Athens Travel Guide

*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*

Electra Roof Garden

My top recommendation for rooftop dinner and drinks would be the Electra Roof Garden at the Electra Palace Hotel. The restaurant and bar offer the most ridiculously perfect views of the sunset over the Acropolis and every table has a great view.

The restaurant is semi-upscale and the food was incredible! The views alone make the prices worth it! I’d recommend making a reservation during peak tourist season, but I visited in the shoulder season and had no problem getting a table!

Top Things to See in Athens

Acropolis & Parthenon

No trip to Athens would be complete without visiting the Acropolis and Parthenon. The Acropolis dominates the Athens skyline, so it is impossible to go far without seeing it, but visiting and exploring in person is a must!

There are two entrances to the Acropolis. I recommend starting at the secondary entrance and making you way uphill to the Acropolis. it is much less crowded, so if you haven’t bought tickets in advance you’ll spend much less time waiting in line.

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.

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!

Roman Forum & Hadrian’s Library

If you purchased the combo ticket, there are a few other archaeological sites I recommend visiting on your trip to Athens. From the Acropolis you can easily walk towards Monastiraki Square, which will bring you past the Roman Forum & Hadrian’s Library, two of the other sites included in your combo ticket. These sites are much smaller and you probably only need about twenty minutes or so each to explore!

Ancient Agora of Athens

From Hadrian’s Library head down Adrianou Street towards the Ancient Agora of Athens. This street has tons of rooftop bars and restaurants with patios and is a great place to stop to get lunch on your way to the 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!

Explore Plaka

Make sure to leave time for an afternoon exploring the streets of Plaka. There are so many cute winding streets and alleys with shops and restaurants and the neighborhood has a lively, welcoming vibe! I found a restaurant to have some lunch (the first of many, many Greek salads) and some wine, and then spent some time exploring the National Gardens.

It’s also a great area to explore early in the morning before the winding alleys fill up with crowds!

Philopappos Hill

To get a better view of the Acropolis and Parthenon, head across the street and climb Philopappos Hill. It has one of the best spots in the city to climb to get a better view. From the streets of Plaka you could see how stunning the Acropolis was, but it towered so high over it was hard to get a sense of just how impressive it is.

Philopappos Hill is literally right across the street from the Acropolis, and it’s free for anyone to climb. I headed up the hill, aimlessly following one of the many paths. As I got higher up the hill towards the Philopappos monument that sits on top of the hill I found the perfect spot for some panoramic Acropolis views.

Being up higher allowed for full panoramic views of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The sheer size is impressive, towering over the rest of the Athens skyline!

Dinner & Drinks in Monastiraki Square

Definitely dedicate an evening to exploring another famous Athens neighborhood, Monastiraki. There are a ton of bars and restaurants and shops in this area. It’s a super lively, fun neighborhood and a great place to grab dinner & drinks with more Acropolis views (trust me you’ll never get sick of this view!)

National Archaeological Museum

If you’re a fan of Archaeology, don’t miss a stop at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The museum is one of the most important museums in the world dedicated to Ancient Greek Art.

In the offseason (Nov-March) it will cost only 6 Euro to enter, while prices go up to 12 Euro during the high season.

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.

Getting To Athens from the Airport

• Taxi – A taxi from the airport to downtown Athens takes about 40 minutes (depending on traffic) and costs $40 during the day and $55 at night
• Welcome PIckups – I used Welcome Pickups several times in Greece when I had flights landing late and didn’t want to be waiting alone for a taxi, They are super reliable and really easy to use. I definitely recommend! Their costs are usually comparable to a taxi for the same route
• Metro/Subway – There is a metro option, the station is a 5 minute walk from the airport and it takes 40 minutes to get downtown (same as a taxi) but only costs $9 Details can be found here

Getting Around Athens

Athens is an extremely walkable city, I was able to see everything I wanted to see without needing to take taxis or use public transportation. If you need to take the metro you can find details on the Athens Metro site here.

Getting to the Islands from Athens

Most people who are visiting Athens are also heading to one or more of the Greek isles at one point. Depending on which island you’re going to, you have two options – ferry or plane. The major islands, like Santorini, Mykonos & Crete all have their own airports. Smaller islands are only accessible via ferry.

By Plane: If you have the option to fly, I would recommend it, especially to a farther south island, like Santorini. The flights are much faster than the ferries and the ferries tend to run late and can be impacted by bad weather.

By Ferry: The Athens ferry port is actually in Piraeus, a town about 30 minutes from Athens. Piraeus is accessible by public transport or taxi, but I had a 6am ferry and wanted to make sure I had a confirmed, safe transport for that early + being alone, so I used Welcome Pickups to schedule a ride.

I highly recommend their services, the prices are comparable to taking a taxi, but booking a guaranteed ride ahead of time that’s trackable in an app brings a lot of peace of mind to early morning and late night transfers!

For ferry tickets, I recommend using  Ferry Hopper, it’s is a great way to compare all your options and find the best price/route for you!