We stayed in Athens for a whole week, including the days of arrival and departure. It was an audacious decision in view of our apprehensions, but a plan B was quickly established: renting a scooter to visit nearby points of interest. Another spoiler alert — it didn’t happen and didn’t need to happen. Athens alone was enough to keep us busy. However, I must remind you that we are slow travellers, so I am fully aware that it is possible to compress our Athens itinerary into just three days. It all depends on your interests and your pace.

All photos were taken on Kodak ColorPlus 200 film.

I’m sure that you, traveler, know that Greece consistently ranks among the ten most visited countries in Europe. But did you know that tourism accounts for roughly 25–30% of Greece’s GDP (compared to about 7–9% in France, the most visited country in the world)?

It goes without saying that there is a huge number of Airbnbs, hotels, hostels and other types of accommodation in Athens — sometimes at the expense of locals, exactly like in other cities that have become victims of their own success (Lisbon, Barcelona…).

Still, I arranged our accommodation two months in advance, and in hindsight I praise myself for this decision. Our Airbnb was probably not the cutest or well-equipped one in Athens, but in terms of budget and especially location (within minutes of the Acropolis Museum and a metro station), it offered excellent value for money.

From our Airbnb window

Deep down, it was clear between us that this time we were going to Greece for food. And, boy, did Athens deliver.

Like during our trip to Crete — where, out of two weeks of daily restaurant visits, there was only one occasion when the food fell below expectations — about 99% of our food experiences in Athens were excellent. So behold the list.

But first, a small heads-up regarding choosing places to eat. As we’ve already established, Athens is a very touristy city, which means it has more than enough tourist traps. You can eat very cheaply, but you can also easily end up either in “third-wave avocado-toast brunch places” with scandalous prices or in restaurants like “Greek Gods of Acropolis” (name invented), located on streets around the Acropolis, offering foot-long menus with frozen moussaka, carbonara and pizza.

In Greece, a pattern quickly became clear: if a place looks slightly shabby but is full of locals — that’s your destination.

We also avoided rooftop bars, although I slightly regret not visiting one of the best-in-the-world cocktail bars — three of which are located in Athens.

Alexandrino Restaurant

I will mention these restaurants again alongside nearby sights, but a separate list of favorites may also be helpful:

• Alexandrino Restaurant — the most delicious gyros of the trip.
• Aspro Alogo (“White Horse”) — a tiny restaurant with a very authentic owner. Loved it immensely. Also the only place where we received complimentary treats at the end of lunch — common in Crete, but less so in Athens.
• Olympion — a locals-only place with gigantic portions.
• Makedonikon — amazing spinach bougatsa for €2 that practically brings you to heaven.
• Δια χειρός το πεϊνιρλί — our everyday breakfast place.
• Django Gelato Athens — the best ice cream, conveniently located right next to our Airbnb.
• Little Tree Books and Coffee — clearly aimed at foreign visitors, but I loved the interior too much not to include it.
• Ψαροταβέρνα ο Ηλίας in Piraeus — impossible to wish for a better fish tavern. Writing these lines still provokes tears of contentment.
• Hippy Hippo — an excellent coffee spot.
• Krinos — a perfect place to try loukoumades, otherwise known as a massive calorie bomb.

Makedonikon

I should also mention Souvlaki “O Kostas,” which appears in almost every guidebook and blog post. Driven by curiosity, we went to try it and… well, it was good, but by that point we had already eaten so much exceptional food that it somewhat faded among other experiences. We were also surprised to see standard supermarket bread used for the souvlaki, as we expected homemade or bakery-made pita. Perfectly fine — but perhaps no longer the legendary quality associated with its early reputation. We were therefore happy to be among the first to arrive and not to wait too long in the rapidly growing queue behind us.

O Kostas

Here are some places we visited, along with reflections, tips and observations. Everything below reflects only our experience and the timing of our visit (February 2026), as impressions may vary between low and high season.

Let’s not beat about the bush and go straight to the unique and extraordinary Acropolis. Few landmarks in world history are as ancient and as widely recognised across European civilisation — and beyond. Visiting it is an absolute must.

I’ve read posts claiming that it is not worth the money (and indeed, since April 2025 the entrance fee has risen to €30 per person), but I disagree.

What you feel when standing before structures that have witnessed more than two millennia of history cannot be conveyed through photographs. The informational panels, multiple viewpoints, and above all – the ongoing conservation and restoration work does cost money.

After this moralising speech, I must confess our luck: we visited on the third Sunday of the month, when entrance is free. Finding the official ticket website can be slightly confusing, so here is the link to the official site. In the prices section you will find the schedule of free visit days too.

