Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A major coastal urban area in the Mediterranean. With its urban area’s population numbering over three million, it is one of the largest urban areas in the European Union.
Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. It’s earliest human presence beginning somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC. According to Greek mythology the city was named after Athena, the ancient Greek goddess.
Athens has a lot to offer (not only impressive monuments), including an appetizing and varied Mediterranean cuisine.
Visiting tips
Airport transport to and from Athens
The airport is a bit out of the city so it takes some time to get to the city center. It should take you around 60 minutes to arrive from the airport to the city center. Depending of the time of the day, you can ether take a bus or metro. If your plane is landing in the afternoon, you are better of taking the metro because the bus will get stuck in Athens traffic. But on the other hand, the metro does not operate 24 hours so if you are arriving in the middle of the night, the bus is your only option.
Bus
There are multiple buses that take you to Athens depending on where you need to go. They leave every 30 to 60 minutes depending on the route. Prices are a bit cheaper then taking the metro (around 5.5 euros one way).
Route X95: Syntagma - Athens Airport
Bus X95 takes you directly to Athens city center, Syntagma square.
Route X96: Piraeus - Athens Airport
This is the bus to use is you plan to take a ferry from Piraeus to the greek islands (Santorin, Mykonos, Paros, Kos, Crete, Rhodes etc.).
Route X93: Kifisou avenue - Athens Airport
Route X93 connects Athens airport with Athens intercity bus station.
Route X97: Elliniko - Athens Airport
Metro
Line 3
Metro line 3 takes you directly to Athens city center, Syntagma square. Leaves from the airport every 36 minutes from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. Tickets are around 9 euros, one way or 16 euros for a two way ticket (cheaper for students).
Public Transport
Athens has public buses, trams and metro lines available to use. There is a lot of cheap taxis around the city which can be useful to reach some points too.
Tickets
There are multi day tickets available to purchase or singe tickets available at every metro station.
Combined tickets
The best way to buy tickets to see Athens many historical points is to buy a combined ticket. The combined ticket is valid for 5 days and includes 7 Sites and Monuments of Athens:
- Acropolis & Slopes
- Ancient Agora
- Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Kerameikos
- Aristotle’s School (Lyceum)
- Olympieion (Temple of Olympian Zeus)
Most people go to the acropolis and buy their ticket there but these tickets are available at any other point in the city. We went to the Temple of Olympian Zeus and bought our ticket there. When we went to the Acropolis the next morning, we skipped the huge line because we already had tickets.
If you are under 25 years old you get free tickets including this combined ticket but you still have to pick it up at sites like these.
What To See
Tours
Walking Tours
There is a bunch of free walking tours you can make reservation for. You can learn a lot about Athens from the local tour guides. Free walking tours are based on tips so you can give the guide as much as you want. On the other hand you can also find a lot of private walking tours.
Here is the link to the free walking tour we went on: athens-free-tour.com
Attractions
Acropolis
An ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.
There are multiple entrances, the side Entrance (Dionysus Theater entrance) on the south of the hill, next to the museum. And main entrance to the west of the Acropolis.
Acropolis museum
Right next to the Acropolis, it is worth a visit. If you are under 25, the tickets are also free.
And be wary, the floor is transparent glass so girls wear pants, not skirts and dresses if you plan to go in.
Roman Agora
The Roman Agora has not today been fully excavated, but is known to have been an open space surrounded by a peristyle. To it’s south was a fountain. To it’s west, behind a marble colonnade, were shops and an Ionic propylaeum (entrance), the Gate of Athena Archegetis. To it’s east was a Doric gate, the East Propylon, next to the Tower of the Winds and a set of archeological public toilets.
Ancient Agora
The ancient Agora of Athens (also called the Classical Agora) is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Agoraios Kolonos, also called Market Hill. The Agora’s initial use was for a commercial, assembly, or residential gathering place.
Hadrian’s Arch
The Arch of Hadrian, most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian’s Gate is a monumental gateway resembling, in some respects, a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the arrival of the Roman emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a former colossal temple at the centre of the Greek capital, Athens. It was dedicated to “Olympian” Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods.
Zappeion Hall
The Zappeion is a large, palatial building next to the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private and is one of the city’s most renowned modern landmarks. In 1869, the Greek Parliament allocated public land between the Palace Gardens and the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus, and also passed a law on 30 November 1869, “for the building works of the Olympic Games”, as the Zappeion was the first building to be erected specifically for the revival of the Olympic Games in the modern world.
Athens National Garden
The Royal Garden, commissioned by Queen Amalia in 1838 and completed by 1840. The Garden also encloses some ancient ruins, column drums and Corinthian capitals of columns, mosaics, and other features.
Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. One of the main historic attractions of Athens, it is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.
A stadium was built on the site of a simple racecourse by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos (Lycurgus) c. 330 BC, primarily for the Panathenaic Games. It was rebuilt in marble by Herodes Atticus, an Athenian Roman senator, by 144 AD it had a capacity of 50,000 seats.
Mount Lycabettus
Highest point in central Athens and one of the best viewing points of Acropolis. It is a public place and anyone can get up there. There is also a beautiful small church on top.
You have 3 options to get on top:
- Hike (not recommended in summer, it is 277 meters height)
- Cable car (10 euros round trip per person)
- Car (or even better take a taxi). We paid 10 euros for a taxi to get up there.
Plaka and Anafiotika
Anafiotika is a scenic tiny neighborhood of the center of Athens, part of the old historical neighborhood called Plaka. It lies on the northeast side of the Acropolis hill. The first inhabitants were workers from Cycladic islands and since the houses have been passed down by generations and no one else can buy them. If you go up there, be quiet since people still live there and you will get shushed.
Academy of Athens
The Academy of Athens is Greece’s national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle tracing back to the historical Academy of Plato, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy’s main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.
Monastiraki flea market
A large flea market consisting of multiple streets next to Monastiraki square. The best place to buy cheap souvenirs.