# Athens

The Acropolis, the Agora and the great museums fit inside a circle you can walk from Plaka. With two or three nights you see the essentials and have an afternoon left for Sounion or to catch the ferry at Piraeus.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/attica/athens · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## How do you buy a ticket for the Acropolis?

At hhticket.gr, the official portal of the Ministry of Culture, choosing a day and time slot. Buy it before you go: in season the first morning slots sell out, and at the ticket office there is a queue in the sun. Go in at opening time or in the last slot of the afternoon: at midday in summer the rock has no shade and the marble burns.

## How do you get from the airport to the centre?

The airport is about 30 km away by road. You have three options:

Metro, line 3 (blue): to Syntagma and Monastiraki. The ticket to the airport costs €9; the 3-day tourist ticket (€20) includes one outward and one return journey.

X95 bus: 24 hours, to Syntagma in about 60 minutes. It costs €5.50 and is bought at the booth between exits 4 and 5.

Taxi: fixed fare of €50 from 5:00 to 24:00 and €65 at night (raised in September 2026), from exit 3.

From Spain, Aegean flies direct (Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Bilbao and more), Vueling from Barcelona and Iberia from Madrid.

## Do you need a car?

No. The historic centre is covered on foot and the metro reaches everything else, including Piraeus for the ferries (line 1, green, from Monastiraki or Thissio). Within the city, a car gets in the way: there is nowhere to park and the traffic is slow. It only makes sense for getting out to the coast or the Peloponnese.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Marathon (a 26.7 km), Aegina (a 37.5 km), Cape Sounion (a 45.4 km), Poros (a 59.2 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Acropolis of Athens** (2 h 30 · All ages, no pushchair · General admission €30): What it is and what you see
The Acropolis is the walled rock that dominates Athens, about 150 m above sea level. Up top are the buildings that Pericles ordered built in the 5th century BC: the Propylaia, the monumental entrance; the small temple of Athena Nike, on the bastion to the right; the Erechtheion, with the porch of the caryatids, and the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Parthenos. The caryatids you see are copies: five of the originals are in the Acropolis Museum, at the foot of the rock.
From the esplanade you see the whole city, Lycabettus, the sea towards Piraeus and Filopappou Hill. You will see scaffolding and cranes: the restoration of the monuments has been going on for decades and is part of the visit.
Ticket, price and time slot
The ticket is bought with a date and time at hhticket.gr, the Ministry of Culture's official ticketing portal. General admission costs €30 since April 2025, when the ministry raised the price from €20 to €30. EU citizens under 25 and non-EU citizens under 18 get in free, with ID proving it, as well as other categories the portal details. Even if admission is free, you have to get a ticket with a time slot.
The slot sets your entry time, not your exit time: once inside you can stay as long as you like until closing. In high season the first hours sell out days ahead, so buy as soon as you have a date. The ministry also sells a personalised visit, in small groups and at a much higher price, from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 20:00 to 22:00, outside the general hours.
Opening hours
In summer it opens at 8:00 and closes at 20:00. In winter closing moves to mid-afternoon, and the official pages don't agree on the exact time: check the timetable for your day on hhticket.gr. It closes on Orthodox Easter Sunday and on 1 May. In extreme heat the ministry may close the site during the middle hours of the day; this is announced the day before.
How to get there and where to enter
Go on foot or by metro. Akropoli station, on line 2, leaves you next to the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, which skirts the rock to the south. From Monastiraki or Thiseio you can also walk up in 15 or 20 minutes. There is no visitor parking: leave the car at the hotel.
There are two accesses. The main entrance is on the west, going up Rovertou Galli Street and the path that leaves Dionysiou Areopagitou; the other is the south slope one, near the Acropolis Museum, which means a longer climb but passes the Theatre of Dionysus. Both end at the Propylaia, the only way onto the esplanade, and that is where the queues form.
How long and how to organise yourself
Allow two to three hours with the slopes. If you only go up to the esplanade, an hour and a half is enough. Best to start first thing or in the last slot of the afternoon: at midday in summer the marble reflects the sun and there is no shade anywhere on the route. Bring water, a hat and shoes with grip: the polished marble of the steps is slippery.
A good way to organise the day is to go up early, go down to the Acropolis Museum when the heat bites and have lunch in Plaka or Koukaki. If you are staying nearby, the Herodion Hotel is a few steps from the south slope.
Accessibility and with children
The rock has a lift for people with reduced mobility on the north face, but it doesn't always work: in November 2026 the ministry warned that it was out of service and asked people to call the guards' office an hour before arriving. Find out before you go. With a pushchair it is awkward: there are steps and loose stone. A baby carrier is better.
With children, the short climb and the view from the top work well; the problem is the heat and the wait at the Propylaia. From six or seven years old they enjoy it more if they have first seen the museum or you tell them the story of Athena and Poseidon.
- **Acropolis Museum** (2 h · All ages · General admission €20): What it is and what you see
The Acropolis Museum holds what was found on the rock and its slopes: about 4,250 pieces, from the Archaic to the Roman period. It was designed by the Swiss-American architect Bernard Tschumi and the Greek Michalis Fotiadis, and opened on 20 June 2009, 400 m on foot from the Acropolis.
The visit climbs floor by floor, as you climb the rock:

