Athens is my home city, and I love it. If a friend has 4 days to spend in Athens these are my recommendations on sites and food.
Four days in Athens are enough for a very rewarding experience. The tour will include many of the city’s world-famous landmarks, fun shopping opportunities, traditional dinners, famous hills, and even swimming on beautiful white sand beaches.
Day 1: Acropolis, the Ancient City, and traditional food
Your visit to Athens must include a visit to the Acropolis and the Parthenon Temple on top of it.
You can start from the Acropolis Metro Station. This will position you strategically in Dionissiou Aeropagitou Street where you can scroll down towards
- first the Acropolis hill and the Parthenon temple and
- then the Acropolis Museum.
Most visitors are impressed by the interaction of these two iconic sites opposing and completing each other. More on what to pay attention to in these two special places you can find here.
Leaving Acropolis and as you pass by one of the city’s oldest churches Agios Dimitrios Lourbardiaris, you are reaching Thissio. Now, you find yourself in and just a few meters away from the Green Line train station where there is Monastiraki Square.
Before visiting the Turkish Bath or scrolling down the busy Monastiraki Flea market, you might want to have a complete and traditional light lunch with our souvlaki pita. A famous restaurant there is “Thanassis” but all available options offer delicious souvlaki for about 3 euros each.
This is Monastiraki square on a sunny December day.
Instead of dessert, you might want to get yourself some fresh fruit from the kiosks in the square.
With your batteries recharged and following Monastiraki, you can visit the Ancient Agora where you will also see the small Christian church of St. George built right on top of Ancient Greek temple ruins.
Scrolling back towards Dionisiou Aeropagitou and moving past Acropolis make sure you notice Odeon Herod Atticus build into the hillside as you move towards Plaka and the Anafiotika neighborhoods where you can easily devote the rest of your afternoon.
The two traditional neighborhoods one next to the other create a small village right in the middle of Athens and will soon make you feel as if you are in one of our small Greek islands. Coffee, food, drinks, and souvenirs are readily available as you walk down the two main traditional pedestrian streets Kydathineon Street and Andrianou Street.
Tip 1: You may check the Odeon of Herodes Atticus program here and – if there are tickets available – watch a play or listen to a concert the same way Athenians did 2000 years ago!
Tip 2: At the Acropolis Museum restaurant you could stop for a snack or an ice cream. You will enjoy it!
Day 2: Unique Athens sites, Art, Shopping, and Tavernas
The starting point for Day 2 is the Metro Monastiraki Station.
Around 9.00 in the morning Varvakeios Market is already vibrant, noisy, and full of smells. There are two distinct parts, one with meat and fish and one with fruit and vegetables. As you approach via Athinas Street you will see herbs, nuts, dried fruit, and spices.
As you walk back to Ermou Street you are in the shopping heart of central Athens. Well-known brands and small family-owned shops are right next to each other as you walk toward one of the oldest Orthodox churches in the city. Kapnikarea, or the Church of Panagia Kapnikarea as its full name, was built around 1050. It is right in the center of Ermou Pedestrian Street, you cannot miss it. If it is open it is worth visiting. On a hot summer day, one finds it difficult to believe the calm and cool interior.
Moving on, you will reach Syntagma Square, the central square of Athens with the Greek Parliament. This is our favorite square when we want to protest, quite a hobby for many of us.
Right at the edge of Ermou street before leaving it you may want to buy a book! Well, even if you don’t, a quick visit to the rooftop cafe restaurant of the Public Bookstore to your left, will let you enjoy the complete view of Syntagma Square!
To your right, the Zappeion Gardens will lead you to the Zappeion Mansion, and right next to it Egli a wonderful neoclassical bar-restaurant where you might want to stop for a coffee or a snack.
You may decide to take a small rest as there are two more very important venues to visit. Kallimarmaron Stadium and the Greek National Gallery!
Panathinaicon Stadium or Kallimarmaron as we usually call it, which means beautiful marble, is the only stadium in the world built completely out of marble!
