(upbeat electronic music)
- [Dave] We spent three days
exploring the capital of Greece.
From its ancient ruins to its exciting rooftop bars.
These are the best things to do in Athens
that are not to be missed.
- Welcome to Athens. - Welcome to Athens.
- [Debra] Before we get started,
make sure to subscribe to our channel
because we put up new travel videos each week
and make sure you click on that bell.
So that you get notified
because you don't wanna miss a thing.
(playful staccato music)
- Heading up to the Acropolis to beat the rush.
Fingers crossed.
- So walking up to the Acropolis,
you go through a very nice, quiet neighborhood of Plaka.
I say quiet, if you go in the am,
because nothing is really open yet.
We're going for the 8:00 AM opening
to meet all of the tourist buses.
So hopefully that works.
- [Dave] Let's go!
- On your way up, there are some cafes.
Great photo opportunities,
and it's a pleasant stroll through the neighborhood.
So give yourself some time on your way up.
The sun gets...
The sun goes up very early in the summertime.
So we have lots of time to explore
on our way to the Acropolis.
(bright upbeat music)
- Well, we're waiting for a moment now
'cause the army's coming.
Each morning, soldiers raise a Greek flag at the Acropolis.
So we had a chance to see them
marching down from their duties.
By arriving for the opening,
we were the first up to see the Acropolis.
Crowd's fill in quickly,
so we walked right to the other end
for a rare view of the Parthenon, free of people.
We bought the Acropolis
and six archeological sites combo ticket in advance,
so we didn't need to wait in line for tickets.
Once the doors opened,
we scanned our pass and strolled right on in.
- Welcome to the Acropolis.
Contrary to popular belief,
the Parthenon is not the Acropolis.
It's just the main temple of the Acropolis,
and there are many other amazing wonders on top to see
like the Temple of Athena Nike,
the old Temple of Athena, and the Erechtheion.
Well, getting here early did pay off.
We ended up being the first ones up
and we ran ahead of everyone
to take photos of the many ruins, without the crowds.
It was no time whatsoever before we looked back
and had throngs of people.
I'm talking, you literally have about one minute
before all the crowds fill in.
Luckily, we saw it all in a short time and it's maybe, what,
8:20, 8:30 maybe?
(bright cheerful music)
And this is what it looks like at 9:00 AM.
- Yeah, man.
It's not even even midday yet
and it's absolutely packed with people.
Come early.
♪ Got to fill in the cracks ♪
♪ That were spreading ♪
- [Debra] On your way down, there are plenty of sites to see
including panoramic views of Athens
and the Theaters of Dionysus
and Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
♪ You broke the code ♪
- [Dave] The Odeon is one
of the world's most awe-inspiring open air theaters,
dating back to 161 AD.
It was restored in the 1950s
and is used, to this day, for performances
for famous artists and in the Epidaurus Festival.
♪ Sounds impossible my boy ♪
- When you're in Athens in the summertime,
you can check out the Epidaurus Festival.
It's a festival of just music
around all of the venues around the city.
Most notably, right here at the Odeon,
and there's someone rehearsing
'cause there's a show tonight.
Hear them?
Sounds like a good band in there.
- [Dave] Make sure to set aside at least two hours
to see everything at the Acropolis.
It truly is the star of Athens.
(gentle suspenseful music)
- The walk between the Acropolis
and Ancient Agora is really pleasant.
It's a nice walking street,
and plenty of cafes and restaurants along the way.
(gentle suspenseful music)
- [Dave] The Ancient Agora is located
on the Northwest slope of the Acropolis.
It was a meeting place for the people of Athens,
where the likes of Sophocles and Socrates would meet.
The temple of Hephaestus is the centerpiece
of the sprawling complex that is surrounded
by shady trees and walking trails,
offering a peaceful escape from the city.
(gentle suspenseful music)
Make sure you go into the museum.
The Stoa of Athilos was beautifully restored in the 1950s,
with its rows of columns
creating a superb escape from the sun and the heat.
(gentle suspenseful music)
- There is another Agora in Athens.
The Roman Agora
which is located just off Monastiraki square.
You can visit it and had Hadrian's Library together.
The main sites include the Tower of the Winds
which is considered the world's first meteorological station
and the Gate of Athena.
(gentle suspenseful music)
Well, Hadrian's Library is included
in my six archeological pass with GetYourGuide,
and it's great because you just flash your card
and walk on in.
It's on my phone and we get to see more
of these incredible ancient ruins,
right here in the center of the city.
(bright energetic music)
- [Dave] Once you've seen some
of Athens' ancient archeological sites,
it's time to take a look from above.
Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens
and a great place to go for sunset.
- So even just going to the funicular,
to go up the hill, is a bit of a workout.
Isn't it? (laughs) - Bit of a StairMaster,
I'll say. (chuckles)
- So you can hike up but you can catch the funicular,
and that's what we're going to do.