Ground floor: as you enter you walk on glass floors that let you see a neighbourhood of ancient Athens, excavated when the museum was built and preserved in place. The excavation can also be visited from below, with the same hours as the museum.
First floor: a gentle ramp takes you to the Archaic gallery, with the Moschophoros, the man carrying a calf, from around 570 BC, the painted korai and the oldest pediments. Beside them are the five original caryatids of the Erechtheion; the sixth is in the British Museum.
Top floor: the Parthenon hall, glazed and oriented like the temple, with the frieze, the metopes and the pediments placed in the order they had. The pieces that are abroad appear as plaster copies, whiter, and the difference can be seen at a glance. Through the picture window you see the Parthenon on the other side.

Opening hours
In winter, from 1 November to 31 March, it opens Monday to Thursday from 9:00 to 17:00, on Friday from 9:00 to 22:00 and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to 20:00. In summer, from 1 April to 31 October, on Monday it closes at 17:00, from Tuesday to Sunday at 20:00 and on Friday at 22:00. The last entry is half an hour before closing.
It closes on 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 and 26 December, and opens with reduced hours on 24 and 31 December and on Orthodox Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Tickets and price
Admission costs €20 all year and is bought on the museum's official ticketing website or at the ticket office. Buying beforehand saves you the ticket-office queue in high season. There is free admission for everyone on 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October; on those days it fills up.
How to get there
It is at 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, the pedestrian street at the south foot of the rock. Akropoli metro station, on line 2, comes out a few metres from the door. From Plaka you can walk there in ten minutes. There is no visitor parking.
How long and how to organise yourself
Allow about two hours: half for the ground floor and the excavation, an hour for the Archaic gallery and the caryatids and another half for the Parthenon hall. The museum has a café and a shop for a break.
A good order is to go up the Acropolis first thing and come down to the museum when the sun bites. Or the other way round in winter: the museum in the morning and the rock in the afternoon. On Friday it opens until 22:00, the evening with the fewest groups.
Accessibility and with children
It is an accessible building, with ramps, lifts and accessible toilets, and can be toured with a pushchair without problems. With small children it works well: the glass floor over the excavation hooks them, there is space and air conditioning, and the museum has educational programmes and a printed guide.
Sleeping nearby is easy: the Herodion Hotel is 100 m away, and the Athens Backpackers hostel is in the same Makrygianni district.
- **Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus** (1 h 30 · All ages · General admission €20, reduced €10): What it is and what you see
The Agora was the public square of ancient Athens: here people voted, judged, bought and argued. It was used as a public space from the 6th century BC, and beneath it are remains of a settlement and a cemetery from around 3000 BC. Today it is a large, green archaeological site at the foot of the north face of the Acropolis, between Monastiraki and Thiseio.
What impresses most is the Temple of Hephaestus, a Doric temple of the 5th century BC at the top of the Agora hill. It is one of the best-preserved Greek temples, with its roof and columns in place, and Athenians call it the Thiseio because its frieze tells of the deeds of Theseus. At the other end is the Stoa of Attalos, a colonnade of shops given by the king of Pergamon in the 2nd century BC and rebuilt in the 20th century: inside is the site museum, with pottery, coins and objects from daily life and Athenian democracy, such as the pieces used to select jurors by lot.
Between the two you will see the foundations of the Bouleuterion, where the council of 500 met, the Tholos and the altar of the Twelve Gods, the point from which distances from Athens were measured. Also the small Byzantine church of the Holy Apostles, from the 10th century.
Admission and opening hours
The ticket is bought at hhticket.gr or at the ticket office. The Ministry of Culture lists general admission of €20 and reduced of €10 for the Agora, which includes the museum in the Stoa. EU citizens under 25 get in free with ID.
The hours change with the season and the official pages don't agree: in summer it opens from 8:00 to 20:00 and in winter it closes in mid-afternoon. Check the timetable for your day at hhticket.gr before going. From 1 November 2025 the ministry announced the closure to the public of the upper-floor exhibition of the Stoa and of the church of the Holy Apostles; the ground floor of the museum remains part of the visit. Ask at the entrance whether they have reopened.
How to get there and where to enter
Go on foot or by metro: Thiseio station, on line 1, is at the entrance, and Monastiraki, on lines 1 and 3, is five minutes away. The classic entrance is at 24 Adrianou Street, in Monastiraki, but because of improvement works on the site the ministry states that entry and exit are through the gate on Thiseio square (Jacqueline de Romilly). There is no visitor parking.
How long
Allow an hour and a half: half an hour for the Stoa museum, another half to climb to the Temple of Hephaestus and the rest to stroll around the site. If you go slowly and like details, two hours. It combines well with the Acropolis on the same day: go down the north face and you are at the Agora in a quarter of an hour.
Accessibility and with children
The site is wheelchair accessible through the main entrance, better with a companion, because there is gravel and stretches of earth. The Stoa museum has a lift to the upper floor (ask the guards) and an accessible toilet. The Temple of Hephaestus has another accessible approach. People with disabilities get in free with their certificate.
With children it is easier than the Acropolis: there are trees and shade, few steps and room to walk without feeling crowded. Older ones like the museum pieces that explain how people voted and how offices were allotted.
Afterwards
On the way out you have Monastiraki and Adrianou Street, with tavernas and views of the site. For something sweet nearby, Lukumades is ten minutes' walk away, on the corner of Eolou and Agias Irinis.
- **National Archaeological Museum** (2 h 30 · From age 10 · General admission €20): What it is and what you see
The National Archaeological Museum is the great museum of ancient Greece: it gathers pieces from all over the country, from prehistory to Roman times. It was founded in 1829 on Aegina, as the country's first national museum, and since the end of the 19th century has occupied a neoclassical building on Patision Street, begun in 1866 and finished in 1889.
What you shouldn't miss:

