How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Welcome to Athens
Athens is the capital of Greece and a beautiful city to start or end your travels throughout this beautiful European country. If you want to maximize your short time in Athens so you can spend most of your time on the Greek Islands, you have come to the right place. I am going to give you a detailed itinerary to maximize your 24 hours in Athens.
When I visited Athens I traveled solo throughout Greece, and it was such a great experience. I loved the Greek culture, food, history, and architecture.
In this Athens Itinerary, I am going to give you the city highlights as well as some off-the-beaten-track things to do in Athens. I will provide helpful hints and what I did when navigating this historic city, as well as hotel and dining recommendations.
Between the captivating culture, intriguing Greek history, beautiful architecture, and lively social scene, Athens is an incredible city to explore during your Greece travel adventure.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
What is the Best Month to Visit Athens?
I visited Athens in August, and this is a super popular and hot time to visit Greece. If I were to go again, I would probably go in September or May when the temperatures are a little cooler, a little less busy, and less expensive.
December through February is Greece’s winter and the cheapest time to visit Athens. Greece is part of the Mediterranean, so winters aren’t that harsh, but if you are planning to hit the beaches, you might want to wait until May. If you plan on visiting during Athens winter, make sure to bring a rain jacket because this is the wettest time of year in Greece.
June through August are the peak months to visit Greece, and therefore the most expensive. These months can be super crowded and temperatures often reach the 90s. During August many Greeks take holiday to avoid the summer heat, and because of this, you will not see many locals as well as some shops closing for this period. On the positive side, many festivals and activities are going on during these peak months in Athens.
(This is my favorite cute active summer dress for trips! Highly recommend it when traveling during the summer!)
March through May is a great time to visit Athens. The temperatures are mild, crowds are fewer, and its more on the affordable side. Just be sure to bring a spring rain jacket because it can get a bit chilly & rainy depending on when in spring you visit Athens.
September through November is also a great time to visit Athens. The temperatures start to cool off and hotel prices start to drop. Temperatures range from 60-80 degrees during these months and the crowds start to die down making it a great time to visit.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Transportation in Athens
If you just landed in Athens International Airport, the good news is the bus runs 24/7 to get you to where you want to go in Athens. Taking the bus is certainly the cheaper options, but it will also take longer for you to get where you need to go.
Express tickets cost around 6 Euros while regular bus tickets cost about 1.50 Euros for an hour and a half.
My experiences with the buses in Athens was unreliable and confusing. I found myself waiting around and waiting a lot of time waiting for the bus to show up. I found the metro running every 4-30 minutes was much more convenient and easier to navigate.
The Athens metro is the best way to get around Athens in my option, and what I used when I was in Athens. The Metro can be quite confusing however, but try to understand the Athens Map before you go to make navigating a little easier. Line 1 operates between Piraeus, Kifisia, and would be the stop you take to visit Ancient Agora. Line 2 visits Peristeri, Elliniko and the Akropole metro station, which is what you would take to visit the famous Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, and Plaka. Line 3 is used to Egaleo and Athens International Airport for those traveling to and from the airport, this line is for you.
If you just landed in Athens International Airport, the metro runs from 6:30 am until midnight where you can get a direct route to downtown Athens.
Metro tickets are overall inexpensive (about 1.50 Euros for an hour and a half of rides).
Taxi’s can get expensive in Athens and can also be a rip off if you are not sure of what you are doing. If you do plan on taking a taxi, make sure the meter is set to 1 for daytime. The meter should only be set to 2 if you are traveling late at night or outside the cities boundaries.
The fare to get to the airport can range $40-$60 without possible upcharges for luggage. Also, it is common to ride share with other passengers in a taxi but you will not split the fare with the other customer, you are still responsible for the entire cost of your ride (starting at a minimum of 3.60 Euros).
I do not recommend renting a car in Athens, the city is very busy and the roads can get confusing. If you are not used to driving in Greece, it is not a good idea to try and do so through Athens, even with an international drivers license. Also, you would have to pay to park your car which could be difficult in the city and expensive.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Where to Stay in Athens?
