Hi everyone,
Today I am excited to share with you all the things I enjoyed doing and eating in Athens.
**If you are coming from Athens airport, know that taxi costs 38 euros flat from the airport to the city. You can also take metro which takes a bit longer but not too bad.
1. Do the free walking tour
I know that there are free walking tours in most of the major cities around Europe, but Athens walking tour was really worth it! There is so much history in this city and country in general and they will give you a lot of fun history and insider tips on where to eat and what to do. I booked mine at http://athens-free-tour.com (@athensfreetour) and was incredible.
Their meeting point is Hadrian’s Arch, and the tour schedule is below:
09:45am daily
2pm: 15 Sep. – 30 June
5pm: 1 April – 31. Oct.
Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours
2. Go to Acropolis museum first and then to Acropolis!
Acropolis is probably the most famous spot in Athens with rich history and famous architecture. I recommend you to visit the museum first to get an idea of what you will be looking at, and then go to the actual site and be able to recognize the details. Also download Rick Steve’s Audio Guide for Acropolis (it’s a free audio guide which you can listen to while you walk around the site – Available on Podcast). Amazing!
- Ticket Tip: To visit Acropolis is 20 euros per person oe 30 euros for all other sites combined. EU students can get in for free, and international students get half off so make sure to bring your student ID!
3. Go to a rooftop bar for amazing city views and food/drinks!
Athens has A LOT of restaurants and rooftop bars, and they are definitely worth it!! My two favorites are Couleur Locale– where you have an amazing view of the Acropolis and can get BOMB ASS COCKTAILS!! I’ve also tried their pizzas and they are fantastic. Also the waiters are hot… just throwing it out there. Another is Ciel Restaurantwhere you get a really great view of Metropolis Cathedral (you are essentially right in front of it). I recommend this place for breakfast.
Other rooftop bars that are popular are 360 Cocktail Bar(dinner reservation recommended) and A for Athens, but I would recommend my two favorites above these.
4. Go to Lycabettus Hill for Picnic / Sunset
I recommend you to take a taxi or Uber to the hill, as the hike is pretty steep and the Greek sun is usually very strong. It should only cost ~5 euros in total from city center, so please do not let taxi drivers fool you and pay 20 euros. The area gets pretty crowded around sunset, so I would say get there a bit early. Grab yourself a bottle of wine, some snacks or dessert (I grabbed baked goods from Ariston Bakery, supposedly one of the best bakeries in Athens! They were really good, but they are better in the morning when they are fresh out of the oven) and you are good to go! The sunset here is absolutely stunning so you should definitely check it out.
5. Go on a day trip to a nearby beach or Temple of Poseidon
Take a metro to Kalamaki beach or take a bus to Temple of Poseidon for a perfect day trip. The bus costs 14 euros round trip (from Athens – Sounion) and you can get the time table on this website: http://ktelattikis.gr/en/news.html?id=2106. There is a beautiful small beach right by Temple of Poseidon where you can go swimming. There are no real supermarkets nearby so make sure to bring your own snacks and drinks unless you want to pay 10 euros at the hotel. If you go there, you should absolutely stay until the sunset because that is one of the most incredible views I have ever seen in my life.
6. Shop around Plaka area and Eat GREEK FOOD!
Greece has so many amazing goods made out of olive wood and the food is amazing.
I will make another blog post about all the best food places in Athens, but I will write them out here in case you wanna check it out:
Kuzina(amazing Greek salad and pasta, a bit more expensive but worth it. There is a rooftop area to dine in), Karamanlidika (from the outside it looks like a butcher shop but there is a small dine-in area with incredible, authentic and cheap Greek food. Try meatballs, chickpeas and stuff vine leaves… they are AMAZING), Fresko Yogurt Bar or Stani for amazing fresh Greek yogurt with honey+walnuts, Le greche Ice cream for the best gelato in town, and Savvas or Big Bad Wolf for cheap and good gyros.
Right: Olive wood shop, Left: the shopping streets in Plaka around sunset time.
Karamanlidika restaurant, their amazing meatballs, and Bad Wolf Gyros!
I hope you enjoy Athens, this unbelievable Greek city, and I hope that my tips help you JWould love to hear your thoughts after your visit.
Happy Travels!
xx,
KJ
Travel Park 