Athens 3-day itinerary
Greece
Where to go and what to see in Athens to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer John Malathronas.
Bucket list experience:
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
Athens is famous for the diversity of its culinary offerings; from simple ouzerias, where meze are served with glasses of ouzo, to Michelin-starred restaurants showcasing the New Greek Creative Cuisine, which serves traditional dishes with a contemporary twist.
Street food is one of the city’s major culinary pleasures; snack on souvlaki (meat skewers with pita bread), various pittes (filo pastry pies) such astyropittes (cheese pies) spanakopittes (spinach pies) or zambonopites (ham pies), and koulouria (dough rings with sesame seeds, sometimes stuffed).
For a sweet treat, try loukoumades (deep-fried dough rings with cinnamon and honey) – they’re the city’s favourite.
Although snubbed by many, try the local retsina wine, an Attica staple since ancient times.
Also see John’s round-up of traditional Greek foods you must try in Greece.
For the full spectrum of culinary experiences, try one of the small tavernas in Koukaki or Petralona, a fish taverna at Mikrolimano in Piraeus, and one of the more expensive restaurants at Chalandri or Kifissia.
For more upscale eating, chefs such as Lefteris Lazarou – the first Michelin-starred chef in Greece – and Ettorie Botrini are the hottest tickets in town. For the ultimate culinary treat, Spondi was the first two-starred Michelin establishment in Greece.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
Greece
Where to go and what to see in Athens to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer John Malathronas.
Greece
Where to go and what to see in Athens to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer John Malathronas.
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
Pop into Brettos, the oldest distillery in Athens, for a shot of ouzo or mastic liqueur. The cosy interior, lined with multi-coloured bottles and barrels, dates from 1909.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
Before you visit the Acropolis, cross from the metro exit to Fresko (Dionysiou Areopagitou 3) and order a tub of frozen Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Mikrolimano, Central Greece, Greece
An amphitheatric harbour – and the best-looking spot in Piraeus – with shoulder-to-shoulder fish tavernas where you can taste the day’s catch.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
As you walk around Monastiraki, pass by Plateia Eirinis and join the queue outside Kostas, the most famous hole-in-the-wall souvlaki-seller in Athens, with its secret-recipe tomato sauce.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
A modest, excellent-value hotel, superbly sited for the Monastiraki nightlife and with comfortable, family-friendly suites.
Official star rating:
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
An informal, welcoming hotel with a home-from-home feel and wonderful Acropolis views from the leafy roof terrace.
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Athens, Central Greece, Greece
One of the most glamorous resorts on the Athens Riviera, this hotel occupies a pine-clad peninsula with its own private beach and promenade.
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Athens, Central Greece, Greece
A new art-focused hotel with a lovely rooftop pool and terrace, bringing a New York city buzz to one of Athens’ oldest neighbourhoods.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Central Greece, Greece
Antiquities galore, contemporary culture, scintillating nightlife and fantastic food: there’s something for everyone in Greece’s cosmopolitan capital that’s continuously reinventing itself.