- The Athens Gate Hotel
- Plaka Hotel
- Grand Hyatt Athens
- Herodion Hotel
- Some more great options: 13 Best Hotels in Athens
Airbnb has some incredible options for stays in Athens at a reasonable price. Some airbnb’s in athens start at only $25 USD! Athens could be a great destination for those who want to visit Greece on a budget.
Click here to explore some options in your price range: Airbnb
Safety Tips in Athens
Overall Greece is a safe country to visit, with the most common problems being pickpocketing and theft.
When I spent 24 hours in Athens, I just finished dinner downtown and I did experience a little boy harassing me and pulling my arms begging me to buy roses while another little boy was trying to open my purse. I was caught off guard, but I did read stories about this being common before I left so I made sure to pack a small cross-body bag with me that I could keep an eye on at all times. This saved me from being stolen from that day. I kept my hand on my bag so the little boy could not get in.
Unfortunately, since they were two kids, I was having trouble getting away from them because it is something I am not used to. A local I was with at the time, yelled at the little kids to get off of me and they ran away. It is hard to be stern, especially when it’s children, but you need to know how to stand up for yourself in these moments especially if you’re a woman traveling solo through Athens. I learned a lot from this experience and would know how to handle it the next time it happened.
If you do plan on traveling solo to Athens, check out these Safety Tips when Traveling Solo throughout Greece to be on top of your game when traveling abroad.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Where to Shop in Athens?
- Monastiraki is one of the most scenic squares in Athens. Try to go on Sunday when the flee market opens. I loved this square, you could spend a great afternoon walking around the shops, getting some local Greek food, and exploring the local attractions.
- Ermou Street connects Syntagma to Monastiraki square. This is where you will find all of the international brands we all know and love.
- Plaka give you a true Greek experience where you can go to the local shops and bargain with retailers.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
What to eat in Athens?
Greek food is INCREDIBLE. There are so many local foods to try, but I will give you a list of what is most recommended (and what I personally loved).
- Gyro (a MUST)
- Souvlaki (I had this at least once a day in Greece)
- The classic Greek salad
- Moussaka (like lasagna, but with potato or eggplant instead of pasta)
- Tzatziki (yogurt dip that is served with almost everything and SO good)
- Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
- Baklava (pastry dessert with honey and nuts)
- Spanakopita (pastry filled with spinach and feta)
- Saganaki (fried cheese with lemon)
- Loukumades (doughnut with honey and cinnamon)
- Greek Yoghurt (a classic staple)
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
How to Spend 24 HOURS IN ATHENS: FULL ITINERARY
7am: Early Morning Walk up Lycabettus Hill
Let’s start the day off with an early morning hike and one of my favorite memories of Athens! This short .9-mile hike gives you panoramic views of the beautiful city of Athens. It’s good to do this hike first thing in the morning because when I did it, it was about 3 pm and it was HOT! Make sure you wear good sneakers, I am obsessed with my Hoka Sneakers and can’t recommend them enough for hikes and long walks.
Lycabettus Hill is located central in Athens, I was able to walk to it right from my hotel. I suggest getting the All Trails app to help you navigate the trail, even though the trail is well-marked. Depending on how fast you walk it should take only 30-90 minutes to complete this hike, and certainly a memorable way to start your day in Athens.
Click here for the link of Lycabettus Hill Hike of All Trails.
9am Breakfast in Downtown Athens
Now let’s freshen up and get some breakfast. I recommend wearing good and fashionable walking sneakers or sandals today.
Let’s head towards Koukaki to get our day started at the wonderful Greek breakfast place called 7 Cactus. It is located at Dimitrakopoulou 7, Koukaki, and opens at 8 am.
Some other good breakfast spots
- Happy Blender in Attica for healthy breakfast options
- Picky Coffee and Brunch for fresh coffee and Mediterranean breakfast
- BiteBox in Koukaki serve poffies (mini stuffed pancakes)
10 am Syntagma Square, the Parliament and the Evzones
Let’s head to Syntagma Square where you will find Greece’s parliament. In front of Parliament, you will find the Evzones which are Greek soldiers that guard the tomb of the unknown soldier. It is a cool experience to see them swap soldiers, where they do an entire ritual. This ritual happens every hour, and certainly cool to see when spending 1 day in Athens.
