no alt text

Bucket list experience:

Lycabettus hill on a summer day

Mount Lycabettus rising from the city sprawl

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: John Malathronas

The tallest of the capital’s seven hills, Mount Lycabettus towers over Athens, offering 360-degree views all the way to the encircling mountains and the Saronic Gulf, plus, of course, the Acropolis and the centre of Athens.

Rising to 909 feet, it’s possible to reach the summit by cable car, driving or walking (if you’re up for a challenge). The 19th-century Chapel of St George crowns the top of the hill, a neat whitewashed building that’s impossible to miss from below.

Next to the chapel, the upmarket Orizontes restaurant makes a great place for a long, view-filled lunch.

While you’re there

Ask at the chapel or restaurant for directions to the hard-to-find church of St Isidore, dating from the 16th century, hewn into the rock of the western slopes. It’s the legendary location of a secret passage that allowed the Greeks to escape during a Turkish siege.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price from: £6
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Mount Lycabettus is straightforward to visit independently, but going with a guide offers an insight into the history of the peak – along with insider knowledge of the best viewpoints and photo spots. Tours run in the day and in the evening, easily arrangeable through your hotel. 

The pine-wooded peak is reached via a cable car (teleferic) at the corner of Ploutarchou and Aristippou streets (it takes about 3 mins). 

The cable car runs every half an hour (more frequently in summer). If you have a car you can drive to the top where there’s a parking area, with a five-minute walk to the summit. 

If you’re walking up/down, there’s a paved walking path to the top: walk uphill at Ploutarchou Street to the right as you face the cable entrance and follow the signs. It’s a tortuous climb with winding stairs near the top, not to be undertaken on a hot summer’s day. The walk takes between 60-90 minutes, depending on your pace. A better idea is to take the funicular up and walk back down.

When to do it

The cable car runs all year round, but it gets very crowded (and extremely hot) during the summer months, when there can be long queues (avoided I you walk up/down of course). Avoid going on cloudy or wet days, when the views will be severely restricted.  

If you’re dining at Orizontes, book a table for sunset. As the sky darkens and the city’s lights come up, it’s a wedding proposal kind of experience.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Monsieur Didot

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.4 miles]

A chic boutique hotel that scores sky-high on atmosphere and its central location under the shadow of Mount Lycabettus.

Official star rating:

COCO-MAT Hotel

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.5 miles]

An informal, welcoming hotel with a home-from-home feel and wonderful Acropolis views from the leafy roof terrace.

Official star rating:

The Modernist Athens

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.8 miles]

A centrally-located, minimalist hotel that caters for all budgets, housed in an elegant former Embassy building.

Official star rating:

Hotel Grand Bretagne

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1 miles]

A heritage hotel with an immaculate pedigree that doesn’t skimp on contemporary luxuries, bang in the heart of Athens. The choice for visiting VIPs.

Official star rating:

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.

Website >
Overview >

Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

National Archaeological Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1.2 miles]

The largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the best in the world, with a collection ranging from Mycenaean-era jewellery to some of the best-known classical sculptures.

Best for ages: 18+ | £5

Plaka

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1.5 miles]

The heart of old Athens, Plaka has an authentic charm with winding lanes, shady squares and atmospheric Byzantine churches.

Best for ages: Any | Free

Website >
Overview >

The Acropolis

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1.9 miles]

This dazzling ancient citadel, perched on a hilltop rising above the city, houses some of the most impressive ancient buildings in the world. The jewel in the crown is the Pantheon, a 2,500-year-old temple dating back to 438 BC.

Best for ages: 7+ | £9

Website >
Overview >

Acropolis Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[2 miles]

A jaw-dropping array of antiquities – all the Acropolis’ treasures – in one very modern museum designed by starchitect Bernard Tschumi.

Best for ages: 15+ | £4

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Pottery on exhibit in the museum
Experience

Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.7 miles]

The fascinating 5,000-year-old Cycladic Art figurines, which have influenced artists from Giacometti to Ai Weiwei, are guaranteed to surprise and delight even the most seasoned of culture vultures.

Best for ages: 18+ | £6

Website >
Overview >
The exterior of the museum, a white building with red tiled roof
Experience

Byzantine and Christian Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[0.8 miles]

A glorious introduction to the sacred arts of Byzantium. Icons, mosaics, textiles, murals and sculpture offer illuminating insights into this distinctive aspect of Greek culture. A newer wing houses temporary exhibitions that explore the influence of Byzantium on contemporary art.

Best for ages: 18+ | £7

Website >
Overview >
The exterior of the Hellenic Parliament building on Syntagma Square
Experience

Syntagma Square

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1 miles]

Greece’s busiest square and scene of political demos, made famous by the world’s media during the Euro crisis. This is the frenetic, traffic-filled epicentre of Athens.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

Website >
Overview >
People watching a film on an outdoor screen
Experience

Cine Paris

Athens, Central Greece, Greece[1.6 miles]

On Kydathinaion Square, Cine Paris is one of the loveliest outdoor cinemas in Athens. If the film disappoints, you can just gaze at the Parthenon under the moonlight. Open May to October.

Best for ages: 10+ | £7 | 2 hours

Website >
Overview >