You’ve landed in Greece, now what?

First things first, Athens is a huge, dynamic city with so much to offer! We are going to highlight our favorite SEVEN things to do if you have 2-3 days in Athens. Obviously, there is so much to see, do and eat! This is just an introduction to the beautiful city of Athens.

The Acropolis

It’s ancient history in real life! Do not miss spending at least half a day wandering around the Acropolis. Hot tip- they love if you can pay in cash and those lines are much shorter to get in.

We just walked around ourselves and read the plaques, which was fascinating, but I also think it probably would have been even better to hire a tour guide. The area is absolutely massive and can easily take several hours. Not much of it is shaded and Athens summer days are hot! Bring your own water – there is one small drinking fountain in the place.

Mount Lycabettus

The place to catch the most beautiful views of Athens and also the perfect place to watch the sunset. There is a trolley you can take to the top, or you can hike up. It is a very simple, easy hike and only takes about 15 minutes. I would suggest walking so that you can enjoy the outdoor space. 

Don’t be surprised if you are not the only person up there for the sunset – it’s a very popular place at that time of day. There are also restaurants on the very top where you can eat while enjoying spectacular views. 

 

Plaka

This is the ancient market and it’s a lot of fun to walk around. It’s located at the base of the hill of the Acropolis, so you can easily do both activities in one day. Just like most big cities, make sure your belongings are in a secure place and that you know where they are at all times. 

There are lots of options for food in this area – we ate authentic Greek food, as well as very touristy treats and ice cream. It has a nice mix of everything. 

Temple of Zeus

This is beautiful! It truly feels like it is in the very center of Athens. Located close to all of the other tourist sites, it’s an easy (and obvious) stop along the way. 

It’s amazing to see how well everything is preserved. It was built in the 5th Century BC! It’s hard to wrap your head around that. Seeing something that was created so long ago and is still so majestic and beautiful. Another fascinating aspect of this site is that excavation continues to this day on the Temple of Zeus. They are uncovering and discovering new things every day!

Psyri

This is a vibrant, fun area of Athens filled with bars, restaurants, shops and live music. Lots of fun to walk around and hang out. We only spent a couple of hours in the area, but we loved it. 

Panathenaic Olympic Stadium

This is really a site to see since it is the exact place the ancient Olympic games took place in the 4th Century. It is built entirely of marble and is really impressive to see up close. It is the place where the first modern Olympic games were hosted in 1896.  It was last used as an Olympics venue in 2004.

Such a rich history in one place. If you want to get crazy, they offer a workout class, combined with a tour of the facility. You can learn how ancient Olympians trained and try some of their workouts. Click here for more information. 

Acropolis Museum

After walking through the Acropolis, you have a lot of questions! Many of them are answered at the Acropolis Museum. A lot of the pieces on the Acropolis are not complete – they contain parts that are kept and preserved in the Acropolis Museum. You could spend days in this museum. It opened in the summer of 2009. It is new and a lot of the residents of Athens recommended that we visit.