A photograph of Athens

City guide · Greece

Theme: History in Athens, Greece

Athens combines an ancient pedestrian core with a much larger modern city. The Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki and the Ancient Agora form the central visitor clus...

Photograph · Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

4,205 Places
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Getting around
Walk, metro, tram and bus

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Athens

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Athens combines an ancient pedestrian core with a much larger modern city. The Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki and the Ancient Agora form the central visitor cluster. Syntagma and Kolonaki extend east, while the National Archaeological Museum lies north and the coast runs far to the south. Piraeus is a separate port city within the wider urban area and needs its own journey.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
Greek
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+30
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers the mainland and all islands

Planning a visit

November · November averages 19°C by day and 12°C at night in Athens, with about five daily sunshine hours.

  1. January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  2. February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  3. March: good time to visit
  4. April: best time to visit
  5. May: best time to visit
  6. June: good time to visit
  7. July: recurring difficult conditions
  8. August: recurring difficult conditions
  9. September: good time to visit
  10. October: best time to visit
  11. November: good time to visit — current month
  12. December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Odeon of Herodes Atticus Odeon of Herodes Atticus
    02 45 min

    Odeon of Herodes Atticus

    Ωδείο Ηρώδου Αττικού

    The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone Roman theatre structure on the southwest slope of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  2. Roman Agora of Athens Roman Agora of Athens
    03 45 min

    Roman Agora of Athens

    Ρωμαϊκή Αγορά Αθηνών

    The Roman Agora is an archaeological site in central Athens, located to the north of the Acropolis. It was constructed during the Roman period and served as a commercial and administrative centre, distinct from the earlier Classical Agora.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  3. Syntagma Square Syntagma Square
    04 45 min

    Syntagma Square

    Πλατεία Συντάγματος

    Syntagma Square is the central plaza of Athens, Greece, serving as the political and geographic heart of the capital. It derives its name from the Greek constitution (syntagma) granted in 1843.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  4. Old Royal Palace
    05 45 min

    Old Royal Palace

    Βουλή των Ελλήνων

    The Old Royal Palace is the first royal palace of modern Greece, a neoclassical building facing Syntagma Square in central Athens.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  5. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens
    06 45 min

    Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens

    Μνημείο Αγνώστου Στρατιώτου

    The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a war memorial in Syntagma Square, Athens, in front of the Old Royal Palace, which now houses the Parliament.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  6. Temple of Hephaestus Temple of Hephaestus
    07 45 min

    Temple of Hephaestus

    Ναός Ηφαίστου

    The Temple of Hephaestus stands in the Ancient Agora of Athens, a well-preserved Doric temple dedicated to Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworking. Constructed largely of Pentelic marble, it dominates the western side of the agora.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  7. Kerameikos Kerameikos
    08 45 min

    Kerameikos

    Αρχαιολογικός Χώρος Κεραμεικού

    Kerameikos is an ancient cemetery and archaeological site in Athens, located northwest of the Acropolis along the Eridanos River. The area served as the primary burial ground for the city from the 12th century BC through Roman times.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  8. Museum of Cycladic Art Museum of Cycladic Art
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Cycladic Art

    Μουσείο Κυκλαδικής Τέχνης

    The Museum of Cycladic Art is a private museum in Athens dedicated to ancient Aegean cultures, with particular emphasis on Cycladic art of the Early Bronze Age.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  9. Byzantine and Christian Museum Byzantine and Christian Museum
    10 1 hr 30 min

    Byzantine and Christian Museum

    Βυζαντινό και Χριστιανικό Μουσείο

    The Byzantine and Christian Museum is a major museum in Athens, Greece, dedicated to the preservation and display of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art and culture.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  10. Theatre of Dionysus Theatre of Dionysus
    11 45 min

    Theatre of Dionysus

    Θέατρο του Διονύσου

    The Theatre of Dionysus is an ancient Greek theatre on the south slope of the Acropolis in Athens. It is widely regarded as the birthplace of European theatre and the first home of dramatic performances.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  11. Stoa of Attalos
    12 45 min

    Stoa of Attalos

    Στοά του Αττάλου

    The Stoa of Attalos is a stoa, a covered walkway or portico, on the east side of the Agora of Athens.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  12. Areopagus
    13 45 min

    Areopagus

    Άρειος Πάγος

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  13. Philopappos Monument Philopappos Monument
    14 45 min

    Philopappos Monument

    Μνημείο Φιλοπάππου

    The Philopappos Monument is an ancient funerary monument situated on Mouseion Hill, southwest of the Athenian Acropolis.

