athens
Athens, where do I start? The capital of Greece, the cradle of western civilisation, birthplace of democracy, modern cosmopolitan metropolis, transport hub, beach resort, foodie heaven, infamous plumbing, Athens is all this and so much more.
We arrived at the Athenian port of Piraeus after a 4 hour ferry from Paros. Look out for the shuttle bus that will whisk you away from chaos and drop you off close to the metro station (Piraeus). Check out the sign on the front of the bus. We took the M1 line to Monastiraki station, then one stop on the M3 to Syntagma, and finally one stop to Akropoli on the M2, simples! It actually worked out well, though the journey was quite fast, hot and stuffy, but cheap at €1.40 per person.
There are a number of different ticket options including the one mentioned above. These include a 24 hour ticket at €4.50, a 5 day ticket at €9, and a 3 day tourist ticket at €22, this last ticket is really intended for travel to and from the airport. You are not permitted to use the other ticket options to travel to and from the airport. Make sure you validate your ticket at the yellow machines, if not you could receive a hefty fine. As well as the metro these tickets are also valid for the city’s public buses, trolley buses, tram, and the suburban railway (there may be different charges for more distant destinations). Check out athenstransport for more information.
We stayed at the Royal Olympic Hotel which was a few minutes walk from the Akropoli metro station. While the location was great, and the views from the rooftop restaurant toward the Acropolis amazing, we were a little disappointed with our choice of hotel. Our room was quite small and dated, with no character and a tired decor, though there are better more expensive rooms. The breakfast was the highlight with plenty of choices and friendly staff, and that view! We went for convenience and wished we had stayed somewhere with more character. As usual try booking.com for the best Athens hotels.
Try to allow 3 to 4 days in Athens, that way you can take it slowly and get the best possible experience from your stay. It also means that you’ll be able to take a day trip to either Delphi, Meteora, or a half day to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, or relax on one of the beaches on the Athenian Riviera.
Athens is quite a walkable city, especially to visit the key sights. The Acropolis and Parthenon as in ancient times is still the centre of the city, and a ten minute walk from there in any direction will reveal some amazing sights. If you’re into hop on hop off buses then try citysightseeing.gr/en, they have the best selection and even go as far as the Athens Riviera.
The Acropolis and Parthenon are the main attractions and easily accessible from a few entrances. We entered from the south slope which is on the corner of Dionysiou Areopagitou, and Thrasillou Streets, pretty much opposite the Acropolis Museum. You can either purchase a ticket online at the official website for all the major sites in Greece, hhticket.gr, or go to the ticket office at the entrance. Either way you will be given the option of buying a ticket for just the Acropolis and slopes, or the combo ticket (valid for 5 days) which includes entry to the Ancient Agora, Hadrian's Library, Kerameikos, Aristotle's School [Lyceum], Olympieion, Roman Agora, definitely choose the latter as this is great value. You will then have to choose a time slot for when you want to visit the Acropolis, you can visit the other sights on your combo ticket at any time. We bought our combo ticket from the south slope office, we had to wait an hour for our allotted time slot and off we went. There are plenty of certified guides available, and they are all very knowledgeable and speak English.
The same website had a map of the Acropolis and slopes which we were able to download, it was easy to navigate through the slopes taking in the views and sights along the way. Beware that it is a little steep in places and can be quite hot, remember a hat and plenty of water.
Suffice to say the Acropolis is an amazing experience and somewhere everyone should visit once in their lives.
To the northwest of the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora, with the Temple of Hephaestus, Areopagus Hill, and the Museum of the Ancient Agora. While the temple, hill with views and museum are worth seeing, the rest of the ruins leave a lot to the imagination, but it has been there since the 6th century BC, maybe pay for a guided tour.
Another place you have to visit is the Acropolis Museum, this is an additional cost but well worth it. Again, you can either purchase a ticket and time slot online, theacropolismuseum, or turn up at the museum and get your ticket at the entrance.
Be prepared for a dazzling display of Ancient Greek culture tracing back to the 5th century BC, and including the Parthenon Gallery, with plaster copies of the Elgin Marbles held in the London Museum. There are even ruins beneath the museum which you can walk around.
The museum also has an good restaurant that has amazing views of the Acropolis, especially in the evening, open until midnight at the weekend, and during museum opening hours during the week. You can book ahead if you wish.
We also visited the outstanding National Archaeological Museum. It doesn’t matter if you have ordered your ticket online or just turn up at the entrance, you will still have to join a long queue to enter and have your bags searched, so arrive at least 30 minutes before your time slot. Again, visit hhticket.gr to purchase tickets online. A joint ticket also covering the Byzantine and Christian Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Epigraphical Museum and the Numismatic Museum costs €15 (€8 for students), valid for three days.
The many highlights include the bronze statue of Zeus, the golden Mask of Agamemnon, the incredible bronze Horse and Jockey, the Kouros Statues, and the frescoes of Akrotiri.
As with all the sights in Athens you can book pretty much anything including day trips, food tours, and walking tours etc through getyourguide.com
We booked their Mythology of Delphi and Museum Guided Day Tour. Our guide Mariana was so knowledgeable and engaging. Delphi was the centre of the Ancient Greek world, where the Oracle would advise the rulers on matters of war, religion and governance. Mariana also escorts everyone through the Museum, do NOT miss The Charioteer. IMPORTANT Contact whoever you book the tour with to find out what time you will visit the museum, then you can prebook these tickets to the correct time slot, as the tour operator doesn’t include this in the cost of the tour. Here is the link for booking online, hhticket.gr. Also, make sure to pick the option to include lunch as this much better value than choosing a la carte at the restaurant.
When you are back in Athens, and it’s probably your first time there, make sure you stay in or around the Plaka area of Athens. With its cobblestone streets, bustling tavernas, cool bars and quaint shops, it is a perfect introduction to the vibrant suburbs that lay in the shadow of the Acropolis. It is a bit of a tourist trap but it’s a nice place, and perfectly safe, people often say it feels like a village within a city. There’s plenty of the same around Monastiraki, where you will find the famous flea markets.
I should mention the Grand Promenade that rings the Acropolis, this was created to link many of the historic sites in one awesome procession. Start at the southern entrance to the Acropolis and head west, especially popular in the evening. Look out for concerts at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient amphitheater, we saw Sir Simon Rattle conducting the European Chamber Orchestra. The Epidaurus Festival is the city’s arts and music festival and runs from the 1st June to the middle of August. There is something for everyone with classical music, ballet, opera, modern theatre, and contemporary music, Sting played there this year. They have a website that publishes the full programme and has a booking system, you can also book at the main venues, best to book ahead if they have something you really want to see.
Make sure to go to Lycabettus Hill for the best views of Athens, reached by funicular, the station is located at Aristippou 1. The Panathenaic Stadium was the site for the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. We decided not to go inside as it was quite expensive and very hot, but at least we can say we saw it.
Last but not least, the Changing of the Guard, outside the Greek Parliament and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Syntagma Square, which is close to the lovely National Garden. The main changing of the guard takes place at 11am every Sunday, but don’t worry if you are not there on that day as there is an hourly sentry change. Many smile when they see the pompoms on the boots of the guards in Athens but make no mistake these men are part of an elite light infantry unit, the precision and timing is highly impressive.
We were sad to leave Athens, we were impressed with everything we saw, sure it’s busy, sure there are lots of fellow tourists, and it can be hot and noisy. But the sights, history, atmosphere, food and locals make for an unforgettable experience, it is a bucket list destination and one city you will never ever forget.
