Democracy, drama, philosophy… Athens has given us an awful lot. And the traces of the ancient greats crop up surprisingly regularly in an otherwise gritty-but-buzzy modern city. Walking down a road past bars, street art and souvlaki joints, only to suddenly bump into the remnants of the classical world, is surprisingly common. It’s more than just a giant open-air museum.
The best site to visit in Athens
Arguably the most important site in Europe is the hill that every hotel and restaurant in Athens fights for a view of. The Parthenon is the most renowned ruin on the Acropolis – a staggering feat of design where every column was made a slightly different size and shape in order to appeal to the eye – but there’s plenty more. Take, for example, the Theatre of Dionysus, the giant open air theatre where drama was born.
Why book the Acropolis & Acropolis Museum Morning Walking Tour?
- ⏱ Approximately 3 hours of guided walking including both the Acropolis and the Museum
- 🌄 Small group format ensures personal attention and less crowded experience
- 🏛 Licensed guide provides skip-the-line access and rich historical commentary including mythology, architecture, and archaeology
- 📍 Visit the Temple of Athena Nike, Parthenon, Erechtheion, and then head into the Acropolis Museum to see original artifacts
- 🗺 Meeting point near the Acropolis Museum, with stunning views and convenience for getting there
- ⭐ Highly praised: 4.9/5 from over 100 reviews for guide knowledge, pace, and experience value
Taste Greek cuisine on a food tour
A good way of exploring modern Athens is through its food. The excellent Taste of Athens food tour mooches through markets, tests out traditional Greek coffee, gorges on feta and spinach spanakopitas, and tackles doughy desserts with Greek yoghurt ice cream. It costs 70 euros at the time of writing.
Why book the Taste of Athens Small-Group Food Tour?
- 🍽️ Explore the heart of Athens Old City on a 3- to 4-hour walking tour with food tastings
- 🧆 Sample six stops featuring traditional street foods, cheese pie, real Greek yogurt, local meze, and sweets
- ☕ Includes beverages such as coffee or tea, and a guide who knows food and culture well
- 👥 Small-group format (maximum of 10 travellers) for a more personal and immersive experience
- 📍 Morning or afternoon departures, meeting in Monastiraki Square near the Church of the Virgin Mary Pantanassa
- ⭐ Highly rated: average 4.9 out of 5 from more than 400 reviews; guests praise the guides and the variety of tastings
- ✅ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; suitable for most travellers (not wheelchair accessible)
The best museum in Athens
The Acropolis Museum does a fantastic job of explaining the periods of Greek history through its remarkable collection of statues, busts and temple fragments. The highlight is the top floor, exactly the same size and orientation of the Parthenon, which displays the remaining Parthenon marbles and dives into the stories they tell.
Why book the Acropolis Museum Tour?
- 🏛 Guided tour through the Acropolis Museum—see thousands of original artifacts discovered on the Acropolis hill
- ⏱ Spend about 1 to 1½ hours inside the museum to explore its rich collections at a comfortable pace
- 📚 Learn from a licensed guide who shares stories behind Parthenon sculptures, Caryatids, and the archaeological digs beneath the museum
- 👥 Small-group format provides a more personal experience and better interaction with the guide
- ⭐ Highly rated by visitors for its educational value, exhibit quality, and immersive storytelling
A philosophical tour of Athens
Context Travel’s Socrates in Athens is something very different. It heads to the ruins of what’s thought to be Plato’s Academy, and explains how the philosophical school started there. But then it turns into a philosophical discussion in the park, as a trained classicist leads the small group through the cornerstones of Plato’s beliefs, encouraging participants to work out whether they’re more Plato or Aristotle. The private tour costs €335 for groups of up to six. See contexttravel.com
Where to stay in Athens
The New Hotel has considerable design pizzazz, with walls covered in bits of old wooden furniture, rooms gently themed on the ‘evil eye’ and bonkers chairs that have ladders climbing almost to the ceiling as backs.
I’ve also written a guide to other Athens hotel recommendations.
How to avoid the crowds at the Acropolis
The best time to head to the Acropolis – if you want to avoid the crowds, anyway – is late in the afternoon. From about 5pm, the cruise ship crowds have dispersed.
More Athens travel
Other Athens travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A first-time visitor’s guide to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
- How to spend 24 hours in Athens before your cruise.
- A practical guide to the National Garden of Athens.
- Can you visit the Parthenon at night?
- What to see in the mini-museums of the Athens Metro.
