What if you had three days to tour a top destination that has been continually inhabited for 5,000 years? A city filled with ancient ruins, modern shops, an endless selection of amazing food, with an equally impressive nightlife culture. Where do you start?
Well, I can help! When I was planning my trip to Athens, Greece I asked myself that same question. Then I got to work researching the area and the history, and put together a three day itinerary for myself. I’m here to share that itinerary with you as well as a few tidbits I learned along the way during my visit to Athens.
First, let’s cover a couple basic housekeeping items for your trip.
Walk or Drive?
Athens is an impressively large city with a population of over 3 million people, 178 museums, 20 Michelin Guide restaurants, and 31 miles of coastline. You may be tempted to get a car and set yourself free to see it all. Should you do it? Well maybe…but hear me out first.
Through time there have always been those brave warriors that would fearlessly adorn their armor and join their comrades to embark on the campaign of a worthy cause. I admire this passion, and in fact, have from time to time been of the same cloth. I spent years navigating traffic in Seattle, Washington, USA. During rush hour, and holidays, and *gasp* a few snowflakes. I’m not afraid of the traffic jams, the horns, or even missing an exit and the subsequent re-route through google maps. But Athens traffic made even me raise an eyebrow.
Besides, when I’m on vacation, the last thing I want to do is spend time driving and stressing. I want to be out exploring and relaxing – and eating! Everything on this three-day itinerary is within walking distance from Syntagma Square so do yourself a solid – get a hotel near the Square, catch a taxi from the airport, and then relax and travel on foot to see all these sites on my three-day itinerary.
There is a bit of walking on this agenda, but it’s mostly easy strolling and I have provided approximate distance to help you in planning.
Taxi Options
As you exit the Athens airport, you can find the line for taxis on your left. Athens has set a standard rate for airport to downtown so all taxis will charge about the same price. However, with just a little pre-planning you can make your arrival SO MUCH BETTER! Pre-schedule your transportation to and from the airport with George’s Taxi. I am so glad I did this. My driver, Alex, was there to greet me at the airport. He helped me with my bags, had fresh cool water ready for me, and even gave me a short history and layout of the Athens area as we drove from the airport to my hotel. It was a fantastic way to be greeted as I arrived in Athens!
Where to Stay
There are several good hotels to choose from that are within walking distance of Syntagma Square. I chose Arethusa Hotel for three reasons (1) great location, (2) great price, and (3) great reviews. If you’re looking for a basic clean room with friendly staff, then this is a solid choice. There are no fancy amenities such as a roof-top bar, on-site restaurant, or pool and spa. However, there is a good breakfast buffet included and a plethora of wonderful restaurants close by. I spent $67.50 Euros a night and was very pleased with my accommodation.
Day One – Food, Shopping, and Little Kook
I arrived in Athens on Friday afternoon and was excited to immediately try some authentic Greek food. Right across the street from my hotel was The Greco’s Project Restaurant and it did not disappoint! I ordered a Mediterranean salad and a glass of white wine which I enjoyed outside while watching the evening traffic as people were heading home from their work week.
Friday’s agenda item was to check out Ermou Street, a pedestrian only area just a 10-minute walk from my hotel. This street is filled with boutique shops, cafes, and street vendors. There is so much to see here that I’m glad I left my Friday evening open for investigating it.
Just a few streets over you will find Little Kook, A fairytale themed café that is a must-see!
After a few hours of sight-seeing I headed back to my hotel to check in early for a decent night’s sleep. This helped me reset my time-zone for the 8-hour difference from home so that I could enjoy the next two full days in Athens.
Day Two – The Athens Food Scene
Mention Greece and there are two things that immediately come to mind for most people: Ancient Ruins and Greek Food. Day two is a mix of both, with the first half focused on food. There are plenty of options for food tours here. I booked The Greek Food Walking Tour in Athens through Trip Advisor and would do this one again. It was a small group which made it easy to hear the tour guide and to get to know everyone. I met my guide, Dorela, and the rest of the group at Monastiraki Square, which was a 10 minute walk from my hotel.
From there we set out for a four hour tour of Greek cuisine. We started the morning with traditional breakfast pastries. This is where I tasted, and fell in love with, spanakopita. It is a pie made by layering spinach, ricotta cheese, and feta cheese with thin sheets of phyllo dough brushed generously with olive oil. I loved this one so much that it became my staple breakfast “go to” during my entire three-week tour of Greece. However, these fresh made donuts drizzled with Greek honey were a close second!
From here we made our way to a coffee shop to try Greek coffee made the traditional way of using a briki and hot sand to boil the grounds. The coffee is unfiltered, the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup as you slowly sip. So here’s the thing…I am NOT a coffee connoisseur. My default morning drink is a vanilla latte, which I have been told doesn’t even count as real coffee. Because of this, I was not expecting to like this strong unfiltered coffee of Greece, but….was I pleasantly surprised! I ordered mine with a little milk and sugar and it was AMAZING! I LOVED IT! If you ever have a chance to try traditional Greek coffee (sometimes called Turkish coffee) do it!
Next stop was a tour of the Athens market. Restaurant owners, chefs, and home cooks all shop in market where you can find everything from herbs and teas to fresh produce, nuts, fish, snails, and various meat products. And of course….olives! I passed on the snails but did enjoy tasting the many different flavors of olives along with some dates and other fresh produce.
