My 3 Days in Athens Itinerary: See the Best of Athens

I can’t believe it took me so long to visit Greece. And once I was there, I couldn’t believe it even more. Our trip of course had to start in Athens because you can’t say you’ve been to Greece if you haven’t seen the Parthenon. But Athens is of course much more than Parthenon and Acropolis, so in this blog post I will share with you my 3 days in Athens itinerary.

As a culture traveller, I always tend to explore all the historical sites and museums a place has to offer, so this is exactly what I’ll share with you in this Athens itinerary and guide. Also, with 3 days, not only you’d be able to see the best of Athens, but you’ll explore some lesser-known places and have time to indulge in the food and enjoy the views, preferably from your hotel/apartment or rooftop bar.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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How to Get to Athens

The best and easiest way to get to Athens is to fly to Athens International Airport.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

Once there, I recommend taking a metro to the city centre as it’s the quickest and most efficient way. The ticket is about €9 pp for a 90 minute ride, which gives you enough time to get to your hotel location.

Additionally, you can take Uber or book a private transfer.

📖 Read my Athens Airport Guide (And How I Almost Missed My Flight) blog post to help you navigate the Athens Airport.

How to Get around Athens

If you, like me, love walking, then there’s no need for you to use public transportation at all, as long as you stay in the city centre.

If you’re further away, or you don’t want to take 15k+ steps daily, then you can also take the metro.

But in general, Athens is a pretty walkable city as most attractions are close to one another.

Where to Stay in Athens

I definitely recommend staying in the city centre, especially in the Monastiraki area. I stayed there and personally, it was a great decision!

The area is vibrant, full of cafes and restaurants, it’s safe, and close to all the attractions that I will mention in this 3 days in Athens itinerary.

But an even more important recommendation is to stay in a hotel with an Acropolis view! For me, this was the highlight of our stay in Athens, because we were literally waking up and going to sleep with the Acropolis view.

✅ We stayed in an apartment called Panoramic Suite and had the whole place for ourselves. The terrace was huge and amazing and the views were out of this world. Additionally, we could also enjoy the Acropolis view from the living room and bedroom, but we spent most of our time on the terrace because the weather was nice.

📖 Read my Top 10 Hotels in Athens with Amazing Acropolis View blog post for more.

When to Visit Athens

I was in Athens in mid October and found it the perfect time to visit. The weather was nice, with warm temperatures (in the 20s C and 70s F), sunshine (we had rain on one day only and it stopped later) and fewer crowds.

Because the weather was really warm, we realised it would have been a disaster to visit in summer because you’d spend a lot of time outside, visiting ancient sites with almost no shade, and there are quite a few hills you’d have to climb if you want to enjoy the views of the Acropolis.

On the other hand, even though Greece is on the Mediterranean, the winters can get cold (in the 10s C / 50s F), so I wouldn’t visit then either.

Personally, I recommend spring and autumn, to enjoy the nice weather with fewer crowds.

How Many Days in Athens is Ideal

If you’re in Athens only for the ancient sites, then I recommend 2 full days.

However, if you’d love to squeeze in some museums and non-ancient attractions, then 3 full days is ideal.

Additionally, if you want to take a day trip to Mycenae or other nearby ancient sites, then you need 4 full days.

In this itinerary we will focus only on Athens, and a mix of attractions, which is why you’ll need 3 days if you’d love to follow this exact itinerary.

📖 Read my What Should You Not Miss in Peloponnese? 8 Places I Loved blog post.

Day 1 in Athens

On your first day in Athens, you will explore the most important ancient sites, including the Acropolis.

✅ Consider booking this Acropolis and Mythology Highlights Small Group Tour to explore ancient sites of Athens with a local guide.

Monastiraki Square

It’s inevitable to pass by the lively Monastiraki Square, so make sure to not skip it. I got some fridge magnets there, so it’s a good place for souvenir shopping.

Monastiraki Square Underground Station

You may wonder why am I recommending an underground station to you, but Monastiraki Square metro station is a must stop as the ruins and layers of the ancient town were discovered there.

If you’re arriving in Athens by metro and staying in Monastiraki, then you’ll pass by it on your way out. Otherwise, I recommend getting a metro ticket even if only to see the archaeological ruins.

