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13 fun things to do in Athens during your city trip
Last updated: September 14, 2020
Read here everything you want to do in Athens
Athens is a huge city, where you can easily spend a midweek, there is so much to do. vintage shopping to visit the Acropolis, if the weather is nice a day trip to the beach (yes, Athens is on the beach!) to cocktail bar hopping And of course, trying countless restaurants and visiting the cultural highlights if it's your first time in the city. We recently spent almost a week in Athens creating this comprehensive Athens Travel Guide. In this blog post, we've compiled our favorite things to see and do in Athens that you definitely won't want to miss during your city break. Have fun!
You'll want to check out these offers for a city trip to Athens:
⋙ 4-day city break in the luxurious Electra Metropolis hotel including flight from €411.
13 fun things to do in Athens that will help you get to know the city
Visit the Acropolis: If you're going to Athens, you can't miss it! Acropolis means "the highest point of the city" in Greek and is also known as the sacred rock of Athens. The Acropolis boasts several sacred temples dedicated to various gods, including the patron goddess Athena. You'll also find the remains of the Parthenon, the Temple of Nike, the Propylaea, and the Erechtheion on the Acropolis. It's definitely a bucket list item and a fun thing to do in Athens. Unfortunately, the Acropolis has been under construction for a while now!
Go vintage shoppingAthens is a great place for vintage and antique shopping. Browse the vintage shops, the vintage shopping street "Protogenous Street," or the antique market for gems that will make everyone at home jealous. From Levi's shorts to pink velvet chairs, marble tables, retro sunglasses, and must-have Adidas shoes, believe me, you can find a lot of cool items here. In this blog post, you can read more about our favorite spots for shopping. shopping in Athens.
Shopping in Protogenous Street at Paliosinitheies
Visit the Pláka neighborhood: Walk uphill from Monastiráki Square towards the Acropolis and you'll find yourself in the Pláka neighborhood. It's an old, authentic neighborhood with romantic restaurants and narrow streets that you'll love strolling through with your partner. The neighborhood is popular with tourists, but locals also recommend it time and again.
Have lunch at Nolan's: Nolan is a BIB Gourmand restaurant in the heart of Athens where you can enjoy delicious food at a reasonable price. We had lunch there during our trip, and it's highly recommended. Especially if you don't have a reservation, you might get a table during lunch. Enjoying a bite (comfort food) in the evening is also possible, although you'll need to book a few days in advance to secure a table, as this hotspot is very popular. Tip: the zucchini salad is delicious!
Voulis 31, Athens, Greece – nolanrestaurant.gr
nolan
Go cocktail bar hopping: If you want to have a drink in Athens in the evening, you don't have to leave your hotel before 22 pm. Dinner is served late and drinks are enjoyed until late. Athens is bursting with cocktail bars where you can drink late into the night with friends. From cocktail bars specializing in rum or gin to bars with special themes like Christmas. Yes, really! Check out our list of favorite cocktail bars here and hop from cocktail bar to cocktail bar. Cheers!
Take a food tour: What's more fun than getting to know the food culture of another city? There are several organizations in Athens where you can book food tours. We always prefer to go with a local. For example, book a food tour through withlocals.com And taste the best and tastiest of Athens. We took a food tour with a food journalist and sampled, among other things, the city's best feta, cow's tongue (quite delicious), and incredibly good olive oil and goat cheese. The great thing about a food tour like this is that you discover places you wouldn't have found so easily on your own!
Food tour through Central Market
Spend a day at the beach: What you might not know is that Athens is also located on the beach, so you can simply cool off in the sea on hot days. The tram will whisk you to the various seaside resorts (actually suburbs of Athens) on the Greek Riviera in no time, where you can enjoy a wonderful breeze. P.S.: The tram passes all the resorts and stops every few minutes, so you can choose which beach you fancy.
Watch a movie at an open-air cinema: From May to early October, you can enjoy a film, a refreshing drink, a beautiful starry sky, and the wonderful Greek atmosphere at various open-air cinemas. Don't worry, you won't be the only tourist mingling with the Greeks; it's perfectly normal to catch a film yourself. We highly recommend the open-air cinema Zefyros (Troon 36) in the up-and-coming Petrálõna neighborhood.
