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Explore Athens in 5 days—ancient ruins, delicious food, and rich culture await you in this captivating city journey. Read on for our recommended itinerary for 5 days in Athens Greece.
A beacon of ancient history and vibrant modernity, Athens is an enchanting destination, offering visitors a unique journey through time. A living museum; each city layer, from ancient ruins to Byzantine churches to Ottoman-era mosques, tells a unique story.
Whether you are a history buff eager to explore the ruins of classical antiquity, a foodie craving Mediterranean delights, or a lover of the arts, Athens promises an unforgettable experience catering to all tastes and interests.
Athens Insights in 5 Days
Yet, many visitors allow the city a few short days of their Greece travels before heading to popular island destinations. Having recently deep-dived the destination, I can attest that Athens rewards those who take the time to explore its layers of history, culture, and contemporary life.
This 5-day guide to must-see attractions, top museums and galleries, lively neighborhoods, unique shopping experiences, and culinary delights is grouped by locality to maximize your time. Additionally, Athens is a very walkable city that is supported by an efficient metro and tram system.
Day 1: The Acropolis (#1 must-do) and the Plaka Neighbourhood
The Acropolis is at the top of every visitor’s list. Allocate a full day, including visiting the fab Acropolis Museum.
Morning: Acropolis Hill
Visible from almost anywhere in central Athens, the UNESCO Heritage-listed Acropolis Hill is home to several historic sites, including the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. Local advice suggests taking the southern entrance off tree-lined pedestrian boulevard Dionyssiou Aeropagitou rather than the busier north-western Thissio entrance.
Not being historical aficionados with even less knowledge of Greek mythology, we joined a highly regarded local tour company for their Half-Day Mythology & Acropolis Tour. Starting at the Arch of Hadrian beside the Temple of Zeus ‘ticked off’ two more ancient sites before our small group made the 5-minute walk to the Acropolis’s southern entrance.
This route up the Acropolis’s southern slopes also allowed us to experience the Hellenistic colonnade of The Stoa of Eumenes, the Theater of Dionysus, and Herodes Atticus’s Odeon. Our highly informative guide, a trained Archaeologist with a Master’s in Byzantine studies, regaled us with fascinating stories of the gods and other mythological characters from across the ages.
Pro Tip: Since April 2024, the Hellenic Heritage Authority has restricted visitor entry to specific time slots with a 15-minute window on either side. Advance online ticket purchase is recommended and may be purchased directly from the official ticket purchase site. If booking a tour, they may advance purchase for you. Note also that the entrance ticket does not typically include sites like the Roman Agora, Ancient Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus near the north-western Acropolis entrance.
Afternoon: Acropolis Museum
If you visit just one museum in Athens, it has to be the Acropolis Museum, where thoroughly modern architecture meets ancient artifacts. The museum houses an extensive collection of sculptures, friezes, and relics, providing further context and color to your Acropolis visit.
As a bonus, the museum’s café has stunning views of Acropolis Hill. If your schedule permits, time your visit for sundowners to make the most of that vista. Opening hours, ticketing info, and more are here.
Evening: Plaka—Athens’ Oldest Neighborhood
Plaka wraps around the eastern side of Acropolis Hill and features narrow streets with traditional buildings, charming shops, galleries, cafes, patisseries, gelato shops, monuments, and churches. Vyronos Street, close to the Acropolis’s southern entrance, is an ideal entry point.
Day 2: Lycabettus Hill to Parliament Square and Changing of the Guard
This self-guided walking tour in central Athens is approximately 2.5 miles long. It starts at Athens’ most spectacular lookout, atop Lycabettus Hill, reached by a 3-minute ride in the Lycabettus Hill Funicular. From the viewing terrace beside the petit whitewashed 18th-century church of Saint George, enjoy 360-degree views of the city and down to the Saronic Gulf and Piraeus Port.
Return on the cable car or the walking path through Lycabettus’s Pines to Kolanaki. Partway down is the Green Tent café, ideal for refueling. Once home to the Athenian ruling class, Kolanaki now buzzes with designer boutiques, chic galleries, bustling street-side cafes, bars, and first-rate restaurants. Exiting the track from Lycabettus Hill, meander the streets (5 minutes unless you get distracted) towards Kolanaki Square and its surrounding streets to see how these Athenians live.