Hadrian’s Library

Hadrian’s Library was built in 132 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Most of the library is in ruins now, but some parts, like the basilica, are better preserved.

Overall, I thought the entrance ticket didn’t justify the price, but if you’re a history lover like me, then this is a must stop. I definitely don’t regret visiting, but it is not at the top of my ancient sites in Athens.

You can get tickets online or at the counter (I did the latter).

Roman Agora

While most people tend to visit Ancient Greek Agora, there was also a Roman Agora from when Athens was under Roman rule.

While Roman Agora is nowhere near as impressive as the Ancient Agora, it is still a good site to visit if you love history. Again, I think it is worth less than what you actually pay, but it is still not expensive to enter, so I wouldn’t skip it.

The coolest structure there is the Tower of the Winds, which depicts 8 gods of wind, each on one side. It contained a water clock to record time and it was considered the first meteorological station.

You can get tickets online or at the counter (I did the latter).

Ancient Agora of Athens

After Acropolis, Ancient Agora was my 2nd favourite ancient site in Athens, and one not to be missed!

I don’t know about you, but the fact that I’m walking the grounds where once Aristotle and Socrates walked gives me goosebumps (yep, I’m that big geek!).

My favourite parts of Ancient Agora were the Temple of Hephaestus and Stoa of Attalos – the latter was renovated to showcase its past glory and how it all once looked like – loved it A LOT!

✅ Because of the queue, I recommend getting tickets online.

You can get them on GetYourGuide or on the official website (which is sometimes cheaper, so double check!). We actually got the tickets online while queuing, which saved us at least 15 min in the line. I can imagine the queue in the peak season is even bigger.

Once you’re done with all this sightseeing, I recommend having a drink with the view of the Acropolis before heading there.

There are a lot of bars next to the entrance/exit of Agora where you can sit and enjoy.

Areopagus Hill

Areopagus Hill is the closest viewpoint hill to the Acropolis and is next to the main entrance, which is why it’s convenient to make a stop there before you head to the Acropolis.

It’s one of the most popular and instagrammable hills in Athens, but it wasn’t my favourite. It’s still a great place for photos and enjoying the views, but be extra careful when you’re climbing the big rocks.

Acropolis of Athens

And finally, your last activity will be visiting the most famous attraction in Athens – The Acropolis.

Firstly, let me explain why I chose to visit it at the end of the day. So, most bloggers would recommend early morning to beat the crowds, practically as soon as it opens.

Well, I’m not a morning person and I love to take my morning slowly, drinking coffee and having breakfast. So, I checked the opening times and estimated crowds on Google and from what it looked like, and what I later found on other blog posts, is that late afternoon, some 2-3h before the closing time is also great to visit because crowds are growing lighter and it’s no longer that busy.

And that’s exactly what we did and it was a great decision – there were no crowds (there were still people though, don’t mix the two!), we could really enjoy the Acropolis and take beautiful photos.

But, if you prefer to do it straight in the morning, then just do this day the opposite way – starting from Acropolis and finishing at Hadrian’s Library.

✅ I definitely recommend buying tickets in advance, especially in the peak season. You can get them on GetYourGuide or on the official website (which is sometimes cheaper, so double check!). You can also join a guided tour.

The ticket is timed, so make sure to be there on time – you’ll have a 1h slot, which gives you enough time to get to the entrance.

As for the entrance, I actually recommend the Southern Slope, next to the Acropolis Museum because we totally missed seeing Theatre of Dionysus as it was not obvious from the main entrance where to go (I so want to slap myself in the face right now, but what can you do!). The main entrance is more epic though as you pass through the ancient Propylaea Gate.

Day 2 in Athens

On your 2nd day in Athens you will mostly chase the good views and visit a few more ancient attractions.

Little Kook

If you’re staying in Monastiraki or wandering around its streets, I am sure you will pass by Little Kook at least once.

We’ve actually passed by it at least once a day, but on the 2nd day I took the photos with it, which is why I’m mentioning it only now.

Little Kook is a cafe and patisserie known for its quirky and instagrammable display. As we were visiting in October, it was decorated for Halloween. From what I’ve seen, it looks even better for Christmas.

