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Athens Attractions
It's likely that you'll arrive in Athens in the afternoon, groggy and disoriented after a long flight. The ride into town from the airport is unlikely to help your spirits. You'll whiz along an efficient but anonymous highway that could be anywhere, before being fed into Athens's ferocious traffic; or you'll be underground in the Metro, itching to get to your hotel. Somewhere, you know, not far away, must be the blue Aegean and the lofty Acropolis. But where?
When you get to your hotel, jump into the shower, take a nap, and then set off for an evening stroll through elegant Syntagma (Constitution) Square past the House of Parliament. Take a few minutes to explore Syntagma's handsome marble Metro station, with its display of finds from the excavations here. Sit on a bench or at one of the cafes and have a cup of coffee or a snack as you take in the city, its citizens, and your surroundings. (Syntagma Sq. has free Wi-Fi, so you have many reasons to return here and linger during your stay.)
If it's too warm out, escape into the shade of the National Gardens -- an oasis of calm and cool in the heart of Athens. You'll discover shady benches; a small cafe; the excellent Aigli restaurant in the adjacent, wider, and more formal Zappeion Gardens; and lots of opportunities to watch Greek families out for a stroll. Keep an eye out for the shockingly well-preserved Roman Baths, have a seat and linger by the Zappeion's handsome fountain for a while, and then head into the Plaka, the old neighborhood on the slopes of the Acropolis that has more restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops than private homes. If you get off the Plaka's main drags, Kidathineon and Adrianou, and follow one of the streets such as Thespidos that run up the slope of the Acropolis, you'll find yourself in Anafiotika. This district, built in the 19th century by immigrants from the Cycladic island of Anafi, retains much of its old village character. As you stroll, look up: You're bound to see the Acropolis, perhaps floodlit -- the best reminder of why you came.
After you have had your first Greek meal, head for the Archaeological Promenade, stop by Thissio at the cafe/bar/restaurant Athinaion Politeia or the beautiful Chocolat Café for a glass of wine, and slowly head back to your hotel and get a good night's rest so that you'll be ready for your first real day in Athens.
25 Results
- Landmark
Ancient Agora
The Agora was Athens's commercial and civic center. People used these buildings for a wide range of political, educational, philosophical, theatrical, and athletic purposes -- which may be why it now seems such a jumble of ancient buildings, inscriptions, and fragments of sculpture.… - Museum
Benaki Museum
The Benaki is small enough that you do not feel overwhelmed, yet it packs in treasures from the Neolithic era all the way to the 20th century. It grew out of the private collection of the wealthy Benaki family, so every piece was chosen because it was a perfect example of its…At Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias, Kolonaki
- Museum
Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
The original Benaki Museum now has several branches, and this one has Athens's only collection of Islamic art. This is a gem and, sadly, it's not uncommon to be the only visitor in its 19th-century neoclassical building, located on a gritty side street not far from… - Museum
Byzantine and Christian Museum
Here you'll find Greece's largest collection of icons—which are paintings, usually of the Holy Family and saints, characteristically done on wood. Two new galleries flank the elegant 19th-century Florentine-style villa that was once the home of the eccentric, American-born… - Museum
Foundation of the Hellenic World (Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center)
Virtual video tours of Greece allow visitors to call up and "see" moments in Greek history from ancient to modern times. Housed in an enormous former factory, the ambitious museum has exhibition space for special exhibits, a theater, an Internet café and shop, and a fleet of… - Museum
Greek Folk Art Museum
Having completed a freshening-up and partial reinstallment in 2013, the Folk Art Museum now is, if possible, even better than ever. It was already one of Athens' best small museums, full of dazzling costumes and the ornately embroidered linen which was, until recently, made… - Landmark
Hadrian's Arch
The Roman emperor Hadrian built a number of monuments in Athens, including this enormous triumphal arch with its robust, highly ornamental Corinthian columns. Although Hadrian was a philhellene (lover of things Greek), he didn't hesitate to use his arch to let the Athenians know who… - Museum
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
Bling Central—there are some 4,000 jewel-encrusted objets in its collection, at least a thousand of which are usually on exhibit. Along with Zolotas, Lalounis is the jeweler in Greece, and it opened this showplace in 1993 to share what he and other designers were doing. You… - Museum
Jewish Museum
Before World War Two, Athens—and Greece—had a vibrant Jewish community. Inevitably, this museum focuses on what was lost. The most impressive exhibit preserves the bema (pulpit) and Torah from the Patras synagogue, which the Germans razed. The Greek city of Thessaloniki was… - Religious Site
Kaisariani Monastery
When a spot is holy in Greece, it has usually been holy for a very long time. Today's monastery occupies the site of an ancient temple to Aphrodite, probably built here because of the spring, part of the headwaters of the River Ilissos that flowed through Athens in antiquity. You'll… - Cemetery
Kerameikos Cemetery
Ancient Athens's most famous cemetery, just outside the city walls, is a lovely spot. Many handsome monuments from the 4th century B.C. and later line the Street of the Tombs, which has relatively few visitors. You can sit quietly and imagine Pericles putting the final touches on his… - Historic Site
