from Monastiraki square. Of course, since you are at a rooftop, you get a more close-up view.
See the decorations at Little Kook
Little Kook is a fairytale-themed café with decorations so unique that it is bound to bring a huge smile to your face. Even the servers and staff are dressed in character 😊
The decorations change with the seasons, with fairytale theme to spring flowers to Halloween and Christmas decorations. And not just the cafe, the nearby streets of Karaiskaki and Pittaki are decorated as well.
The food here is on the expensive side and I have heard that service is slow. But even if you don’t want to grab a bite here, it is fun to take a stroll and check out the over-the-top decorations here.
Where To Eat
Since we spent 4 days here, we were able to eat a variety of food and at different places.
Here are all the places we tried and loved:
- Picky and Makers for brunch
- Gryos at Tylixto
- Street style Chinese wok at Streetwok
- Chipotle type Mexican food at Ancho Mexican Grill
- Gelato at Django (try the chilli chocolate sorbet and pistachio flavors) and Lartecono Davinci (they have unique flavors like apple pie and Bounty)
- Cosa Nostra Fresca and Mailos for no-frills fresh pasta in a box
- Try Loukoumades – it is a small puff pastry similar to a donut, with different toppings. The traditional loukoumades are with honey and nuts, but nowadays you can get the pastry with pretty much any topping.
Couple others I had on my list but couldn’t try:
- Usurum
- Clumsies and Baba Au Rum – top rated bars for drinks
- Mokka for Greek coffee
- Ellyz Café – the most instagrammable pink café in Athens
- Le Greche and Dolce Far Niente for gelato
Other Things to Do
Have more time on hand? Then check out these fun day-trips from Athens.
Visit Athenian Riviera and Cape Sounion
Athenian Riviera is the coastal area that stretches from Piraeus to Cape Sounion. This is where locals go to escape the heat. Here, you can visit the beaches, walk the beautiful promenade and dine at beautiful restaurants overlooking the water.
Sounion is located on the southernmost tip of Athens. It is actually the end point of the Athenian Riviera, around 69 km from Athens. Take the intercity coach (KTEL) from Aigyptou Sq. (Victoria ISAP Station) or rent a car and drive along the coast (passing by Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, Lagonisi, Anavyssos, Legrena, etc.). You will be impressed by the lovely view of the sea and of the Saronic Gulf Islands.
If you want to avoid the hassle of figuring out transportation altogether, then consider buying hop on hop off day pass which takes you to the Riviera. I generally don’t recommend hop on hop off buses since there is no better way to explore a city other than on your feet but this one is an exception 😉
Click here to read more about hop on hop off bus tours.
Meteora and Delphi
Are you a history buff? Then you have to check out the historic sites of Delphi and Meteora.
Delphi is located approximately 180 kilometers northwest of Athens and is known for its ancient sanctuary dedicated to Apollo.
Meteora, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its monasteries perched atop towering rocks, is a popular day trip destination from Athens. The journey from Athens to Meteora typically involves a 4-5 hour bus ride or a train journey to the nearby town of Kalambaka.
Best Way to Reach Meteora?
- Bus: Several tour operators offer day trips from Athens to Meteora, including bus transportation and guided tours. Check out on Viator and GetYourGuide.
- Train: You can also take a train from Athens to Kalambaka (near Meteora), and then connect with local transport or taxis to the monasteries. The train journey can take around 5 hours.
- Car: Driving from Athens to Meteora takes approximately 4 hours
As you can see, both Delphi and Meteora are far and end up being full day trips from Athens.
*Prices as of May 2025