Oh Athens. It holds a special place in my heart since that is where one of my teammates is from. (Check out how to see it from a local’s perspective here). It also happens to be the perfect 24-hour stop. There is a lot to see but most sites are within walking distance of each other. Use the following to make the most of your 24-hours in Athens.

1:00PM ARRIVAL

It takes about an hour to get to the city center from the airport by train. It’s pretty easy to figure out and there are people working the ticket book that can help out! We took the M3 to the Syntagma station. If you exit the Syntagma station, cross seeing the Greek parliament off your list as the building is located right behind the station.

Drop off your bags and head out to sight see!

    • WHERE TO STAY

    I would recommend staying in the Syntagma or Plaka areas. They are within walking distance of the train station that connects to the airport, as well as within walking distance of numerous sites, restaurants and bars. We stayed at the best Airbnb that had amazing views of the Acropolis and a cute balcony to have drinks before heading out. There was also a bar outside (you couldn’t hear at night) that was filled with locals.

    3:00PM

    Walk over to the Temple of Olympian Zeus – if you can, take the path through the National Garden to get there; it’s beautiful. There you can either pay the entrance fee or walk around the outside to view. There isn’t too much information inside but the sheer size of the pillars is amazing! Does anyone else ever wonder how people back then put together structures so large!?

    As you walk around, make sure to see Hadrian’s Arch. It’s located outside of the gated Temple of Zeus area but you can still get a good view of the arch.

    Tip: I would HIGHLY recommend getting the Athens city pass if you plan on going into all the sites. It’s definitely a money saver and it will save you time from standing in line.

    Now, not everyone cares about the Olympics 😉 but seeing as how they mean a little something to me, heading to the Panathenaic Stadium was definitely on my to-do list. It’s within walking distance of the Temple of Zeus so head here next. The stadium is really cool and holds a lot of history, which makes sense since it was build in 144 BC – it’s also the only stadium made entirely of marble. The audio guides here are free with entry and they are extremely informative! Walk around, view the tunnel where athletes prepared, and hop on the podium to receive your medal!

    5:00PM

    Head to Monastiraki Square. The square is always filled with people and is a great gathering spot. There is plenty of shopping down the alleys, and the best rooftop bars are here. My two favorites were the rooftop on the A is for Athens hotel and 360 Cocktail Bar. Couleur Locale is another favorite and they are all in the same area so you if you can’t get into one, you have other options! Grab a drink and watch the sunset. Eventually the Acropolis will light up making for the perfect backdrop.

    • 7:00PM

    Head to dinner. One restaurant I could not recommend more is Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro. The service here is amazing; we actually ended up coming here twice! The first night we stopped in our way to dinner and ended up staying for a couple hours sampling wine. It wasn’t that busy so the sommelier spent a lot of time with us learning what we liked and suggesting great wines! The second night, we came here and ended up staying for dinner, which was just as great as the wine and service.

    Another great restaurant we ate at was Mono Restaurant. They led us through the restaurant, and we were seated outside in an adorable alley. The food was delicious!

    • 9:00PM

    Athens has a great nightlife scene! There are plenty of awesome options. We went to Blue Bird and Kiki de Grece because they were next to each other (and next to our Airbnb!), and were filled with locals.

    Make sure to get to bed at a reasonable hour as there is a lot more to fit in!

    NEXT DAY – 8:00AM

    Get up early and head to the acropolis. We did this first thing, and I’m so happy we did. Even though we were first in line, it got crowded fast! If you can, hire a tour guide for this site. We just walked around looking at a map. I loved the Acropolis, but I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I knew what I was looking at. Make sure to check out the Theater of Dionysus, Parthenon and Odeon of Herodes Atticus while you’re up here.

    Tip: If you are there for a longer amount of time, I would recommend going to the Acropolis Museum first. It is so informational. I really think it’s one of the best museums I’ve been to.

    • 9:00 AM

    We only spent an hour at here. It was getting crowded, and I was getting claustrophobic. When you head back down to the city, there is an amazing place called Anafiotika Street filled with restaurants. It’s adorable. Stop here to grab a coffee and breakfast. 

    10:00AM

    The Acropolis was cool, but my favorite site in Athens was the Temple of Hephaestus. It was AMAZING!! So much history and not to mention great views! The temple is really well preserved and it remains standing pretty much how it was, which I always find fascinating. The Ancient Agora of Athens is located within this site so take time to wander around both.

    12:00PM

    Grab and gyro and head to the airport. My favorite stop for gyros was Thanasis for Souvlaki. You can get them to go for cheaper and it’s where the locals go so you know its good. 

    I really love Athens and think everyone should experience the beauty and history! What are some of your favorite sites in Athens?