Athens Travel Guide

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Pro

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  The people, history, atmosphere, it just felt so comfortable 


Con

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  Traffic, the waitresses & taxi drivers :-) 


In a nutshell

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  Athens has so much more then you´ll would expect... 

 

Explore Athens

Things to Do  

Athens Acropolis

Athens Acropolis, Athens

 437 Reviews  The Temple of Erechtheum, built between 421 and 406 BC and possibly dedicated to the Greek hero, is not just another temple on the Acropolis; it is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of them all. The reason is simple: the amazing Porch of Maidens – also known as the Porch of the Caryatids. Placed... 

The changing of the Guard

The changing of the Guard, Athens

 76 Reviews  It was a grey cold day at the Syntagma square, but still, as every day at 11AM, the changing guard of the Parliament building went on. This ceremony is 24 times daily but the main one takes place each Sunday at 11 am. If you go on Sunday, make sure to be there early , cause its gets crowdie . Even... 

Lycabettus Hill

Lycabettus Hill, Athens

 64 Reviews  Almost 1000 feet tall, this is the highest point in Athens and gives a 360 degree view. The ascent is by walking (45 minutes), bus, driving or funicular. At the summit is the 19C Chapel of Agios Georgios which replaces an older building. Nearby stands a military flag where a short sunset ceremony is... 

Hotels  

Grand Bretagne Hotel Athens

 17 Reviews and 631 Opinions  Every visitor to Athens cannot fail to notice this huge hotel. It's right on Syntagma Square,... 

Hotel Athens Gate

 4 Reviews and 1108 Opinions  This place is wonderful. I arrived hungry and exhausted about 10pm (local) after a long and... 

See all 285 Hotels in Athens

Restaurants  

Goody's

Goody's, Athens

 8 Reviews  I think that if you are in Greece and feel hungry for some fast-food you are better off trying Goody's. They have a decent menu and you dont feel like you are eating fast-food,its more like a fast-restaurant. Check out my comments about it on http://my--greece.blogspot.com/ 

Thanassis

Thanassis, Athens

 12 Reviews  This place was a buzz with diners and staff and the food was cheap, plentiful and tasted amazing. It was our first local meal in Greece and was worth it! Greek salad, tzatziki, pita bread, calamarakia, & pork souvlakia and beer. Yum! All of it! 

Nightlife  

Artists and concerts

Artists and concerts, Athens

 40 Reviews  Vassilis Papakonstantinou is very famous greek singer loved by all generations (I saw people of different ages at his concert!). He is a real greek rock star and has a particular energy! Vassilis is a favourite singer of Andreas (AndyRG) who actually invited me at his concert. Thank You Andriko! 

Allou Fun Park

Allou Fun Park, Athens

 6 Reviews  ALLOU is the only amusement park in Athens opened in 2002 that attract more than 2 million people with many events that change 3 times every year. Next to allou fun park there is Kidom a classic luna park for little children for the ages 6-12 year old 

Transportation  

Metro

Metro, Athens

 89 Reviews  We bought the full day Metro pass and went to Piraeus and jumped on a Hellenic Seaways ferry to the island of Aegina.Spent the day shopping and playing and touring the Temple of Apollo,then ferried home and took the tram back to Athens. There are a number of ferries at the port- I believe we... 

Airport bus

Airport bus, Athens

 22 Reviews  Airport Bus provides with a convenient and economical way for airport transfers. X95 is the most famous of several routes that runs all the way to Syntagma Square - the city center, and vice versa, round the clock. Other routes are X92 (Kifisia), X93 (Kifisos Intercity Bus Station), X96 (Peiraias),... 

Shopping  

Plaka

Plaka, Athens

 29 Reviews  Plaka is a hotspot for shopping and people watching at night in Athens. Vendors set up blankets in the middle of the avenue and lay out their offerings of fake designer purses, belts, wallets, watches and so on and so forth. Lots of souvenir and specialty shops are in the area as well. Street... 

Monastiraki

Monastiraki, Athens

 24 Reviews  My favourite shop to buy dry fruit and nuts is the one in the corner of the central Public Market . I can always find fresh products, and I buy walnuts and raisins, danes, and all sorts of different other things depending on the season. The shop belongs to Mr. Athanasios Avgerinos 

See all 161 Shopping in Athens

Warnings Or Dangers  

Areas to avoid

Areas to avoid, Athens

 26 Reviews  Hello All. Been there. They wanted to rob me in bright day light as well. I met a guy, he said he's a tourist from Italy, he went my direction so we talked for a bit. He offered a dring in a pub nearby. And it was near, so I agreed - why not have a nice cold drink in the hot. We went into Hollywood... 

