Ten Fun Things to Do
in Athens
Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens include eating in the Central Market, watching the sun set over the Acropolis and seeing one of the world's oldest theatres.
Sunset on the Acropolis
There are plenty of fun things to do in Athens, as well as
the obvious attractions like visiting the Acropolis, the Plaka, or the National
Archaeological Museum. Sometimes the little fun things might only take a few
minutes but can really add to the pleasure of a visit.
Here's our list of ten fun things to do in Athens, some of
which are free or inexpensive. All of them will add something to your visit to
Athens. Try to fit in as many as you can.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
Ten Fun Things to Do
in Athens
See the Sun Set on
the Acropolis
Areopagus Hill
There are sunsets and then there's watching the golden glow
of the sun going down and illuminating the pinkish granite of the 2500-year-old
Acropolis from the top of the Areopagus Hill.
Photograph a Running
Statue
O Dromeas
O Dromeas means The Runner and this remarkable statue stands in the middle of a traffic island 1.5 kms (about 1 mile) east of Syntagma Square and across from the Athens Hilton. It took sculptor Costas Varotsos six years to put together the thousands of pieces of jagged broken glass which, together, make the shape of a running figure, as if racing into the wind.
Dine in the Athens
Central Market
Athens Central Market
Central Municipal Athens Market, Filopoimenos 4
To enjoy authentic Greek cooking at cheap prices, forget the tourist areas and head for somewhere like the Oinomageireio H Epirus (Epirus Tavern) restaurant in the city's main market and taste the best moussaka you'll ever eat.
Snap Yourself with an
Evzone
Evzone Soldier in Athens
Monument of the Unknown Soldier, Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias 133
The Presidential Guards known as Evzones guard the Monument
of the Unknown Soldier outside the Hellenic Parliament building. They're used
to being photographed, and having people pose next to them, so don't be shy,
but do be respectful.
See a Play in One of
the World's Oldest Theatres
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Photo by 'Bobby H' and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Areopagitou Dionisiou
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, at the foot of the Acropolis, was built in 161 AD and is still in use today as a performance venue. The best time is in summer during the Athens and Epidaurus Festival when you might see anything from classical Greek drama to rock stars like Sting.
Swim in a Lake that's also a Spa
Vouliagmenis Lake
The Vouliagmenis Lake is less than 30 minutes from the city centre, near the Athenian Riviera, and acts as a natural hot spa. It is fed by underground thermal springs and by warm water from the sea, and it also disappears in an underground cave system that has still not been fully explored.
Walk in the Footsteps
of St Paul
Apostolis Pavlou
Photo by George E. Koronaios and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Areopagus Hill
Apostolou Pavlou is a pedestrianised street that follows the
route that the Apostle Paul took when he visited Athens to preach on the
Areopagus Hill. You'll be rewarded for the climb by photos over the city and of
the Acropolis.
See where the Olympic
Games was Reborn
The Panathenaic Stadium
Panathenaic Stadium, Leoforos Vasileos Konstantinou
The Panathenaic Stadium was used for the first modern
Olympic Games, held here in 1896. It's still a remarkably elegant piece of
architecture, tempting everyone to take 'just one more photo'.
Buy a Souvenir at the
Monastiraki Flea Market
The Monastiraki Flea Market
Monastiraki Square
Many cities have flea markets but you've never seen anything
like Monastiraki every Sunday morning. Running for miles from Monastiraki
Square, it's a mix of western market and eastern bazaar where you can buy
anything from old typewriters to video games, from watches to bicycles, from
religious icons to pornography.
Escape the Heat in a
Royal Garden
The National Garden
National Garden, Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias 1
The former Royal Garden, now the National Garden, is full of
shady nooks and benches to help escape the summer heat for a while. Take a
picnic and join the locals, and enjoy the ancient remains, all for free.
Other Athens pages
The best things to do in Athens, Greece, include top archaeological sites like the Acropolis and must-see attractions such as the National Archaeological Museum
Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.
Athens walking tours and other experiences like cookery lessons, ceramics workshops, dining with a family, and street art are available from Alternative Athens
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square
Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.
There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.
The Athens Museum of Cycladic Art houses a remarkable collection of Cycladic figurines and other items and is one of the best museums in Athens.
In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis and eating!
The Athens Acropolis has the city's most iconic building, the Parthenon, along with other historic buildings and is where the Elgin Marbles were taken from.
Athens Food Tours are being introduced by new company The Greek Fork, and will include tours of the Central Market, and the best street food.
Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.
Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.
A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.
Athens' Benaki Museum is one of the city’s top museums with an outstanding collection, especially of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, in a beautiful mansion.
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.
Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.
The Athens Agora or ancient market is a must-see site and one of the best things to do in Athens with its restored arcade building, the Stoa, and its museum.
Around Monastiraki is the flea market, Athens cathedral, Kerameikos Cemetery, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art and the Psirri and Gazi nightlife districts.
This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.
The Athens War Museum is a fascinating look at Greek history through the lens of warfare from ancient battles to the Greek War of Independence and World War II.
The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.
This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..
The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.
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