Try cold cuts and cheese at KaramanlidikaAnother fun thing to do in Athens. Karamanlidika is essentially a small shop where locals come to buy the freshest produce. Think of countless different meats and cheeses, including the tastiest feta in Athens. These days, you can even sit down and sample the produce straight from the farm and even have lunch. A great tasting room for foodies, and definitely order the goat cheese!
Sokratous 1, Athens, Greece – karamanlidika.gr
Visit rooftop bars: One of the must do's in Athens is visiting the many rooftop bars of hotels that overlook the enormous city and the Acropolis, such as from the rooftop of the Electra Metropolis hotelSometimes you can even see the ocean! Take a refreshing dip in the pool (if your hotel has a rooftop bar!), sip a frappé, or have lunch or dinner there. Tip: be there early for sunset—you won't want to miss it. The entire city turns pink as the lights emerge one by one. We've listed 9 rooftop bars you shouldn't miss!
rooftop view from Electra Metropolis hotel
Climb the Lycabettus: A must-do in Athens! Want a beautiful view during sunset? Then climb Mount Lycabettus. Don't feel like climbing all the way to the top when it's too hot? Then you can take a taxi and be dropped off near the top. There's also a restaurant there with a fantastic view. Then walk down the path that leads past cacti and other beautiful plants. Highly recommended!
Eat souvlaki at O Kostas: The best, very best souvlaki in Athens can be found at O Kostas in the city center. Be warned, you'll easily walk right past it because it doesn't look particularly special. Order your souvlaki at the bar and then enjoy it in the Greek evening sun—gotta love street food!
Pentelis 5. Athens, Greece
Take a street art tour: Almost every wall in Athens is covered in graffiti, or decorated with it, depending on your perspective. With beautiful artwork and texts you'll likely encounter in any city. To separate the wheat from the chaff, you can also book a street art tour at withlocals.com. Highly recommended if you want to discover the city's most beautiful street art. Want to explore on your own? Then definitely don't miss the Exarcheia district and the area around Riga's Palamidou Street in the Psyrri district.
Athens Travel Tips
MORE ATHENS TRAVEL TIPS: Looking for more Athens tips? Check out the handy lists from our extensive guide below. Athens Travel Guide with many more tips or take a look at visitgreece.gr for all practical information.
- 13 fun things to do in Athens
- 9 rooftop bars to watch the sunset
- 11 cocktail bars not to be missed
- 4 of the best beaches near Athens
- 9 great coffee bars for a frappé
- 5 (foodie) markets to visit
- 14 of the best shops in Athens
- 13 of the tastiest restaurants
HOW TO GET THERE: Aegean Airlines, Transavia, and KLM, among others, fly from Amsterdam to Athens. Want to be sure of the cheapest ticket? Use the ticket search engine. Skyscanner.nl.
Tips for package holidays to Athens with a nice hotel:
⋙ 4-day city break in the luxurious Electra Metropolis hotel including flight from €411.
YOURLBB'S FAVORITE HOTELS IN ATHENS: During our last trip, we stayed in several lovely boutique and design hotels in Athens. And good news: almost all of them have a rooftop terrace with fantastic views of the city and, with a bit of luck, a swimming pool too. These are hotels where you're guaranteed to have a wonderful time:
- Electra Metropolis: super good location, lovely swimming pool and breakfast with a view of the Acropolis
- COCO-MAT Hotel: through the store to the lobby and then check in at your own studio with shared rooftop
- Semiramis: with a crazy colored swimming pool
- New Hotel: just 200 meters from Syntagma Square
- A For Athens: without a doubt one of the best locations and nicest rooftop bars
- Twentyone: design hotel in the Kifissia district
- Periscope: modern boutique hotel in the Kolonaki district
- Athens Was: You'll want to stay here just for the vibrant rooftop bar
- Fresh Hotel: modern hotel with a beautiful rooftop pool
Have fun if you go to Athens!
Athens Tips
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