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Last updated: 11 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: John Malathronas

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.

Editor note – John has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Athens destination guide.

Explore the Acropolis, the city’s iconic landmark and the museum opposite. Start early to avoid both the crowds and the unforgiving midday sun.

Go for lunch at Dionysos Zonar’s on Philopappou for a great view of the Acropolis.

After lunch, take a stroll along the shaded Grand Promenade from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, passing by the Odeon of Herod Atticus, the Ancient Agora and museum, Philopappou Hill, the Roman Forum, finishing at Thission.

In the evening, take the cable car up Mount Lycabettus and eat at the restaurant Orizontes on top (booking advised).

The Acropolis

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

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Acropolis Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

Grand Promenade

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

A unique and extraordinary 3km pedestrian promenade peppered with world-class antiquities – triumphant arches, ancient amphitheatres, Greek temples, and ‘Socrates’ Prison’.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 3 kilometres

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Mount Lycabettus

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

The tallest of the capital’s seven hills, Mt Lycabettus towers over Athens. Take the funicular to the summit for panoramic city views, and lunch or dinner at an excellent fine dining restaurant.

Best for ages: 13+ | £6

In the morning start with the National Archaeological Museum and walk through the Exarcheia and Kolonaki neighbourhoods to the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art. Have lunch at the museum’s excellent cafeteria.

In the afternoon spend your time around Syntagma square and stroll through Plaka. Stop at Brettos for a cocktail and, if it’s summer, go to Cinema Paris to enjoy a movie under the stars.

Dine in one of the many Plaka restaurants whose tables spill over outdoors, such as Stamatopoulos Tavern or Geros tou Moria.

National Archaeological Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

Pottery on exhibit in the museum
Experience

Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

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Plaka

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

Best for ages: Any | Free

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People watching a film on an outdoor screen
Experience

Cine Paris

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

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Pop in at Monastiraki and its perpetual flea market for some good shopping opportunities around the area.

Lunch with a souvlaki or two from Kostas at Platia Eirinis.

In the afternoon, go to Cape Sounion and return via Piraeus where you can dine in one of the fish tavernas around the atmospheric Mikrolimano.

Try to book at Michelin-starred Varoulko for an unforgettable meal.

Wares are spread out on tables and blankets on the floor under large parasols at the flea market
Experience

Monastiraki Flea Market

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

The closest Athens has to an oriental bazaar; from 10am each day the streets heave with every kind of stall – from antiques to clothes and bric-a-brac – then from 10pm the bars take over, making this the epicentre of Monastiraki’s nightlife.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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A Greek souvlaki made with pita
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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Sunset at Cape Sounion

Lavrio, Central Greece, Greece

Cape Sounion juts out of Attica towards the Aegean Sea, offering unforgettable sunset views from the atmospheric temple of Poseidon.

Best for ages: Any | Free

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Mikrolimano
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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An excursion to Delphi will eat up most of your day. Book a tour that also offers lunch.

When you return, pop into the Hammam Bathing House to relax; it’s open until 22:30. Dine at Kerameikos, a foodie hub, with many international restaurants: try Rakor for the best burgers in Athens.

Exterior view of the Bath House of the Winds, a beautifully refurbished 17th-century hammam
Experience

Hammam Bathing House

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

One of the best places in the city to experience a proper Turkish hammam, with the baths housed in an elegant neoclassical mansion opposite the Islamic Museum.

Best for ages: 13+ | £2

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An organised tour to Marathon lasts for half a day, so when you return, mop up any museums you haven’t visited yet, such as the Byzantine and Christian Museum and the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art. The latter has a great snack bar on its panoramic terrace, where you can have lunch.

In the evening have an early dinner at Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani by the Central Market (closes at 7pm) and later go to the Dora Stratou Greek Dancing show for a final whiff of Greek culture.

Marathon (Marathonas)

Marathon, Central Greece, Greece

The moving site of the battle of Marathon, 25 centuries ago, that marked a clash of civilisations and provided the name for the famous long endurance race (Marathon).

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

An exposition of artefacts in the museum
Experience

Benaki Museum of Islamic Art

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

The best collection of Islamic Art outside the Muslim world, exhibiting a vast range of artefacts from intricately decorated prayer books to the reconstruction of a Cairo mansion reception room.

Best for ages: 13+ | £8

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

Byzantine and Christian Museum

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

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

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The exterior of Karamanlidi restaurant
Experience

Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

A timewarp step into Athens’s past culinary traditions, this tiny yet popular ouzeri at the corner of Sokratous and Evripidou has slightly expanded its menu, but not its cramped space.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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