I'm a tour guide and I want to show you the best way to see all main attractions of Athens,
Greece. This Athens itinerary gives you the best experience as it allows you to see the
most attractions in the shortest amount of time. Everything is clustered around Acropolis,
a rocky hill with temples that were the most important religious center of Ancient Athens. That
is why a rocky outcrop right next to Acropolis is the best starting place to get a sense of
Athens as it offers spectacular views. According to legend on this very spot, the twelve gods of
Mount Olympus founded the first court in history. This historic spot remains to be popular to this
day as it offers great views of Acropolis, the city centre and the entrance is free.
Right under the Areopagus rock is the heart of Ancient Athens known as Ancient
Agora. This archaeological park was the most important meeting place of Ancient
Athens and includes a marketplace, a central square, and many temples altars in shrines.
Here the most important political and social events took place, as this was the birthplace
of democracy. Inside the archaeological park are also the best-preserved temple in Greece
and Agora museum, housed in the reconstructed covered walkway that served as a marketplace.
East of Ancient Greek Agora is few centuries younger Roman Agora. When Romans were in
charge of Athens, their newly built market square took over many of commercial functions
of the Greek Agora, which had become something of a museum by that time. Only a small portion
of the columns are still standing, but you can also admire the well-preserved Tower of Winds
that functioned as a timepiece and is considered to be the world's first meteorological station.
Roman Agora is part of the Monastiraki, charming neighborhood full of ancient monuments and lovely
views of Acropolis. In its heart is Monastiraki Square, one of the most popular meeting points of
Athens. The neighborhood and square are named after a small orthodox monastery that used to
stand here. What's left of the monastery is one of the oldest Byzantine churches, dating to the 10th
century. Every weekend, the neighborhood hosts the biggest flea market in Athens. But also during
the week this is one of the best shopping areas as streets are lined with numerous small shops.
Use a metro station on Monastiraki Square and in about five minutes you will find yourself on the
most important square of modern Athens. Syntagma square is dominated by a parliament building and
under it is a monument of the Unknown Soldier. It's guarded by a presidential guard, famous for
its uniforms with skirts and for its very unique changing guard ceremony that happens every day and
every hour. Changing of the guards is performed in a peculiar manner as it's done in extreme slow
motion. If you have the time for a deep dive, you should come here on Sunday at 11 a.m., when
a much more impressive ceremony takes place, accompanied by a big parade and a military band.
You can take a walk through the park to get to the only stadium in the world built entirely out
of marble. Originally the stone made stadium was built for religious and athletic festivals that
took place every four years to honor the goddess Athena. But six centuries later,
it was rebuilt in marble by the Romans. Over the next centuries, the stadium became forgotten and
abandoned until in the 19th century it was excavated and renovated. This stadium then
hosted the first modern Olympic Games. Now it is use for a ceremony where the Olympic flame
is given to the host of the Olympic Games and it also houses a small but interesting museum.
On the other side of the park are the remains of what was once the biggest Ancient Greek
temple. Unfortunately 16 gigantic columns are all that's left from the home of Zeus,
head of the Olympian gods. The temple featured the largest statue of the ancient world,
but only 100 years after the completion it was destroyed. Over the centuries it was
taken apart piece by piece and reused for building materials around the city.
You can take a walk under Hadrian's Arch to get to the slopes of Acropolis. There is one of the
most picturesque, interesting and the oldest neighborhoods in Athens. It feels more like an
old village than part of Athens as pedestrian cobblestone streets are lined with cafes,
restaurants and numerous souvenir shops. On every corner you can find archaeological treasures,
ancient monuments, beautiful neoclassical buildings and small churches. You will also
notice numerous simple taverns as they spread their tables on the streets. Charming taverns are
perfect place to experience typical Greek dishes. You should try Dolmades, wine leaves stuffed with
herb and rice mix and shaped into little rolls. Here is also famous Moussaka, a layered casserole
style dish made with layers of vegetables and meat topped off with creamy béchamel sauce. And
with almost every meal you can order Tzatziki, a refreshing yogurt sauce 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. Mmm!
Now you can burn those delicious calories by going uphill to the northern slopes of
Acropolis. Right under the top are twisting narrow streets with gorgeous views. They are
lined by small whitewashed houses with colorful doors and windows. This is definitely the most
picturesque quarter of Athens. It was built by stone masons from the island of Anafi who moved
here in the mid 19th century when Athens needed workers for its big construction projects.
Descend to the longest pedestrian pathway in Athens that runs around the southern slope
of Acropolis. There you should visit one of the world's top archaeological museums. In
modern building, hovering over Roman and Byzantine ruins, you can admire every artifact found on the
site of Acropolis and its slopes. The top floor is designed on the same axis as the Parthenon and has
the same dimensions to display the entire freeze of the temple, with the real Parthenon always in
plain sight. Just a few steps from the museum is an entrance to the slopes of the Acropolis,
an archaeological site that extends around the sacred rock. This was the second most important
religious center of Ancient Athens, as there are many remains of different sanctuaries and sacred
caves. Here are the remains of the theater of Dionysus, one of the world's most ancient theaters
were Greek drama was born. But the best preserved structure on the slopes is a Roman theater,
still used for various music and cultural events. Walking up the slopes will finally
get you to Acropolis, the most impressive landmark and the very symbol of Ancient Greece. A complex
of marble temples on a rocky hill is commanded by its biggest temple Parthenon, dedicated to Athena,
the patron goddess of the city. Parthenon and other buildings of the Acropolis were
built during the golden age of Athens in the 5th century B.C. and are considered the most
important surviving buildings of Ancient Greece. They are regarded as the symbol of democracy,
western civilization, and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. Be aware that
the timings in this itinerary don't include the time spent in queues. Still, if you stick
with my quick visit plan, you start early, skip lunch and buy tickets online, it is possible to
see everything in one very long summer day. On the other hand, the deep dive plan allows you
to properly explore the sites. By adding time for lunch, drinks and coffee you should plan
for two or three days to properly see all main attractions of Athens. In both cases I would
recommend you to buy tickets online, and I'll put the links in the description below. Thanks
for watching and see you next time. But before you go to Athens, you should also check this video.