11am Temple of Olympian Zeus
Pull up google maps and head to the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. It is not a far walk from syntagma square. The entry ticket costs 6 Euros, which you can go inside and explore one of the most fascinating historical sites in Greece or you can keep on strolling to our next stop, the Acropolis.
12pm The Acropolis
The Acropolis is an absolute must-see when you are looking at how to spend 24 hours in Athens. This ancient site is compromised of several temples, the most popular being the Parthenon which was dedicated to the Greek Goddess Athena.
The Acropolis is one of the most popular things to do in Athens, Greece so you want to make sure you buy your ticket in advance. Tickets range from 10-20 Euros depending on the season you plan on visiting Athens.
If you are interested in learning about The Acropolis from a guide, there are many tours of the Acropolis you can do as well. You can also check out the Acropolis Museum to learn more about its ancient history.
2pm Plaka for Lunch & Shopping
Let’s walk a few blocks to Plaka to get some lunch and explore the local shops. For lunch, you will want to check out Adrianou Street and Kydatheneon Street that has a lot of options.
Here we can spend the afternoon shopping at Ermou Street or exploring the many attractions in Plaka such as the Monument of Lysicrates, the Church of Saint Nicholas Rangavas, the Museum of Greek Folk Art, Benizelou Mansion, and Canellopoulos Museum.
6pm Sunset over Anafiotika Village
I adored doing this during my trip to Athens. This is an authentic village in Plaka with narrow painted streets and white-washed houses. Be respectful, as people live in this village. Walk through these narrow walkways to the top where you’ll get a beautiful sunset view of downtown Athens and Lycabettus Hill. After exploring Anafiotika Village, head back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.
7:30pm Dinner near Monastiraki
There are plenty of great Greek dinner spots near Monastiraki. I will list some of the top places to eat in Athens, and leave the choice up to you.
- Cinque Wine & Deli Bar (local wine & Greek food)
- Maiandros (great local Greek food/ vegan options)
- Mystilli (local Greek food/ amazing Greek Salad)
- All That Jatz (authentic Greek food/vegan options)
- Diodos Archaias Agoras (authentic Greek food/Seafood)
9pm Rooftop Bar in Monastiraki
Head off to this beautiful rooftop bar in Athens called: 360 Cocktail Bar. This bar gives a great view of the Acropolis and surrounding Athens and is the perfect spot to end your night with a cocktail. If you are into the nightlife scene, Athens has great nightlife around Monastiraki.
If you are looking more for guided tours to make your life easy I recommend the Athens all inclusive small group tour. Its a great price and excellent quality for a tour of all of Athens top attractions.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Extra’s to add to your Athens Itinerary
I highly recommend the Zafiro Experience when deciding how to spend 24 hours in Athens, this should be high on the list. When I was in Athens, I went to a dinner & dancing experience at Zafiro and it was amazing. I got to watch Greek classic dancing during dinner, and after dinner join in on the fun with some plate smashing. Opa! It was such a fun night with incredible food and entertainment, so worth adding to your 24 hours in Greece Itinerary.
The Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus are two archeological sites that date back to the 5th century.Philopappos Hill is a great walk to see 360 views with a clear sight of the Acropolis. Pssyri is a trendy neighborhood near Monastiraki that has great shops, nightlife, and restaurants. Panathenaic Stadium hosted the Olympics back in 1896 and dates back to 330 BC. The National Archaeological Museum houses some important artifacts from ancient Greek history.
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
How to Spend 24 Hours in Athens
Athens is such an incredible Greek city with so much history, amazing food, and beautiful white-washed buildings. If you are visiting Greece, Athens should certainly be on your list of places to visit. Even if you only have 24 hours in Athens, you can pack in some incredible experiences to make the most of your time here. I can’t wait to share more of my Greece trips with you guys, stay tuned for the Greek Islands next!
– Becca 🙂