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
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.
This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This walk around the Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens starts and ends in Syntagma Square and takes you to several museums, Kolonaki Square and Mount Lykabettos.
Two of the best cocktail bars in Athens, MoMix Kerameikos and The Clumsies, are making creative cocktails using that most Greek of Greek spirits, Metaxa.
There's all kinds of entertainment in Athens whether you're interested in theatre, dance, classical music, jazz, Greek music, rock music, disco, opera or movies.
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
Athens in the rain isn’t something you’re likely to experience but here are suggestions for things to do in the rain in Athens including museums and shopping
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.
Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.
Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.
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.
Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.
In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis and eating!
Athens, an Eater's Guide to the City, is published by Culinary Backstreets, who do walking food tours in Athens and the book recommends the best places to eat.
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.
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.
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square
Athens Airport hotels include the luxury Sofitel at the terminals, Holiday Inn near the airport, and others close by like the Hotel Pantheon.
Greece Travel Secrets gives its choice of the best hotels in Athens from budget and moderate options through to 5-star luxury choices.
Greece Travel Secrets chooses its top ten Athens restaurants with Acropolis views, perfect for dining by day or by night, including places with Michelin stars.
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