Stroll 200 yards down Koumapri Street to The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, a stunning example of neoclassical architecture. This museum houses a fascinating collection of ancient Greek and Roman art and modern pieces reflecting the breadth of Greek civilization. Stop for nourishment at the top-floor café overlooking the National Gardens.
From Benaki Museum, follow the shady Irodou Attikou street south for half a mile to the world’s only all-marble Panathenaic Stadium. Built in 144 AD, seating 50,000, it was abandoned in the 4th century. Excavated and refurbished in 1869, it hosted the first modern Olympics in 1896 and again in 2004. Though you can see the stadium from the forecourt, their guided tours are the only way to get inside access.
The last stop of the day is Parliament Square and the Unknown Soldier’s Monument. It is reached via Zappeion Hall, another grand building linked to the first modern Olympic games and a cut-through of the National Gardens. Here, watch the Changing of the Guards. On the hour, four soldiers in their historical Evzone uniforms perform a very slow, high-stepping, choreographed changeover ceremony, with an even more elaborate performance at 11 AM on Sundays.
Day 2: Evening
Immediately across from the Parliament precinct is Syntagma or Constitution Square. If, like me, you enjoy cleansing refreshments after exploring, these options are an easy 5-minute walk.
The Art Lounge on Athens NEW Hotel’s roof-top deck has outstanding panoramic vistas of Athens, including Lycabettus Hill, and is ideal for late afternoon cocktails. Nearby, on Iperidou Lane, is winebar Warehouse Co2, featuring over 75 labels of Greek and European sparkling wines, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks. Wander the surrounding streets for many dining choices, from simple Greek tavernas to specialty-focused venues.
Day 3: World-Class Museums and Galleries
Athens has many highly regarded museums and galleries. Choose according to your interests.
On Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, the Museum of Cycladic Art delves into the ancient Cyclades’ distinctive marble figurines and diverse artifacts. Not far away in Rizari Park and resembling a Tuscan Renaissance villa, the Byzantine and Christian Museum presents over 25,000 religious artifacts from the 3rd to 20th century AD.
Nearby, on Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue, is the recently reopened National Gallery of Athens Alexandros Soutsos Museum. The three-story state-of-the-art building showcases a splendid collection of more than 20,000 Western European and modern Greek artworks.
Close to the Panathenaic Stadium is the Basil & Elise Goulandris Museum, which exhibits a private collection of contemporary and modern art by Greek and foreign artists, including avant-garde masters like Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso, Gaugin, Monet, Degas, and Rodin.
In the Koukaki neighborhood is the ultra-modern National Museum of Contemporary Art, which presents unique and engaging 3D artworks, paintings, installations, photography, new media, architecture, and industrial design by Greek and international artists.
Pro tip: Many museums close on Tuesdays, so check before visiting.
Day 3 Afternoon: Monastiraki and Flea Market
While Syntagma Square may be the city’s center, Monastiraki is its vibrant heart. With its recently installed paved mosaic “flows” of marble, stone, and wrought iron, Monastiraki Square is a meeting place for all and a vibrant blend of history and commerce.
In one corner sits the Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary Pantanassa, the Ottoman-era Mosque of Tzistarakis in another, and the pillars of Hadrian’s Library, dating back to the 2nd century AD, beside the mosque. A neoclassical building now housing the Metro Station fills another. An important landmark in the capital, the Ancient Agora, home to the Temple of Hephaestus, is a short walk away. Meanwhile, Acropolis Hill dominates the background.
In the surrounding lanes leading to Avissinias Square, merchants sell everything, genuine and faux, from handmade crafts, leatherware, antiques, second-hand books, and clothes to mass-produced souvenirs. A treasure trove any day, the Monastiraki flea markets are liveliest on Sunday mornings.
Day 3 Evening: Psirri Neighborhood
Quirky and artistic, Psirri, with its vibrant street art, eclectic bars, and trendy eateries, sits beside Monastiraki. Enjoy a casual dinner at one of the many meze restaurants, sampling small plates of Greek deliciousness accompanied by ouzo or local wine. Plateia Iroon is a great place to start.
