1 Day in Athens: Full Itinerary With No Regrets!
1 Day in Athens is really all you need to see the major sites in the city, at a moderately-fast pace. We built this itinerary for those who are making a quick stop in Athens before heading somewhere else (Milos, anyone? Check it out here: Milos: Greek Hidden Gem to Add to your Bucket List). While we think Athens is a must-see, Greece and the rest of Europe have so much to offer so we preferred saving our time for other destinations.
Is 1 Day Enough for Athens?
Yes and no. If you’re able to walk around all day and don’t want to spend hours at each museum, completing Athens in 1 day is very possible. But, there are some factors that may impact how long you want to spend in Athens:
- Age/fitness: much of Athens should be seen on foot. We walked probably 6 miles to all the sites, so keep that in mind.
- Museums: Athens has a lot of museums, we only visited one at a relatively fast pace. If museums are your thing, allocate time accordingly.
- Jetlag: if Athens is your first stop in the new time zone and you’re bad with jetlag, consider how that may effect the start of your itinerary.
Regardless of whether you plan on doing Athens in 1 Day, you can easily use our itinerary as a baseline for your trip – keep reading for full details.
How to Get Around Athens
The taxi system is linked with Uber, so keep using the app if that’s what you prefer.
Athens has a decent set of public transport options: bus, trolley, and metro. More information can be found here. From the airport, Taxis are about 50-60+ euros to get to the city (price depends on where in Athens).
A lot of taxi drivers don’t use their AC. Be ready for a hot car even if it’s a blistering 90F outside.
Best Places to Stay in Athens
Staying anywhere near the neighborhoods of Plaka or Monastiraki will put you walking distance to most of the sites and good food in Athens. Many of the Airbnbs marked in the image above are actually so close to the Acropolis that you get a good night view. If you don’t get an Airbnb with a spectacular view, don’t worry, there are plenty of bars you can visit for the view.
What to Do with 1 Day in Athens
We spent 1.5 days in Athens, but half a day was eaten by jetlag napping and a 16 mile marathon-training run. If we had one full day to spend in Athens to see it all, this itinerary below is how we would get it done.
If you prefer a complete list, check out our Google Map.
Morning
Panathenaic Stadium
Start your busy day at the only stadium made entirely of marble. It opens at 8am, right around when you should start your day. For more information on the stadium and why you should visit, check out our blog post: Must See in Athens: The Panathenaic Stadium. Budget about an hour for the stadium.
The stadium is on the southwest side of the city. We recommend starting here and making your way north west through Athens, making sure to hit the most important sites first (Panathenaic, Acropolis, etc).
Walk By Zappeion Hall and Gardens
On your way west towards the Acropolis, you’ll walk by Zappeion Hall and Gardens. Take a picture or walk around the gardens if you have time.
Temple of Olympian Zeus + Hadrian’s Arch
The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a little teaser for the Acropolis. You can see most of it by walking around it, but we would recommend going inside. A quick 30-minute stroll will allow you to explore the historical site up close and take pictures. Admission is 7-8 euro, but we recommend purchasing the combination ticket for 30 euro.
Get the combination ticket! It grants admission to the Acropolis and other historical sites including the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Roman Forum. The ticket is good for 5 days if you’re spreading out your visits.
Hadrian’s Arch doesn’t require a ticket, its located right on the corner of a major road.
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum is worth a visit even if you’re not a big museum fan. The museum has done a really nice job of displaying all sorts of statues, ruins, and art throughout multiple floors of the museum. The downstairs also opens up to an archaeological excavation where you can see the remnants of old rooms. Tickets are 5-10 euros; budget a solid 1.5 hours or more here.
Lunch for 1 Day in Athens
The above stops should take you right up to lunch. The next stop is the Acropolis, which takes a few hours, so we would recommend eating before. If you’re looking for a nice sit-down lunch, there are plenty of restaurants that line the street outside of the Acropolis Museum, but we would save that for dinner (see below). Instead, grab a souvlaki gyro from the best gyro stand we’ve ever been to.
ฮฮฮฮกฮ ฮ ฮฮฮฮคฮฮฮ
Picture is worth 1000 words. It was so yummy! Buy a water for the afternoon.
Afternoon
The Main Event: The Acropolis
Now that you’ve filled your stomach, it’s time to hike up the hill to the main event: the Acropolis. If you haven’t already, get the the combination ticket so you can enter the Acropolis and other sites around Athens.
