Season guide · Athens · Greece
Athens in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Apaleutos25, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Mild, sometimes wet and occasionally cold, with quiet ruins, low prices and snow sometimes dusting the mountains around the city. Expect highs up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 7°C (45°F), with about 24 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 7°C (45°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 24
- Sea
- 15°C (59°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°C (55°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 8 | 9.8 h | 2/5 |
| February | 14°C (57°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 7 | 10.7 h | 2/5 |
| December | 15°C (59°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 9 | 9.5 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 14°C (57°F) against a yearly 23°C (73°F), and 24 of the year's roughly 56 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Epiphany — blessing of the waters at Piraeus and along the coast (6 January)
- February: Apokries — Carnival season with costume parties (February or March, before Lent)
- February: Clean Monday — kite flying on Philopappos Hill (first day of Lent, February or March)
- December: Christmas tree and festivities in Syntagma Square (December)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over the Acropolis
Good choices for winter
Museum · Kolonaki
Benaki Museum
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
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.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Makrygianni
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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Patission Street
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Day trips in winter
- Hydra (About 1.5–2 hours by fast ferry) — A car-free island where donkeys and water taxis do the transport, with stone mansions climbing above a horseshoe harbour.
- Nafplio and Epidaurus (About 2–2.5 hours by bus) — Greece's first capital after independence has Venetian mansions, marble-paved streets and the Palamidi fortress at the top of a long stone stairway.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Athens?
It is a trade-off: Mild, sometimes wet and occasionally cold, with quiet ruins, low prices and snow sometimes dusting the mountains around the city. The best months overall are April–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Athens in winter?
Highs of up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 7°C (45°F), with about 24 rainy days over the season.