10 Best Things to Do in Athens, Greece

Planning a trip to Athens, Greece soon? Although many people skip Athens (or only visit for a day) and then head straight to Greek Island hopping, Athens is an incredible city that is 100% worth visiting for a few days! After visiting Athens for a week, I’ve curated the 10 best things to do in Athens to add to your itinerary, including fun, cheap, and free things to do!

10 Best Things to Do in Athens, Greece

Now that we’ve covered the basics for planning your visit to Athens, here are the 10 best things to do when visiting the city!

1. The Acropolis (Must See in Athens)

The Acropolis is a must-see site when visiting Athens. If you ask anyone what’s on the top of the list of best things to do in Athens, then I have no doubt that they’ll say that visiting the Acropolis takes the cake!

You may also like: Top 11 Tips for Visiting The Acropolis in Athens (coming soon)!!

This ancient citadel gets incorrectly synonymised with the Parthenon, but there are so many other buildings and structures at the Acropolis and its slopes to explore! To see the Acropolis in all its glory, make sure to view each site and structure there. This includes the Theatre of Dionysus, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Monument of Agrippa, Erechtheion, the flag of Greece, the Areopagus, as well as the Parthenon. You can visit the Acropolis as part of a guided tour, or if you prefer to explore it more independently, you can download a free Acropolis audio tour from Rick Steves!

BOOK HERE: Acropolis, Parthenon & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour

2. Explore the Athens National Garden

Exploring the National Garden is one of the best things to do in Athens if you want to take some time away from the noisy city centre and chill in a cool environment. It’s home to hundreds of species of trees, bushes, and plants, with the tall palm trees at the entrance being the most notable.

The National Garden is certainly the top place in Athens where you can be surrounded by nature. It also features ancient ruins, a duck pond, mosaics, a courtyard, and my personal favourite, the Turtle Parthenon. The Turtle Parthenon is a little turtle pond in the middle of the National Garden and is the cutest thing ever (my favorite animal is a turtle in case you couldn’t tell)! Best of all, visiting the National Garden is completely free!

3. Changing of the Guards (Evzones)

One of the most famous landmarks in Athens is the Hellenic Parliament building. It served as a palace for King Otto and, since 1929, is the house of the Greek parliament. With old palaces and parliament buildings come presidential guards, named Evzones in Greece. Contrary to what you might think, Evzones don’t protect anything inside the parliament building. They are all male soldiers who are required to complete their military service. Part of their duty is to wear their traditional uniform and guard the parliament building.

Every Sunday morning at 11, a grand parade takes place at the Hellenic Parliament building. This parade has an official, rehearsed choreography of Evzones in their official uniforms, making it very captivating to watch. But if you happen to be in Athens on any other day of the week, then no worries, you won’t completely miss out on seeing this! The Evzones still change every hour of the day; it’s just a smaller, shorter ceremony.

4. Take a Free Walking Tour

I’m not exaggerating when I say taking a free walking tour is one of the best things to do in Athens, especially if you stay longer than 2 days. Taking a free walking tour is a great way to find your bearings in the city, especially when your tour guide is a local who can give the best suggestions and tips for visiting.

I took the Athens Free Tour, and it was incredible! The tour was about 2.5 – 3 hours long, and trust me, it is so valuable and engaging that it goes by quickly. Our guide gave us an amazing intro to Athens, showing us the main landmarks and attractions such as the archaeological sites, the National Garden, and the Panathenaic Stadium, while also giving us insight into the history of Athens and local life. I took the Athens Free Tour on the second day after I landed in Athens, and afterwards, I was so confident in making my way around the city!

5. Explore Plaka Neighbourhood (Including Anafiotika)

Under the shadow of the Acropolis, you’ll find Plaka neighbourhood, also known as the “neighbourhood of the gods.” Not only is it very close to the Acropolis, but it’s also home to a handful of museums that provide further insight into Greek history, such as the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments and the Jewish Museum of Greece.

Plaka just has that friendly village vibe with cobblestone streets, neoclassical houses, charming bars and cafes, and the best souvenir shops!

Also, within Plaka is another small neighbourhood, Anafiotika, notable for its Cycladic architecture. It has a strong connection with Anafi, a small island not too far from Santorini, and is a picturesque area to visit, away from the large crowds of the city. It’s the perfect place to get lost and take Instagram-perfect photos!

6. Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology 

I briefly touched on museums previously, but one museum that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Athens is the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology. Visiting this museum was such an interesting experience that I had to add it to this list!

The concept of this museum is definitely unusual; however, learning about the technology that the ancient Greeks used was so fascinating! They have reconstructions of ancient measuring instruments, gadgets, religious technology, military technology, and musical instruments. Additionally, there are interactive exhibits, videos, and descriptions of how the mechanisms work!

