24 Hours In Athens – Things To Do
So you only got 24 hours in Athens? Well, It’s just enough time to get a good feel of the city!
Over the summer, I actually spend a good amount of time in Athens, I made 4 trips out there. Athens main attractions area isn’t that big, you can literally get almost everything you need to see in just one day. Luckily everything is close by and is walkable. So to save you some time, I listed the MUST do things in Athens that will give you a great feel of the city.
9am
Start your morning with a traditional Greek Breakfast, Yogurt with honey! There are great cafes to grab breakfast at in the town center, Constitution Square, as the town begins to wake up and open up.
10am
Head on over to watch the Changing of the Guards at The Evzones. A little less dramatic than how they do it in London, but still worth the show.
10:30am
Hop on to the Athens Happy Train Tour! It will take you on a hop off and on tour, for a whole hour to all the main attractions of Athens. This also includes through the small streets of the city, that a normal bus couldn’t go through. On the Happy Train, you will also get a chance to see: The Panathenaic Stadium (1st Olympics took place), The Presidential Palace, The Temple of Zeus and the Hadrian Arch, up to The hill of Acropolis and many more places. You will get more familiar with the area and what’s around town. Cost: 6€
*It may sound pretty cheesy, but it’s actually a lot of fun and many grownups actually ride it!
11:15am
Hop off the train and get off to check out the world famous, Parthenon! and explore Greece’s historical ruins.
*The early you get there, the better! It does tend to get busy up there.
1pm
Head back down to town, by foot or hop back on to the train to grab some lunch in Monastiraki! Try some traditional Greek Salad or Stuffed Tomatoes, while people watching as the streets get filled up.
2pm
After lunch is over, get lost in the streets of Monastiraki, where you will find all your Greek goodies! Great place for souvenir and getting lost in the culture of Athens. You can also enjoy some of the ruins and explore the history of the city, over at The Ancient Roman Market.
4pm
Take a break to wind down a bit, enjoy some of the amazing dessert shops of the city. Try the Ice-Frappé , which is the popular and traditional coffee of the locals.
5pm
Shopping time! Head on over to Ermou Street, to find all the shopping stores of all brand names.
8pm
Having dinner in Plaka, is a must! Plaka is filled with the younger and adventures crowd. It features a beautiful staircase filled with amazing restaurants. Many also offer live music and some with traditional Greek dancing. To top it all off, you get the perfect view of the Parthenon!
10pm
The night is young! Before heading back to your hotel, make a quick stop for a drink at 360 Degrees Skybar, where you can get a perfect view of the city at night! With another great view of The Parthenon. It’s only a few minutes walk from Plaka.
Midnight
Get some rest! You have earned it!
I’ve visited Athens 3 times and go back for the TBEX next week. It’s a fantastic place, I’m still amazed every time I see the Acropolis! Your first 24h comprises indeed a lot of the musts of a first visit! Not sure about dinner in Plaka though, I prefer it a bit more authentic 🙂
Awwww sounds great! I would have totally gone to TBEX in Athens, but I was just there 3 months ago, but I did go to Cancun TBEX. Really???? I LOVE PLAKA! It’s perfection to me!
You definitely hit all the spots. I’d say two days in Athens is definitely enough. I spent four and I ran out of things to do. The food is amazing though, I could stay just for that!
Thank you! Ya some cities that’s really all you need is a good day or two to get the general feel of a city. 😉 Thanks for stopping by
I’m bookmarking this as I’m hoping to go to Athens next year and this sounds like the perfect guide! The food sounds amazing too x
Awesome! Thank you! The food is great and healthy!
Thanks for some great info about visiting Athens. I haven’t been yet but I would definitely like to visit. The train tour looks a bit bizarre!
hahaha I laughed at it at first, but everyone rides it because it’s cheap and gets you through everywhere that buses and taxis cant. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
That’s a cool itinerary. I will use some stuff from it if I revisit anytime soon.
Sounds great! Thanks for stopping by!
I feel like I missed so much in Athens because I didn’t plan properly. All I really saw was the Parthenon and surrounding areas. Definitely so much more to see and do in the city.
It’s all good, I’m sure you’ll be back one day. You can really see everything in just a day or 2.
I really enjoyed Athens and enjoyed being taken back having been to all the places you did, which the exception of the Little Train, although we did see it going around near Plaka and will be sure to take a tour on it next time. We enjoyed the vibe of Plaka though heard a lot that don’t like it there.
Love the suggestions, seems like you got the most out of your 24 hours! My husband and I are planning to visit Athens for 3 days this June! I found this video guide that helped me plan our stay! http://www.mygreece.tv/en/athens/About-Athens
It has suggestions on what to do if you visit for the 1st time.. It even has greek lessons!
We are thinking of visiting the historical center, including the Agora, Acropolis, Acropolis museum, Plaka, Philopapos Hill and then take a one day trip to Delphi or Sounion..
Any food suggestions of tips in general are welcome!
Grete