Best time
March - May, September - November
How long
2-4 days
Best for
City breaks, history, island add-ons
Perfect for
City Break / History / Solo / Food
Why go to Athens
Most people give Athens a day and regret it. The Acropolis is unavoidable, but the city underneath it is where the trip actually happens: Psiri and Exarcheia for food and bars, the central market for noise and cheap lunches, and a string of hills that give you the view without the entrance fee.
It is also cheap by capital standards, well connected by metro and easy to combine with the islands. If you are flying to Greece anyway, two or three nights here is rarely wasted.
What to do
Do the Acropolis first thing
Opening time or the last two hours. Midday in summer is genuinely unpleasant and there is no shade.
Visit the Acropolis Museum
Better than the site itself for understanding what you are looking at. Cool, calm and well designed.
Eat around the central market
Grilled meat, fish and soup at prices that have not changed much in years.
Climb Lycabettus at sunset
The best view in the city, and free if you walk. The funicular exists if you would rather not.
Explore Plaka and Anafiotika
The old quarter and a tiny island style village hidden below the Acropolis.
Take the tram to the coast
Athens has beaches. Forty minutes south and you are swimming.
Where to stay
Plaka and Monastiraki
Central and atmospheric, walkable to everything ancient. Busy and touristy, which is the trade off.
Koukaki
Residential, close to the Acropolis Museum and full of good small restaurants. The best mid range choice.
Syntagma
Practical for transport, including the direct metro to the airport and the port at Piraeus.
Getting there and around
- Athens International (ATH) connects to the centre by metro in about 40 minutes.
- Ferries to the islands leave from Piraeus, reachable by metro or a 30 minute taxi.
- The city is a major hub, so connections across Europe and the Middle East are frequent.
The metro is clean, cheap and covers the main sights. The historic centre is compact enough to walk, though the hills add up.
What it costs
Budget: Hostels and small hotels, souvlaki lunches, one combined ticket for the archaeological sites.
Mid range: Hotel with a rooftop, guided Acropolis visit, dinner out nightly.
Higher end: Design hotels near the museum and the coast, private guides and a car for day trips.
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