Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens

Athens

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.

Ten Fun Things to Do in Athens

Sunset on the Acropolis in AthensSunset on the Acropolis

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 1.5km 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.

Athens Central MarketAthens Central Market

Dine in the 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.

Evzone Soldier in Athens

Snap Yourself with an Evzone

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.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus in AthensOdeon of Herodes Atticus
Photo by 'Bobby H' and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

See a Play in One of the World's Oldest Theatres

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.

Apostolis Pavlou street in AthensApostolis Pavlou
Photo by George E. Koronaios and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Walk in the Footsteps of St Paul

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.

The Panathenaic Stadium in AthensThe Panathenaic Stadium

See where the Olympic Games was Reborn

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'.

The Monastiraki Flea Market in AthensThe Monastiraki Flea Market

Buy a Souvenir at 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.

The National Garden in AthensThe National Garden

Escape the Heat in a Royal 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.

And here's a map showing you where all these fun things to do in Athens can be found.

See our other Athens pages...

  • Athens Culinary Tours

    Athens culinary tours are among the food walking tours offered by an unusual company, Culinary Backstreets.

  • Piraeus

    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.

  • Artistic Athens

    This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..

  • Athens International Airport

    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.

  • The Best Things to Do in Athens

    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

  • Monastiraki Flea Market

    Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square

  • Monastiraki and Around

    Around Monastiraki is the flea market, Athens cathedral, Kerameikos Cemetery, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art and the Psirri and Gazi nightlife districts.

  • Where to Eat in Athens and Piraeus

    If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.

  • Cape Sounion and the East Coast

    The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.

  • Marathon

    The ancient site of Marathon and the site of the Battle of Marathon are in Attica and naturally about 26 miles or 42 kilometres from the centre of Athens.

  • A Drive around Attica

    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 Walking Tours and Other Experiences

    Athens walking tours and other experiences like cookery lessons, ceramics workshops, dining with a family, and street art are available from Alternative Athens

  • Athens in the Rain

    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

  • Athens Food Tours

    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 Events and Public Holidays

    If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.

  • Athens Eaters Guide

    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 Dining Guide

    This Athens dining guide doesn't list restaurants but gives practical advice on types of eating places, tipping, hotel breakfasts and picnics.

  • Athens Car Rental

    Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.

  • Athens Airport Car Rental

    Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.

  • Athens Acropolis

    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: Travel Information and Advice about Athens, Greece

    Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athensguide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.

  • Pictures of Athens

    Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website

  • National Archaeological Museum

    The National Archaeological Museum is one of the best things to see in Athens, and the best museum in the world for seeing Greece's archaeological treasures.

  • My Athens: a Portrait by Travel Writer Mike Gerrard

    In My Athens on Greece Travel Secrets award-winning travel writer Mike Gerrard describes what he loves about Athens including the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum and eating!

  • Greek Architecture

    This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. Greece Extends Travel Restrictions for Russians

    The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Monday issued an aviation directive (NOTAM) which extends the travel restrictions imposed on Russian citizens traveling to Greece. The directive, which…

    Read More

  2. Olympic Air Announces Flight Cancellations, Reschedules

    Olympic Air has announced flight cancellations and reschedules due to a work suspension of the PanHellenic Union of Licensed Aeronautical Telecommunication Officers between September 21-23. According…

    Read More

  3. Greece Announces Relief Measures for Households, Businesses in Flood-hit Areas

    The Greek government on Monday announced support measures, including state aid and tax relief, for people and businesses in areas affected by flooding caused by the “Ianos” storm over the weekend. The…

    Read More

  4. Fraport Greece Takes Part in Rescue Campaign of Ithaki’s Green Toad

    Fraport Greece, the manager of 14 regional airports in Greece, is actively supporting the campaign for the rescue of the green toad (bufotes viridis), an endangered amphibian species living on the Gre…

    Read More

  5. Greece Sees 86% Drop in Tourism Revenue in Jan-July Period

    Greece saw revenues from inbound tourism nosedive during the first seven months of the year, according to provisional data released by the Bank of Greece on Monday. Greek tourism’s poor performance du…

    Read More

  6. GNTO to Support Tourism Promotion of Salamina Island

    The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) is exploring ways to promote Salamina, a historic island located in the Saronic gulf, a few kilometers off the coast of Piraeus. “GNTO actively supports…

    Read More

  7. 100 Destinations Now Have ‘Safe Travels’ Stamp of WTTC

    The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) on Friday announced that the Philippines has become the official 100th destination using its ‘Safe Travels’ global safety and hygiene stamp. The stamp was dev…

    Read More

  8. Athens-Attica: New Covid-19 Measures Include Teleworking, Suspension of Concerts

    A series of additional restrictive measures to curb the further spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the wider Athens area of Attica were announced on Friday by Greek Civil Protection Deputy Minist…

    Read More

  9. Ireland Announces 14-day Quarantine for Arrivals from Greece

    The Irish Government on Thursday removed Greece from the list of exempt countries for quarantine due to the coronavirus (Covid-19). As of Monday, September 21, all travelers arriving to Ireland from G…

    Read More

  10. Victoria Hislop Officially Becomes Honorary Citizen of Greece

    British best-selling author Victoria Hislop was officially sworn-in as a Greek citizen during a ceremony in Athens on Thursday. The author in July had been granted the Greek citizenship by Hellenic Re…

    Read More