The Mask of Agamemnon, the gold funeral mask of 1550–1500 BC found in grave circle A at Mycenae, in the Mycenaean room, next to the Warrior Vase.
The Cycladic idols, marble figures from Delos and Keros, including the harpist, in the prehistoric collection.
The Akrotiri frescoes, from Santorini, of the Bronze Age: the boy boxers and the antelopes, in room 48.
The Artemision bronze, a bronze Zeus or Poseidon recovered from the sea, in room 15, and the Artemision Jockey, the boy on a horse found in the same wreck.
The Antikythera Mechanism, the bronze gearing that calculated astronomical positions, in room 38, with the Antikythera Youth, another bronze recovered from the sea.
The Egyptian collection, in rooms 40 and 41, with more than 6,000 objects, about 1,100 on display.

Opening hours
The museum publishes two timetables a year. In the 2026 summer season, from 4 May to 15 November, it opens Wednesday to Monday from 8:00 to 20:00 and on Tuesdays from 13:00 to 20:00, with the last entry at 19:30. In the previous winter season, from mid-November to early May, it opened Wednesday to Monday from 8:30 to 15:30 and on Tuesdays from 13:00 to 20:00. Check the museum's website for the winter 2026–2027 timetable before you go.
It closes on 25 and 26 December, 1 January, 25 March, 1 May and Orthodox Easter Sunday.
Tickets and price
General admission costs €20. It is bought at the ticket office or through the state's official ticketing system, linked from the museum's website. EU citizens under 25, people with disabilities (with a companion if the disability is 67% or more) and other categories get in free, with ID. EU citizens over 65 pay half from October to May.
There is free admission for everyone on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. On those days there are more people.
How to get there
It is at 44 28 Oktovriou (Patision) Street, in the Exarchia district. The nearest metro stations are Omonia, on lines 1 and 2, and Viktoria, on line 1, about ten minutes' walk from each. There is no visitor parking.
How long
Allow two to three hours for the main things. If you are in a hurry, concentrate on the ground floor: the Mycenaean room, the Cycladic pieces, the Artemision bronzes and the Antikythera room. The museum café can be used without a ticket, and is a good place for a break halfway through the visit.
Accessibility, with children and rules
There is an accessible entrance on Vas. Irakleiou Street, with a ramp, lifts to the ground floor and first floor and an accessible toilet in the basement. At the information desk they lend wheelchairs.
Rucksacks, suitcases and large bags are left in the cloakroom. You can take photos without flash and without a tripod.
With children, the museum tires them sooner than the ruins: pick five or six pieces, such as the mask, the jockey and the Antikythera Mechanism, and leave the rest. From ten years old they get much more out of it. It is the plan for the hot afternoon, when the Acropolis and the Agora are scorching.
- **Filopappou Hill at sunset** (1 h · All ages · Free): What it is and what you see
Filopappou Hill is the pine-covered rise directly opposite the Acropolis, to the south-west. The ancients called it the Hill of the Muses (Mouseion). At the top is the monument that gives it its name: the tomb of Gaius Julius Antiochus Philopappos, a prince of the kingdom of Commagene, in present-day Turkey, who lived in Athens, held Athenian citizenship and died in AD 116. His sister and the Athenians built the mausoleum after his death, and what remains is the curved marble facade with reliefs.
What brings you here is the view. From the summit you see the Parthenon head-on and almost at the same height, with the Propylaia and the whole west face of the rock. On the other side the city opens out to Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf, and to the north, Lycabettus. It is the most repeated photograph of the Acropolis, and the one that heads this page.
How to climb
The path starts from the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, to the west, opposite the access that climbs towards the main entrance of the Acropolis. At the start you pass the small church of St Demetrios Loumbardiaris and enter the stone paths designed by the architect Dimitris Pikionis between 1954 and 1957: slabs of marble and stone laid by hand, steps and terraces with local plants. It is a work of architecture in itself, to be walked slowly.
From the street to the monument allow about 20 minutes at an easy pace, with a continuous but gentle climb. On the way there are forks and viewpoints: always keep going up and towards the monument, which can be seen from afar.
The nearest metro station is Akropoli, on line 2; from there you walk ten minutes along Dionysiou Areopagitou to the start of the path. There is no parking: come on foot.
When to go
At sunset, when the sun goes down behind the sea and the light falls on the west face of the Acropolis. At that hour quite a few people go up, but the summit is broad and there is always rock to sit on. First thing in the morning it also looks good and is almost empty. At midday in summer avoid the climb: the pines give shade on the path, but the summit is in the sun.