It is a very well-preserved stadium built originally c. 330 BC and currently used for numerous events such as big concerts or famous athletic events such as the ending ceremony for our Yearly Athens Classic Marathon. The most well-known event is of course the Olympic Games. It is at this venue, that the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics took place, back in 1896. These were the first international Olympic Games in modern history.
In front of Kallimarmaron, there is the Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue. If you walk north-east on this avenue for 1,1 kilometers you will reach to your right, on 50 Vas. Konstantinou Avenue, the newly renovated National Gallery.
The National Gallery is the city’s Art Gallery and Museum of fine arts. It was founded in 1900. Its exhibits cover the period of artistic creation in Greece from the post-Byzantine years until today. It is open from 10.00 to 18.00, six days a week, and closed every Tuesday.
After all these cultural experiences a good ending would most probably be a traditional taverna in Koukaki. Moving back towards the center of the city, in the neighborhood, you will be able to choose a nice taverna to sit at. Ask about the tavern’s traditional mezedes (small plates of delicious food) their own labeled dry wine, and a Greek salad with ‘feta’ cheese. Enjoy!
In case you feel more luxurious, then a night out in Syntagma Square at the Grande Bretagne Hotel is also an option. In this historical venue for the Athenians, there is the GB Roof Bar and Restaurant. It is open until 2.00 in the evening and it will provide an evening view of the illuminated Acropolis you will not easily forget!
Tip: While you visit Kallimarmaron Stadium you may want to close your eyes and imagine yourself as an Olympian with an olive branch on your head.
Day 3: Lycabettus Hill, Neoclassical Athens, and a visit to the stars
Athens lies in relatively gentle geomorphology, that is interrupted by the presence of hills.
Among the most well-known ones is Lycabettus Hill. You do not want to miss the Athens view from it!
How to go:
- You can walk upwards, 277 meters above the city. It will take you no more than 25 minutes to walk on a path full of trees.
- You can take a taxi uphill from Syntagma square. The average cost from Kolonaki square is 4 euros.
- Another interesting option is of course the cable car. The length of the Lycabettus cable car line is 210 meters and has a slope of 28 degrees. The route is small but very beautiful and there is a new departure every 30 minutes. The entrance for the Lycabettus cable car (we call it teleferic) is at 1, Aristippou Street, and the tickets cost 7 euros one-way or 9 euros two-way.
On the top of the hill, you will see Agios Georgios (St George) Church.
A temple dedicated to Zeus was located in the same spot thousands of years before. A byzantine-era church followed, and now there is this beautiful white Christian Orthodox church built in the 18th century. It is accompanied by an impressive bell tower which was built in 1902.
Following Lycabettus Hill, you might need a brake. As you come down from the hill you will find yourself on Skoufa Street. Congratulations! You are right in the most well-known square of the Athenian center.
Kolonaki Square is an iconic square where members of Parliament, tourists, and other Athenians, all drink their coffees at the small cafe tables on the pedestrian streets, surrounded by beautiful shops with very expensive brands.
The British Council is also located at this square, in between a number of 19th-century buildings designed by the well-known German architect Ernst Ziller, one of the most important and famous architects in Greece. Many of these neoclassical buildings today are used by embassies.
As you leave Kolonaki Square you will walk towards Venizelou Street. This is the official name of this Athenian central street but I doubt anyone would direct you to it should you ask for information. Everybody knows it as Panepistimiou Street (Univerisity Street).
To your right, you will see the famous Neoclassical Trilogy of Athens. These are three of Athens’ most iconic buildings, one next to the other.
The Palace of the Academy of Athens.
In this neoclassical building on 28, Panepistimiou Street, the greatest scientific institution of Greece is located, the Athens Academy which aims at the cultivation of the Sciences, Literature, and Fine Arts, along with the scientific support of basic branches of the economy. The marble mansion was designed by the Danish architect Theophilos Hansen and was built in 1885. It has been characterized as one of the most beautiful neoclassical buildings in the world.
Right next to it you can see the Central Building of the University of Athens.
