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.