Price and facilities
It is free and there is no ticket office. There is no bar at the top and no drinking fountains to count on: bring water. There are no toilets on the summit either.
With children, pushchair and dog
With children it is an easy walk: the paths are wide and there are pines to rest under. Keep an eye on them at the top, because the rocks on the summit slope away. With a pushchair it is a struggle, because of the steps and uneven slabs; a baby carrier is better. With a dog, you can walk on a lead.
The polished stones of the path are slippery with smooth soles, and even more after rain. Wear shoes with grip and bring a torch or your phone if you are going down at night: the paths have little light.
Combine with
On the way down you have the Koukaki district and the tavernas of Dionysiou Areopagitou. If you are staying in the area, the Herodion Hotel and the Athens Backpackers hostel are ten minutes' walk from the start of the path.
- **Changing of the guard of the Evzones at Syntagma** (15 min · All ages · Free): What it is
The Evzones are the Greek Presidential Guard, an infantry unit that keeps permanent watch in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Syntagma Square, at the foot of Parliament. Two soldiers stand motionless in front of the monument, each beside his sentry box, and the changeover is done with a slow, very marked step, with kicks in the air and boot stamps on the ground, which is what people come to see.
The uniform is part of the show. The white skirt, the fustanella, takes about 30 metres of cloth and has about 400 pleats, which according to tradition recall the 400 years of Ottoman rule. The red shoes with a black pom-pom, the tsarouchia, have between 60 and 120 nails in the sole and weigh about a kilo and a half each. To join the guard you have to be at least 1.87 m tall.
When to see it
Every hour on the hour, every day, there is a short changeover: two new guards arrive with a corporal, swap places with those going off and leave. It lasts a few minutes. In addition, the sentries change position every quarter of an hour, with a shorter movement.
On Sunday at 11:00 the big changing takes place: the whole guard comes out, with officers and a band, from the barracks to the tomb and back. On that day and on national holidays the Evzones wear full dress uniform. It is the moment with the biggest crowd: if you want the front row, arrive at 10:30.
Where to stand
The tomb is in the upper part of the square, between Amalias Avenue and Parliament, separated from the square by the street. For the hourly changing you can stand on the pavement in front of the monument, without going past the limit the police indicate. From the steps of Syntagma Square, across the traffic, you see it all but from far away. Don't touch or get in the way of the guards: the police around will warn you if you get too close.
How to get there
Syntagma metro station, on lines 2 and 3, comes out in the square itself. It is also the stop for the X95 express bus from the airport, which you have on the how to get from the airport to the centre page. From Plaka or Monastiraki you can walk there in ten minutes along Ermou or Mitropoleos Street.
Price, time and with children
It is free and no booking is needed. A quarter of an hour is more than enough for the hourly changeover; the Sunday one, with the arrival of the guard and the band, takes longer.
Small children love the guards' step and the noise of the nails on the ground. Stand at the front with them, in the shade if you can: in summer the pavement is in the sun for a good part of the day. Just behind, along Amalias Avenue, is the National Garden, with shade, a playground and a duck pond, for the break afterwards.
If you are staying nearby, the Electra Metropolis Athens is a few steps from Syntagma, at the start of Mitropoleos Street.
- **National Garden** (1 h · Small children · Free): What it is
The National Garden is the great park of central Athens: 15.5 hectares of trees, shade and earth paths right behind Parliament, between Syntagma Square and the Pangrati district. Queen Amalia had it made in 1838, and it was designed by the German agronomist Friedrich Schmidt, who brought more than 500 plant species; many did not withstand the dry climate. Until 1974 it was called the Royal Garden.
Today it is where Athenians go to stroll in summer, when the rest of the centre is burning. Under the trees you notice the cool and the noise of traffic almost disappears.
What is inside

The pond, with ducks, which is the first thing children look for.
Playground and children's library, inside the garden.
The Botanical Museum, a small room on the history and plants of the garden.
Ancient remains, mostly Roman, that peep out among the flower beds, and busts of Greek figures and philhellenes, such as Byron, Kapodistrias and the poet Dionysios Solomos.
A sundial and a small café for a rest.

