How to Spend the Perfect 4 Days in Athens
Athens is one of the most amazing cities I’ve ever been to. The ancient buildings and deep-rooted history combined with the vibrant buzz of modern life makes Athens one of the most unique cities in the world to explore. With ancient history that dates back thousands of years, warm and friendly locals and an incredible food and coffee scene, Athens is a must-visit city that should be experienced by everyone at least once in their lives.
If you’re planning a vacation to Greece and want to head to some incredible Greek islands after your stay in Athens, look out for my upcoming blog, The Ultimate Greece Travel Itinerary to help you plan your perfect Greek holiday.
Greece is a destination that’s high on most people’s travel lists, and I’ve heard some people say to skip Athens and focus on spending all your time visiting the Greek Islands instead. As beautiful as the Greek Islands are, the history of Athens and the incredible architecture that dates back to 1600BC is something you definitely don’t want to miss out on, especially since the city played such an important part in the shaping of modern democracy, science and art. When we visited this beautiful city, it really was the perfect way to start our Greek travel adventure.
You’ll need at least two days to explore all the ancient sites in Athens, but to get a proper, authentic experience of the city, I’d recommend you book to stay here for 4 full days or more. Most tourists book accommodation in the oldest neighbourhood of Athens, called Plaka. Plaka is colourful and historic, with streets lined with restaurants and shops, but the accommodation here can be very overpriced and overcrowded. We stayed in the more residential neighbourhood of Koukaki during our visit to Athens, at Athenian Center Apartments and we found it to be very central, safe and trendy. There were a lot of local coffee shops, supermarkets and tavernas around us and the streets were pedestrian friendly, so we could easily walk to the surrounding sites.
Some other highly rated and central accommodation options in Athens are:
- ACRON 12 penthouse Acropolis suites
- Alekos Apartments 1 – Νetflix & Comfort
- 2-bedroom apartment in Athina (Filopappou)
Day One – Arrive in Athens
If you’re arriving on a long-haul international flight, day one will be a day of easing into your Greek holiday. Athens International Airport is located an hour’s drive away from the city, so I’d advise booking a cab to collect you ahead of time to drop you at your accommodation. We used Welcome Pickups and were very happy with their service. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can use the Metro trains to get from the airport into Athens central, for half the price of a taxi, and walk to your hotel or apartment from there. Spend the rest of your day exploring the streets of the neighbourhood you’re staying in and grab a snack at one of the local bakeries. Plan ahead and book to have an incredible first night in the city by eating dinner at a rooftop restaurant that has views of the beautiful Parthenon. There are many restaurants that offer this, but we chose GH Attikos Restaurant for its location, right under the Acropolis. This experience was one of the highlights of our time in Athens and I would highly recommend starting your trip off by soaking up the amazing Acropolis views, while enjoying a delicious Greek meal.
Day Two – Ancient History with Dinner in Plaka
Day two is all about the ancient history and beautiful architecture found all across Athens. You can head to this link on GetYourGuide to book your tickets to the main sites in Athens. This ticket will be valid for 5 days, so if you get unlucky with the weather on day two, you can always adjust the itinerary to fit around this.
Make sure to start your day early and head to the Acropolis to get there by 8am – this is probably the most crowded attraction in Athens and the temperatures here get really hot in the summer, so the earlier you get here the better! The Acropolis in an ancient citadel that sits high above Athens and was built around 500BC. Walking around the Acropolis is absolutely mind-blowing. It is amazing to think how ancient civilizations were able to construct such huge and architecturally astounding monuments. When you enter, you’ll see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on your right, which is a Roman stone theatre built in 161AD, the most modern addition to the Acropolis.
The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, is the most well-known structure located within the Acropolis and was built between 447-438BC. Another famous monument within the Acropolis is the Erechtheion Temple with Caryatids, the iconic row of strong women carved from marble, carrying the temple on their heads in victory. This was my personal favourite site in all of Athens.
Just a 5-minute walk away from the Acropolis is Areopagus Hill, which is amazing to visit if you’re a Christian. Paul stood on this exact hill in 52AD and preached to the people of Athens about the great love of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is so surreal to be able to say we stood on that same hill, nearly 2000 years later.
Another ancient site you should make sure to see would be the Ancient Agora of Athens. The Agora was the heart of ancient Athenian life, serving as a place for social gathering, commerce and politics. Here you’ll see the Temple of Hephaestus, The Museum of the Ancient Agora and the Church of the Holy Apostles. Many Athenian cats call the Ancient Agora home and so your visit here will be made even better if you’re a cat-person.
This is the longest and busiest day of your stay in Athens, so book ahead of time to reserve a table at a traditional taverna in the Plaka neighbourhood on the evening of day two, so you can enjoy the area while enjoying a relaxing meal.
Day Three – Food Tour and Monastiraki Square
Make sure to eat a light breakfast, because you’ll be going on a guided food tour for your last full day in Athens, and there is a lot of amazing food to eat! From spanakopita and koulouri, to the famous gyros and souvlaki, finished off with baklava or bougatsa, your tastebuds will be spoilt with choice during this food tour on GetYourGuide. When your food tour is over and you’ve recovered from indulging a little too much, stroll through the city to Monastiraki Square.
Monastiraki Square is a bustling, lively part of Athens known for the Flea Market shops, where you can purchase anything from artisanal soap, local olive oil and handmade sandals, and is surrounded by iconic ancient landmarks, including Hadrian’s Library and the Ancient Agora. Spend an hour or two browsing the local stores in the market and then stop by one of the traditional tavernas for a light dinner – since you would have filled up on so many delicious Greek foods on your food tour earlier that day! We enjoyed an incredible Greek salad and moussaka at Antica Restaurant & Café.
Day Four – Explore the Local Streets and National Gardens
Day four is your last chance to soak in a bit more of Athens before your flight out of the city later in the day. Head out early and enjoy a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood local to your accommodation and pop into a local bakery to grab a koulouri and a coffee. Browse the local shops and purchase any last-minute souvenirs to remember your time in Athens. Make your way over to the National Gardens of Athens, which is a 10-minute walk away from Plaka, or a 20-minute walk away from Koukaki, and enjoy the fresh air and relaxing atmosphere of the gardens before you head back to your accommodation to get ready for your flight heading out of the city, with the best memories of your time spent in this special part of the world.
Athens is one of the oldest cities in Europe and boasts some of the best-preserved ancient architecture in the world. You’ll be transported back thousands of years as you wander through the ruins and giant marble columns that are still standing strong all around the city. The friendly locals will welcome you in with a kind “Kalimera” and restaurant owners will always offer to end your delicious Greek meals off with a complimentary dessert, because they want to make you feel like you’re a part of the family. The coffee scene in Athens is incredible and the local Freddo Espresso will give you enough energy to power through the longest travel day. Athens will fill you with excitement, warmth and a sense of belonging from the moment you arrive, and once you visit this awesome city, it will definitely become one of your favourites, just like it has for me.
