Athens is a city steeped in history. It’s the birthplace of democracy and the home of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Echoes of its ancient past still dominate the city, and few places can claim such a heritage. While Athens attracts most people during the summer months (June to August), I recommend visiting in the spring and autumn for milder weather and fewer crowds.
Day 1: Flying into Athens
When we landed, we breezed through customs and followed the signs for the Metro. The M3 line takes you directly to Monastiriki station, a journey of about 50 minutes. Handily, you can pay using contactless payments, a new addition since January 2025. Monastiriki Square masterfully blends the old with the new. From the square, you can see the Acropolis in the background, the oldest standing Mosque in Athens, and a Byzantine-era church. Modern rooftop bars line the square, giving you excellent views of the Acropolis.
Accommodation:
To reach our apartment, we walked through the flea market. I recommend buying your souvenirs here as it’s much cheaper than anywhere else in the city. We stayed at Ipelhome Avissinia Boutique Apartments. While not luxurious, it benefits from a rooftop with clear views of the Acropolis. Do note, because it sits directly within the flea market, you can hear people on the street below.
After settling in, we strolled through the city to get our bearings and found several cool stores. A personal favourite was ModernOn, a homage to the Bauhaus movement. They display gorgeous pieces in this place; I wanted to buy them all. My second favourite store was Play Caffe, where you can buy all manner of board and card games. They even stocked some Lord of the Rings cards, which were sold out everywhere else. We headed to Syntagma Square to start our food tour. The main road connecting to this square, Ermou Street, pays homage to Hermes (God of messengers and commerce) and hosts the city’s major shopping district. It uniquely links key areas within the city and serves as a good meeting spot. On our food tour booked via GetYourGuide, we enjoyed:
- Bougatsa from a local bakery. This filo pastry dish has a filling of either spinach or cheese.
- Pork Souvlaki from a traditional grill house, a staple of Greek culture. Chefs cook souvlaki (skewered meat) horizontally, whereas they cook gyros on a vertical rotisserie. I recommend a Cyclades Pilsner to wash down this tasty treat.
- Peynirli from Smak. This delicious cheese-based, boat-shaped pizza features fresh tomatoes.
- A sweet treat from Lukumades, where they serve fried doughnuts drenched in honey and cinnamon.
- A savoury bread called To Koulouri. Dipping this bread in grape must from winemaking gives it a subtle sweetness. This bread powers the city.
- We ended the night with some orange cake and ice cream made from tree sap.
Top tip: Athens houses several of the world’s top bars. I recommend Baba au Rum (which specialises in rum, of course) and The Clumsies, famous for its atmosphere.
Day 2 - Acropolis
A savoury koulouri bread and an ice-cold Freddo espresso gave us the much-needed energy to conquer the Acropolis, the most iconic site in Athens. This proved especially important as we started our day at 8 am! You should go early to avoid the crowds; by 9 am, the Acropolis heaves with visitors.
Top tip: Freddo coffee is a popular Greek drink. It consists of two shots of espresso shaken with ice and topped with a creamy froth. The locals swear by it (as do I!).
The Acropolis is 100% worth the entry price. Previously, visitors could buy a combination ticket for all major historical sites (which I recommend). However, when we visited in May 2025, we found this option unavailable. Instead, we booked a tour through Viator, which proved a good decision as our tour guide, a trained archaeologist, expertly guided us through all the major sites.
At the Acropolis, we saw:
- The Parthenon
- The Erechtheion
- The Propylaea
- The Temple of Athena Nike
- The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
- The Theatre of Dionysus
After the Acropolis, we stumbled across the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum. I particularly enjoyed seeing the artists in residence and watching people explain how craftsmen make jewellery in the region. This museum is a gem, with intricate pieces that stir creativity in anyone who views them.
We then visited the Acropolis Museum. Many key pieces from the Acropolis now call this place home. My favourite exhibit showed eyes and a nose carved into a marble structure as a tribute to the gods for curing an ailment. I recommend visiting the terrace café for panoramic views of the Acropolis. Again, we booked tickets for this museum through Viator. Annoyingly, despite having tickets, we faced a long queue, so be mindful of this during peak tourist season.