To the south, the garden links up with the gardens of the Zappeion, the neoclassical exhibition hall, and from there you can see the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium a few minutes away.
Opening hours and price
It opens from sunrise to sunset, every day, and admission is free. The gates close at dusk: don't count on crossing it at night.
How to get there and where to enter
The main entrance is on Amalias Avenue, around the corner from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, two minutes from Syntagma metro station, on lines 2 and 3. There are three other gates: one in the middle of Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, another on Irodou Attikou Street, next to the presidential palace, and the one that connects with the Zappeion park. There is no parking of its own: come on foot or by metro.
How long and how to fit it in
An hour is enough to cross it, see the pond and let the children play. It fits well after the changing of the guard, which takes place right next door, every hour on the hour: you enter by Amalias, rest in the shade and leave by the Zappeion towards the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It is also the midday break between the Acropolis in the morning and an afternoon of museums.
With children, pushchair and dog
With small children it is the easiest rest in the centre: shade, swings, ducks and room to run without cars. The paths are flat, packed earth, so a pushchair goes through without problems. Bring some water and a snack; the café is small.
With a dog, keep it on a lead, especially near the pond.
If you are staying nearby, the Electra Metropolis Athens is a few steps from Syntagma, and the Plaka Hotel, ten minutes' walk away.
- **Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion** (5 h · 69.5 km · All ages): What it is and what you see
Cape Sounion is the south-eastern tip of Attica, about 65–70 km from the centre of Athens, where the Saronic Gulf opens into the Aegean. At the top of the cliff, about 60 m above the sea, stands the Temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea. The one you see dates from around 444 BC: it replaced another that the Persians destroyed in 480 BC, before it was finished. It is a Doric temple of white marble, with 6.10 m columns still standing on the plan, and with the Parthenon and the Temple of Aphaia on Aegina it forms the so-called sacred triangle.
Look on the columns for Byron's name: the English poet carved it in the early 19th century, and it is the most famous signature among the many left by travellers. Around the site there are also remains of the wall with which Athens fortified the cape in 413 BC to protect the grain route, and, on a nearby hill, the foundations of a temple of Athena.
The view is the reason for the trip: the sea on three sides and the islands on the horizon.
When to go
At the end of the day. It is the classic Athens plan: arrive an hour before sunset, see the temple in golden light and head down when it gets dark. In summer the site fills up at exactly that time, above all with groups arriving by coach; in spring and autumn there are fewer people and the light is just as good. Bear in mind that the site's closing time varies with the season, and in winter it closes before sunset: check the day's closing time before setting out, so you don't arrive to a locked gate.
The morning is also worthwhile: there are fewer people and you can swim afterwards in the coves in the area.
Admission
The ticket is bought at the ticket office or in advance at hhticket.gr, the official portal of the Ministry of Culture, where the current price and hours appear. As at other state-run sites, EU citizens under 25 get in free with ID.
How to get there
By car it is a little over an hour along the coast road (Poseidonos and the Athinon–Souniou avenue), passing Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, with the sea on your right almost all the way. There is parking next to the site entrance, and it fills up in summer at sunset: arrive with time to spare.
By bus, the KTEL Attikis intercity buses leave from central Athens and go along the coast to the cape; the journey takes quite a lot longer than by car. You have the details on the KTEL bus to Sounion page. Check the return timetable before setting out: after sunset the buses are full.
With a driver, the private transfer is the comfortable option if there are several of you or you have small children.
How long
Allow half a day: a good hour out, another back and an hour or a little more at the temple. If you stop to swim on the coast or have a fish dinner in the area, it turns into a whole afternoon.
With children and accessibility
The path from the car park to the temple is a short climb on earth and rock, with no shade. With a pushchair it can be done, though bumpy; with a wheelchair, check with the site beforehand. Children usually like looking for Byron's signature and watching the boats from up high. Keep them close near the cliff edge.
- **Greek cooking class in the centre** (3 h · Families and teenagers · Desde 95 € per person): What it involves
It is a hands-on class of about three hours in which you cook an everyday Greek menu and then eat it at the table with the rest of the group. It is run by Alternative Athens, an Athenian company offering routes and experiences, and called Greek Cooking Class. It is not a demonstration: you knead, chop and assemble yourself, with someone from the kitchen team explaining each step and telling you where each dish comes from.
The published menu has three parts. As a starter, tzatziki, tirokafteri (the spicy feta dip) and pita bread made on the spot. As a main, gyros wrapped in your own pita with chips, onion and tomato, in pork, chicken, vegetables or mixed, or a vegetarian mushroom gyros. For dessert, a Greek yoghurt cheesecake with fresh mint. During the meal wine, beer and water are included.
When and how much
There are two sessions a day, at 10:30 and at 17:30, and each lasts about three hours. The published price is €95 per person, with no separate child rate. It does not run on 1 January, 15 August, 25, 26 and 31 December or Easter Sunday.
The company asks you to book at least two days ahead. In high season, and especially for the morning session, it is best to do so earlier.
Meeting point
You meet at the Apollonion bakery, at 1 Themistokleous Street, next to Omonia Square. Someone from the team will be waiting for you there and walks you to the kitchen. Getting to the meeting point is not included: from Syntagma or Monastiraki you reach Omonia by metro, on lines 1 and 2, or on foot in a quarter of an hour.
Who it suits
It works for anyone who wants to take home recipes to repeat later, and for families with children who can cope with a long activity with their hands busy. The company sets no minimum age, but warns that it is a hands-on class and asks parents to judge whether it suits the youngest. With teenagers it usually goes well: they make the pita and the gyros from start to finish and eat their own.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets are catered for. Tell them when booking about any other allergy or intolerance.
How to organise the day
The morning session ends around 13:30 and replaces lunch; the afternoon one, around 20:30, replaces dinner. If you do the class on the day of the Acropolis, go up the rock in the first slot, at 8:00, and you will reach Omonia in time for 10:30. Very close to the meeting point is the National Archaeological Museum, on Patision: it combines well with the afternoon session.
For something to eat or to buy Greek produce afterwards, Fanis' Karamanlidika, next to the central market, is on the way back towards Monastiraki.

