One day in Athens

Day by day

1. Day 1: Acropolis and Parthenon and Areopagus Hill

   Acropolis and Parthenon, Areopagus Hill, Acropolis Museum and Panathenaic Stadium, then Psyrri in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Acropolis and Parthenon

      Enter at opening or in the last two hours of the day; in summer the midday heat on the exposed rock is intense and there is almost no shade. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Areopagus Hill

      Use the metal staircase rather than the ancient rock-cut steps; the marble is polished and slippery, especially after rain. Allow 30 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Souvlaki and gyros

      Souvlaki counters on Mitropoleos Street at Monastiraki and neighbourhood grills (souvlatzidika) across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Acropolis Museum

      Visit after the Acropolis, when you can match the sculptures to the places you have just seen, and have a drink on the café terrace facing the Parthenon. Allow 2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Panathenaic Stadium

      The audio guide comes with the ticket; children love sprinting down the track, and the top rows give a view to the Acropolis. Allow 1 hour.

   6. Evening

      Psyrri

      Dense streets of bars, mezze places and live-music tavernas just north of Monastiraki, busy every night of the week.

Before you go

• Acropolis and Parthenon: Entry is by timed ticket and morning slots sell out in high season; buy online from the official Hellenic Heritage e-ticket service.

If it rains

• Swap in National Archaeological Museum (Patission Street): Allow half a day, or focus on the Mycenaean hall, the bronzes and the Antikythera gallery if time is short.
• Swap in Benaki Museum (Kolonaki): Combine it with the Museum of Cycladic Art, a few minutes' walk away along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.
• Swap in Museum of Cycladic Art (Kolonaki): It is compact enough for an hour; start with the Cycladic gallery on the first floor.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Line 1 (green) runs from Piraeus through Thiseio and Monastiraki to Kifisia; line 2 (red) stops at Akropoli and Syntagma; line 3 (blue) links Monastiraki and Syntagma with the airport.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Athens
• 3 days in Athens
• 4 days in Athens
• 5 days in Athens

Questions travellers ask