Athens, Greece
Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world, is full of history dating back 5,000 years. The city is full of beautiful buildings, great food, and ancient monuments. The amazing weather makes this a city a great place to travel to any time of the year. Read through as we share our thoughts, tips, and recommendations about the city!
Our Experience
During our travels in Athens, we had mixed feelings about the city. We had nothing but great experiences while visiting monuments or getting the local food near tourist areas. But when it came to walking the streets and taking public transportation, we had poor experiences. We went with a group of 5 people (3 of them being girls), and they were constantly being stared at and catcalled. It made them feel unsafe and Saana didn’t want to walk around alone. This was a common thing during the entire trip, and happened every time we left our Airbnb.
In the public transportation, this was no different as people blatantly stared and made taking the train uncomfortable. Constant worrying and always having to be on guard made the trip stressful and didn’t let us enjoy the city. Like I said before, we had no issues while in tourist areas, and had a great time while we were there.
When To Visit
The weather in Athens was amazing during our stay. We visited at the very end of April, and the temperature was perfect as we didn’t need to be wearing sweatshirts and jackets the whole time. It was about 80° fahrenheit or 26.6° celsius, making it easy to walk around without overheating. We recommend visiting during this time not only because of the weather, but because most of the tourism is going to happen during summer. People get off school or take vacations during the summer months, so getting there before the crowds is a great way to minimize waiting in lines and having to deal with an abundance of people. Wait times for restaurants were basically zero during our time in Athens, and getting into monuments wasn’t an issue either. The longest line we waited in was probably 20 minutes. There are so many different restaurants that there is seating available anywhere you go.
How Long To Stay
We would recommend staying in Athens for 2-3 days. This will give you enough time to see the city, and visit all of the monuments/attractions. After day 4-5 in our trip, we ran out of stuff to do and found ourselves traveling longer distances to stay busy.
Picking A Place To Stay
Choosing between an Airbnb or hotel can be difficult, so this is what I would recommend depending on the number of people you’re traveling with and your budget. If you are traveling alone or with another person, I would recommend staying at a hotel. Hotels will generally be more expensive than an Airbnb, but are usually in better locations. We saw multiple hotels
Near tourist areas like Acropolis, and these offer great restaurants, shopping, tourism, and safety. If booking a hotel, spend the extra money to book in this area. You are close to everything and there is a train station within walking distance.
I would recommend an Airbnb for groups of three or larger, or for people on a budget. Staying at an Airbnb was extremely affordable for us as each person only had to pay $150 for the entire week. Please do your research on where the Airbnb is located and if the area is safe. We stayed at two different locations, and the first area was called Victoria. We felt pretty safe here as there was a school located right down the street. Additionally, there was a large park right next to us. The train station was about 5 minutes away, and took about 7 minutes to get to Acropolis. The girls in our group were still being stared at and catcalled here, so beware of this. The second area we stayed at was called Omonoia. Do not stay in this area. There were homeless people everywhere, people doing drugs, and trash along the streets. This area is known for being dangerous, and you can watch multiple videos online of people walking through these streets.
If you are traveling with any women, I would recommend staying at a hotel in a nice area. Greece is pretty cheap so hotel prices aren’t going to be outrageous and it will save you lots of stress about safety. If we were to go back to Athens, this is the route I would go.
Food
One of our favorite parts of the trip was the local food in Athens. The Mediterranean meals were the best I’ve ever had. If you visit Athens, you have to get gyros. You can get chicken, pork, beef or lamb as the meat, and an assortment of different vegetables with tzatziki sauce wrapped in pita bread. It was some of the best food I’ve eaten, and it is a must-try while in Greece. Additionally, there was a diverse selection on the menus. Many restaurants had different types of pasta, soups, burgers, sandwiches, etc.
