Besides stunning ancient acropolis Athens offers so much more!
But traveling to Athens can be a bit … challenging.
As a tour guide I’ll share all the basics you need to know for your visit to Athens!
They include the most important Athenian attractions, food you simply have to taste,
when is the best time to visit, where to book a room, how many days to spend
and the best ways to get around the city. And if you stick till the end you will learn
my favourite tips and tricks about Athens, Greece. Most people start with the world famous Acropolis,
a rocky hill with temples, the very symbol of Ancient Greece.
But your itinerary should also include the heart of everyday ancient Athens
from Greek and Roman times, once the greatest and the
biggest ancient Greek temple, and an ancient stadium that
hosted the first modern Olympic Games. Here are also beautiful old neighborhoods
with picturesque cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops mixed with ancient monuments,
most famous flea market neighbourhood full of life with numerous vendors and shops,
and a tiny scenic neighborhood with adorning white houses and a maze of steep and tiny streets.
You should also see the most unique Presidential guard changing ceremony in the world,
admire three beautiful neoclassical buildings known as Athenian Trilogy,
and get to the highest point of Athens with the best view of the city.
Lovers of ancient Greece should also visit two of the best museums, The Acropolis Museum
and The National Archeological Museum. You should also visit Athenian taverns,
simple and charming restaurants serving delicious traditional Greek food.
Taverns spread their tables around squares and streets and on their menus
you will find typical Greek dishes like Dolmades, vine leaves stuffed with herb
and rice mix and shaped into little rolls. You should also try the famous Moussaka,
a layered casserole-style dish made with layers of vegetables and tomatoey beef or lamb mince sauce,
topped off with creamy béchamel sauce. With almost every meal you can order Tzatziki,
the most universal and popular sauce. This refreshing yogurt sauce is mixed
with cucumbers, olive oil and fresh herbs. And for dessert you must try Loukoumades,
donut-like, deep fried balls, soaked in hot honey syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Tasty food, amazing Greek monuments and charming neighbourhoods sound very inviting. But before
you start packing, let’s check when is the best time to visit Europe’s oldest capital.
Most people visit Athens in summer. But Athens is the hottest major city in Europe and July and
August are the hottest months. If summer is your only option, be prepared for heat and crowds. In
the mornings and late afternoons heat becomes manageable and this is the best time to visit
outdoor attractions. During the hottest hours you can cool down in museums, tavernas and on
the beaches. On the other hand the Mediterranean climate brings beautiful weather in spring and
autumn. The weather is sunny and pleasantly warm, there is little rain and fewer crowds.
In my opinion this is the best time to visit. April, May, June, September and October are the
best months to visit Athens. But to save cash and to avoid crowds you should also consider winter.
I was filming Athens in early December and as you can see from my footage winter in Athens
can be really nice. Sights have shorter hours, but most tourist businesses tend
to stay open. Streets remain alive as Taverns set up outdoor heaters and shops remain open.
But is one day in Athens enough? The short answer is… sort of.
You can see a big chunk of historical monuments in one long day, as the most important ancient
sites are close to each other. But to also visit vibrant neighbourhoods, eat in tavernas and see
some museums you will need more than a day. Here are also interesting trips to the outskirts of
Athens. In summer you should visit the Athenian riviera with great beaches and resorts,
stretching all the way to Cape Sounion with the impressive Poseidon temple. You could also visit
the beautiful Byzantine Daphni Monastery or do a trip to one of Greece’s most important
archeological sites with an impressive Theatre of Epidaurus. A day trip to magical Delphi,
home of the oracle and the centre of the world for the Ancient Greeks is also a popular option.
When asked how many nights I recommend in Athens my answer is two full days
are the minimum. But spending at least three days is even better.
Athens is big. But most attractions are in its historical city centre,
scattered around the Acropolis. On Booking.com I would recommend the following six neighborhoods:
They are clustered around the Acropolis hill and offer many hotels, Air BnBs, restaurants and
attractions. From any of these neighbourhoods you can get to most main attractions on foot.
Plaka stretches right under the Acropolis. Hillside neighbourhood has a village feel
with narrow cobblestone streets lined with shops, sidewalk cafes and family-run tavernas.