Posing with Caryatids

Acropolis Museum on the left

Our experience was simply fantastic. The day was windy and cloudy, with a yellowish haze covering the sky — perfect weather to experience the Acropolis differently from postcard images. There were quite a lot of visitors, but nothing overwhelming; I imagine it is incomparable to spring and summer crowds (who and why goes to Greece in summer anyway?!).

We spent around three hours there, and it was beautiful and inspiring throughout.

If travelling during high season, make sure to book your time slot well in advance.

To Kafeneio

Some will advise you to visit the museum first and the Acropolis afterwards, but as we did it the other way around, it seemed perfectly fine to me. I might even advocate for this order, as the museum provides such an intense immersion into the Acropolis and the Parthenon that it could otherwise feel overwhelming.

The museum, unlike the Acropolis itself, was overwhelming. Huge crowds, group tours, screaming children — I was very happy to have brought my noise-cancelling earbuds. After five hours in the museum, we were completely exhausted by the sheer amount of information engaging all our senses.

Still, the Acropolis Museum stole our hearts. It has an outstanding architectural design, beautifully curated exhibitions, clear informational displays and well-produced films — honestly, it was excellent. My only wish is that multiple-entry tickets existed, as we would gladly have returned a second time to explore the upper floors more carefully.

 Make sure to bring a tote bag or something similar, as backpacks must be left in the cloakroom — a bitter discovery for me. Also note that photography is not allowed in parts of the Archaic Gallery on the first floor. As a museum guard explained, careless posing or stepping backwards while taking photos had previously damaged sculptures. So, no photos…

Do you see the wings on his shoes?

You will quickly discover that Athens is composed of many distinct districts — what used to be separate towns were gradually united into one city (thus becoming “Athens,” which in Greek is grammatically plural), and these districts have retained their individual character. Plaka is the area that preserved many neoclassical buildings and, albeit touristy, remains a very beautiful and pleasant place to walk, where you can stumble upon ancient pieces of architecture. Plaka gradually transitions into Monastiraki, another district containing several important ancient sites such as the Roman Agora, the Tower of the Winds, and Hadrian’s Library. Monastiraki felt somewhat overwhelming to my taste, but Plaka is wonderful.

Aspro Alogo

Do not disturb the sleep

Make sure to walk up the streets along the slopes of the Acropolis of Athens to find yourself in Anafiotika — a miniature neighborhood with a strong Greek island resemblance. It was built by Cycladic craftsmen from the island of Anafi in the 19th century, recreating elements of the traditional architecture of their home island — very cute.

One of the things Xavier was particularly looking forward to was the change of the parliament guard at Syntagma Square, the main square of Athens, whose name means “Constitution.” The ceremony takes place every hour in front of the Hellenic Parliament and is fascinating to watch, both for its slow choreographed movements and for the traditional uniforms worn by the guards – Evzones.

  There is also a full ceremonial change, accompanied by marching troops, which takes place on Sundays at 11:00.

Three beautiful Neoclassical buildings that are supposed to symbolize the cultural rebirth of the modern Greek state. Ironically, designed by Danish architects, but the inspiration is clearly local, no doubt about that. The mosaics of the university are hypnotizing. Beautiful shapes and details, we were also very happy to pass by during a graduation ceremony – a glimpse on the daily life of the city which is always touching to witness.  

University of Athens

💙 Exarcheia. It was without knowing it that we ventured into Exárcheia — our main goal was to find a photo shop for film and a nice bookstore (the streets around the university are the epicenter of bookstores of all kinds, including French ones!), but we then dove into the grid of streets and found ourselves in the Exárcheia neighborhood. It is quite a mesmerizing place, clearly very political and strongly left-leaning. It does have a long association with student activism and anarchist movements – since the 70-s! Graffiti, posters, slogans, Marxist bookstores, engaged food places — it was a very curious area and I enjoyed exploring it (although neither of us is anarchist nor, God forbid, communist). Many beautiful murals by locally known artists can also be found here.

🍴 Makedonikon

To all the homeless artwork

Kolonaki. Nothing could be more different than Kolonaki, ironically neighbouring Exárcheia. A wealthy area with embassies, boutiques catering to affluent clientele, and fancy restaurants — we went there on purpose in search of contrast and found exactly what we were looking for. However, our exploration did not last long: Kolonaki felt much less interesting to us than chaotic and artsy Exárcheia. It does contain some architectural gems, such as the Benaki Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art (both of which I would have loved to visit).

