Notes on Athens, Greece

Athens was the first destination on a 3 week trip in Greece and our first big trip since 2019. It was incredibly exciting to be travelling again! We only spent 2 full days here so I feel we only just started to scratch the surface and I would love to go back to explore more. It’s a perfect destination for a city break.

We were in Athens mid-September 2022 so all my notes are based around my experiences at that time. Please do check any dates/opening times/locations etc. if you’re planning your own trip – things change! Links are to websites if I can find useful ones, or Google Maps locations if not, so you can see where they are. Please also note this post contains some affiliate links, indicated with a ‘*’ – if you click them and decide to buy something I may receive a small cut of the payment, but it won’t cost you more. Thank you!

Instax photograph of Roman Agora in Athens

You can read my notes on what we got up to below, but if you are short on time here are my top recommendations, plus you can take a look at my more general notes on travelling in Greece: Athens, the Peloponnese and a few islands, too:

Pictures, please

If you’d prefer just to look through my photos for now I’ve made a gallery of the photographs in this post here, but if you’d like to read my notes you can find them all below.

Top recommendations in Athens, Greece

—Click here to show top recommendations—

Travel:

Metro: the metro in Athens is really easy to use and connects the main city to the airport and the port.

BEAT: an app for ‘hailing’ taxis

Buses: you can book KTEL buses for long journeys across the country, but different companies run different routes, so I’ve written some notes about which ones we used for our trip here.

Do/see/visit:

The Acropolis (note that the opening times might be different to those online, they closed an hour earlier than we expected. We also bought our tickets at the machine by the gate, not online).

The Acropolis Museum: excellent museum showing pieces from The Acropolis that have been preserved.

The Ancient Agora: use Rick Steves’ audio tour to wander around this huge site.

Drink:

Mokka: traditional Greek Coffee.

Thea Terrace: rooftop bar with a great view.

Tapfield: craft beer in a really great street.

Eat:

Το Κουλούρι του Ψυρρή: for Koulouri (sesame bread rings).

Café Avissinia: book ahead for delicious dinner on the terrace.

Klepsydra (Κλεψύδρα): enjoyed moussaka with a great view.

Stay:

We stayed at Fos DownTown Suites* and I’d recommend it – the location was great, close to the Syntagma Metro with most of the main sites in walking distance. The room was lovely – spacious, clean and stylish, with good wifi and a Nespresso machine.

The exterior of Fos DownTown Suites Hotel, showing an illuminated round sign above a door with wooden slats, windows along the facade and a metal planter in front with tall green grass.

Useful to have

Use Rick Steves’ ‘Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese*’: for planning, self-guided walks and useful information. See it on Bookshop.org here* or Amazon here*.

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Arriving in Athens

We flew from the UK to Athens with Wizz Air – their tickets are cheap but their carry-on allowances are very small, so watch out for that and check whether it’s worth spending more on tickets with a larger allowance rather than having to pay extra later. The airport is out of the city but really well connected by the metro, one arriving every half hour. I use the free Citymapper app where I can and Athens was a place where I could, so it made public transport much easier! The blue line from the airport took us directly to Syntagma, which is where our hotel was. There’s a useful site with a good map of the metro here.

When we were there in September 2022 face masks were still mandatory on public transport and everyone was wearing them, so check before you set off. It’s a good idea to have one with you when travelling anyway, if you pick up a cold or anything you can at least try to limit the spread!

How we spent 2(.5) days in Athens: first afternoon

Generally getting our bearings

We arrived in Athens in the afternoon and once we’d checked in and dumped our bags we headed out to get our bearings a bit. I collect photographs of weird things in gutters so I was particularly delighted to see a red origami crane in a gutter as soon as we crossed the road. The area around Syntagma Square has lots of shops and cafés so we grabbed some feta and pepper pies and ate them sitting in the Square, before going for a wander.

We’re pretty big Rick Steves fans so with his ‘Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese*’ guide in hand we started with his orientation walk to figure out the lay of the land. I’d photographed a big event just before we went away and was a bit tired so we took it easy and picked up the walk the next day, hence why I’ve put the half day in brackets above. If you don’t wear yourself out before travelling you wouldn’t need to split it.

Red origami crane in a gutter by the side of the road, viewed from above.

Syntagma Square, Athens, Greece, showing ornate lamposts along a paved pathway that leads to a fountain, with people walking in front. The path is lined with leafy trees and there is a building visible in the distance in the centre of the image. — Syntagma Square

Feta and pepper pie, photographed looking into a white paper bag.

How we spent 2(.5) days in Athens: first full day

City walk, traditional coffee, general wandering, rooftop drinks, the Acropolis

Let’s pretend this is a ‘1 or 2 days in Athens itinerary’ post and start with the city walk, rather than pick it up from yesterday, which is what we really did. The orientation walk in Rick Steves’ ‘Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese*’ guide takes in the main sites and tells you a bit about them all. For us it’s the perfect way to get a good sense of the place, learn something about the history and see what we’d like to explore more. I recommend picking up a copy* if you’re planning a similar trip, I won’t copy his route here but here are some of the things that caught my eye on the walk.