## Dónde comer
- **Lukumades** (Café, Athens · Agia Irini, €). Qué pedir: loukoumades with honey and cinnamon, or filled and with ice cream on the side.
- **Fanis' Karamanlidika** (Restaurant, Athens · Central market, €€). Qué pedir: mezedes from Karamanli cooking and the house's cured meats, with a tsipouro or an ouzo.
- **Electra Roof Garden** (Restaurant, Athens · Plaka, €€€). Qué pedir: creative Mediterranean cooking on the rooftop, with the Acropolis in front of you at dinner time.
- **Spondi** (Restaurant, Athens · Pagrati, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Discovery tasting menu.

## Car-free: The natural way to see Athens
Everything essential fits into a walk from Plaka, and the metro takes you to the airport, the port and the Archaeological Museum. A car just gets in the way.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **City Circus Athens Hostel** (Hostel): At 16 Sarri, in Psirri, 300 m from Thissio and Monastiraki metro. It has dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds and private rooms for two to four people, and a rooftop open from 7:00 to 23:30.
- **Plaka Hotel Athens** (Hotel): On the corner of Kapnikareas and Mitropoleos, between Monastiraki and Syntagma. For families it has two connecting rooms for four, and the rooftop terrace looks onto the Acropolis.
- **Herodion Hotel** (Hotel): At 4 Rovertou Galli Street, 100 m from the Acropolis Museum. The rooftop has olive trees, two hot tubs and the rock opposite.
- **Electra Palace Athens** (Hotel): A five-star neoclassical building on Nikodimou Street, in Plaka. It has a seasonal outdoor pool with the Acropolis as a backdrop, an indoor pool all year and a rooftop restaurant.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: Metro line 3 · €9 · X95 express bus to Syntagma, about 60 min, €5.50 · Taxi fixed fare €50 (€65 from 00:00 to 05:00)
- **Metro, bus and tram tickets**: 90 min €1.20 · 24 h €4.10 · 5 days €8.20 · 3-day tourist ticket with return airport journey €20 · Contactless with daily cap
- **Port of Piraeus**: Ferries to the Cyclades and Crete · metro line 1 from Monastiraki · X96 bus from the airport, 90 min
- **KTEL Attikis bus to Sounion**: Intercity buses along the coast · timetables at ktelattikis.gr

## Backpacking: A hostel in Psirri and the city on foot
Athens is cheap if you get around on foot and by metro and eat on the go. What costs money is the tickets: choose the sites carefully.
Presupuesto orientativo: 40–60 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're backpacking
- **City Circus Athens Hostel** (Hostel): At 16 Sarri, in Psirri, 300 m from Thissio and Monastiraki metro. It has dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds and private rooms for two to four people, and a rooftop open from 7:00 to 23:30.
- **Athens Backpackers** (Hostel): A long-established hostel in the Makrygianni district, between the Acropolis Museum and Plaka: at the foot of the rock to catch the first slot of the morning.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: Metro line 3 · €9 · X95 express bus to Syntagma, about 60 min, €5.50 · Taxi fixed fare €50 (€65 from 00:00 to 05:00)
- **Metro, bus and tram tickets**: 90 min €1.20 · 24 h €4.10 · 5 days €8.20 · 3-day tourist ticket with return airport journey €20 · Contactless with daily cap
- **Port of Piraeus**: Ferries to the Cyclades and Crete · metro line 1 from Monastiraki · X96 bus from the airport, 90 min
- **KTEL Attikis bus to Sounion**: Intercity buses along the coast · timetables at ktelattikis.gr