Benaki Museum

Kerameikos. Another area we were curious about was the traditionally working-class district around Kerameikos. It is not large and remains relatively untouched by tourism, but it has its own down-to-earth atmosphere and pleasant walkable streets. We were also surprised to discover a significant number of shops run by Chinese owners. Overall, it made for a very peaceful and serene visit.

We love local markets, so it was with great enthusiasm that we headed to Varvakios Market. Fish, meat, small taverns, beautiful colours, signs, sounds and light — it was a true sensory pleasure, even though the area surrounding the market can feel rather chaotic, with many abandoned or half-ruined buildings (a common sight in Athens though…). Outside the market there are also several flea-market stalls, very picturesque as well.

Αλεξανδρινό Κεμπάπ – Μοναστηράκι
Krinos

Big Bazaar

A vast garden which, before becoming national, was royal — but whatever the name, it remains a delightful green heart of Athens, with a maze of winding paths, cosy corners and more than 500 plant species. One can spend a while strolling there, stumbling upon ruins, ponds, small pavilions and even a fountain with turtles. I simply loved this park.

The garden has several entrances, so make sure not to miss Hadrian’s Arch and the Olympieion (Temple of Olympian Zeus), both major ancient landmarks nearby. In the same area stands another impressive site: the Panathenaic Stadium — the venue of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, rebuilt on the remains of an ancient stadium dating back to the 4th century BCE.

Unfortunately, we merely passed by, thinking we would return later for a proper visit, photos and perhaps the small Olympic exhibition inside, but our timing was miscalculated and we never made it back.

Olympion

Hadrian’s Arch

What is great about the Acropolis and its iconic Parthenon is that it stands on a hill, meaning one can casually see it from various points across Athens at any time. I can only wonder how a local — or even generations of locals — might feel seeing such an ancient piece of European civilization on an everyday basis (and no, I don’t believe one ever truly gets used to it!).

There are, however, some nice spots for admiring the Acropolis from afar, and we visited two of them:

• The Areopagus (Hill of Ares) — a great sunset viewpoint over the Acropolis, but as it is the most accessible one, it is usually quite crowded.

View from the Areopagus

• Philopappos Monument — a park spread over a hill whose paths gradually lead towards the Observatory. We went there at sunset as well and had a wonderful time: not too crowded, surrounded by greenery, with different viewpoints and overall a beautiful walk.

As mentioned in the food section, there are also various rooftop restaurants with excellent views, but we tested none.

Lycabettus Hill is also often cited among the best viewpoints over Athens, but we decided to keep something for next time.

View from the Philopappos Monument

We talked a lot about whether we should take a day for a short trip outside Athens, but in the end decided against it, as most places we wanted to see were too far for a relaxed day trip and it would have gone against our travel pace. However, visiting Greece and not going to the sea… impossible.

So we took a tram towards Voula Beach. Even if Voula belongs to another municipality, it is easily connected to Athens and Piraeus, and the ride itself was very pleasant. After five days of intensive walking, simply sitting and watching the scenery move before your eyes becomes a different kind of pleasure.

We took a long walk along Voula Beach and both felt our bodies filling with vitamin D — and joy. For context: we arrived from Ukraine after a particularly rough winter. For two months we had seen nothing but snow, so imagine rediscovering sunlight, plants and the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. It may have been the 19th of February, but that was no reason not to swim already. The nudist beach conveniently solved our problem of not bringing swimsuits.

Piraeus 

A slightly clickbait title, but I’ll use this section for some observations beyond guidebooks.

First — the metro. If you dig tunnels in a city as ancient as Athens, discovering archaeological remains is unavoidable. This led to additional excavations, studies and sometimes modified construction projects. As a result, in stations such as Acropolis or Piraeus you can see artefacts and archaeological displays directly in the metro halls. Fascinating.

Acropolis metro

The urban situation of Athens is interesting indeed. If you wonder why Athens looks so… cubic, I suggest reading about the antiparochí system that shaped much of modern Athens. As for the dilapidated neoclassical buildings, their condition is partly linked to inheritance taxes and complex renovation regulations. I do hope the municipality finds a way to address this — losing such gems would be a shame.

A column I would like to make regular, though I don’t always manage, is books. This time I had several excellent companions:

📖 Mythos and Heroes by Stephen Fry — you will know everything about Greek mythology after this cycle.

📖 24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak — the title speaks for itself. I learned a great deal about Ancient Athens and could enjoy a deeper perception of the visit. Highly recommended.

So, that was Athens. A week of slow travel, delicious food, welcoming people, history that gets under your skin and a complicated present — all of it is Athens. If someone tells you there is nothing to do there, don’t listen to them.

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