Hellenic Parliament, Athens, Greece, photographed on a bright sunny day with deep blue sky above. A Greek flag flutters on the top, and soldiers of the Presidential Guard are visible on duty in front, guarding the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. — Hellenic Parliament

Arch of Hadrian (Hadrian's Gate), Athens, Greece, on a bright day with deep blue sky above. It is photographed here from the south east, looking north west, with buildings, traffic and part of the Acropolis visible behind, and people walking in front. — Arch of Hadrian (Hadrian’s Gate)

View of Mount Lycabettus from the hill leading up to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, which is framed by lush green trees and plants. — View of Mount Lycabettus from the hill leading up to the Acropolis

We had a pause here, a small park on the way up to the Acropolis for an ice tea with a view and the most lovely nectarine I’ve ever eaten. Perfectly ripe. I recommend scheduling lots of refreshment breaks if you’re travelling when the weather is hot. September was ideal for us (brits) – still pretty hot but much cooler than the summer, I imagine.

Photograph of concrete in dappled light, with part of a tile showing a traditional greek pattern towards the centre.

Dehydrated. Photograph of a cable with dead grape vines hanging from it, with Athens city visible in the background below.

Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary - Panagia Kapnikarea, Athens, Greece, amongst contemporary buildings in Athens, with people walking in the foreground and a blue sky above. — Holy Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary – Panagia Kapnikarea

Traditional Greek Coffee, Ellinikos Kafes, Athens, Greece. Shown here is a briki, the pot used to brew the coffee on hot sand.

We had traditional Greek coffee in Mokka, near the market, where the coffee is brewed in little pots on hot sand and served with water and Greek Delight. They are very used to tourists and help you know what to do, including whether you want it sweet or not. I wasn’t sure if it would be bitter but as I usually drink my coffee black I was advised just to have this black too. It was delicious, definitely perked us up and there is something special about the process both of how it is made and how we pour it, too.

Street art near Athens Central Municipal Market, Monastiraki, Athens, Greece. Buildings surround a road, with cars and people. The buildings feature street art of a person with long hair looking downwards (by INO) to the centre-left and street art of a child looking at a sapling to the right (Untitiled by M. Koan) — Street art by INO M. Koan

Basically we just just wandered about a bit, fascinated by all the shops and bars around each corner. Sure, there are plenty of ‘Greek shops’ in the Plaka but in Psyri there are tiny shops specialising in specific things. Need a chair fixing? There’s a shop just for that. Fancy tea and cake in an over-the-top Alice and Wonderland themed café? No problem. It’s a joy to explore and I only wish we’d had longer!

Photograph showing Thea Rooftop Bar, with a sign reading 'thea' in orange on the wall to the right, and tables and chairs leading up to a view across Athens to the left.

Remember – lots of refreshment stops! We went to Thea Terrace, the rooftop bar at Central Hotel for beers with a fantastic view across the city to the Acropolis. I think it probably gets pretty busy in the evening but in the late afternoon there were only two other people there.

Photograph looking up at columns on the side of The Parthenon at the Acropolis of Athens, with clear blue sky behind and above. — The Parthenon

We decided to visit the Acropolis in the late afternoon to avoid the hottest heat and the biggest crowds of the day. It was busy but not so many tour groups and definitely cooler. It was really lovely to see it as the sun was setting, in the golden light but we probably should have gone slightly earlier than we did as they started to tell us to leave earlier than we’d expected. We’d had a good look round though and it was really nice to go across to Areopagus Hill and watch the light change on the Acropolis itself as well across the city.

The Erechtheion at the Acropolis of Athens, in golden evening light, with hills and the city visible in the distance to the left. — The Erechtheion at the Acropolis of Athens

Photograph of sunset over hills viewed from the Acropolis, with The Erechtheion to the right of the frame and tourists walking along the path towards the bottom.

Photograph looking across Athens city from the Acropolis, in fading pinkish evening light. A hill is in the centre, surrounded by buildings, with mountains in the background and parts of the Acropolis in the foreground.

The Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece, at twilight, viewed from Areopagus Hill. — The Acropolis of Athens

As it was now dark and we’d had a long day of walking so we stopped for moussaka at Klepsydra (Κλεψύδρα), a restaurant just down from the Acropolis towards Hadrian’s Library, spilling out into the street and steps.

Klepsydra (Κλεψύδρα) restaurant in Athens, Greece, with diners sitting outside and the Acropolis of Athens visible in the background. — Klepsydra (Κλεψύδρα) restaurant in Athens

Klepsydra (Κλεψύδρα) restaurant in Athens, Greece, with diners sitting outside and Fethiye Mosque Museum visible in the distance.

