How to See Athens in a Day Guide

I'm pretty stoked to show you where I am today because in my opinion this place digs deeper historically and culturally than any other place in Europe I'm stepping in the footsteps of Saint Paul and Socrates yet I'm surrounded by a modern city let's do this [Music] [Music] thank you Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world that gets millions of Travelers each year and with good reason it's full of Mega monuments like the Acropolis and it's where the earliest chapters of Western Civilization were written I'm Angel castianos for the tour guide and today I'm going to give you the formula of how to have an epic day right here in Athens Athens is the capital of modern-day Greece and the most populous city in the whole country it's undoubtedly the economic cultural and political Center of Greece the Athens we know today is a sprawling European Capital with over 3 million inhabitants nestled along the sparkling the GNC Athens was chosen as the capital of Greece due to its historical significance and central location within the country today the city's Port named pireos is the biggest and busiest port in all of Europe Athens International Airport is served by most major airlines and lies 27 kilometers which is 16 and a half miles Southeast of the city center getting into town can easily be done by Blue metro line number three taking about 45 minutes or direct express bus to sintagma square which takes 75 minutes taxis are also available at a fixed price getting to the port of pideos to the ferry terminal or cruise ship dock is also straightforward while the Metro does connect from the airport I recommend taking the direct express bus x96 which takes 90 minutes or you can easily book a taxi even though Athens is a massive Metropolis getting around Athens is straightforward since most of your sightseeing is done in the dense City Center taxis are available in addition to ride sharing apps like freenow and Uber the convenient Metro has stops in key locations like the Acropolis centagma square and monostaraki you should also definitely pack your walking shoes especially if you're staying in the city center since distances are not far for making Athens a walkable City walking from the Pacific neighborhood or some Dogma Square to the Acropolis takes about 20 minutes we created the perfect route and plan to get you from A to Z check out the blog for great information on maximizing your time and increasing your fun before we start our day hook me up with a like And subscribe so we can keep bringing you great content so this morning I'm seeing one of the world's biggest Mega monuments a testament to Western civilization the Acropolis baby we'll start our day in Athens by seeing the biggest site in the city the mega Monument of the Acropolis our tour includes the adjacent Acropolis Museum from there we'll dive deeper into the ancient sites by visiting the ancient Agora and Roman Forum after that it'll be time for a food tour that starts in monasteraki in ancient Greece many cities had an acropolis which in Greek Acro means highest or topmost and police means city today the Acropolis is located in Athens Athens is a treasure Trove of archaeological wonders and no visit to Greece is complete without exploring the Acropolis it's one of the major archaeological sites in the world drawing about 3 million visitors each year the Acropolis is one of the mega monuments of the world and so many people want to see it there's going to be a huge line like this remember there are two sorts of Travelers those who stand in line and those who don't you can easily book your ticket online ahead of time or go into any archaeological site here in Athens get a pass and you can easily walk right in don't waste your time in line like this to make the best use of my time and money I decided to jump on a tour that includes my ticket and a passionate local license guide to make the visit more meaningful all right it's time to get our morning started by visiting a symbol of Western Civilization a mega Monument the Acropolis the first main site you'll see as you make your way up the Acropolis Hill is the impressive Odeon of herodis which was built in 161 A.D and once held 5 000 Spectators today the theater is still in use hosting a variety of live performances once you reach the top of the Sacred Rock You are greeted by the propileia or the grand entrance through which all visitors have passed since the Acropolis was built in the 5th Century BC during the Age of Pericles which is commonly referred to as the Golden Age of Athens as you make your way through the dramatic gateway-like entrance you'll get a glimpse of the small Temple of Athena Nike a temple to the Victorious patron of the city has stood here since prehistoric times since this is the most vulnerable part of the rock complex the temple we see today was designed by the famous architect Kali klades and built between 421 and 415 BC you will undoubtedly notice the erekfion temples with its iconic carved female columns according to Legend Poseidon and Athena about for patronage of Athens this mini Temple complex is dedicated to both Gods the focal point of the complex and the icon of the Acropolis rock is the Parthenon it is the epitome of Greek classical architecture and is one of the most important monuments in the Western World rapidly constructed under Pericles watch from 448 to 432 BC the Parthenon is the latest and greatest temple built on the site the temple built for Athena shook the world and is renowned for its architectural excellence and precise proportions it is considered one of the finest examples of Dork architecture in the world with eight columns in front and back and 17 columns on each side each column is approximately 34 feet or 10 meters tall along with a subtle optical illusions this demonstrates the sophistication of ancient Greek Builders the Acropolis is an important spiritual Democratic artistic and Architectural symbol of the glories of ancient Greece first inhabited around 5000 BC the Acropolis is still mostly intact today and only in person visit will help you understand the breathtaking proportions and scale both Majestic and human that were even fought over by the Gods the stunning and super modern Acropolis Museum houses 4 000 artifacts from the Acropolis complex the museum is conveniently located next to the Acropolis and is definitely worth seeing the museum itself is a masterpiece of modern architecture The Architects thoughtfully use light and space to showcase the vast collection of artifacts sculptures and artworks that were originally part of the Acropolis and its various temples these Treasures include