(bright energetic music)
We're on the funicular going up to Lycabettus Hill,
and it's all underground.
I didn't realize that.
Tickets cost seven Euro
and there are plenty of things to see and do
once you get to the top.
(spirited upbeat music)
we have a great view of the Acropolis, right there.
(spirited upbeat music)
- [Dave] You can spend an hour or so up here easily
as there is a cocktail bar,
a couple of restaurants and patios,
the Church of Saint George,
and panoramic views of the city.
- Wow, I knew it was a nice view
but this really took my breath away.
- Yeah, it is pretty amazing
seeing how sprawling this city really is.
But Lycabettus Hill isn't the only place
to see Athens from above,
there are rooftop bars everywhere.
(bright lively music)
- The best way to take a break from sight seeing
is to stop for a rooftop drink.
I'm having an (speaks foreign language),
with views of everything around me.
One of the most popular things to do in Athens
is to find a rooftop bar to look over the Acropolis,
and we found a great one right here.
- One of our favorite rooftop patios was at Athens Gate.
It has views of the Acropolis
and overlooks the Temple of Zeus.
We're rooftop bar hopping.
Come join us.
- The most popular bars overlook Monastiraki square,
where you can choose
from one of the many cocktail bars or restaurants.
We had cocktails as we watched the sun go down,
from A is for Athens,
overlooking the square and the Acropolis.
You gotta take it all in.
(gentle upbeat music)
Monastiraki square is the main meeting place in Athens
and it is always filled with tourists.
- Just off of Monastiraki square are a bunch of ruins.
If you walk a little farther out of the square,
you'll find the Hadrian's Library.
It costs six Euro to enter,
and I don't really think you need to do it
unless you have a pass.
A little farther on is the Ancient Agora,
that is included in your museum pass.
So I suggest going in there when you have a pass.
Both of them are just cool to see from the outside as well,
and they're just a short distance from the square.
- [Dave] Many of the archeological sites are nearby,
with shopping streets branching out from it.
- One of the main walking and shopping streets
in Athens is Ermu Street.
It connects Syntagma Square to Monastiraki square.
(laughs) I forgot the name.
- And there is an old Byzantine church right in the middle.
Pretty cool.
(playful upbeat music)
- No cameras are allowed in the church
but it is free to go inside.
(playful upbeat music)
We have come up to Syntagma Square at the top of the hour
and every hour of every day, 24 hours a day,
is a changing of the guards.
- Also known as Constitution Square,
Syntagma Square is a lively square of Athens
and the location of the parliament buildings.
It is here where guards dressed in traditional uniforms
stand guard over the tomb of the unknown soldier.
24 hours a day.
Now you can watch the changing of the guards,
every hour on the hour,
with the larger ceremony taking place
on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
(gentle upbeat music)
Syntagma square is located in the heart of Athens
and is a great place to make a base
when exploring the Greek capital.
When looking for a place to stay in the center of Athens,
I do suggest looking for a place
between Syntagma Square and Monastiraki square.
It's the most central location
and there's all types of accommodation,
from super luxury, all the way to budget hotels.
And no matter where you stay,
you know you're in a good location.
- We stayed at the Astor Hotel,
which was affordable, central, and had amazing views.
(gentle upbeat music)
This is pretty wild.
In the subway at Syntagma Square,
there are some ancient Greek ruins down here
from an archeological dig.
You don't have to pay to go into the subway.
So you can just come on down and look at the artifacts
that they have on display down here.
It's actually a really, really nice Metro stop.
(upbeat music)
- And in Syntagma Square station,
they actually have this excavation
of early Christian graves here, all along the wall.
Pretty cool.
(gentle upbeat music)
- The beauty about Athens is it is a very walkable city.
So you can basically walk around everywhere
in the city center.
You don't necessarily have to jump
on the hop on, hop off bus, 'cause you don't want to.
The Metro system is very efficient and very economical.
So you can get all around the city on that.
So there's a lot of different ways to travel around Athens.
You don't have to just be stuck
to one particular mode of transportation.
- Well, this is it.
This is the site of the first modern Olympic games,
but it actually dates back to the 6th century BC
when it was just a little track for racing.
So I think it is the birthplace of the Olympics, period.
One cool fact, it is the only stadium in the world
made completely out of marble.
Very fitting for Athens.
Everything here is made out of marble.
Absolutely beautiful.
(bright upbeat music)
So this is a pretty cool historical site here in Athens.
Zappeion Hall was built
to open the first modern Olympic games.
That's pretty significant because we all know
that the original Olympics were held in Athens,
and then this commemorates the beginning of a new era.
Unfortunately, there's a movie filming in here
so we can't go in right now,
but it has some great interior architecture to see
and it's a very historic place here in Athens.
So I highly recommend stopping by.
