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.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Athens’ best food & drink
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
Last updated: 15 January, 2023
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.
What to try
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.
The dining scene
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
Athens 5-day itinerary
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.
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Overview >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Experience
Brettos
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
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Experience
Fresko
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
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Experience
Mikrolimano
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
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Experience
O Kostas
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 selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Small-Group Athens Food Walk
Athens
Join us on a delicious journey around Athens through 4 of the city’s most foodie neighbourhoods to experience Greek gastronomy. Our small-gr...
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Athens Street Food Walk
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Immerse yourself in the best Greek street food while exploring Athens and hanging out where the locals do, ending with a final amazing photo...
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Athens Small-Group Food Tour
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Walk along the historic streets of Athens while indulging in traditional Greek cuisine. This tour allows you to savor a wide variety of loca...
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Athens Street Culture & Food, off-the-beaten path, afternoon
Athens
- 3h duration, starting & ending point at a centrally located metro station, Kerameikos station (blue line)
- Small-group tour, limited to 1...
€55 | Rating 4.87 / 5 [57 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Athens4
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
A modest, excellent-value hotel, superbly sited for the Monastiraki nightlife and with comfortable, family-friendly suites.
Official star rating:
COCO-MAT Hotel
Athens, Central Greece, Greece
An informal, welcoming hotel with a home-from-home feel and wonderful Acropolis views from the leafy roof terrace.
Official star rating:
Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
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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Hotel Asomaton
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
Athens
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.
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