sculptures from the complex and the Parthenon marbles located in the Parthenon Gallery the marbles were once part of the decoration of the Parthenon Temple of the Acropolis and now are displayed in a stunning layout that reflects their original placement on the building another highlight are the original Statue pillars that supported the erection's porch which have been brought inside and are located on the middle floor the sculpted female figures known as kariatis stand gracefully draped in flowing garments with intricately detailed hairstyles they were created between 421 and 407 BC making them approximately 2400 years old for another perspective on ancient Greece the grassy and relaxing area below the Acropolis known as the Agora is definitely worth exploring it's hard to understand ancient Greece without visiting the Agora which is where I am today and this is the ancient marketplace it was the epicenter of ancient Greece for over 1200 years everything happened here politically socially and economically Saint Paul preached here Socrates taught his philosophies here it's a great place to really wander about taking the ruins taking the sight and really transport yourself back in time the ancient marketplace that was the center of life in Athens for 1200 years is a beautiful and relaxing place to explore don't forget to wear a pair of comfortable shoes because this area is quite large and you'll need some time to explore it the Temple of hafaistos is something you can't miss in the Agora it's one of the best preserved temples from Antiquity and you'll have much less crowds compared to the Acropolis from the Agora who'll also get epic views of the Acropolis Rock and complex so next door to the Greek Agora is the Roman Agora which was built in the First Century A.D by the Romans and it's much smaller than the ancient marketplace they moved it here and it's kind of like a little history lasagna because you're going to find some Byzantine elements Roman elements ottoman elements as well so take a chance to check it out foreign [Music] so if you think Athens is a bunch of historic sites and a bunch of gray marble you are absolutely wrong I mean look at this place I'm going to take you on a food tour this morning we're going to do six stops and that way you get to learn about the culture the history through the food and also a little bit of what to order when you're right here in Athens if you want to hop on this multi-stop food tour it meets in monostadaki square and explores this neighborhood and the colorful passetti area definitely come hungry because it even includes lunch it's so nice and warm you see all the beautiful sesame seed here on top just rip a piece off it's all good nice and warm soft on the inside Sesame crunch so good so next stop is a pie shop and you wouldn't necessarily associate pies with Athens or grease but it is very very traditional they are called Pita here I'm gonna go inside choose my Pita and have at it so what I did is I asked him inside for a little bit of a sampler just so you can get a sense of the variety of different Pita that they have and the pieces are massive okay this is not even half of one pie and they have of course the the classic spinach pie there is a cheese and onion pie there is a chicken Pita and then this one here is a little bit sweet it's made with feta inside and has a lot of butter in it as well so just gonna go in and have at it I mean I went classic because in my mind I know what this should taste like and this is absolutely spectacular because the layers of the phyllo dough so good I would order this as like a nice little lunch situation this is so good [Music] trying to tell you something fires in all cylinders baby such a great little snack [Music] so I'm outside of the Central Market which is the next stop on my food tour and I'm going to try What's called the lukumatis which is a fried donut so I'm going to go inside to this historic building which is from 1923 we're gonna find out how these Donuts are made and then of course try a little right [Music] okay I'm gonna go for it now for lukamati saw it freshly made it is not heavy it is uh like lights it's not dense like a donuts and it is covered with with honey and some nuts this is so delicious this is like a donut on a crack I can't believe I've never had this in my life before [Music] [Applause] so this is the main entry into the Central Market and you're going to see lots of different meat sellers here a little bit of a myth that Greek people eat lamb all the time Central Market is divided into different sections there's a meat market this is a seafood market as well you can see that there's a ton of fresh seafood this is my new buddy lionitis who's gonna put me to work in his little Olive stand and he gave me a nice little sampling of different olives so you have kind of the traditional olives that you'll find here so we have a Kalamata we which you'll find in many grocery stores different parts of the world you have a black olive which you probably have seen on Pizza it's a little bit more meaty you have the famous green olive which you see in martinis and in a parativo especially in Italy and Spain and then this one is special because it is a sun-dried Olive with lots of different herbs this one's super super tasty and then this one here has the herbs and the sun dried oh oregano [Music] Leonidas dude crushed it thank you so much man thank you give this back to you bye-bye this tour even included a sit-down meze lunch with all the traditional Greek dishes the variety of small plates known as meze are served in most restaurants and traditional Greek tavernas good all right we're getting down to the nitty-gritty so after this beautiful little meze lunch that we just had I'm headed to taste some wine taste some olive oil and really get an education about all the wonderful products this country produces so wine olive oil let's do this [Music] so news flash grease is a wine producing country so when you come here you can try lots of different wines I'm trying this beautiful white from the southern part of Greece and even when you go to a Taverna or a restaurant you can order a house wine and it's absolutely delicious and now we're moving on to some some other treats so cheers we had a lot of food you introduced me to some locals which I think is always really kind of the extra special part because that's the beauty of taking a tour like yours is not only do you learn a little bit about the culture you meet people so so thank you yeah just a short 10-minute walk from monasteryaki square is the important synthagma Square where The Changing of the Guard happens it's hard to understand modern