- Souvlaki in Monastiraki: the classic pita wrap, eaten standing up.
- Plaka tavernas for the full meze spread; Psiri for the late-night scene.
- Koulouri from the street carts; Greek coffee in a kafeneio, never rushed.
Athens City Guide
The Parthenon on the Acropolis, Athens. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with recorded history stretching back some 3,400 years, and the capital of modern Greece. The Acropolis dominates everything: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaea, the great works of 5th-century BC Athens.
The essentials: the rock itself at opening time, the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, and the old quarters of Plaka and Monastiraki below. Athens is also a late-night city: dinner at 10, the bars of Psiri after.
What to do in Athens
The Acropolis and around
- 1
Acropolis and Parthenon The citadel: arrive at the 8am opening to beat the crowds and the heat. - 2
Acropolis Museum The 2009 museum: the Parthenon gallery on the top floor. - 3
Plaka The old town under the rock: Anafiotika's island lanes, tavernas. - 4
Monastiraki The flea market, the square, the Tzistarakis Mosque.
Museums and the center
- 1
National Archaeological Museum The Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism, the bronze gods. - 2
Panathenaic Stadium The all-marble stadium of the 1896 Games. - 3
Temple of Olympian Zeus The giant temple, 700 years in the building. - 4
Syntagma Square The Parliament, the Evzones and the hourly changing of the guard. - 5
Benaki Museum Greek culture from antiquity to today, in a neoclassical mansion.
Athens Hotel Guide
How to choose the best places to stay in Athens. Verified properties below; for the full list, search live availability on Booking.com.
Luxury
Hotel Grande Bretagne
The 1874 grand hotel on Syntagma Square, Athens' most famous address.
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Budget-friendly
City Circus Athens
The well-run hostel-hotel in Psiri, good for first-timers.
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Getting there and around
Athens International (ATH) is 33 km east; metro line 3 reaches Syntagma in about 40 minutes, and the X95 bus runs 24 hours. Piraeus port is 30 minutes by metro (line 1) for island ferries.
Eating in Athens
Fledge Food has a full guide to how Athens eats: its defining dishes and how to order them, street food decoded, the markets, and the neighborhoods to eat in.