Getting Around The City
The train system is the easiest way to get around Athens. You can buy a selection of different train tickets; options include 5 days, 3 days, 90 minutes, 5 trips and a few more. You buy these from a ticket dispenser located inside each train station. The train system is easy to navigate, simply follow the signs in the train system pointing the direction of the station you are looking to visit. While inside the trains, you can look above the doors to know what train station is next, and how far yours is away. Another way to get around the city is using Uber. I recommended using this to get to and from the airport. Also, using Uber at night is a lot safer than using public transportation.
Booking Your Attractions
We recommend using the Get Your Guide App to book all attractions. It is the easiest and safest way to plan your trip and things you want to do. Before booking, make sure you know how far you are from the location of your attraction. We made a whole post dedicated to booking attractions, so you can read it here.
Things To See
If you are an European Union citizen, I recommend that you look at the tickets for these sights from the official website of the particular place, because for many of these you get free entrance.
- Acropolis
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Plaka Neighborhood (free)
- National Archaeological Museum
- Anafiotika Neighborhood (free)
- Lykavíttós Hill (view) (free)
- Syntagma Square (on Sunday there’s a ceremony) (free)
- Attica Zoological Park
Description Of Sites
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.
Panathenaic Stadium: The only stadium in the world built entirely of marble, hosting the first modern Olympic Games in 1896
Plaka Neighborhood: A really cute neighborhood with narrow streets and pretty buildings. It has a lot of stores for souvenirs and good restaurants too.National Archaeological Museum: One of the most important museums in the world, housing an extensive collection of ancient Greek artifacts, including sculptures, pottery, and jewelry, spanning thousands of years of history.
Anafiotika neighborhood is really good for pictures and the houses there are so pretty and adorable.
Lykavíttós Hill: A really pretty place where you can see an amazing view and maybe even go watch the sunset
Syntagma Square: The central square of Athens, hosting the Greek Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where visitors can see the changing of the guard ceremony on Sundays
Attica Zoological Park: The largest zoo in Greece, home to diverse animal species. It’s about an hour away from the center, but I would say it’s worth it.
Greek Islands
We did a day cruise to 3 different islands, Hydra, Poros, and Aigina. They were all really gorgeous and we loved getting out of the busy city for a bit and going somewhere more peaceful.
Hydra: Hydra is a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf. It’s known for its peaceful harbor, old stone buildings, and small streets you can explore by walking or riding a donkey. The island has clear water, quiet beaches, and is loved by artists.
Poros: Poros is a green island divided into two parts. Its main town has pretty old buildings, places to eat by the water, and small markets. Nature lovers like Poros for its walking paths, nice beaches, and calm atmosphere.
Aigina: Aigina is close to Athens and has a lot of history and beauty. Its main town has old things to see, cute buildings, and places to eat. Outside the town, you can find beaches, clear water, and nice walks.
Nightlife
In Athens, there’s lots to do at night. You can go to bars, restaurants, or clubs. Although all the clubs we looked at open at 12 and they come to life around 2am, so if you’re not interested in staying out late, maybe clubbing isn’t for you in Athens. One cool place we went to is Hyper, a rooftop bar. You can see the acropolis, city lights and have a drink or a snack with friends. It’s a little pricey but we thought it was worth it. Athens at night is lively and fun, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Crime
We’ve talked about how people constantly stare and catcall, and although it isn’t technically a crime, we are going to mention it again. Beware of where you are walking, especially at night. If you are a woman, be aware of your surroundings and stick close to your group. It’s better to be safe in places like this. Common crimes like pickpocketing happen in tourist areas. Someone tried to grab Saana’s phone out of her back pocket but missed. This is a good example on why you should keep your phone and wallet in your front pockets.
Overview
Athens has some of the best food we have eaten and the oldest monuments in the world. Exploring the city definitely was an experience, and if you are looking for ancient history this is the place for you. Though the food and history is great, the cons of traveling here does not make this a city we would want to revisit in the future. The constant stress of always having to be alert made the trip a little unenjoyable and tiring. If you are going to travel to Greece, we would recommend staying 2-3 nights in Athens to be able to see everything and the rest of your trip on one of the islands mentioned before.