Things to do · Athens · Greece
19 best things to do in Athens
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Athens are Acropolis and Parthenon, Acropolis Museum and Panathenaic Stadium. Of the 19 picks below, 9 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Acropolis and Parthenon
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Acropolis Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acropolis and Parthenon | Acropolis | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Acropolis Museum | Makrygianni | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Panathenaic Stadium | Pangrati | 1 hour | Low cost |
| National Archaeological Museum | Patission Street | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Changing of the Guard at Syntagma | Syntagma | 20 minutes | Free |
| Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus | Thiseio | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Plaka and Anafiotika | Plaka | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch | Olympieion | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Mount Lycabettus | Kolonaki | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Monastiraki Flea Market | Monastiraki | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Philopappos Hill | Koukaki | 1 hour | Free |
| Areopagus Hill | Acropolis | 30 minutes | Free |
| Benaki Museum | Kolonaki | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Museum of Cycladic Art | Kolonaki | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| National Garden | Syntagma | 45 minutes | Free |
| Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center | Kallithea | 2 hours | Free |
| Kerameikos | Kerameikos | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds | Plaka | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Varvakios Central Market | Omonia | 1 hour | Free |
The 19 best things to do
Historic site · Acropolis
1.Acropolis and Parthenon
The rocky citadel above the city holds the Parthenon, completed in 438 BC for Athena, the Erechtheion with its Caryatid porch, the Propylaea gateway and the small Temple of Athena Nike. Restoration work and scaffolding are a permanent part of the site, and the marble paths are polished smooth, so wear shoes with grip.
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Entry is by timed ticket and morning slots sell out in high season; buy online from the official Hellenic Heritage e-ticket service.
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
Museum · Makrygianni
2.Acropolis Museum
Bernard Tschumi's glass-and-concrete museum stands about 300 metres from the Acropolis over excavated ancient streets, visible through glass floors. The top-floor Parthenon Gallery lays out the surviving frieze in the same orientation as the temple, with plaster casts marking the pieces held in London, and five of the original Caryatids stand together on the first floor.
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Landmark · Pangrati
3.Panathenaic Stadium
This horseshoe stadium, built entirely of marble, was restored on its ancient site for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. You can walk or run the track, sit in the royal seats and see a small exhibition of Olympic torches and posters. It is still the finish line of the Athens Marathon.
The audio guide comes with the ticket; children love sprinting down the track, and the top rows give a view to the Acropolis.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Iconic
- Active
Museum · Patission Street
4.National Archaeological Museum
Greece's largest archaeological museum runs from prehistory to Roman times: the gold Mask of Agamemnon from Mycenae, the bronze god from Cape Artemision, the Antikythera mechanism — an ancient geared astronomical calculator — and room after room of Cycladic figurines and painted vases. It is a 15-minute walk north of Omonia.
Allow half a day, or focus on the Mycenaean hall, the bronzes and the Antikythera gallery if time is short.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Experience · Syntagma
5.Changing of the Guard at Syntagma
Evzones of the Presidential Guard, in pleated kilts, tasselled caps and pom-pom clogs, stand at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Hellenic Parliament. The guard changes every hour in a slow, high-stepping ceremony, and a larger ceremony with a band takes place on Sunday mornings.
Stand at the top of the steps on the square opposite for the clearest view, and arrive a few minutes before the hour.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Iconic
- History
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Historic site · Thiseio
6.Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus
The marketplace and civic heart of classical Athens, where Socrates taught, is now a shaded archaeological park. The Doric Temple of Hephaestus on its western hill is one of the best-preserved Greek temples anywhere, and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos houses a museum of everyday finds, from voting shards to a child's potty.
Enter from Adrianou Street in Monastiraki and climb to the Temple of Hephaestus for a view of the Acropolis across the Agora.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Kids
Neighbourhood · Plaka
7.Plaka and Anafiotika
Below the Acropolis's north face, Plaka's lanes of neoclassical houses lead up to Anafiotika, a tiny cluster of whitewashed cube houses built in the 19th century by builders from the island of Anafi. The steep, unsigned paths feel like a Cycladic village a few minutes from the city's busiest streets.
Go early in the morning or around sunset, and keep voices down: Anafiotika's houses are still lived in.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Architecture
- Couples
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Historic site · Olympieion
8.Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch
Fifteen of the original 104 Corinthian columns still stand from what was the largest temple in ancient Greece, finished under the emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. Hadrian's Arch, beside the busy avenue, marked the boundary between the old city and Hadrian's new quarter.
Much of it is visible through the fence for free; use the combined ticket if you want to walk among the columns.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Kolonaki
1.Mount Lycabettus
At about 277 metres, Lycabettus is the highest point in central Athens, crowned by the small white chapel of Agios Georgios. The view takes in the Acropolis, the whole basin and the sea at Piraeus. A funicular usually runs up from Kolonaki, or you can walk the path through the pines in about 30–40 minutes.
