Must-do activities
Athens is an open-air museum with 3,000 years of history, but it's also a living city of rooftops, markets and tavernas. Here are the must-sees and a few corners that people in a hurry miss.
🏛️ The must-sees
The Acropolis and the Parthenon
The symbol of Athens and of much of Western civilisation. Beyond the Parthenon, look out for the Erechtheion and its caryatids: legend says this is where Athena won the city from Poseidon by offering an olive tree. Poseidon offered a saltwater spring. No wonder he lost.
Book on the official site (hhticket.gr) and pick the first slot of the morning or the last of the afternoon.
Acropolis Museum
Modern, bright and air-conditioned (which matters in August). It holds the original sculptures from the Acropolis. Don't miss the top floor, where the Parthenon frieze is laid out in line with the temple you can see through the glass.
Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus
The heart of life in classical Athens: this is where politics was argued and Socrates went for his walks. The Temple of Hephaestus is one of the best preserved in Greece, and it's far less crowded than the Acropolis.
National Archaeological Museum
One of the world's great museums: the Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism and spectacular bronzes. Allow at least two or three hours.
Syntagma and the changing of the guard
In front of Parliament, the Evzones (the soldiers in kilts and pompom shoes) change the guard every hour on the hour. On Sundays at 11:00 there's the full ceremony, with a band. Free.
Panathenaic Stadium
Built entirely of marble, it hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Your ticket includes an audio guide, and you can run a lap of the track if you're feeling brave.
Mount Lycabettus at sunset
The highest point in the city. Walk up or take the funicular from Kolonaki to see the Acropolis lit up with the sea in the distance.
💎 Hidden corners
- Anafiotika: a tiny Cycladic-style village of whitewashed houses tucked into the slopes of the Acropolis. People live here, so keep your voice down.
- Philopappos Hill: pine trees, footpaths and one of the best views of the Parthenon. Free.
- Central Market (Varvakios): meat, fish, spices and plenty of shouting. Closed on Sundays.
- Kerameikos: the ancient cemetery of Athens, peaceful and almost tourist-free.
- Street art in Psyrri and Exarchia: huge murals that tell a different story of the city.
- Cape Sounion: a half-day trip to the Temple of Poseidon above the sea, best at sunset.
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