People to avoid

People to avoid, Athens

 26 Reviews  I'd heard about this Italian guy 'Stefano' in the review below by nussknacker; he told a friend of mine he is 'Antonio'; he told me he is 'Valentino' because his big day in February 14th! As usual he stopped me at Hadrian's Arch to take his photo. Then the lines started, he's an engineer, has a... 

Tourist Traps  

Taxis

Taxis, Athens

 26 Reviews  To put it bluntly they are ba#%$^%&'s Rude, over bearing, arrogant, and out to prise every cent out of you they can. I found it best by far to NOT ask a price or bargin, but just to get in and get the meter going. FAR CHEAPER 

Plaka

Plaka, Athens

 12 Reviews  This is a scam that I foud multiple times on Athens. If you are eating at a restaurant, the waiter will open a large bottle of water and put it on your table. Then will charge you for it, even if you dont ask for it. Also, he may walk up, after he sees you are a tourist and place some food on the... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Gazi Factory

Gazi Factory, Athens

 6 Reviews  An old gas factory made by some industrial buildings, is now a live industrial museum. This factory, once closed was gradually transformed into a versatile cultural centre and now it hosts several events. When I was there people were preparing a stage for a concert(it was afternoon) and walking... 

Parnitha mountain

Parnitha mountain, Athens

 3 Reviews  Located in the north part of Athens with 1413m high Parnitha mountain(or else Parnes) is one of the top winter destinations famous for it’s shelters (Bafi is one of them) with pine wood forest and small caves.Also famous for the Mon Parnes casino and it's national forest 

Sports & Outdoors  

Olympics 2004

Olympics 2004, Athens

 29 Reviews  The huge Olympic Stadium is the heart of the Olympic Centre OAKA. It offers a place to over 70.000 people, and is used to keep the flame of the Olympic fire and was the place of the opening and closing ceremony. The final of the football (soccer) tournament was here and so were the athletics... 

Favorites  

Athens Acropolis

Athens Acropolis, Athens

 57 Reviews  It’s on all those annoying lists of ‘places you must see before you die’ but the city’s centrepiece, the Parthenon, and the Acropolis, the rocky hill on which it stands, really do live up to the hype. It’s more impressive than ever now that most of the scaffolding has come down and a massive... 

Plaka

Plaka, Athens

 23 Reviews  Starting at the foot of the Acropolis, the old area of Plaka is a maze of narrow, cobble-stoned, medieval streets that twist through ancient sites, tourist-packed squares and lovely Byzantine courtyards. The best way to explore it is simply to get lost among its enchanting passages. The most... 

The Place

Plan a Athens vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Athens locals

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The People

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Advice from the Locals
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 My trap! - Hm, the truth is that I didnt know where to begin with. We had snow on winter 2008 so it was an opportunity to stay inside and get out only for playing with snow. We are not used of it in Athens....... 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  We have an overnight stay in Athens from 8pm. Is there anything to see or do then? Would we be able to see any of the Acropolis?... 

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A: When will you be there? There has been for many years at the Acropolis a Son et Lumiere show between April and October. I saw it quite a long time ago during the first... 

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Top Athens Writers

1

Athens, my city!

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 Athens... What to write about this monument of history, a modern city which makes its inhabitants usually to complain, but to love it deeply at the same time (even if sometimes they don't feel it so... 

2

My trap!

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 Hm, the truth is that I didnt know where to begin with. We had snow on winter 2008 so it was an opportunity to stay inside and get out only for playing with snow. We are not used of it in Athens....... 

3

Athina mou...

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 I've got some interesting experiences in Athens. I'd love to share with you the 83 tips I've written, the 131 photos uploaded, and 5 travelogues I've created. 

4

ATHENS

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 The history of Athens is one of the longest of any city in the world. Athens name is related with the goddess of wisdom Athena. It is also known as the birthplace of democracy The Acropolis(and... 

5

Athens is full of Archaeological sights

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 Athens is the capital of Greece the founding city of the Olympic Games and a city of culture, science and commerce. Athens colourful markets, its ancient monuments, the hustle and bustle of Syntagma... 

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