Near the market you will find several restaurants, one of which we settled down at to enjoy a full spread of traditional Greek foods. Seafood, fresh cheese, pasta, and produce filled the table along with wine and ouzo. Ouzo is a Greek liquor made from the unfermented juice remnants after grapes have been pressed for wine. It has a strong anise flavor and is meant to be poured over ice and slipped slowly with your meal. If you like black Liquorice you will probably like ouzo! I thought it tasted somewhat sweet and so I enjoyed it often during my visit there as an after dinner drink, sort of a simple desert.
With our bellies full, we then headed over to a wine bar where Dorela introduced us to the various types of Greek wine, olive oil, and honey. My favorite was this Petalo White from Gofas Winery – I think it would pair beautifully with seafood or grilled chicken.
After tasting our way through the wines, oils, and Greek honey we made our way to the final stop to get a gyro. You can’t have a complete Greek food tour without a gyro! Here I learned a couple tidbits from our tour guide (1) it is pronounced “Yee-ro”, and (2) when ordered at a sandwich shop such as this one you will get a version us Americans are familiar with – all the ingredients wrapped in a pita bread and served sandwich style. However, if you order a “yee-ro” at a sit down restaurant you are more likely to get the ingredients served on a platter with the pita bread served on the side.
So much food on this food tour….SO MUCH FOOD!! I have no idea how I ate it all – but I did – and it was AMAZING!
Our tour ended back at Monastiraki Square and with my body completely fueled I was ready for an afternoon of sightseeing. Honestly – I NEEDED to walk – I had just consumed no less than 5,000 calories of amazing Greek food! I wandered around the Square checking out the many vendors and the centuries old Byzantine church, then wandered down to the Agora.
The Agora, meaning “market”, became the public town square in the early 6th century and it sits just a few minutes’ walk to the West of Monastiraki. It seemed appropriate after touring the modern day market to spend some time touring this ancient town square along with the Temple of Hephaestus and the Altar of Aphrodite Urania.
Making my way back towards my hotel, I stopped at Hadrian’s Library, constructed in 132 CE by the emperor Hadrian.
These sites do require a ticket for entry. I purchased combination tickets to the Athens attractions through TripAdvisor in advance. You can also purchase tickets with audio tours through Viator.
Closing out this second day I put a lot of miles on my shoes so I was ready for a light dinner and some Greek wine. I found The Drunky Goat, a wine bar close to my hotel that also had some great food options to pair with my wine flight. If you’re in the area I recommend stopping by and checking them out! Super friendly staff and great wine flight options.
Day Three – The Acropolis
The birthplace of democracy. The Acropolis stands tall over the city of Athens. Built in the 5th century BC it is one of the most complete Greek complexes still in existence today and is also one of the most visited sites in Athens. That means, be prepared for lines and crowds!
You can bypass a majority of both by doing what I did, purchase guided tour with Athenian Tours through “Get Your Guide”
This day was the most intensive for walking. The meeting place for my tour was only about a 15-minute walk from my hotel, but getting to the top of the Acropolis will require walking up the incline (156 meters/512 feet). It’s an easy path, but it is a hill!
We started early in the morning and since the tickets were pre-purchased our group was able to bypass the line and start hiking the hill to the Acropolis. Our group was small (12-15 people) and we were given headsets so that we could still clearly hear the tour guide even if we were standing a bit away from her.
And Bonus – she brought us around to a spot on the side of the main temple away from most of the crowds so we could get a good photo.
As you exit the Acropolis, walk slowly past the columns and pay close attention – you may catch a glimpse of ancient graffiti from travelers of past!
I selected the Acropolis tour option that included a guided museum tour and it was well worth it! Most of the statues and décor from the temples have been moved into the museum to protect them. Our guide did a great job at walking us through the displays and referencing them back to the temples that we had just seen.
My favorites here were the statue columns from the Temple of Athena and this frieze representing the citizens of Athens. The detail is stunning – no two objects in the frieze are identical. Follow the path and you will find yourself before the gods. The scene is a great representation of the beliefs of the Greeks that the gods were among them, and divinity was present in all humans.
When the guided tour was finished, we were free to stay and continue exploring the museum on our own. Hold onto your museum ticket, because it also includes entrance into the excavated neighborhood beneath the museum – the Makrygiannis plot. This area was inhabited from the 4th millennium BC to the 12th century AD. While there are some plaques explaining sections of the excavation it would be worthwhile to do a bit of research in advance so that you can get the most out of your time here. Start your research here: https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/exhibit-halls/archaeological-excavation
After browsing the museum and the excavation site, I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the Plaka neighborhood which sits just below the Acropolis.
This is one of the oldest sections of Athens and is mostly pedestrian traffic only. The neighborhood is absolutely beautiful with narrow cobblestone like streets filled with shops. Outdoor restaurants offer plenty of opportunities to sit down, rest your feet, and enjoy a coffee or a glass of Greek wine. This website has a lot of great information on the Plaka neighborhood and I recommend reading it before your trip so you know which places you absolutely don’t want to miss!
Hadrian’s Library is also close by, so if you didn’t find time to visit on day two, you get a second chance on day three!
My three days in Athens was the start of a multi-week solo tour of Greece. From here I traveled down to the Peloponnese and the over to the Island of Crete, which I will write about in future blog posts.
I enjoyed Athens so much that I plan to return there. Have you traveled to Athens? What sights would you recommend I should visit on my next trip there?
Note: This post contains some affiliate links to the hotels/restaurants/tours that I went on and enjoyed, so I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through links on this site at no additional cost to you.