## Luxury: Rooftops with the Parthenon in front of you
Luxury in Athens is sleeping and dining looking at the illuminated Acropolis, and having someone take you to the port or to Sounion.
Presupuesto orientativo: 300–600 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Electra Palace Athens** (Hotel): A five-star neoclassical building on Nikodimou Street, in Plaka. It has a seasonal outdoor pool with the Acropolis as a backdrop, an indoor pool all year and a rooftop restaurant.
- **Electra Metropolis Athens** (Hotel): Five stars and 216 rooms at the start of Mitropoleos Street, a few steps from Syntagma, with a rooftop garden facing the Acropolis.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: Metro line 3 · €9 · X95 express bus to Syntagma, about 60 min, €5.50 · Taxi fixed fare €50 (€65 from 00:00 to 05:00)
- **Port of Piraeus**: Ferries to the Cyclades and Crete · metro line 1 from Monastiraki · X96 bus from the airport, 90 min
- **Private transfer and chauffeur**: Airport, port and Sounion with a driver

## By plane: Direct flight to Athens and the metro to the centre
Athens is Greece's gateway from Spain: there are direct flights all year from Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, and in season from other cities. Eleftherios Venizelos airport is about 30 km from the centre, and the metro, the express bus and the fixed-fare taxi leave you at Syntagma or Monastiraki without needing a car. If you then continue to the islands, Piraeus and Rafina are one metro or bus ride away.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **City Circus Athens Hostel** (Hostel): At 16 Sarri, in Psirri, 300 m from Thissio and Monastiraki metro. It has dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds and private rooms for two to four people, and a rooftop open from 7:00 to 23:30.
- **Athens Backpackers** (Hostel): A long-established hostel in the Makrygianni district, between the Acropolis Museum and Plaka: at the foot of the rock to catch the first slot of the morning.
- **Plaka Hotel Athens** (Hotel): On the corner of Kapnikareas and Mitropoleos, between Monastiraki and Syntagma. For families it has two connecting rooms for four, and the rooftop terrace looks onto the Acropolis.
- **Herodion Hotel** (Hotel): At 4 Rovertou Galli Street, 100 m from the Acropolis Museum. The rooftop has olive trees, two hot tubs and the rock opposite.
- **Electra Palace Athens** (Hotel): A five-star neoclassical building on Nikodimou Street, in Plaka. It has a seasonal outdoor pool with the Acropolis as a backdrop, an indoor pool all year and a rooftop restaurant.
- **Electra Metropolis Athens** (Hotel): Five stars and 216 rooms at the start of Mitropoleos Street, a few steps from Syntagma, with a rooftop garden facing the Acropolis.
### Servicios
- **From the airport to the centre**: Metro line 3 · €9 · X95 express bus to Syntagma, about 60 min, €5.50 · Taxi fixed fare €50 (€65 from 00:00 to 05:00)
- **Private transfer and chauffeur**: Airport, port and Sounion with a driver

## With young children: Ruins in the morning, park in the afternoon

With small children, Athens works in short doses: a visit in the cool, shade at midday and a stroll at sunset. Children under 6 travel free on the metro and bus.

### What works best
The Acropolis Museum, with a glass floor and no problem for pushchairs

The changing of the Evzones, every hour on the hour

The National Garden, with ducks, swings and shade

### Sleep
Hotels in Plaka with connecting rooms

Near a metro station, to get back for the nap

### Eat
Loukoumades as an afternoon snack

Plaka tavernas with a pedestrian terrace

### Bear in mind
At the Acropolis, a baby carrier: there are steps and the marble is slippery

In summer, nothing outdoors between 12:00 and 17:00

Water and a hat for everyone: there is no shade on the rock

### Qué hacer with young children
- Acropolis Museum
- Changing of the guard of the Evzones at Syntagma
- National Garden

## As a family: The history of the books, on foot

The pieces that appear in textbooks are less than 2 km from each other. With children of different ages it works to alternate open-air ruins and an air-conditioned museum.

### What works best
The Acropolis in the first slot of the morning

The Agora, with trees and the Temple of Hephaestus intact

Sounion at sunset, as a mid-afternoon excursion

A cooking class where everyone makes their own pita

### Sleep
Plaka Hotel, with two connecting rooms for four

Hotels with a pool if you go in July or August

### Eat
Mezedes to share next to the central market

Loukoumades for dessert

### Bear in mind
Buy your timed Acropolis ticket before you go

Shoes with grip for the marble

The 3-day ticket with airport is worth it if you arrive by metro

### Qué hacer as a family
- Acropolis of Athens
- Acropolis Museum
- Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus
- Filopappou Hill at sunset
- Changing of the guard of the Evzones at Syntagma
- National Garden
- Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
- Greek cooking class in the centre

## With teenagers: From the Parthenon to the Mask of Agamemnon

A teenager likes the Acropolis more if they have first seen a film or a comic about myths. Athens also gives them a little independence: the metro is easy and the centre is pedestrian.