When you're walking through the National Gardens,
it's right in the center of it all.
- The National Gardens here in Athens
are a great escape from the heat.
When you need a little bit of shade
or a little bit of relaxation from sight seeing,
come to the national gardens and take a load off.
- Let's face it, Athens can be hot in the summertime.
The National Gardens is a beautiful shady green space
covering 40 acres in the city.
You can rock from the stadium to Zappeion Hall,
and relax on its benches.
Take in the views of the ponds, the green spaces,
and the many statues and historical ruins.
(gentle lilting music)
Well, the Temple of Zeus is under construction
and I think it will be for a few years,
so I wouldn't bother coming.
However, we have it in our six pass.
Our six museum pass that we got with GetYourGuide.
So hey, you can walk on in
and see a few of the pillars close up.
We're gonna head over to Hadrian's Gate
and check out some more of Athens.
(upbeat lilting music)
- Walking under Hadrian's Arch.
(tense dramatic music)
One of the things you can actually get close to,
here in Athens.
It's not roped off.
Amazing.
(dramatic lilting music)
- And there it is, the Temple of Poseidon.
This is so exciting.
We're heading up to see it.
It's early in the morning
and hopefully there's no people around.
Gorgeous scenery up here.
- [Dave] The Temple of Poseidon
is 1 hour and 20 minutes from Athens.
Standing 60 meters above sea level,
it is the perfect location for a temple honoring Poseidon.
The Greek God of the Sea.
The Temple of Poseidon was constructed in 444 to 440 BC
and is 70 kilometers outside of the city.
We visited, while spending a few days out at Vincci EverEden
to enjoy some beach life out on the Athens Riviera.
If you want to enjoy some beach time in Athens,
the Riviera stretches from Piraeus to Sounio.
- We found this little gem just outside of Athens.
It's a great little escape that's on the beach.
It's on the Athens Riviera
and it's about 30 minutes outside of the city.
We got breakfast and dinner included with our room,
seaview, and this gorgeous beach.
(cheerful lilting music)
- We loved our stay at this hotel.
Relaxing on the beach, enjoying the summer,
and hanging out by the pool.
So if you are in Athens, I do highly recommend
you come to the Temple of Poseidon.
It's about an hour outside of Athens, itself.
It's 10 euros to get in.
You can grab a taxi or you can come
with a bus tour or day tour.
It's just as impressive as the ruins in Athens
without the crowds.
And it really is the location and the view
that makes it so special.
- [Debra] Day trips can be booked from Athens,
or you can hire a car,
but we recommend staying at a hotel
to get a feel for the Mediterranean
without having to leave the mainland.
- If you don't have a chance to get down to the island
but still want to learn a little bit
about the history of the island,
you can come to the Cycladic Museum, here, of Art in Athens.
It has a great array of art from different periods,
all from that region of Greece.
(gentle lilting music)
- Included in your museum pass
is the Kerameikos archeological site.
It's an ancient cemetery and it was the only cemetery
in ancient Greece or ancient Athens at the time.
Now you can walk through the archeological ruins
and there's a museum here as well.
(gentle lilting music)
Once you finish up at the Acropolis,
come on into the Acropolis Museum.
There's air conditioning, there's wifi, there's a cafe.
And even if you don't go to tour the museum,
there are some ruins that they let you see
that are on display as well.
So cheers, enjoy.
The Acropolis Museum is an extraordinary museum
located on the Southern slope of the Acropolis.
It houses the findings from excavations
from the Acropolis, itself.
A unique feature is the transparent glass floor
that lets visitors see the actual excavation site,
creating an authentic open air museum.
(gentle upbeat music)
- Through the historic district of Plaka
is such a pleasant experience.
It's much more quiet than the other squares.
We've got the nice marble walking street here.
Lots of shopping.
And yeah, there's not any traffic.
Before we go, we wanted to share a little insider tip.
We said earlier that Athens was hot
and when you're walking through the streets of Plaka,
which is the main tourist area of Athens,
you can find some air conditioning in the Hard Rock Cafe.
I know Greek food is amazing
and we ate a lot of it while there,
but we snuck into the Hard Rock for happy hour
to cool off before we went to go
and explore more of the ancient ruins around the city.
(gentle upbeat music)
- And that was Athens.
- [Debra] Athens is one of our favorite cities
in the world to visit.
The ancient ruins are scattered throughout,
creating a living museum within the modern city.
If you are planning a trip to Greece,
make sure to spend three days in Athens
to see all of the sites we highlighted in this travel video.
It can easily be done.
And if you get yourself the six museums pass,
you'll be able to walk
into all of the top archeological sites with ease.
And these are the best things to do in Athens in three days.
If you liked our video, make sure to subscribe
because we have a new one coming out next Sunday
and you're gonna wanna see it.
So click on that bell for notifications.