You can have coffee and cakes there, but I found it too busy, so we took the photos only. There’s also a gift shop there, mainly with Christmas ornaments, but it is not allowed to take photos. I did spend a few minutes inside and regretted not bringing a large suitcase, so I can do some shopping.

P. S. If you’re travelling with kids, they are going to love Little Kook!

Nymphs Hill

Spoiler alert: the second day of this Athens itinerary contains a lot of hills with beautiful views!

The first one is Nymphs Hill, which also ended up being my favourite. So, if you’re not interested in “hiking” all day and want to visit only one hill, go with this one.

The views of the Acropolis are the best as you’re looking straight into the Acropolis from the front side. Which means, you’re directly looking at Propylaea Gate, Temple of Nike, the front side of Parthenon and Erechtheion.

Also, the viewpoint is clear, there are no trees obstructing the view and it’s actually quite easy to get there. Definitely, the easiest hill to hike (if you can even call this a hike).

Prison of Socrates

On your way from Nymphs Hill to Philopappos Hill, you will pass by the Prison of Socrates.

Socrates was tried in 399 BC and found guilty for corrupting the youth and impiety. Apparently, he was being held here during his trial.

Though this fact is to this day debatable and not all find it trustworthy, I personally find the place quite intriguing and think it’s definitely worth a short stop by it.

Philopappos Hill

Philopappos Hill is alongside Areopagus Hill the most popular and mentioned in every blog post there is.

While I did love the view from there, it was still not my favourite. Though, it also offers a slightly different viewing angle as it looks over the side of Parthenon and you can clearly see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

But there were a lot of trees obstructing the clear view, so I recommend making a few steps down below for better views than just sticking to the top of the hill. Additionally, what I disliked the most at Philopappos Hill were the hornets. I am not sure if it was the time of the year or what, but be extra careful here.

Little Tree Books and Coffee

If you’re looking for some coffee/drinks and food, and you love books, then I recommend checking out Little Tree Books and Coffee bookshop.

Hadrian’s Arch

The Arch of Hadrian was built in about 132 AD to honour the Emperor Hadrian for his many benefactions to the city.

It’s a free attraction and worth stopping by.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus was begun in the 6th century BC, but it wasn’t completed until the reign of Hadrian in the 2nd century AD.

The temple is currently undergoing restoration and is fully under scaffolding, so I don’t recommend going inside until the restoration ends (there are no confirmed dates yet when this might happen).

You can still see it from the outside fence which is what I’ve done as I find it ridiculous to charge a full price of about €20 pp for something that is fully scaffolded.

But, you can still visit the temple if you want. I recommend getting tickets on the spot, so you can decide in person whether it’d be worth your time and money.

Panathenaic Stadium

Panathenaic Stadium was restored on the site of the ancient stadium from the 4th century BC for the first modern Olympic games in 1896. It once again held the Olympic games in 2004.

We initially wanted to go inside, but then we gave up because it looked way modern (if that counts as a real reason lol!). Also, we were anyway going to visit Olympia, the ancient site of the first held Olympic games ever, so we just decided we’d rather skip it this time.

From what I’ve heard, people did love visiting it, so I again recommend deciding on the spot if you’d love to go inside or not. You can admire it from the street too, like me and my husband did.

Zappeion Hall & National Garden

Zappeion Hall & National Garden are next to the stadium and a beautiful green place to visit in Athens and relax a bit.

Syntagma Square

While there’s not much to do in Syntagma Square, you will pass by it towards the Lycabettus Hill, so have a quick stop to look at the Greek Parliament.

Holy Church of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite

On our way towards the Lycabettus Hill we stumbled upon the Holy Church of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite.

It was such a beautiful orthodox church, dedicated to the patron saint of Athens, Saint Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted to Christianity by Apostle Paul and became the city’s first bishop.

If you have time, I recommend going inside, especially as it’s free.

Lycabettus Hill

And your final destination of the day is Lycabettus Hill, a perfect place for sunset.

Most people would argue that from here are the best views of Athens and I partially agree. These are the best panoramic views of the whole city and they’re really amazing, but if you’re looking for the Acropolis views, note that the Acropolis will be tiny and you may not even see it if foggy (both of this was in our case).