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  14. Pnyx
    15 45 min

    Pnyx

    Πνύκα

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  15. Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
    16 30 min

    Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

    Μητροπολιτικός Ναός Αθηνών

    The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, also known as the Cathedral of the Annunciation, is the principal cathedral of the Church of Greece in the capital.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  16. Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea
    17 30 min

    Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea

    Παναγία Καπνικαρέα

    The Church of Panagia Kapnikarea is a Byzantine-era church standing prominently on Ermou Street in central Athens. It dates to the 11th century, though portions may reflect earlier construction.

    • Must see
    • Place of worship
  17. National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum
    18 1 hr 30 min

    National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum

    Εθνική Πινακοθήκη - Μουσείο Αλέξανδρου Σούτσου

    The National Gallery–Alexandros Soutsos Museum is Athens's national museum for modern Greek art.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  18. Museum of the City of Athens (Foundation Vourou-Eutaxia) Museum of the City of Athens (Foundation Vourou-Eutaxia)
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of the City of Athens (Foundation Vourou-Eutaxia)

    Μουσείον της Πόλεως των Αθηνών

    The Museum of the City of Athens occupies the neoclassical residence of King Otto, Greece's first monarch following independence. Located on Klafthmonos Square, this historic mansion represents a significant period of Athenian urban development.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  19. Numismatic Museum of Athens Numismatic Museum of Athens
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Numismatic Museum of Athens

    Νομισματικό Μουσείο

    The Numismatic Museum of Athens is a museum dedicated to the study and display of coins, medals, and related objects. It occupies the former mansion of Heinrich Schliemann, the German archaeologist who excavated Troy and Mycenae.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  20. Lyceum
    21 45 min

    Lyceum

    Λύκειο Αριστοτέλη

    • Must see
    • Historic site
  21. Hellenic Motor Museum Hellenic Motor Museum
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Hellenic Motor Museum

    Ελληνικό Μουσείο Αυτοκινήτου

    The Hellenic Motor Museum is an automobile museum located in Athens, Greece. It presents a collection of vehicles spanning multiple decades of automotive history.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  22. Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments

    Μουσείο Ελληνικών Λαϊκών Οργάνων

    The Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments occupies a historic townhouse in the Plaka district beneath the Acropolis. Established through private initiative, it preserves and displays the sonic heritage of Greek regional traditions.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  23. Jewish Museum of Greece Jewish Museum of Greece
    24 1 hr 30 min

    Jewish Museum of Greece

    Εβραϊκό Μουσείο Ελλάδος

    The Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens preserves and explains the history of Jewish communities in Greece through objects, documents, images and personal traces of everyday life.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  24. Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum

    Μουσείο Κοσμήματος Ηλία Λαλαούνη

    The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum is a specialised Athens museum devoted to jewellery, decorative arts, and the work of Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis. Housed in a historic building, it connects ancient Greek visual traditions with modern wearable art.

    • Must see
    • Museum

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Use the Acropolis as the central landmark. Plaka and Anafiotika sit on its northern and eastern slopes, Monastiraki and the Ancient Agora lie northwest, and Syntagma stands farther east. The National Garden links Syntagma with the Olympic and museum zone. Exarchia and the National Archaeological Museum are north of the centre, while coastal districts and Piraeus require metro, tram or bus connections.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Walk through the Acropolis-Plaka-Monastiraki core and use the integrated OASA network for longer journeys. Metro, tram, buses and trolleybuses cover Athens and its suburbs, with Line 3 connecting the airport and central city. The tram is useful for selected coastal routes, while Piraeus is best treated as a separate transport leg. Consult OASA for current routes and ticket products.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Athens?

Suggested stay for a first visit: 2–3 days. Build the visit around the Acropolis core, central museums and neighbourhoods, then add the coast or Piraeus only when time permits.

Can I walk between the main ancient sites?

Yes. The Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki and the Ancient Agora form a practical central walking area. Use transit for the National Archaeological Museum, coast and Piraeus.

What public transport serves Athens?

The OASA network includes metro, tram, buses and trolleybuses. One integrated network connects the centre with suburbs, the airport corridor and major visitor districts.

How do I reach Athens from the airport?

OASA identifies Metro Line 3 and airport express buses as direct public transport options. Check the operator before travel because airport ticket products differ from ordinary urban journeys.

Is Piraeus part of the central Athens walking route?

No. Piraeus belongs to the wider urban area but is a separate port destination. Give it a dedicated metro or bus journey rather than adding it to an Acropolis walk.