We then took a slow walk to the picturesque area of Plaka. We grabbed lunch at Oineas, where I tried the Moussaka, which tastes remarkably like lasagne. After recharging, we explored the area and found numerous cute shops. My favourite belonged to an artist collective called Parousia Art Gallery. It’s slightly pricey, but they assure quality, and all pieces are unique.
We then wandered aimlessly and discovered more stores to tickle our fancy. A favourite was the vinyl store, Birdman, which also operates as a Japanese restaurant if you fancy something different in Athens. When people think of Plaka, they often envision houses resembling those from the Greek islands. If you want to see quaint, small alleyways, you should visit Anafiotika, but just remember it’s a residential area! From here, we again walked aimlessly and ended up at Ergon House – a delicatessen that seems to have everything. If you want to buy fancy food for your family or indulge in a top spread, visit this place.
Personally, no holiday feels complete without a massage. If you want somewhere in the heart of Athens, try Salon de Massage. It offers good value, and you can book a slot online. Please note they have several locations across Athens, so be mindful of where you book.
By this point, my back felt clicked into gear, and I felt relaxed. We roamed the streets once more, eventually finding Pharaoh, a highly-rated restaurant. Be sure to book beforehand. We tried the Aubergine Trahana (simply outstanding), baked chickpeas with lemon and marjoram (another home run), chocolate cake with caramel and olive oil ice cream (which works surprisingly well), and Galaktoboureko, a Greek custard pie (which I didn’t enjoy as much).
To cap off the night, we returned to Baba au Rum. We tried the Guadeloupe Tiki Punch (sweet and refreshing) and Spicy Baba No7 (the most popular drink, which tastes like ginger ale).
Top tip: If you have a sweet tooth, visit Little Kook. They have a unique theme which they change every few months. When we visited, they had a Snow White theme!
Day 3 - Ancient Agora, Museums and Psiri Nightlife
We started the morning with a coffee and a dream of transporting ourselves back to Ancient Greece. Of course, that wasn’t quite possible, so we did the next best thing and visited the Ancient Agora. The Agora was the centre of Athenian democracy; Pericles and Socrates once walked these streets. The Temple of Hephaestus is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Greece. In the background, you can see the Parthenon, a reminder of the history lost when bombing partly destroyed it.
Temple of Hephaestus in the distance.
Afterwards, we grabbed a snack from one of the many bakeries lining Athens’ streets. Alternatively, I suggest visiting the Varvakios Central Municipal Market, where you can buy fresh meat and produce. We used this as fuel to motor to the National Archaeological Museum. Believe me when I say this museum is vast and houses some of the most impressive pieces of the ancient world. Key pieces include the iconic Mask of Agamemnon, a gold funerary mask and one of the most famous artefacts from the site of Mycenae. You can easily lose track of time here, so grab a coffee in the delightful courtyard for a much-needed break. We bought our tickets online via GetYourGuide. During peak tourist season, the queues can be large, so be mindful of that.
For our last night, we ate at Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani, where we dined in the middle of a charcuterie. It has a relaxed ambience and is fantastic for meat lovers. I recommend booking before you visit. As a final touch, the restaurant offers complimentary pastrami and yoghurt with carrot marmalade. I ordered kunefe, a syrupy Arabic dessert made of stringy pastry with a mozzarella-like cheese in the middle. We then went bar hopping in the nightlife district of Psiri. I recommend The Clumsies, which regularly ranks in the top 50 bars in the world. Try the Aegean Negroni, which has a bittersweet profile. Time Out Magazine voted it the World’s Best Cocktail in 2019.
Top tip: If you fancy something different, why not try the Botanical Museum of the National Gardens or take a cable car to Mount Lycabettus to see the sunset?
Day 4 - Heading Home
For our final day, we grabbed brunch at The Brunchers. While it didn’t blow me away, it provided a much-needed loading of carbs before our long journey back home.
I hope this guide helps you plan the perfect weekend in Athens. I want to give a special shout-out to Cathy, who made my trip so special.