### What works best
The National Archaeological Museum: the Mask of Agamemnon and the Artemision Jockey

Going up Filopappou at sunset and coming down through Plaka

The cooking class: making gyros does interest them

The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, above the sea

### Sleep
City Circus, with private rooms for four

Hotels with a rooftop in Plaka

### Eat
Pastirma and soutzouki at Karamanlidika

Loukoumades with ice cream

### Bear in mind
They can't stand more than two hours in a row of museum

A contactless card belonging to an adult can't be used by them: each needs their own

In August, the midday heat ruins any plan

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Acropolis of Athens
- Acropolis Museum
- National Archaeological Museum
- Filopappou Hill at sunset
- Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
- Greek cooking class in the centre

## With friends: Athens with Friends: Cooking Class, Sunsets and Meze

Athens splits well for a group: the rock and the museums in the morning, a pine-covered hill with the Parthenon in front of you in the afternoon and a table full of small plates at night. Two things make it different from other capitals: a cooking class where everyone cooks and the trip to the Temple of Sounion at sunset.

### What works best
Acropolis: general ticket of €30 with a day and time, bought at hhticket.gr.

Greek cooking class: three hours with Alternative Athens, at 10:30 or 17:30, for €95 per person; then you eat what you have cooked at the table.

Philopappos Hill: a 20-minute climb along the Pikionis paths and the Parthenon in front of you at sunset; free.

Cape Sounion: the Temple of Poseidon above the cliff, a good hour from Athens along the coast, best at sunset.

Acropolis Museum: €20 next to Akropoli station, with an ancient neighbourhood beneath the glass floor.

Ancient Agora: €20 per adult, with the Temple of Hephaestus in the shade, next to Monastiraki.

### Where to sleep
Athens Backpackers: veteran hostel in Makrygianni, between the Acropolis Museum and Plaka.

City Circus Athens: in Psirri, with dormitories of 4, 6 and 8 beds, private rooms for two to four people and a rooftop open from 7:00 to 23:30.

Plaka Hotel: hotel in Plaka for those who prefer their own rooms.

### Where to eat
Fanis' Karamanlidika: meze and cured meats beside the central market, from 12:00 to 23:00 and closed on Sundays.

Lukumades: Greek doughnuts with honey and cinnamon, five minutes from Monastiraki.

Electra Roof Garden: dinners from 19:00 with the rock lit up; booking is required on 210 337 0000.

### Keep in mind
The Acropolis is visited with a day and time: buy all in the same slot.

Karamanlidika is closed on Sundays; leave another dinner for that day.

The cooking workshop has two fixed times a day: book it before you arrive.

### Qué hacer with friends
- Acropolis of Athens
- Acropolis Museum
- Ancient Agora and Temple of Hephaestus
- Filopappou Hill at sunset
- Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
- Greek cooking class in the centre

## Consejos

### Pay with your card at the turnstile
The metro and bus accept contactless Visa and Mastercard, and you never pay more than €4.10 a day. Each person needs their own card.

### Combine the Acropolis and its museum in the same morning
They are 400 m apart on foot. The rock first, in the cool, then the museum, with air conditioning.

### Look at the Acropolis from Filopappou
The hill opposite is free and open. At sunset you see the Parthenon head-on in golden light.

### Wear shoes with grip
The marble of the Acropolis has been polished by millions of footsteps and is slippery, especially going down.

### One day to get out of Athens
Sounion, 69.5 km away, or an island in the Saronic Gulf by ferry from Piraeus. Two full days is more than enough for the city.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do I need in Athens?
Two full days for the Acropolis, its museum, the Agora, Plaka and the National Archaeological Museum. Three if you want to go to Sounion or take a cookery class.

### Can you go up the Acropolis with a pushchair?
Better with a baby carrier. The path has steps and slippery marble. The Acropolis Museum, on the other hand, is easy with a pushchair.

### How do I get from the centre to the port of Piraeus?
On metro line 1 (green) from Monastiraki or Thissio, with no change. From the airport, the X96 bus takes about 90 minutes.

### Does the metro run at night?
From 5:00 to 24:00. On Fridays, lines 2 and 3 keep running until 2:00, and on Saturdays all night.

### How much does it cost to get around by metro?
€1.20 for the 90-minute ticket, €4.10 for the 24-hour one and €8.10 for the 5-day one, not counting the airport. Children under 6 travel free.

### What should I see if I only have one day?
The Acropolis at opening time, its museum, lunch in Plaka, the Agora in the afternoon and sunset from Filopappou. All on foot.