Guided by Adventure

Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of visiting Athens… thanks to the Percy Jackson novels that captured my heart! Those books made me the geek I am for Roman and Greek mythology! Finally, accomplishing my dreams and seeing that in reality was incredible. However, I will say I was not a huge fan of Athens as a city. My reason for loving it was purely the history.

A Map of Things to do

Looking for things to do in Athens? Here is a map of the best things to do!

What’s so Special about Athens?

There is so much that is special in Athens but especially THE HISTORY! As a history nerd, I have always wanted to visit Athens, especially after reading the Percy Jackson series as a kid! All of the historical sites in Athens are incredible, with so many stories from mythology attached. Everything is symbolic and ancient!

Our Pack List

Best Things To Do

There is so much to do in Athens on your vacation! Whether you want a relaxing stay, an adventurous trip, or a vacation full of history, Athens has it all.

HISTORY – The historical sights in Athens are unbelievable! This is one of the main reasons visitors come to Athens. There is so much incredible history and mythology located in Athens. The four sights I recommend you do NOT miss will be mentioned in the BEST historical sights paragraph: the Acropolis of Athens, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Panathenaic Stadium, and the Acropolis Museum. However, while I recommend these, a few more are worth checking out! The Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Archaeological Site of the Lyceum of Aristotle, Aristotle’s School, Hadrian’s Arch, Hadrian’s Library, the Archaeological Site of Kerameikos, the Theatre of Dionysus, and more are located in the Google Maps above! These sights are awesome locations with ancient history and awesome myths attached.

FOOD – There were many great restaurants in Athens! Gyro, tzatziki, and Greek yogurt were some of my favorite snacks. Below are some of my favorite restaurants in Athens! Tylixto Greek Wrap, which was the BEST gyro we found. Namor is a modern restaurant with incredible-tasting food and great drinks. The Kyklamino or Το Κυκλάμινο was the most authentic restaurant we found in Athens. Kalamaki Bar is an adorable restaurant with great kabobs. This is Loco, a delicious breakfast place. The Brunchers is a delicious breakfast place with American cuisine!

VIEWS – There are so many incredible places to go for beautiful views! We spent a lot of time watching sunsets or relaxing at these beautiful viewpoints. Some of my favorite spots are at the Acropolis of Athens (providing an incredible view of the Athena Pantheon and all of Athens,) Philopappos Hill (this location provides an incredible view of the Acropolis of Athens and the city of Athens,) rooftop bars There are so many different rooftop bars in Athens such as A is for Athens, all of which have incredible views of the Acropolis at night and the city in the day,) and Saint Isidore Church Lycabettus Hill (this is the most incredible sunset location, a beautiful church on a hill, and the view of Athens is also amazing.) These locations provided some of the most incredible views of Athens, the surrounding sites, the ocean, and sunsets!

The Best Historical Sites

While there are so many incredible historical sights in Athens, there are many that are very similar. The ones I recommend you do NOT miss are the Acropolis of Athens, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Acropolis Museum, and the Panathenaic Stadium!

Acropolis of Athens – One of the most historic sights in Athens, home to the Athena Pantheon, this was the HIGHLIGHT of Athens for me! This historical sight is NOT one to miss. Make sure to arrive early to enter before the large crowds. One of the most incredible views of the city from the top of the hill!

Ancient Agora of Athens – The Ancient Agora of Athens is home to the Temple of Hephaestus, an awesome museum, and more! This is such a fun and beautiful historical sight to visit. It is located right below the Athena Pantheon, with lots of trees and spacious areas with ancient statues and buildings.

Acropolis Museum – The Acropolis Museum was an awesome museum with incredible ancient artifacts, videos, photos, and an excavation site below! If you only visit one museum in Athens, ensure it is the Acropolis Museum.

Panathenaic Stadium – How can you visit Greece and not see the first Olympic stadium? This stadium is the only one in the world built entirely from marble. In 1896, it hosted the first official Olympic games. However, before that, this stadium was used to host the Panathenaic Games as a rival to the prehistoric Olympic games. These games started in 330 BCE!

Least Favorite Things about Athens

As a traveler who loves adventure, nature, peace, quiet, and new environments, Athens felt like a big city (obviously.) The best part of Athens was the history. We did really appreciate how clean the city was and how it smelt like oranges constantly, which was a nice atmosphere for a city! If you love cities, you will love Athens, but if you love nature, you will feel a bit homesick. However, the history of the city makes up for it!

Is 48 Hours Enough?

YES! 48 hours is more than enough in Athens. While we had so much fun, it is a big city, and the activities and historical sites only take so long. 48 hours will be enough time to do all of the main activities, have some relaxing time, eat some good food, and explore all of what Athens has to offer!

What to Avoid in Athens

There are MANY tourist scams in Athens! Be sure you are aware of your surroundings and the people around you. One tourist trap my friends and I fell into was the lady with a rose scam. Basically, a lady comes up to you and forces a rose in your hand, saying how beautiful you are and that you deserve a flower. After you take the flower, whether you want to or not, they tell you that you need to pay them as they are pregnant and have no money. The women are clearly not pregnant, and there are many of them. They will take the flower back and try again with another person if you do not pay them. Just tell them that you do not have cash and leave the rose with them or on the ground. (Most of the roses are old and dead, so do not feel bad.)

Obviously, pickpockets are always a concern in touristy city destinations. Make sure to keep your belongings close by and ensure your rental car/hotel is always locked! When walking around the city, I use a money pouch to protect my passport, ID, cash, and cards. Both Hayden and I use this Money Pouch!

Best Athens Travel Hacks

Here is what I use to travel hack! To book flights, Hayden and I either use our miles on American Airlines thanks to our Citibank Advantage card, OR we book flights on Google Flights! Google Flights is extremely helpful in finding the best flight deals. To book hotels, we usually book through Hotels.com or Booking.com. VRBO and Air BnB add an additional 20% travel agent fee ON TOP of the listing fees; these are two more expensive but also safe options. You will get the best bang for your buck on Booking.com and Hotels.com!

When in Athens, we purchased the Athens City Pass (get yours here.) This city pass enables you to enter 7 different archeological sites in Athens, including the Acropolis, Roman Agora, and Ancient Agora. This is the most budget-friendly option!

The Athens Museum requires a separate entry ticket, which you can purchase here!

Would I go Back?

Specifically to Athens, no, I would not go back anytime soon. However, I am so excited to go back to Greece and explore the Islands! I am not a city person. I do not like to travel to cities unless they have a rich history, nature, or amazing food, so Athens, for me, was a one-time thing.

YOU SHOULD VISIT ATHENS If you love history, good food, shopping, and kind people! Athens was a very cool place to visit, and I am so happy I went! I can’t wait to explore the rest of Greece.