Monastiraki was named after beautiful Square and is one of the main shopping districts
with the biggest flea market. Its major archeological sites include Ancient and
Roman Agora, the heart of everyday life in Ancient Athens and Hadrian’s Library.
Syntagma is famous for its main square with the Greek Parliament Building and the tomb of
the unknown soldier guarded by the presidential guard. Here is also the marble Olympic Stadium
originating from Greek and Roman times, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games.
Koukaki is south of the Acropolis with a local vibe and Acropolis Museum. Big part
of the neighbourhood are pedestrian zones. Psyri is a small neighbourhood right next
to Monastiraki full of street art. It is about a 15-minute walk from the Acropolis,
and a 5-minute walk from the Ancient Agora. Thisseio is north east from Ancient Agora,
full of neoclassical buildings, open-air cafes, cozy wine bars, and rooftop restaurants
with great views of the Acropolis. Although Acropolis is about 5 miles
from the nearest beaches, booking a room on the coast can be a good
option as Athens has decent public transport. The Athens public transport system is affordable,
reliable and covers most of the city and suburbs. It’s fairly easy to use as buses, trams, trains
and metro all use the same ticket. Metro is the fastest and the best way of getting around as it
runs very frequently. It has 3 lines and number 3 runs straight from the airport to the city
center’s two most important squares, Syntagma and Monastiraki. Just be aware that using a metro to
the airport requires a dedicated Airport ticket. But the network of metro stations is very
limited. So don’t expect to find metro stations at every attraction.
That is why you might want to use buses, as its network is much more extensive. Also if
you need to reach the Airport when the metro is not running, a bus is the way to go as Airport
Express bus runs 24 hours. With the help of Google Maps you can overcome problems
of understanding Greek writing. On the other hand you will rarely use trams, unless you book a room
on the coast. Modern tram line runs along the coast and connects it with the historic city
centre. Tickets for public transport are sold at ticket booths and machines in all Athens Metro
and tram stations. Most of the time you will get a single ticket as combining walking with occasional
public transport is the best way to go. Single ticket is valid for 90 minutes after its first
validation. If you book a room further from Acropolis you might consider the daily ticket,
valid for 24 hours since its first validation. Again, be aware that single ticket and daily
ticket are not valid for transport to the airport. For the Airport
you must get a dedicated Airport ticket. Before I show you my favorite tips and tricks,
thanks for smashing thumbs up and for your Super thanks support. Let’s
start with money and time saving tip. In Athens there are summer and winter
prices to archaeological sites. When visiting the first archeological site in summer don’t
buy a single ticket, but go for a combined ticket. It gives you access all main sites
including Acropolis. This ticket saves you a lot of time and money as you will need to queue at
the ticket office just once. In the summer you will save money already by visiting three sites,
while in winter it will take seven sites. But on certain days you don’t have to buy
tickets at all as archaeological sites, monuments, and museums are for free.
These days are March 6th, April 18th, May 18th, the last weekend in September,
October 28th and the first Sunday of each month between November 1 st and March 31 st.
Also worth visiting is one of the best photo spots in Athens, Areopagus rock.
This popular rock offers an amazing view of Acropolis and the city. It’s a short distance
from the Entrance to the Acropolis and rises above the Ancient Agora. This lovely spot is always
open and attracts a lot of people at sunset. You can get more great views if you take a stroll
along the longest pedestrian pathway in Athens. This is the nicest walk in Athens as it runs
around the southern slope of Acropolis and around the archeological area of Ancient Agora. It takes
about 40 minutes to do the full circle, but you will probably spend more by taking photos and
stopping in numerous tavernas and souvenir shops. But the very best shopping in Athens is on a
pedestrian shopping promenade in Ermou Street. The most famous shopping street runs from Syntagma
Square where you can see the famous presidential guard and after about
one kilometer ends in Monastiraki Square. Oh and if you see a sing Do not throw paper
in the toilet, please respect it, as it’s a serious request. Throw the paper in the bin
as you don’t want to be responsible for the clogged toilet. Hope these tips and tricks
will make your trip to Athens much easier. Also check my favourite Athens tours and tickets in
the description below and you’ll be ready to go. To learn more about Best things to do in Athens
watch this video. Thanks for watching and see you next time.