On your way up to the Acropolis you will pass by the Theatre of Dionysus. Budget around 2 hours to walk around the entire area.
Roman Agora
You’ll likely exit the Acropolis slightly north west of where you entered, which is perfect for heading to the Roman Forum of Athens or Roman Agora. On the way to the Roman Agora, admire the streets, cafes, and shops (pictures below).
Like the Temple of Olympian Zeus, a lot of the area can be seen from the outside, through the gates. The leftmost image above was actually taken outside the premises. However, for the small upcharge for the combination ticket we think its well worth going inside the gates. Budget about 30 minutes at this destination, it’s a quick stop.
Monastiraki Flea Market
Exit the Roman Agora and keep heading north, up to the Monastiraki Flea Market. We did a walk-through of the market as we headed towards Ancient Agora. If you’re hungry for ice cream or a snack, there are plenty of cafes and ice cream shops along the way. Budget another 30 minutes to 1 hour for meandering through the streets on your way to Ancient Agora.
On the way to Ancient Agora, you can also stop by Hadrian’s Library. We didn’t stop into this one. Between the Acropolis and Roman Agora, we’d seen a good amount of ruins and could see the majority of it from outside the gates.
Ancient Agora
Ancient Agora is much, much larger than Roman Agora, so budget another hour or more here. We’re glad we spent less time at Hadrian’s Library and saved it for Ancient Agora, as there is a lot more to see here. The Temple of Hephaestus is located within Ancient Agora (pictured above).
Archaeological Site of Kerameikos
At this point we were pretty spent, and felt like we’d seen everything touristy we wanted to see in Athens. But, there is one more stop on our list of must-see spots in Athens. The Archaeological Site of Kerameikos is the largest cemetery of Ancient Athens. Our legs were pretty tired at this point, so we decided to sit down and admire it from afar, through the gates. Budget 30 minutes to 1 hour for this one. It’s a 10 minute walk from Ancient Agora, plus the time to see it.
Evening
Depending on what time you finish the above and where your hotel is located, you may want to head back to freshen up before the evening. There’s three big events you should target for the evening: sunset on the hill, dinner, and night views of the Acropolis.
Sunset on Philopappos Hill
Depending on the time of sunset, plan your evening accordingly. Keep in mind Europeans eat pretty late. If you’re trying to eat dinner around 5-6pm, some restaurants may be on their evening break in preparation for dinner.
The walk up Philopappos Hill is not a full hike, but it’s not an easy walk. It’ll take a good 30+ minutes to get to the top of the hill. The views, though, are completely worth it. Bring good walking shoes!
If there is time, there is a church on the hill that is worth a visit: Holy Church of Saint Demetrios Loumbardiaris.
Dinner for 1 Day in Athens: Liondi
If you eat anywhere in Athens, let it be Liondi. Their specialty is their Moussaka, which won an award for best moussaka in Athens. While it is very well made, we weren’t huge moussaka fans. However, we did fall in love with the lamb, which was by far the best lamb we had throughout our entire trip to Greece. The service at Liondi is also pretty special. The main waiter, or perhaps the owner, is very enthusiastic about his dishes. The also offered everyone a complementary dessert the evening we were there.
Acropolis Night Views/Drinks!
There’s a couple restaurants in Athens that have great views of the Acropolis at night. six d.o.g.s. and 360 Cocktail Bar are two very good options. We went to 360 Cocktail Bar, but would recommend getting a reservation in advance. They also offer dinner if you’re in Athens for a couple nights and need another dinner spot. 360 Cocktail Bar has a fun drink menu, each drink named after a Greek island. The views, pictured above, are incredible.
More Than 1 Day in Athens
If you find yourself with extra time, or decide to spend more than 1 day in Athens, here are a few other places to check out:
- Syntagma Square: a lot of bloggers put this on their must-see list. At the top op each hour their is a ceremonial changeover of guards that is cool to see. It wasn’t on our must-see list because we were in Athens more for the ancient ruins.
- National Garden: this garden is right next to the Hellenic Parliament and is good for a morning or afternoon stroll in the shade.
- Explore the neighborhoods of Pangrati or Exarhia. These neightborhoods are good for a morning coffee and window shopping to get away from the buzz of Athens.
- Visit some museums/centers: National Archaeological Museum, Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, or Stavros Foundation Cultural Center are among a few.
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