Still, I did very much enjoy the views, especially from the rooftop bar and restaurant.

Good news is that you can either hike to the top or take the funicular. We of course hiked, but note that it is not easy and you need to be fit for that. Also, on a very hot summer day it might not be the smartest idea.

Nevertheless, I do recommend leaving the Lycabettus Hill for the end of the day when you’re done with all the sightseeing.

📖 Read my Peloponnese Itinerary for 7 Days: Ancient Greece Road Trip blog post.

Day 3 in Athens

On your third day in this Athens itinerary you will check out some museums and more modern attractions in the city centre.

Acropolis Museum

A lot of people visit the Acropolis Museum before or as soon as they’ve done visiting the Acropolis. I left it for our last day, which also happened to be the rainy one, so it was a good choice.

Firstly, let me say that visiting the museum after you visit the Acropolis is a must! A lot of statues and parts of temples are being kept there and it gives you a much better perspective of what all of this looked like once.

✅ I recommend buying tickets online as the queue can get quite long, even in the low season. You can get them on GetYourGuide or on the official website (which is sometimes cheaper, so double check!). You can also join a guided tour.

The ticket is timed, so make sure to be there on time – you’ll have a 1h slot, which gives you enough time to get to the entrance.

Beside the museum and its exhibitions, don’t miss the archaeological excavation beneath the museum. The excavation is accessible from the museum’s entrance courtyard.

Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary

Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary is the cathedral and the seat of the Archbishopric of Athens and all of Greece.

The cathedral is considered one of the most important sites of Greece’s modern history, so definitely do visit.

The entrance to the cathedral is free, and I definitely loved its interior more than exterior.

Holy Catholic Cathedral

The primary religion in Greece is Orthodox Christianity. But, if you’d love to visit a catholic church, then definitely visit Holy Catholic Cathedral.

We stumbled upon it during mass as it was Sunday, so we just took one photo from the entrance and left respectfully, but it looks lovely to sightsee. Do note that it is not as beautiful as catholic churches in Italy for example.

It’s also free to visit.

Academy of Athens

Academy of Athens is a beautiful neoclassical building and a high-level research institution founded in 1926.

It is dedicated to promoting science, humanities and the arts and operates under the Ministry of Education. 

The Academy is one of the most beautiful buildings in Athens and not only gives you an idea of what ancient Athens must have looked like, but it also makes you wonder why we ever stopped making such buildings.

Anyways, if you’re into architecture, definitely come here.

Vallianeio Megaron

Vallianeio Megaron is next to the Academy and is an even more beautiful neoclassical building, which once housed the National Library.

However, the library has relocated to another place and the building has been closed to the public. Today, sadly and disturbingly, is a place for junkies and homeless, which totally destroys the vibe.

If you’re solo or with kids, perhaps skip it as we’ve seen people taking drugs there even in the middle of the day.

Despite all of this, Vallianeio Megaron is still one of the most instagrammable places in Athens and I hope it will become a functional building once more.

A for Athens Rooftop Bar

As for your last activity of this 3 days in Athens itinerary, I recommend having a drink with the view.

You can do it from your apartment/hotel or from a rooftop bar (or both). The most popular rooftop bar in Athens with the Acropolis view is A for Athens (which is also a hotel).

If you don’t have a reservation, you can wait for a table to become free.

We were waiting about 20 min for the table and then were offered some really bad spot, so we decided to pass on it because we anyways had an amazing view from our apartment terrace. But I did manage to snap a photo for you, so you can see if the view is worth the wait (and money).

Is Athens worth Visiting

Firstly, let me say that Athens is definitely not the most beautiful city in Europe, especially if you compare it to London, Paris or Rome.

It’s very Balkan and it reminded me much more of Istanbul than of any other European city. But, the ancient sites here are some of the best in the world. The Acropolis is truly a magical place.

Also, the vibes are really great, the city is chill, friendly, lively, and at times it made me feel like I’m home (I’m from Croatia).

It’s relatively cheap (though beers and coffees are for some reason overpriced!), so it won’t break your bank.

Plus, there are so many hotels and rooftop bars with amazing views to enjoy every morning and evening. So, you can assume that my answer is: Yes, Athens is very much worth visiting.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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