This is certainly a museum that is great to visit for adults and kids alike, which is why I think it’s one of the best things to do in Athens!

7. Zappeion Megaron

The Zappeion isn’t just any building. It’s literally the building that’s linked to the modern Olympic Games!

When the Olympic Games had a resurgence in 1896, after being banned for 1500 years by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, the Zappeion was used as the main fencing hall. It was also used as the Olympic Village for the 1906 Olympic Games (also known as the 1906 Intercalated Games), accommodating the participating athletes. The 1906 Games hold such significance because it was the first to have an opening and closing ceremony and an Olympic Village, which are now accepted as Olympic traditions.

So the Zappeion building being the main fencing hall for the first modern Olympic Games and the first ever Olympic Village is pretty cool! And what’s even cooler is that it’s still standing today! The Zappeion is only used as an event hall now, but you can still admire its history, architecture, and the beautiful gardens in it (as well as Athens National Gardens right next to it). Plus, if you walk through the pillars, you can get a glimpse of what it looks like inside!

8. Panathenaic Stadium

Staying on the topic of the modern Olympic Games, visiting the Panathenaic Stadium (aka Kallimarmaro) isn’t something you’d want to miss when visiting Athens. This is the stadium that hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. And what makes it even more amazing is that it’s the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble!

Not only can you admire the Panathenaic Stadium from the entrance, but you can also admire it from the marble stands where Athenians once sat and cheered the Olympic athletes! General admission is only €12, which also includes a tour of the stadium, a walk on the playing field, and a visit to the exhibition “Memories from the Olympic Games: Posters and Torches from 1896 to the Present.”

9. Rooftop Views of the Acropolis

For a site like the Acropolis, it’s beautiful to see it up close and from a rooftop. So one of the best things to do in Athens is to admire the Acropolis from the many rooftop bars across the city. With the way the Acropolis is lit up at night and the beautiful rooftop view, it makes for a relaxing way to end a night in Athens.

Some of the best bars with rooftop views of the Acropolis are MS Roof Garden, A for Athens, Attic Urban Rooftop, 360 Cocktail Bar, and Ciel! I personally love MS Roof Garden, where I got an amazing view of the Acropolis at night and Monastiraki Square!

10. Greek Island Cruise

Okay, so doing a Greek island cruise isn’t technically an activity to do in Athens since the Greek Islands are obviously not in Athens, but it’s very easy to get from Athens city centre to Piraeus, Athens’ passenger port, to board your Greek island-hopping adventures! So if you want a taste of what Greek island-hopping is like, this is your chance!

When I stayed in Athens, I decided to dabble in a bit of Saronic Island hopping for a day with Cruise in Greece, where I visited Agistri and Aegina and enjoyed the clear blue waters near Moni. I was able to explore Agistri on an electric bike and relax on the beach in Aegina (and take advantage of getting their very high-quality pistachio nuts). The food and drinks were great, and they made a stop very close to Moni Island where you could swim in the water (they provide floats) and take photos on the boat.

I always recommend this activity to anyone who tells me they’re visiting Athens because it’s such a fun and unforgettable experience!

BOOK HERE: 3-Island Cruise to Agistri, Moni & Aegina with Lunch

Where to Eat + Drink in Athens

• Best Restaurants
  • The Greco’s Project
  • Begg for Egg
  • PO’ Boys BBQ
• Best Desserts
  • Little Kook
  • Yum…Me!
  • Sugar Killer
• Best Bars
  • Cuba Libre
  • The 7 Jokers Cocktail Bar
  • Baba au Rum

Where to Stay in Athens

There are various neighbourhoods to stay in Athens that are perfect for visiting depending on your vibe. I stayed in Pagrati because I didn’t want to be too close to the busyness of the city and loved it! However, if you want to stay closer to the main attractions and landmarks, I’d recommend either Belle Epoque Suites in Syntagma, Athenian Floss Hotel in Monastiraki, or Pandrosos Divine Suites in Plaka.

Alternatively, you can have a look at some hotels to stay at on the map below!

10 Best Things to Do in Athens: Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a handful of amazing things to do in Athens, from visiting the Acropolis to exploring Athens’ neighbourhoods to learning about Athenian and general Greek history! I hope this list has convinced you that the city is worth visiting for more than one day and encouraged you to add some of these activities to your itinerary!

More guides to help you plan your trip to Athens:

• One Day in Athens: The Perfect Itinerary (coming soon)!!
• How to Spend 2 Days in Athens: The Ultimate Itinerary (coming soon)!!
• 4 Days in Athens: The Ultimate Itinerary (coming soon)!!
• How to Get From Athens Airport to the City Centre (coming soon)!!

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