Visiting Athens in a Few Days: The Ultimate Travel Guide

Athens is a fascinating city steeped in history. A city we’ve all heard about during our school years, and which I finally had the pleasure of discovering for real. I really enjoyed visiting the Greek capital and wanted to share with you all the information you need to visit Athens in just a few days. I’m sharing the must-see places, the restaurants I loved, the neighborhoods to sleep in and how to get from the airport to downtown Athens. You should find everything you need in this article to know what to do in Athens and make the most of your stay.

Before you go any further, don’t forget to find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube. You can also watch my vlog in Santorini and Athens. You can also read my article on 5 tips for preparing your trip with peace of mind.

Some tips before visiting Athens

• If you’re planning your trip to Greece and have planned to visit Athens and some of the Greek islands, save Athens for the beginning of your stay. We started with a week in Santorini for a wedding, and we were pretty much in agreement that the shock of returning to the city was very violent. The islands are quieter and allow you to really relax.
• A useful reminder: Greece uses the euro, which makes payments easier if you come from a euro zone country. When we travel, we use our Wise account and the bank card that goes with it to pay in local currency and avoid charges.
• Water is not drinkable. You can buy bottled water just about anywhere. I recommend that you have a bottle that keeps cool so you can decant it and keep the water fresh longer.
• Summer is very, very hot in Greece, so if you’re afraid of the heat, you might want to avoid August.
• If you want to enjoy your last day without your luggage in your way, I recommend Nanny bag. It’s a concierge service available worldwide: you can drop off your luggage in the morning and pick it up in the evening. Visit the city with free hands and a free mind!

Some fun facts about Athens

Before going any further, I wanted to share a few interesting facts about the Greek capital.

• The population of Athens and its suburbs is over 3.6 million. In 1950, it was 1.3 million.
  Athens is one of Europe’s oldest cities. Its earliest traces date back to 3000 BC.
• The concept of democracy was invented in Athens, and the city has experienced all forms of government.
• Athens was not always the country’s capital, but became so in the 19th century. Before that, the capital was Nafplio.
• Athens is often described as an open-air museum, with an exceptional concentration of historic sites and monuments testifying to its rich ancient past.
• Metro stations are written in both Greek and English, making them easier for tourists to navigate.
• The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.

Now that you know a little more, get to the heart of the matter and prepare your stay in Athens!

How to get to Athens?

If you’re coming from another European country, you have plenty of options. You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a flight. I just wanted to point out that if you’re coming from Canada, as I was, you have direct flights from Toronto to Athens with Air Canada.How do I get to Athens?

Getting from Athens airport to the city center

If you arrive during the day, you can take metro line 3. In 40 minutes you’ll be right in the center of Athens. Another option is to take one of the express buses, which are available 24 hours a day. This was our initial plan. Then finally, at the airport, we met an American woman who was also going downtown and suggested we share an Uber. It was 1am and all I wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed, so I jumped at the chance.

Where to stay in Athens?

Choosing where to sleep in a city you’re visiting is always a time-consuming and sometimes stressful step. You’re looking for a well-placed area to make the most of your stay, without breaking the bank. Not always easy. During our search we found THE perfect YouTube video, which I highly recommend for more details. The district I absolutely don’t recommend in Athens is Omonia. As we were walking around, we saw straight away when we arrived in this district, and we turned around.

We stayed at the Carolina Hotel, conveniently located near Plaka, Monastiraki and Syntagma. We could do everything very easily on foot. The only thing to note, in my opinion, is that there’s a big staircase at the entrance, which doesn’t make it accessible to everyone. The breakfast included was very basic, so I wouldn’t count on it too much.

To really enjoy the city, I’d really recommend staying in an area where you can access everything easily on foot. If you’re on vacation, you don’t want to spend hours in public transport to get from A to B every day. The only time we took an Uber was because it was extremely hot and I was tired. And we took the bus to go to the beach, otherwise our feet were our best allies in discovering Athens.

Where to eat in Athens?

In addition to this list of restaurants I’ve tried and loved, I’ve prepared a list of Greek specialities to try during your stay in Greece. I like to have this kind of list ready when I travel, so I can enjoy the local culture to the full.

Sweet

Xymopoieio: This is a juice bar that I found delicious! A refreshing stop while strolling the streets of Plaka.

LUKUMAΔΕΣ: I had found this address that had gone viral on the networks and I absolutely wanted to try it. I don’t know if it’s become less popular since then, but you had to have time because the queue was quite long. It’s a Greek specialty, a kind of doughnut. You get several flavors, and it’s a great way to end the evening or grab a snack for the evening stroll.

Savoury

Tylixto: Small takeaway restaurant known for its low-priced gyros. Very good!

To Paradosiako (The Traditional): Simple and good if you want to try authentic recipes. A few steps from the hotel where we were staying.

Anefani: after our visit to the Acropolis, we stopped off at this little restaurant on the stairs. It was really delicious. And well placed for visiting a part of Athens that I loved, and about which I’ll tell you more below.

Bolivar Beach Bar: I’ll talk more about this a little later when we talk about what to do in Athens. But I have to rate the Bolivar Beach Bar restaurant because it was really good.

I had others on my list, but in 3 days we obviously couldn’t eat everywhere. And some of the places I really liked have closed in the meantime.

Thea Terrace: the view was incredible in the photos. We had planned to go there, then changed our plans. But I’m putting it on the list because it’s really hot!