The University of Athens is the oldest Higher Education Institution in modern Greece and the first University in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region as it dates back to 1841. This neoclassical building is the Central Building of the University where all graduation ceremonies and important events take place.
A few steps later, you see one of Athens’ most important landmarks.
Vallianeio is the third part of this neoclassical trilogy and a very well know public building for Athens as it housed the Greek National Library for more than a century. This building too was designed by the Danish architect Theophilos Hansen and the construction was supervised by Ernest Ziller in 1888. Today the National Library is relocated to the Niarchos Cultural Center.
The day could end with one more hill and a true star visit!
The building of the National Observatory of Athens dominates the hill of the Nymphs. It was built in 1842 on the Hill of Nymphs, opposite the Parthenon, and is the oldest research institute in Greece. The NOA Visitor Centers and Historical Telescopes are open to the public and are used for various educational activities throughout the year. You could use the very impressive telescope to look at the stars!
The early evening view along with the actual building itself ensures a unique experience and an overall appreciation for this beautiful city.
Around the hill are also the districts of Thiseio and Petralona, while the hill is separated from the archeological site of Thiseio and the ancient market by the pedestrian street Apostolou Pavlou. Both Thiseio and Petralona are famous neighborhoods for the variety and quality of the traditional restaurants (tavernas) available.
Tip: In El. Venizelou Street (Panepistimiou Street) try a koulouri, it is a type of bagel, for 0,50 cents from the small kiosks. It is one of our daily habits.
Day 4: Northern suburbs, the Athens Riviera, and Cape Sounion
Arm yourself with sun cream and let us go swimming today!
Athens is privileged with a long coastal line that starts within the city and ends at Cape Sounion 70 kilometers away.
Day 4 may start at Syntagma square where the Tram line can easily take you to Batis Stop and then Neo Faliro. This is where the Athens Riviera begins.
Faliro is where Athenians would go on an excursion 60 years ago. Now it is a beautiful marina in the northern part of the city and a popular choice for a scroll by the sea.
You can again use the Tram to take you to Glyfada one of the most well-known suburbs of the city. You can choose Paralia Glyfada Stop if you want to go for a swim, or Katraki Stop if you want to have a snack or a sweet, and beautiful shopping opportunity in Glyfada square.
As an alternative route, you could take the Metro (the Red Line) up until Ellinikon station. Just follow the exit towards Glyfada. Then a 6 euro taxi or almost any bus will take you to Glyfada square.
As you follow the scenic coastal road from Glyfada to beautiful suburbs of Athens like Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, you will be able to choose from white sand beaches or rocky ones, fully equipped with umbrellas and beach bars or virgin ones with …nothing but blue waters and solicitude.
It is very easy to spend the whole day in one or more of them. Just mind your steps as you approach some of the rocky ones.
The perfect day ending could be a visit to the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion.
At the southern end of the unique coastline of the Athenian Riviera, you will find yourself at the Cape of Sounion, where you can visit the Temple of Poseidon. This is considered to be one of the most important tourist attractions of Athens and a very significant monument of ancient Greece.
It was built in 440 BC, a temple dedicated to one of the most important Greek Gods, Poseidon, the protector of the sea. Nowadays people from all over the world make it a point to enjoy the sunset at this unique location. On a clear day from the Cape of Sounion, one can see up to seven islands from its breathtaking panoramic view of the Aegean Sea. The nearby beach has crystal clear waters and fresh seafood tavernas.
On your return, you can reach the other end of this coastal line and at the base of Syngrou Avenue visit Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. The National Opera and the National Gallery are located in this beautiful venue. In its gardens, there is always something going on so you might want to look at the program.
Tip 1: As an alternative to the Athenian coastal line you could try a day excursion towards nearby small islands. For example, Hydra, Poros, and Aigina are a beautiful small collection for a day trip to remember!
Tip 2: If the sea is not your cup of tea, you can always walk in the footsteps of Saint Paul and visit the breathtaking castle of the ancient Corinthos only an hour away from Athens center.