Athens without coming to seeing tagmas Square which has historic political and cultural significance to the Greek people historically this is where Greeks gather for National important events like when the military Junta fell in 1974 or in most recent times when they were protesting against Economic Policy this is also the political heart of the country the neoclassical building that you see behind me was built in 1842 for the incoming King Greece no longer has a king this is now home to Parliament and the seat of governments culturally this also has a lot of meaning because there are important monuments in this square like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is behind me and that is guarded by soldiers dressed in traditional uniform called ebbzones I'm gonna go check this out really quickly because they're about to start The Changing of the Guard you want a good spot for The Changing of the Guard try to stand towards the middle here and try to stand as close as you can before the other military sort of yell at you and then the new soldiers will parade Fade Out from the left circle around and then March down the middle so the Seas of tourists will part you can take your pictures and you will see them pay their respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then March away it's a really great ceremony that you should miss [Music] it's coffee time here in Athens and I came to a place that still makes Greek coffee in the traditional way they actually cook it not on the stovetop but in sand and the coffee is made in this traditional briki which is a little place where you put the coffee put the hot water they put this in sand and then you're meant to pour it into your cup and unlike other countries in the area they use a medium roast so there's the coffee sludge there and you can have it with sugar without sugar you would order this as a traditional Greek coffee it's served with lokumi I'm in this beautiful place called mocha and I'm pretty stoked to try this actually oh Mommy I'll tell picking a teeth that is good stuff I drink espresso every day and this is next level nice nice with the lakumi and coffee very nice [Music] one of the best museums in all of Greece is right here in Athens it's the national archeology Museum that has important and influential artifacts dating all the way back from the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age that were described by Homer all the way to the Romans so I'm gonna go ahead and check it out this museum is undoubtedly the best crash course in Greek Antiquities it's a great place to learn about ancient civilizations and the archaeological sites you'll visit on a Greek itinerary The Collection transports visitors through the history of Greek art from 7000 BC to 500 A.D these are some of the highlights of the collection the mask of Agamemnon is a significant archaeological artifact the mask is associated with the ancient city of mycenaea and the Mycenaean civilization which thrived in Greece during the late Bronze Age The Mask is named after Agamemnon the legendary figure in Greek mythology and one of the leaders of the Greek forces during the Trojan War the Striking frescoes depict two young boxers from the minoan civilization specifically from the settlement of akitori on the island of theta what we call Santorini today much like Pompeii these people were wiped out during a massive volcanic explosion in the 17th century BC whether it's Poseidon or Zeus poised to throw either a thunderbol older Trident at some unlucky enemy there is no doubt this is a fine example of a bronze sculpture this piece dates from roughly 460 BC and you don't want to miss it because even the Museum's collection director says that this piece is of unparalleled archaeological and artistic value the life-like jockey of artemision dates from 140 BC and you can still see the emblem of Nike the goddess not the company right on the horse the realistic motion tension and emotion from both horse and young jockey make this an unmissable piece Athens is a great City no doubt about it but I suggest that you take the opportunity to get out of the city and onto the water I've made it down to the port of pireos which is about a 30 minute drive away from the center of town cost me about 20 euros in a taxi and I'm going to take a sunset boat cruise have some snacks meet some locals and really kind of think about how epic Athens really is [Music] thank you [Music] the exuberant and joyous energy of Greek culture extends into the night in Athens there is no shortage of places to have a good time two of the world's top 50 bars are located right here in the city the clumsies is a spot I could easily come back to every night the expert bartenders serve world-class cocktails with a Panache of warm Greek Hospitality depending on the time of day you can easily find yourself sipping your delicious Creation in a cozy pre-dinner atmosphere or in a full-blown party at night Baba o'rum spells out into a quiet little square and the stylish bar doesn't disappoint primarily a rum specialist bar Baba boasts a whopping 400 rum labels so I'm at Taverna climataria which is a classic local spot to have dinner and I mean this place is such a Vibe they have barrels you know they got foliage all over exposed brick but what I love about it is that they serve all the classics so you can come here order a bunch of food and it's really have at it especially your first night all of our meze has arrived and we got some really great appetizers to start our meal with we have some freak salad you know a Greek salad on crack this is the OG not not what you get back home this is a real block of feta on spicy red onions cucumber tomato it's a beautiful salad you have some tatsiki here which is a yogurt dip and you have olive oil in the middle and then another traditional meze appetizer is this fava bean dip so the old-timey Greek music has started you see the band up on stage you know they're really rocking the house everyone is enjoying this this is such a good time you have music amazing food good vibe and super friendly service cheers [Music] [Applause] [Music] well that's it for our epic day right here in Athens it is incredible to think that this city is over 5000 years old even though it's so modern and has vibrant neighborhoods we explored Greek culture and saw iconic sites like the Acropolis I'm Angel Castellanos the tour guide don't forget to comment like And subscribe and ring that Bell so you can find our next video

Channel: The Tour Guy

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Id: xONVdKs-3sE

Length: 22min 8sec (1328 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 18 2023