Stani: apparently they have the best Greek yoghurt you’ll ever taste!

What to do in Athens?

There’s so much to see and do in Athens. Depending on how much time you have, you’ll have time to see more or less. Here are a few ideas to help you plan your stay. Bear in mind that, depending on the time of year, it can be very hot, so don’t overload your days and make sure you drink plenty of water. Here we go, my must-see list for visiting Athens!

A stroll through downtown Athens

My first piece of advice to start these few days in Athens: take a stroll through the streets of the city center. Observe the life around you. Let yourself discover the city instinctively, take the time to be curious and explore. It’s nice to have time to wander without pressure. It’s something I talk about all the time in my city guides of the places I’ve visited, and I’ll say it again. Walking around without a precise plan brings a lightness, a sense of freedom and opens the door to spontaneous discovery.

Syntagme Square

If you’re looking for something to do in Athens, Syngtagme Square will always be at the top of your list. It’s a lively area and a focal point of the Greek capital. Many historic events have taken place here, and the square is steeped in history. It’s also at the center of the shopping district, from where you can go just about anywhere.

The changing of the Athens guard

I have a passion: I love watching the Changing of the Guard. I find the choreography, precision and discipline displayed by the soldiers always impressive and inspiring. I’ve seen them in London and Monaco several times, and wanted to add Athens to my list. The guard changes every hour, but on Sundays at 11 a.m. you can also enjoy an official ceremony during the changeover. Come early, it’s a very popular activity among visitors. Before moving on, the changing of the Athens guard takes place in front of the Parliament, at the top of Syntagma Square.

The Acropolis and the Parthenon

A must for your stay in Athens: a visit to the Acropolis and the Parthenon. It’s really special to walk in the same footsteps that millions of people before us have been able to do for centuries. If this is the first blog post you’ve read, you may not know that I grew up in France and now live in Canada. My boyfriend grew up in Canada. Travelling with him and seeing him react to all this is really special. We live in a country with a very recent modern history. And to think that a city like Athens was built so long ago, it’s still standing. All this history to tell you: it’s a really special feeling to have the privilege of being in these lands.

For the visit, you can choose to do it on your own or book a guided tour. The advantage of a guide? An expert who knows the place like the back of his hand, and you can learn so much more. On top of that, you can avoid all the queues. And believe me, they’re long. That’s my other tip: come early in the morning or later in the day. Take some water too, as there’s very little shade in the waiting area.

Athens central market

A must for foodies: the central Athens market, also known as Varvakios Agora. Stroll between the stalls and let the smells lull you to sleep. Take the opportunity to grab something to eat, then sit outside on the street to enjoy the food and watch the world go by.

Plaka

One of Athens’ must-visit neighbourhoods: Plaka. A super vibrant district, a mix of narrow streets and squares. I really liked this part of town, with its ruins, old buildings and lively streets all around you.

Bolivar Beach

Discovering the city and sightseeing is all very well. But what if I told you that just a few kilometers from the city center you could enjoy the beach and the sea? On this particular day, we were looking for something a little calmer, as we were halfway through our stay and would then go on to France (where I’m from). We found Bolivar beach, which is perfect for relaxing. We ate there, and the setting was really nice. Then we booked deckchairs just a few steps from the water. Cocktails, sun, sea: relaxation guaranteed. Bolivar beach is accessible by bus from the city center. A word of advice: don’t go too late or you’ll have to wait a long time for sunbeds. If you’re a music fan, be sure to check out the different DJs throughout the season.

Anafiotika

It’s one of the neighborhoods I’ve found very little of in the many articles I’ve read. And yet it’s my favorite neighborhood I’ve visited in Athens. So don’t expect a very lively area, it’s a residential neighborhood. By the way, please respect the residents and don’t make too much noise. The architecture is incredible, the houses are white, it really looks like a piece of Greek island right in the middle of the capital. You can see the city from certain vantage points. If you like taking beautiful photos, this is a truly inspiring spot. And since there’s less traffic, it’s also much quieter and calmer.

Panathenaic Stadium

We continue our tour of Athens with another emblematic monument: the stadium of the first modern Olympic Games. Initially we had planned to visit it, but in the end we just observed it from the outside, for reasons of time. Despite the fact that we didn’t visit the inside, the space is immense, and quite impressive even from the outside.

Ancient Agora

As I said in my introduction, Athens is an open-air museum: even if you’re not looking for the ancient Agora, you’ll stumble across it on your way around. We only saw it from the outside, without entering the park for the tour, but if you’d like to take the full tour with the audio guide, you can book your tickets here.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

Another monument to add to your list if you visit Athens: the Olympic Temple of Zeus. I’m repeating myself, but I’m so impressed by the grandeur of what was built so long ago. To be able to discover its history and imagine a time so long ago. As with the Ancient Agora, you can observe from the outside, or you can reserve your place and avoid the queue.

Mount Lycabettus

It’s the highest point in Athens: Mount Lycabettus is 277 meters above sea level. You’ll have an incredible view of the city. You can get there by cable car or metro. Once you’re in the metro, it’s about a twenty-minute walk. It’s often a good idea to get there early in the morning, as it gets hot very quickly when you have to hike in direct sunlight. Your other option is to go at the end of the day to admire the sunset. With the lights of the iconic buildings lighting up as you go.

I hope this article helps you make the most of your stay and visit the beautiful city of Athens. Feel free to share your thoughts and tag me on your photos on Instagram so I can enjoy your stay. I loved Greece and already want to go back.