30 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ATHENS

Athens has been an absolute surprise, perhaps for not having too many references about it, perhaps for having that Mediterranean soul that makes us feel at home (and those from the rest of Europe that will never understand this). We thought it was a lively, colorful, modern city and, of course, full of history. Undoubtedly a perfect destination for both a weekend and a long trip (ideal to combine with the beautiful Greek islands).

Today we are going to tell you 30 things to see and do in Athens (In this other article we already tell you about our trip)

1. Go up to the Acropolis and enjoy each and every one of its buildings. Pure history! You can visit for free or with a tour (this is well valued, includes Spanish guide and visit to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum). If you only want to enter the acropolis, it is best to book your ticket without a queue here.

2. Stroll through Plaka, a neighborhood full of shops, restaurants and lovely corners.

3. Attend the changing of the guard in front of parliament. The biggest changing of the guard ceremony takes place on Sundays at 10:45. Go early to catch a good place and arm yourself with patience: it is usually filled very much, but it is something curious to see!

4. Eat a Bairaktaris gyro, the best in Athens (although it is very difficult to find a bad gyro, eh?). And if you like to try local food, check out this post where we tell you where to eat cheaply in Athens. sign up for a gastronomic tour of Athens.

5. Give yourself a loop by the Syntagma Square, the center of modern Athenian life although the truth is that we prefer a thousand times the Monastiraki Square 🙂 By the way, here you can take a free tour (tip!) And tour the main places in the center of Athens

View of the Acropolis of Athens

6. Walk the Ermou street that goes from Sintagma Square to Monastiraki Square. Its most beautiful corner is undoubtedly that of the Panagia Kapnikarea church. If you agree with a Mass, do not hesitate to enter (although remember to keep silence and respect!).

7. Go up to the Philopapos Hill to have wonderful views of the city and the Acropolis.

8. Enter the Panathenaic Stadium, built on the remains of the old stadium and where the first olympics of modern history were held. The ticket is worth € 3 although we would not say that it is something essential to do (you can also take a look from outside).

9. Relax in the national gardens, After so much kick I take a break it will be a luxury XD

10. If you want to learn more about Greek culture and the Acropolis, don't miss its namesake Museum. Admission is free with the Athens City Pass.

Views from the top of Mount Filopapo

11. Another place to spend hours learning is the National Archaeological Museum

12. And since we are museums could not miss the Benaki museum about the Greek civilization, which also is free on Thursdays.

13. Get lost among the ruins of Ancient Agora…

14.… and ofRoman Agora

15. To enjoy the best 360 ° views of the city you must go up to Lycabettus mount.

Statues in the Agora of Athens

16. Try a salty pie (spinach and feta cheese are addictive) in the bakery Ariston, not far from Sintagma Square.

17. If you have time visit the nearby city of Piraeus, headquarters of the port of Athens and with interesting neighborhoods such as Kastella.

18. Walk, walk and walk between the streets of downtown Athens and marvel at the amount of urban art. If you want to discover a peculiar neighborhood, full of locals and personality and with a lot of street art, go to Gazi and Exarchia.If you prefer to go with a guide this street art tour worth € 15 is very good.

19. In Plaka you will find the Athens Cathedral, well worth a visit.

20. Don't miss a walk through the flea market next to Monastiraki.

Urban art in Athens

21. Kerameikos, the largest necropolis of Greece, is one of the things to see and do in Athens.

22. If, like us, you are a lover of local markets, you can not miss the central Market. Mind you… the butcher shop section is not suitable for vegetarians! Look that we, after so much time in Asia, have stomachs of iron but uff, there gave us quite a thing :-p

23. To get to know the most chic area of ​​the capital of Greece you must visit the neighborhood Kolonaki.

24. Have a drink at a local Mnisikleous Street, in the Anafiotika neighborhood.

25. Take a selfie in front of the temple of Zeus, from there there are also very good views of the Acropolis.

Ruins of the Temple of Zeus, in Athens

26. And don't forget the Dionysus theater and of Odeon of Herod, at the foot of the Acropolis.

27. Explore Anaphyiotika, one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city: climb all the stairs you can ... the best is at the end.

28. It is no secret that Greek is one of the most difficult languages ​​there is, but learn to say hello It costs nothing: good morning = Kalimera, good afternoon Kalispéra, good night = Kaliníjta.

29. Have a drink in one of the many bars in Psiri, the hipster-underground soul of the city (Iroon Square is one of our favorite corners of Athens).

30. Walk the Evripidou street full of spicy shops and super showy deli.

Interior of a little store in Athens

As always this type of post is more suitable for travelers who spend at least three days in the city ...

But what about travelers who don't have so much time? Yes you travel with a cruise and you have only a few hours to visit Athens (or you are simply in the city for a short period of time), a good option to make the most of the time is to join a tour that will take you to know the main places of the city

Tip 1: If you prefer to visit the city at your leisure but you don't have much time, a cheap alternative to the tour is to get on one of the tourist buses, which will take you to many interesting points throughout the city. The day pass costs € 13, you buy it here.

Rabbit 2: If you want to enter the main attractions, it may be worth buying the Athens City Pass.

Tip 4: take this free tour that will take you to know the main monuments of the city. Remember to leave a tip since the tour is free. There is also a mythological free tour, suuuper interesting!

We recommend you do occasional excursion from Athens, for example:

• Excursion to Delphi
• Excursion to Corinth, Mycenae and Epidaurus
• Cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina
• 2-day excursion to Delphi and Meteora
• 2-day Mycenae and Olympia circuit
• 4-day getaway to Mykonos and Santorini
• 3-day classic circuit
• 4-day classic circuit

There are lots of other things what to see and do in Athens which make it a perfect destination for all types of tourism and at any time of the year.

Video: AMAZING Greek Food Tour and Top Things To Do in Athens, Greece! (April 2024).