The Acropolis
ModerateParthenon · 5th century BC
Be at the gate when it opens to see the Parthenon before the heat and the crowds. Book a timed ticket.
AcropolisBook aheadEarly
Athens, Greece
Ideal: 2–3 daysBest: Apr–Jun, Sep–OctPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Athens in 60 seconds
Athens is the Acropolis and much more than it: a sprawling, lively city of neighbourhood tavernas, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, and some of the best museums of the ancient world. Do the Acropolis at opening, the Acropolis Museum in the heat of the day, and the evenings in Psyrri, Koukaki or Plaka. The Metro runs from the airport to Syntagma, and the historic centre — Plaka, Monastiraki, the ancient Agora — is all on foot. Buy the combined archaeological ticket if you will see more than the Acropolis, and eat when Athenians do: late. Two or three days before the islands is right; Cape Sounion makes a fine sunset trip.
Best for
- History
- Food
- Nightlife
- Museums
Known for
- The Acropolis
- Ancient history
- Rooftop bars
Skip if
You only want a pretty old town. Much of Athens is concrete and busy; its beauty is in the ruins, the views and the evenings.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Athens fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Acropolis Museum
ModerateSculpture from the Acropolis
The Parthenon frieze laid out in a glass gallery facing the temple itself. Go in the afternoon heat.
MakrygianniMuseumView
National Archaeological Museum
ModerateGreek antiquity's great collection
The Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism and room after room of bronzes and marbles.
ExarcheiaHalf dayMuseum
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Local
Where to eat the food this city is actually known for.
To Kati Allo
InexpensiveFamily taverna, no menu
A family-run taverna near the Acropolis with home-cooked dishes of the day and no printed menu.
MakrygianniHomelyTaverna
Karamanlidika
ModerateDeli and taverna
Cured meats, cheeses and meze from Anatolian Greek tradition, in a deli by the central market.
PsyrriDeliMeze
Taverna Klimataria
ModerateTaverna since 1927
An old taverna with live Greek music and dancing in the evenings.
PsyrriMusicTaverna
Casual
No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.
Feyrouz
InexpensiveLevantine and Anatolian street food
A family-run counter for lahmacun and Levantine pies, in the historic centre.
Historic CentreCheapQuick
Giagia Koukou
ModerateGreek comfort food
Home cooking a Greek grandmother would make, in the centre.
Historic CentreCasualComfort food
Lukumades
InexpensiveLoukoumades to order
Greek doughnuts fried and dipped to order, near Agia Irini square.
MonastirakiQuickSweet
Special occasion
Worth planning the evening around.
Makris Athens
Very expensiveElevated Greek · Michelin star
Petros Dimas's Michelin-starred take on Greek ingredients.
Historic CentreBook aheadTasting menu
CTC Urban Gastronomy
Very expensiveGreek ingredients, French technique
A Michelin-starred tasting menu marrying Greek produce and French methods.
GaziBook aheadTasting menu
Nyn Esti
Very expensiveTasting menu with an Acropolis view
Seven-course menus on the roof of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, facing the Acropolis.
KoukakiBook aheadView
Coffee & fika
Mornings, and the slow hour between things.
Kaya
InexpensiveEspresso bar in an arcade
A tiny bar near Syntagma run by veterans of the city's first specialty roaster, pouring beans from local roasters.
SyntagmaEspressoTiny
The Underdog
InexpensiveSpecialty coffee
A coffee bar and roastery in Thiseio, with brunch in a garden courtyard.
ThiseioBrunchFilter
Little Tree Books & Coffee
InexpensiveBookshop café
A bookshop and coffee bar in Koukaki where you can stay as long as you like.
KoukakiBooksCalm
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Anafiotika
Island village under the Acropolis
Whitewashed houses built by islanders from Anafi, on the slope above Plaka. Walk it early.
PlakaFreeQuiet
Kerameikos
InexpensiveAncient cemetery and gate
The ancient city's cemetery and the Dipylon gate, peaceful and rarely crowded.
KerameikosHistoryQuiet
Filopappou Hill
Pine-covered hill facing the Acropolis
A wooded hill with the best free view of the Acropolis. Go at sunset.
KoukakiFreeSunset
After dark
Bars & nightlife
The Clumsies
ExpensiveCocktail bar
An all-day bar in a townhouse that has repeatedly been ranked among the world's best cocktail bars.
Historic CentreCocktails
Baba au Rum
ExpensiveRum-focused cocktail bar
A small bar built around rum, near Syntagma, consistently among the city's best.
SyntagmaCocktailsRum
A for Athens
ExpensiveRooftop bar facing the Acropolis
A rooftop above Monastiraki square with the Acropolis straight ahead. Go for the sunset.
MonastirakiRooftopView
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Plaka
Old town below the Acropolis
Neoclassical houses and lanes on the Acropolis slopes; touristy by day, lovely late.
Koukaki
Residential, near the museum
Cafés and tavernas a few steps from the Acropolis Museum, without the crowds.
Psyrri
Nightlife and street art
Bars, tavernas and live music in narrow streets by Monastiraki.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Plaka
ExpensiveHistoric, walkable
On foot to the Acropolis and the old town, at a premium.
CentralHistoric
Koukaki
ModerateLocal and convenient
Near the Acropolis Museum and the metro, with good value and quiet nights.
MetroValue
Kolonaki
Very expensiveUpmarket, below Lycabettus
Smart cafés and boutiques on the slopes of Lycabettus hill.
QuietUpmarket
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Metro line 3 and the airport express bus link the airport with the centre.
- Getting around
- Walk the centre; the metro is clean and reaches the port of Piraeus.
- Money
- Euro. Cards are widely accepted.
- Heat
- July and August can be very hot; plan sights for early morning and evening.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 447–432 BC
Under Pericles, the Parthenon is built on the Acropolis.
- 1834
Athens becomes the capital of the newly independent Greek state.
- 2004
Athens hosts the Olympic Games, bringing the metro and a new airport.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Cape Sounion
Temple of Poseidon at sunset
The temple on the cliff at the tip of Attica. Go for the late afternoon and stay for sunset.
By coastal bus or carHalf daySunset
Delphi
Sanctuary of Apollo
The ancient oracle on a mountainside above an olive valley. A long day, better as an overnight.
By coach or carFull dayUNESCO
Aegina
Island in the Saronic Gulf
The nearest island to Athens, with the Temple of Aphaia and pistachio orchards.
By ferry from PiraeusEasyIsland
Go further
Routes through Athens
Multi-city trips that stop here, with the transport between them.