1 Day in Athens Itinerary

Athens is a great city, and even if you’re heading to the Greek islands, you’ll likely need to fly through Athens. I recommend taking at least one day to explore Athens, although two days gives you more time to see the highlights. If you only have one day, I recommend a jam packed itinerary to see everything you can, details below!

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Acroplis & Parthenon

The Acropolis and Parthenon are the main attractions of Athens and are an absolute can’t miss on your one day in Athens! I recommend heading there first thing to try to beat some of the crowds, because it gets super busy as the day goes on!

There are two entrances to the Acropolis, my hotel happened to be closer to the secondary side entrance, but I recommend starting here anyways. This lesser known entrance is much less crowded, so if you haven’t bought tickets in advance you’ll spend much less time waiting in line.

Plus, when you enter this way you make your way up the hill, past some of the older monuments on your way to the Parthenon and the other temples sitting on top of the Acropolis. I think exploring this way is more exciting, than starting at the main entrance and working your way from the top of the Acropolis down, as the monuments tend to get less impressive and are less well preserved.

To save time you can book tickets ahead of time through the Acropolis official website here. I recommend the second ticket option for 36 Euro that includes entry to the six main archaeological sites in Athens, versus just the sites on the Acropolis, but if you only intend to visit the Acropolis, you can opt for the first ticket option.

One thing to note if you’re entering through the secondary entrance, you’ll need to walk up the hill towards the Acropolis. It’s a rocky path and not suitable for those uncomfortable walking across non-flat surfaces.

You’ll want to dedicate at least two hours to being at the Acropolis, if not longer. There is a lot to see and once you get to the top you’re going to want to stop and admire for a while! As you make your way up from the Southeast entrance you’ll pass a series of older monuments, such as, The Wall of Haseki, The Theatre of Dionysus, The Byzantine Cistern & The Odeon of Herodes. As you get up the hill towards the main entrance and the monuments around the Parthenon. You’ll pass through the Beulé Gate and between the Temple of Athena Nike & the Monument of Agrippa

At the very top of the Acropolis you’ll find the four main temples, the Parthenon, the Ancient Temple of Athena, Eretteo, & the Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus. There are also panoramic views of Athens and beyond. You’ll definitely want to spend ample time exploring this area of the Acropolis!

Ancient Agora

The Ancient Agora of Athens is one of the world’s best examples of what an Ancient Agora (or marketplace) was like. It’s a sprawling area with several ancient monuments worth seeing. Some of the highlights for me were: the Temple of Hephaestus, the Odeon of Agrippa, and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos. The Agora is a bit spread out, so I’d leave about an hour or so for exploring this area!

If you purchase the combo ticket at the Acropolis your ticket will also get you into the Agora, otherwise you need to buy a separate ticket to get in!

Lunch in Monastiraki

Monastiraki is the neighborhood where the Ancient Agora is located. The charming area is filled with a lot of great restaurant options for grabbing a late lunch after a long morning of exploring the Acropolis & Parthenon and wandering through the impressive Ancient Agora. There are tons of options in this area, but some of my favorites are:

Efcharis Restaurant

This charming restaurant located conveniently in Monastiraki, near Hadrian’s Palace & the Ancient Agora serves up traditional, delicious Greek fare for a reasonable price. This is a great neighborhood to grab lunch or dinner in!

Maiandros Restaurant

An open-air cafe conveniently located in Monastiraki, Maiandros serves traditional Greek comfort food & is open late

See my full list of best restaurants in Athens here.

Explore Plaka

Plaka is the main neighborhood around the Acropolis and it’s filled with charming, winding alleys lined with cafes and shops. It’s a great area of Athens to explore and grab a drink in the afternoon when you need a break from the heat.

Rooftop Dinner for Sunset

Finding a rooftop for dinner, drinks and sunset over the Acropolis is an absolute must for any trip to Athens! I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Athens rooftop bars and restaurants here.

I went to the Electra Roof Garden, the restaurant on the rooftop of my hotel. The views of the Acropolis at various points during the sunset were unreal, I think I spent 90% of my time up there taking pictures, because I could not believe the view (see example below) When I did take a second to look away from the view and focus on my food, the meal was also delicious, and not too expensive for a nicer restaurant! I’d recommend making a reservation during the high season to guarantee your spot during sunset!

Where to Stay in Athens

Since you’ll have such a short amount of time I recommend staying right in downtown Athens where everything was easy to walk to! I like to stay in Plaka, one of the most popular areas of downtown Athens. It’s filled with charming little streets lined with cafes, restaurants and shops and it’s right next to the Acropolis and some of the other major ancient sites

There are tons of hotels in Plaka, but two of my favorites are:

Electra Palace Athens

On my first trip to Athens, I decided to stay at the Electra Palace Hotel and I cannot recommend it enough. The rooftop pool & bar were the perfect place to relax after a long, hot day of sightseeing and the restaurant was amazing!

Location: The location made it super easy to navigate to everywhere I wanted to go & I felt safe coming back later at night.

Cost: $$-$$$ It’s a five star hotel that’s affordable (I paid $250 per night in September!)

Electra Metropolis Athens

A sister hotel to the Electra Palace, is the Electra Metropolis Athens. This 5-star hotel is in a great area of Plaka. It’s a but more modern in style than the more classically decorated Electra Palace.

The rooftop pool, restaurant and bar offer stunning Acropolis and skyline views.

Cost: $$-$$$ It’s a five star hotel that’s affordable (I paid $180 per night in April!)

You can also find my full Athens travel guide here for details on best things to do, safety for solo travel, getting to Athens, getting around Athens and more!