Walk up in the late afternoon and stay for sunset, when the Acropolis lights up; bring water, as the path is steep and exposed.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Free
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Active
Market · Monastiraki
2.Monastiraki Flea Market
From Monastiraki Square, Ifestou Street and the lanes around Avissinias Square are packed with shops selling vintage furniture, records, army surplus, leather sandals and souvenirs. On Sunday mornings the antique dealers spill out into a proper flea market around Avissinias.
Go on Sunday morning for the antiques, and haggle politely at street stalls but not in fixed-price shops.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Food
Viewpoint · Koukaki
3.Philopappos Hill
Opposite the Acropolis, this pine-covered hill is topped by the marble tomb of Philopappos, a Roman-era prince, and gives the classic straight-on view of the Parthenon. Stone paths laid out by architect Dimitris Pikionis in the 1950s lead past the little church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris and the Pnyx, where the ancient assembly met.
Come at sunset or early morning, and wear trainers: the paths are uneven stone.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Acropolis
4.Areopagus Hill
This bare marble outcrop just below the Acropolis entrance was the seat of the ancient court of Athens, and a bronze plaque records the sermon St Paul preached here. It gives a close view of the Acropolis walls and across the Ancient Agora, and it costs nothing to climb.
Use the metal staircase rather than the ancient rock-cut steps; the marble is polished and slippery, especially after rain.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
Museum · Kolonaki
5.Benaki Museum
In a neoclassical mansion opposite the National Garden, the Benaki Museum traces Greek culture from prehistory through Byzantium to the 20th century, with costumes, icons, gold jewellery and two carved wooden reception rooms taken from northern Greek mansions. The rooftop café looks over the National Garden.
Combine it with the Museum of Cycladic Art, a few minutes' walk away along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Kolonaki
6.Museum of Cycladic Art
This private museum shows the marble figurines of the Cycladic islands, made more than 4,500 years ago, whose simple folded-arm forms later fascinated Picasso, Modigliani and Brâncuși. Upper floors cover ancient Greek and Cypriot art, and the neighbouring Stathatos Mansion hosts temporary exhibitions.
It is compact enough for an hour; start with the Cycladic gallery on the first floor.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Garden · Syntagma
7.National Garden
Queen Amalia's 19th-century royal garden behind the Parliament is a shaded park of about 15 hectares, with palms, ponds of turtles and ducks, a small animal enclosure and a children's library. It leads on to the Zappeion hall and towards the Panathenaic Stadium.
Use it as a shady route between Syntagma and the Panathenaic Stadium on hot afternoons.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Architecture · Kallithea
8.Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
Renzo Piano's complex near the coast south of the centre houses the Greek National Opera and the National Library of Greece beneath a huge solar canopy, with a sloping park, a long canal and a rooftop Lighthouse looking towards the Acropolis and the sea. The park, canal and terraces are free to visit.
Go in the late afternoon, walk up to the Lighthouse for sunset, then stay for a drink by the canal or an evening performance.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Historic site · Kerameikos
9.Kerameikos
The ancient cemetery of Athens, outside the Dipylon Gate, has grave monuments lining the Street of the Tombs, a small museum of funerary sculpture and remains of the classical city walls. It is rarely crowded, and in spring it is full of wildflowers, tortoises and frogs.
It is covered by the combined archaeological ticket; visit after the Ancient Agora, about a 10-minute walk away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Historic site · Plaka
10.Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds
The Roman-era market square at the foot of Plaka is best known for the octagonal Tower of the Winds, a marble clock tower of the 1st century BC with sundials and reliefs of the eight wind gods on its faces. Hadrian's Library, with its row of Corinthian columns, is a few steps away by Monastiraki Square.
If you are short on time, the Tower of the Winds can be seen well from the lane outside the fence.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
Market · Omonia
11.Varvakios Central Market
Athens' central meat and fish market on Athinas Street has traded in its iron-roofed 19th-century hall since the 1880s. Butchers and fishmongers call out prices under the skylights, while the streets around sell spices, olives, cheese and cured meats.
Go on a weekday morning, wear closed shoes because the floors are wet, then browse the spice and olive shops on Evripidou Street.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Acropolis Museum, National Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum and Museum of Cycladic Art |
| History | Acropolis and Parthenon, Acropolis Museum, Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus and Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch |
| Views | Acropolis and Parthenon, Mount Lycabettus, Philopappos Hill and Areopagus Hill |
| Outdoors and nature | Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus, National Garden, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and Kerameikos |
| Food and markets | Monastiraki Flea Market and Varvakios Central Market |
| With children | Acropolis Museum, Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus, Panathenaic Stadium and Changing of the Guard at Syntagma |
| On a rainy day | Acropolis Museum, National Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum and Museum of Cycladic Art |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Athens?
Acropolis and Parthenon. The rocky citadel above the city holds the Parthenon, completed in 438 BC for Athena, the Erechtheion with its Caryatid porch, the Propylaea gateway and the small Temple of Athena Nike.
+What can you do for free in Athens?
Changing of the Guard at Syntagma, Plaka and Anafiotika, Mount Lycabettus, Monastiraki Flea Market and Philopappos Hill. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Athens when it rains?
Head indoors to Acropolis Museum, National Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum and Museum of Cycladic Art.