Day 4: Modern Athens and Local Flavors
Exploring west from Syntagma Square to Psirri and Monastiraki provides daytime insight into modern Athens, its retail scene, and everyday Athenian life. Start at Syntagma and meander Periklious, pedestrianized Ermou and Mitropoleos streets, and interconnecting laneways. Discoveries could be distinctly local, like Ekavi, with exquisite individually crafted backgammon, chess, and other board game sets.
Be sure to seek out Athens’s famous street food, coffee, pastries, chocolates, and other delights. For example, Baklavas, where bakers have perfected the art of this nut-filled filo pastry delicacy, offering six different varieties. Or at the eye-catching Cherchez La Femme on Mitropoleos Street for a Greek (or other) coffee.
Landmarks to admire include the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and the diminutive Byzantine-era Holy Church of the Virgin Mary at Mitropoleos Square.
Athens Central Market is one more example of Athenian daily life. Head north along Athinas Street to Varvakios Agora, Athens Central, or Municipal Market. Wander through stalls brimming with fresh produce, meats, seafood, and spices. Sample local cheeses, olives, cured meats, sweets and nuts. Discover distinctly local eateries within and in adjoining lanes.
Day 4 Afternoon to Evening: Gazi District
Make your way to Gazi, a district immediately west of Monastiraki. Once an industrial area, the district’s former gas factory has transformed into a vibrant cultural center, Technopolis. Hosting concerts and events throughout the year, the Athens Jazz Festival each July is a particular highlight.
Visit the nearby Kerameikos Archaeological Site, a fascinating cemetery of Ancient Athens that is particularly atmospheric in the late afternoon and early evening. Gazi is also known for its colorful and imaginative street art, particularly around the ILPAP (city trolley bus terminal) Building.
Gazi is now a dining, music, and dance hub. Enjoy dinner at restaurants in the square and side streets around the Metro station. Stay into the night to experience the live music venues or join young Athenians at the area’s nightclubs.
Pro Tip: The Blue and Green Metro lines put you in the centre of the action.
Day 5: Delving Deeper
Each of Athens’ neighborhoods has a unique character and charm. We’ve touched on historic Plaka, bohemian Psirri, the upscale Kolonaki, and lively Monastiraki and Gazi. Revisit any to delve deeper. Another neighborhood well worth your time in central Athens is Akadimia.
Akadimia is bounded by Akadimias and Panepistimiou Avenues, Solonos and Stadiou Streets. At its heart, it has modern Greece’s oldest university, The University of Athens. Three grand buildings dating back to 1836, the Academy, the University, and the National Library, are well worth visiting. The most impressive is a building-length decorative fresco on the National Library entry’s inner façade—particularly at night, thanks to excellent lighting. Book lovers may find the bookstores on the surrounding streets of interest, while the ancient art of bookbinding remains alive in stores like this on Solonos Avenue.
Culinary Delights
Greek cuisine is renowned worldwide, and Athens is the perfect place to indulge in its diversity. From street food to traditional tavernas and modern eateries, the city offers a gastronomic journey beyond the usual souvlaki and moussaka. A cooking class, exploring local markets, and dining in different neighborhoods will give you insights into Athenian and Greek culinary traditions. Here is a selection of tours to help foodies dig deeper.
Street Art Tours
With a history of anarchy, especially during the European debt crisis in 2009, Athens’s blank, concrete buildings and roller-shutter doors become the statement platforms for street artists with messages heavy in social comment. The New York Times described the city as a “contemporary mecca for street art in Europe.” You will see many examples as you explore the city, though a dedicated tour like this one provides more context and depth.
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Our 5-day Itinerary Just Scratches the Surface
From the awe-inspiring Acropolis crowning the skyline to the bustling streets filled with lively cafés, shops, markets, and history at every turn, Athens captivates with its timeless charm and dynamic energy. This five-day itinerary provides an introduction to the capital. However, we’ve only scratched the surface with this Athens city primer. We invite you to explore Wander With Wonder for more of our favorite things to do when you visit Greece.