Marathon Battlefield & Burial Mound
By September of 490 B.C., the advancing force of Persia -- then the most powerful empire in the world -- reached Marathon, anchored its fleet in the bay, and made plans to attack Athens. The Athenians sent their swiftest runner, Pheidippides, to Sparta to ask for help, and marched… - Historic Site
Monastery of Daphni
When you reach Daphni, you may want to take a few minutes to look at the church's lovely brickwork and think about the history of this sacred spot. There have been shrines here since antiquity, when there was a temple to Apollo. The temple is long gone (except for one column near the… - Museum
Museum of Cycladic Art
Known casually as the "Cycladic," this institution has almost as large a collection of Cycladic art (3rd and 2nd millenia B.C.E.) as the National Archaeological Museum—and it's a much more pleasant place to visit. In addition to the Cycladic idols, whose elongated faces and body… - Museum
Museum of Popular Greek Musical Instruments
At another of the best small museums in Athens, visitors get to know authentic Greek music using headphones and visual displays. Most of the music is dominated by the sounds of tambourines, Cretan lyres, lutes, pottery drums, and—always—keening clarinets. As an extra bonus,… - Museum
Numismatic Museum
Ancient Greek coins were works of art unto themselves. Some 60,000 ancient bronze, silver, and gold examples are on view in the magnificent 19th-century home of the great archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, discoverer of Troy and excavator of Mycenae. Lest anyone forget he… - Landmark
Roman Agora (Forum)
One of the nicest things about the Roman Agora is that if you don't want to inspect it closely, you can take it in from one of the Plaka cafes and restaurants on its periphery. In addition to building a number of monuments on the Acropolis and in the Ancient Agora, Roman leaders,… - Historic Site
Sanctuary of Artemis
Just when you think that you're beginning to understand the ancient Greeks, you encounter something like the cult of Artemis at Brauron. According to legend, Agamemnon's ill-fated daughter Iphigenia served as a priestess here -- and was buried here after her ritual sacrifice on the… - Historic Site
Sanctuary of Eleusis
The unknown and the famous were initiated into the sacred rites here, yet we know almost nothing about the Eleusinian Mysteries. What we do know is that the Mysteries commemorated the abduction of Demeter's daughter, Persephone, by the god of the underworld, Hades (Pluto). Demeter… - Religious Site
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
Hadrian built this massive temple -- or rather, finished the construction that began in the 6th century B.C. and continued on and off (more off than on) for 700 years. At 108m long and 43m wide (360*143 ft.), the Olympieion, also known as the Kolonnes (Columns), was one of the… - Historic Site
Temple of Poseidon
Cape Sounion is the southernmost point of Attica, and in antiquity, as today, sailors knew they were getting near Athens when they caught sight of the Temple of Poseidon's slender Doric columns. According to legend, it was at Sounion that Theseus's father, King Aegeus, awaited his… - Landmark
The Acropolis
The Acropolis is one of a handful of places in the world that is so well known, you may be anxious when you finally get here. Will it be as beautiful as its photographs? Will it be, ever so slightly, a disappointment? Rest assured: The Acropolis does not disappoint -- but it is… - Museum
The Acropolis Museum
It's impossible to miss the glass-and-concrete façade of this 21,000-square-meter (226,000-square-feet), startlingly modern museum—there's nothing else like it within miles of the Acropolis. The museum's top floor houses the all-important Parthenon Gallery. On display is all that… - Museum
The National Archaeological Museum
Greece's largest archaeological museum has a staggeringly large collection of Greek artifacts, ranging from the Prehistoric Neolithic era (some 15 centuries B.C.E.) to the late Roman period (5th century C.E.). More than 11,000 objects are on permanent display, so …Patission appears as oktovriou/october on some street signs - Landmark
Theater of Dionysos & Odeion (Odeum) of Herodes Atticus
This theater of Dionysos was built in the 4th century B.C. to replace and enlarge the earlier theater in which the plays of the great Athenian dramatists were first performed. The new theater seated some 17,000 spectators in 64 rows of seats, 20 of which survive. Most spectators sat…
Athens Shopping
Join Athenians shopping for Greek honey and olive oils at the chaotic Central Market or bargain for antiques at Monastiraki Flea Market. Handmade leather sandals are for sale at Stavros Melissinos in Psirri, and gold designer necklaces in Kolonaki’s Elena Votsi. Shops generally open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 9am-2pm, and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am-2pm and 5pm-8pm, but hours vary.
More About Athens Shopping
Athens Nightlife
The popular Psirri district buzzes with small clubs playing live music such as Cubanita. Friendly drinking dens dot the former industrial district of Gazi – try converted warehouse bar Hoxton. Athenian nightlife starts late, warming up at around 11pm. Most bars stay open until 3am, and clubs until 5am or later.
More About Athens Nightlife
More To Do in Athens
Best Dining Bets in Athens
Dining in Athens can be a real pleasure, with excellent cooking taking center stage at a number of eateries. Settings are wonderful, too, and restaurants often occupy old houses and shady courtyards. Probably the only restaurants to avoid are those that station waiters outside who…
Best Hotel Bets in Athens
Electra Palace: One of the largest hotels in the Plaka is also the most luxurious. Guest rooms are spacious and stylishly furnished, done in soft pastels and with beautiful marble bathrooms. Many have views of the Parthenon. Service is top-notch; a lavish buffet breakfast is served…
