Ahhh, Athens. Some people love it, some people hate it. If you’re headed over to Greece soon you’re more than likely going to be near the city at some point in your trip and in my opinion it is definitely worth checking out Athens, at least for a day or two. If you have more time, even better. To be honest I hate crowds and city life in general but I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed our time in Athens, a city full of old world charm and history combined with a modern youthful crowd and interesting older spirits. Keep in mind that I do realize the time of year we visited (May) as well as the amount of time we spent in the city played a key role in that and I feel that if we visited in the peak of tourist season and stayed for a week or more I probably would have a slightly different opinion, but overall I really enjoyed this city. It was very easy to explore and walkable, the locals we interacted with were super friendly, and of course the main attraction…the history! The history you read about in books growing up and never think you’ll actually get to experience in real life. This alone made everything worth it to me.
Now if you’re only in Athens for a couple days then it’s a no-brainer you have to at least check out the Acropolis. So here’s your choice when you buy your tickets; You can either buy entrance to the Acropolis and its slopes for 20 Euros per person or buy a ticket priced at 30 Euros per person which gives you admission to 6 other sites as well as allowing a duration of 5 days to complete your tour. The sites included are as follows:
Acropolis of Athens (and North & South Slopes)
Ancient Agora of Athens
Hadrian’s Library
Olympieion (Temple of Zeus)
Roman Agora of Athens
Kerameikos/Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos
Archaeological Site of Lykeion
This is definitely the way to go if you have more than a day in Athens and allows you to explore each one in-depth and at a slow pace, but even if you only have one full day you could still get at least half of them done since they’re so easy to walk to. The price is still a bargain even if you don’t get to go to all the sites vs buying the single tickets for each one. We had 2 ½ days in Athens so naturally we went with the more expensive ticket and we went to 5 sites out of the 7. We skipped two due to time and wanting to relax more but we did see one from the outside gates which we snapped a picture of while we were taking a break and the other one we just never made it to. Below are a list of the sites, brief descriptions, and some photos.
1.) Acropolis and slopes
Pretty much everyone knows about the Acropolis so I won’t say too much about this magnificent site but you can’t go to Athens and miss the Acropolis, you just can’t! I never dreamed I would see this incredible archaeological site in person and it was worth every penny, especially if you are a history fanatic. It is amazing how intricate and detailed each structure is and I’m in awe that they’re still standing. Do take the time to explore the slopes as well and don’t just come for the Parthenon. There is so much to see at this extraordinary site so don’t sell yourself or your money short! I enjoyed walking around the slopes down below and really admired the huge walls surrounding the site. Also a quick tip on crowds at this location. Crowds are usually a mood killer for us as I’m sure they are to most people, and yes there are definitely crowds here but try to plan accordingly and you’ll most likely be rewarded for it. We visited in May and got there about 20 minutes after opening (the site opens at 8 A.M. from April 1st – October 31st and at 9 A.M. from November 1st – March 31st) and there weren’t any crazy crowds at all! Just a handful of people as you can see in my photos and it made the experience 100x more enjoyable not bumping into people and being able to take your time without feeling that chaotic rush a bustling crowd always gives off. A bus was starting to arrive as we purchased our tickets so again try to go at opening time. Going early or near closing time is definitely worth it. Also random tip but don’t jump up and down for photos. We saw a couple doing this and one of the employees stopped them because the dust, dirt, and rocks being kicked up is not good for the structures and their preservation.
2.) Ancient Agora
I really enjoyed walking around this site on a beautiful warm spring day. It was quiet, uncrowded, peaceful, and gorgeous. I loved the flowers and the view of the Acropolis from afar and there are plenty of ruins as well as two stand-out structures, the Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos. An Agora is a central public space or marketplace and it was fun to imagine this site at its prime when it was a bustling gathering space for the community. According to my research Socrates spent a lot of time here preaching his philosophies. Yes, that’s right, imagine walking along the pathways that great historical philosophers once walked around daily. Definitely a must-see while in Athens due to the historical significance and recreating that sense of community.
3.) Hadrian’s Library
Hadrian’s Library is a small site but still worth a visit in my opinion and was actually one of my favorites. According to my research it was the largest library in Athens. The library stored books of course but also had reading rooms, music rooms, and lecture halls. There was also an open courtyard with a garden, decorative pool, and later in history 3 churches were also built on the site. My favorite part of the site was the tall beautiful marble columns. Seriously, they’re so gorgeous and made me feel so small! I absolutely loved them.
4.) Olympieion (Temple of Zeus; Bonus: Hadrian’s Arch)
This is another small site that is easy and quick to tour and worth seeing. The Olympieion, or the Temple of Zeus, was left half constructed until Hadrian’s reign and was the largest temple in Greece. The finished temple had approximately 104 tall columns but now only 15 remain. Hadrian’s Arch is also located just outside of the gates to this site. I enjoyed walking around the remaining fragments of the temple and admiring the height of the columns. Crazy to think of the engineering and labor that went on while building all of these colossal and intricate structures.
5.) Roman Agora
The Roman Agora essentially became the new commercial marketplace after the Ancient Agora. The area consisted of an open courtyard, a plethora of shops, a public latrine, a decorative fountain, and the Tower of the Winds which is an octagonal marble clock tower. Definitely make sure you take a peek inside of the tower and look up to the ceiling. The site is mostly ruins now but it will likely not be very crowded and a nice place to walk around and recharge before heading to your next historical site.
6.) Kerameikos and 7.) Archaeological Site of Lykeion
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These are the two sites that we unfortunately didn’t get to but we did see Kerameikos from outside the gates and snapped a couple photos.
We of course explored Plaka and roamed around many random streets and neighborhoods of the city for hours. Here are some of my favorite colorful pictures from our time there:
Lastly, we made our homebase at a nice updated Airbnb in the residential neighborhood of Koukaki. I really enjoyed the area! It was quiet and didn’t seem to be flooded with tourists. There were plenty of cafes and shops to check out and it wasn’t a far walk to most of the historical sites. I love that there was a variety of food in the area. By the time we were in Athens I kind of needed a break from Greek food after over 2 weeks of it (it’s delicious but I’ve always liked variety, even at home I try to mix up my home cooked meals often) so we ventured out in search of other cuisines. I highly recommend Riza Riza which is a super cute and hip cafe/bar with indoor and outdoor seating. I loved the vibe so much and the food and drinks were so delicious! Even the non-alcoholic drinks were so good! I was obsessed with their special fancy pink lemonade (seriously try it if you go!). We only went here in the mornings and afternoons so I’m not sure how packed it gets at night but I imagine it gets pretty hoppin’. I would keep that in mind if you don’t like big crowds because it’s a small place. I also really enjoyed Tuk Tuk Thai Street Food. The owners and all the employees were super nice and the food was great. The older lady in the back kept smiling at me and reminded me of my grandma! I knew it would fit the bill for Thai food in Greece, not the best I’ve ever had (that award would go to my mama and grandma haha) but still very tasty. The restaurant is super small though and I would highly recommend coming around opening time or ordering take-away.
Well I hope you enjoyed my quick short and sweet 2-day perspective of Athens and that this can serve as a quick little guide for you if you’re headed that way soon! Let me know in the comments if you have been to Athens or will be visiting the city soon. If you’ve been, what’s your favorite part of Athens?
Until next time,
Kelsie