Attraction
Acropolis of Athens
The rocky citadel above Athens crowned by the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaea and Temple of Athena Nike, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Most of the things to do in Athens revolve around a compact centre where the ancient and modern city sit side by side. The Acropolis rises above everything, and within walking distance are the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the National Archaeological Museum. The historic neighbourhoods of Plaka, Monastiraki and Psirri fill the streets below the rock, Syntagma Square is the political heart, Kolonaki is the smart district of museums, galleries and cafés, and Koukaki and Pangrati are lived-in residential areas with good food and bars.
The food scene runs from souvlaki shops and market tavernas to modern bistros and Michelin-starred dining rooms, and the city's cocktail bars and rooftop terraces with Acropolis views are a big part of its evenings. Three days is enough to see the main ancient sites, the major museums and a few neighbourhoods; four or five days leaves time for the coast at Piraeus or the Athens Riviera, or a day trip to Cape Sounion, Delphi or a nearby island.
Attraction
The rocky citadel above Athens crowned by the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaea and Temple of Athena Nike, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Attraction
Bernard Tschumi's glass-and-concrete museum at the foot of the Acropolis, opened in 2009, displaying the Parthenon sculptures in a gallery aligned with the temple.
Attraction
Greece's largest archaeological museum, in a 19th-century neoclassical building on Patission Street, home to the Mask of Agamemnon and the Antikythera mechanism.
Attraction
The ancient heart of Athenian civic life below the Acropolis, with the Temple of Hephaestus and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos museum.
Attraction
The colossal ruins of the Olympieion, begun in the 6th century BC and finished by Hadrian, with 15 Corinthian columns still standing.
Attraction
The marble stadium of ancient Athens, rebuilt for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and still the finish of the Athens Marathon.
Café
A self-service sweet shop on Aiolou Street, open since 1923, known for soft loukoumades with honey, cinnamon and walnuts, bougatsa and soft-serve ice cream.
Café
A modern take on Greek doughnuts by Agias Irinis Square, serving filled, sweet and savoury loukoumades with ice cream and a long list of toppings.
Café
A family pie shop on Voulis Street baking since 1910, famous for its tyropita kourou, small half-moon feta pies with a rich buttery crust.
Café
A fairy-tale themed dessert café in Psirri, loved by children for its over-the-top decor, costumed staff and indulgent cakes such as red velvet.
Café
One of the Athens cafés that introduced the city to specialty coffee, the tasting room of a Greek roaster on a quiet street near Omonia.
Café
A three-level specialty coffee house in a neoclassical building in Thissio, roasting in-house and serving award-winning espresso, cold brew and baked treats.
Hotel
The grande dame of Athens hotels, on Syntagma Square since 1874, with 320 rooms, a celebrated roof garden facing the Acropolis and a spa.
Hotel
An elegant 115-room mansion hotel on Syntagma Square, home to the Michelin-starred Tudor Hall restaurant and a rooftop suite with its own pool.
Hotel
A 21-room five-star design hotel on the pedestrian avenue below the Acropolis, with private verandas, mid-century interiors and the rooftop restaurant SENSE.
Hotel
A five-star hotel with 216 rooms at the start of Mitropoleos Street near Syntagma, with a roof garden looking across to the Acropolis.
Hotel
A neoclassical five-star hotel in Plaka with an eighth-floor roof garden restaurant and a seasonal outdoor pool facing the Acropolis.
Hotel
A family-run hotel of 90 rooms a few steps from the Acropolis Museum, run by the same family for more than four decades.
Bar
The award-winning all-day cocktail bar of bartenders Nikos Bakoulis and Vasilis Kyritsis, spread over several floors of a townhouse in central Athens.
Bar
An award-winning rum bar on Klitiou Street with tropical cocktails, a huge rum list and late opening every night of the week.
Bar
A rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant above Monastiraki Square, with views straight across to the Acropolis and creative Greek dishes.
Bar
A Plaka bar and distillery dating from 1909, famous for its wall of backlit bottles and its own ouzo, brandy and fruit liqueurs.
Bar
A colourful café-bar spread across three former houses in Petralona, serving brunch by day and cocktails with Greek flavours around a courtyard at night.
Bar
The original tiki bar of Athens, opened in 2007 opposite the Acropolis Museum, serving exotic cocktails and international food with DJs and winter gigs.
Restaurant
Two-Michelin-star restaurant on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, serving a single creative tasting menu built on its own garden produce.
Restaurant
Long-running Michelin-starred restaurant in Pangrati, where chef Arnaud Bignon serves contemporary French cooking in vaulted rooms and courtyard terraces.
Restaurant
Chef Lefteris Lazarou's seafood restaurant on the harbour of Mikrolimano in Piraeus, built around the day's catch with à la carte and tasting menus.
Restaurant
Bib Gourmand restaurant and listening bar where everything is cooked over wood and charcoal, paired with a long list of natural wines and vinyl DJ sets.
Restaurant
Bib Gourmand bistro a few steps from Syntagma, blending Greek cooking with flavours from around the world on a short, regularly changing menu.
Restaurant
A small Bib Gourmand counter restaurant and bakery in Pangrati, cooking a daily-changing Greek menu in wood-fired ovens and over an open grill.
Thing to do
The Evzones of the Presidential Guard change watch every hour in front of Parliament, with a full ceremonial parade and band on Sundays at 11:00.
Thing to do
The old-town market district around Monastiraki Square and Avissinias Square, where antique dealers, junk stalls and souvenir shops crowd the streets below the Acropolis.
Thing to do
Athens' central food market since 1884, with a vast fish hall, meat aisles, produce stalls and old market canteens on Athinas Street.
Thing to do
The pine-covered Hill of the Muses south-west of the Acropolis, topped by a Roman funerary monument and offering a classic view of the Parthenon.
Thing to do
Renzo Piano's cultural centre by the sea, home to the National Library and National Opera, set in a 21-hectare park with a canal and rooftop views.
Tour operator
An Athens-based experience company running small-group city, food, mythology, street art and nightlife tours, plus day trips across Greece.
Tour operator
The first walking tour company in Athens, founded in 2004 by licensed guide Despina Savvidou, offering small-group and private tours, food walks and day trips.
Tour operator
An Athens company designing private guided tours of the city, from the Acropolis and food walks to family activities and day trips to Delphi and the…
Tour operator
A food tour company founded by Anna Tzogia, leading tasting walks through the historic centre and Plaka, including family, vegetarian and evening tours.
Tour operator
An Athens-based travel company founded in 2015, offering Acropolis and mythology tours, food walks, a Greek dance lesson and day trips alongside tailor-made trips.
Three days covers the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, the National Archaeological Museum and a few neighbourhoods; four or five days allows time for the coast or a day trip
Plaka, Syntagma and Monastiraki are the most central for sightseeing, Koukaki and Makrygianni are quieter and close to the Acropolis Museum, and Kolonaki suits those who want smart shops and cafés
Metro Line 3 runs from the airport to Syntagma and Monastiraki, the X95 express bus goes to Syntagma, and taxis are available outside arrivals
Athens is moderately priced by Western European standards, with cheap street food and tavernas, though central hotels and rooftop bars can be expensive in summer
Athens is generally safe for visitors, but pickpocketing happens on the metro and in crowded areas such as Monastiraki, so keep valuables secure