Athens wears three thousand years of history in plain sight, with the Acropolis visible from rooftop bars and ancient agoras tucked between modern apartment blocks. It's grittier and more chaotic than the islands, but rewards a couple of days before heading to the Aegean.
Good to know
- Buy the combined archaeological sites ticket — valid five days, it covers the Acropolis and skips separate lines.
- Visit the Acropolis right at opening time to beat both the heat and the tour-bus crowds.
- The metro is easy to use, and some central stations display ancient artefacts uncovered during construction.
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Athens' oldest district, a maze of neoclassical houses and bougainvillea-draped lanes beneath the Acropolis.
Grilled meats, dips and Greek wine on a rooftop terrace framing the floodlit Acropolis after dark.
A sprawling flea market of antiques, records and souvenirs, spilling out from the square beneath the Acropolis.
Cocktail bars on hotel rooftops around Monastiraki, most with a direct sightline to the floodlit Acropolis.
The city's highest point, reached by funicular, with a small chapel at the summit and a panorama over Athens to the sea.
Athens' upscale district at the foot of Lycabettus, good for people-watching over coffee between museum visits.
The 5th-century BC citadel crowning the city, with the Parthenon at its centre — go at opening time for both light and space.
A modern glass museum built over active excavations, displaying the sculptures that once decorated the Parthenon.
The marketplace and civic heart of classical Athens, with the best-preserved Greek temple standing on its edge.
The largest archaeological museum in Greece, holding the golden Mask of Agamemnon and monumental bronze statues.
The ancient port of Athens and still its ferry hub today, with a lively fish market and waterside seafood tavernas.
A coastal drive south of the city to a clifftop temple where sunset over the Aegean draws a small, loyal crowd.