How we spent 2(.5) days in Athens: second full day

Ancient Agora, Acropolis Museum, craft beer, delicious food

We started the day in Monastiraki with some fruit (not such a perfect nectarine but the grapes looked good!) and then headed to the Ancient Agora where we did Rick Steves’ audio tour, which was fun. It was great to wander around the area, look at the artefacts in the museum and try to imagine what it would have been like.

Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece, with Tzisdarakis Mosque (Museum of Modern Greek Culture) to the left and the Monastiraki Metro station to the right, with people milling around and blue sky above. — Monastiraki Square

Photograph taken in the Ancient Agora or Athens, showing the Temple of Hephaestus in the centre viewed between two columns that are in shade, with trees and plants below it and blue sky above. — Ancient Agora

The Temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora of Athens, viewed from slightly below, with plants and trees in the foreground with columns of the temple visible behind. — The Temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora

Artefact in the Stoa of Attalos, three heads on plinths, the centre of which's face has worn away.

Photograph looking through the columns into The Temple of Hephaestus at the Ancient Agora of Athens.

After we’d had a good look round and the temperature was getting a bit hotter we went over to the Psyri area to get some Koulouri, O-shaped sesame bread from Κουλούρι του Ψυρρή – delicious!

Koulouri, sesame bread rings, in Athens, Greece. — Koulouri

After that we headed over to the other side of the Acropolis, where we hadn’t really ventured yesterday, along a nice walkway. It was getting a bit hot but it was still a nice walk and it looked like there were good bars and restaurants with lovely terrace views.

The Acropolis of Athens, Athens, Greece, with trees and plants in the foreground, including pink nerium flowers to the right.

We headed into the Acropolis Museum which was excellent. Really beautifully displaying artefacts from the Acropolis in a stunning but thoughtful building. Pieces of the Acropolis are displayed as they would have been positioned on the building itself, with gaps where pieces have been taken to other countries. It was very sad to see many gaps attributed to the British Museum, but there has been some progress on this front and hopefully they will soon be displayed back in Athens, where they belong.

Window on the front of the Acropolis Museum, with columns either side and the Acropolis iteself reflected on the glass.

Photograph of an artifact on a plinth in the Acropolis Museum, a sculpture of a face with metal residue that has run down from the eyes, giving the appearance of tears.

We enjoy craft beer so we looked for somewhere on Untappd, where we found Tapfield. It was on a really cool street with loads of great looking bars that had a great buzz as the night went on. It being craft beer it was quite expensive but the beer was great and the bar was really nice.

Photograph of Tapfish bar, with seating in front and a 'no entry' sign in front of that, and colourful lights from other buildings with people walking down the street to the right, and plants growing across the top. — Tapfish

For dinner we went to Café Avissinia, which I’d seen on Bre Graham’s Instagram. (Make sure you follow Bre and take a look at her upcoming cookery book – I’ve made many recipes from her newsletter and they’ve all been absolutely delicious!) We should have booked to get a table on the roof terrace but sitting inside was really nice anyway and the food was delicious!! We shared a cheese and paprika starter, I had soutzoukakia, meatballs in a tomato and cumin sauce with basmati rice and Tim had kebabs, then we shared a baklava and Tim had an ouzo-it was all really tasty!

Photograph of the exterior of Café Avissinia, with tables and chairs and people dining in front, and a lit sign at the top of the building. — Café Avissinia

We meandered back past buzzing lively bars, wished we were cool enough to be invited to the party with a DJ on top of an apartment block and stopped for a quiet beer at Harvest Coffee and Wine instead, before getting back to pack for the next leg of our trip: Delphi.

Leaving Athens

We set off from our hotel in Athens at around 9am, to get the 10:30 bus to Delphi from KTEL Liosion (Bus Terminal B). You can read more about that on my Delphi blog. If you’re heading back to the airport from Athens you’d take the blue metro line back up there – remember that the airport trains are every half hour, though – us and everyone else somehow forgot that and were really confused when the metro we were on stopped at Doukissis Plakentias station, followed by lots of others doing the same. We’d just missed the airport one so had to wait nearly half an hour for the next one, which we should have expected.

Apolcalypse Now by INO, street art in Agias Eleousis 2 & Miaouli, Psyri, Athens, Greece, at night. The art shows a person pulling on a balaclava. — Apolcalypse Now by INO

I loved Athens and I definitely need to go back to explore more! If you’ve been to Athens and have any tips please put them in the comments – I’d love to check them out when I hopefully return!

Next stop: Delphi

If you’d like to have a look through my photos without all the notes I’ve made a gallery of the photographs in this post here.

Notes on Travel is a blog by photographer Jayne Lloyd, noting the things I found useful to know when I was visiting Athens in September 2022 as part of a 3 week trip around Athens, the Peloponnese and a few islands. I’ve tried to be accurate but please do check for up-to-date information before going as things are always changing! I apologise for any mistakes, please do let me know if you have more recent info.

* This post contains some affiliate links, indicated with a ‘*’ – if you click them and decide to buy something I may receive a small cut of the payment, but it won’t cost you more. Thank you!

Pictures, please