Tips for a successful stay in Athens

One day in Athens: what to do?

I often hear: “Poh Athens! What should I do in Athens?” Don’t worry, a day in Athens goes by so quickly that you don’t even know how.

Especially in this fascinating city of millions, full of cozy streets and ancient sights, an extra day can definitely be entertaining.

Just think of the new Acropolis Museum. Absolutely worth seeing!!! (all important information here!) A walk to the Acropolis and the breathtaking panorama over this city of millions from the sea to the mountains of Ymmitou is just as worthwhile. Or for those interested in tradition, a visit to the Dora Stratou Dance Theater. The living museum of Greek dance, as it calls itself. The performances in the open air, each with 75 dancers in authentic costumes, musicians and singers, will also delight so-called “dance buffoons”!!!

A ride on the cable car up Lycabettus, the city mountain of Athens, is also exciting. Here you will also be rewarded with a breathtaking view of all the sights of Athens. A ride on the tourist train is great with children, but just as fun for adults! Really, I tried it! You can get on and off at all stations.

A stroll through the world-famous Plaka, the old town below the Acropolis or the flea market in Monastiraki and then a small ouzo and meze in Thisseon with a view of the magnificent excavations or in the old in district of Psyrri!

I also recommend taking the red double-decker bus, where you can get on and off at any of the city’s sights with the same ticket. You can also listen to a German-speaking tour using headphones! So you don’t have to drag your feet all over the city…

Strikes and demonstrations

Although strikes and demonstrations have become rare, fear of them is still great. The demonstrations look much more dangerous on television than they actually are. The street battles that are often filmed always take place in front of the parliament building and usually have nothing to do with the actual strike, but are instigated by anarchists, the opposing party, and sometimes even by plainclothes police themselves in order to force a ban on strikes. If you avoid the three metro stations Omonia, Panepistimio (University) and Syntagma while a demonstration is in progress, you won’t notice any of the unrest in the other streets. The police presence is obvious in the city center. In Ermou, the most famous shopping street from Syntagma Square to Monastiraki, you can go shopping in peace even on the days of a demonstration. Even in Plaka and Monastiraki you won’t notice any of the unrest and you can easily stroll or eat there! You can get off at Monastiraki station at any time and stroll from there to Plaka. This is absolutely harmless!

Read more about this:

Riots: Is Greece dangerous for holidaymakers?

Strike on vacation: what can I do?

A virtual tour of the Acropolis to get you in the mood

I’ve found another brilliant link, for those who, despite everything, would rather spend their vacation at home in the safety of their room in front of the computer… Or for all those who want to get in the mood with a great virtual tour of the Acropolis and get in the mood want to look forward to your upcoming vacation…because as we all know, anticipation is the best joy! Have fun!

Here you can find another link to YouTube from Google Earth. Not as spectacular as the other one, but also quite interesting!

Here you will find links to order various city guides, pocket guides and city maps of Athens directly:

In the travel guide from Michale Müller Verlag you will find a whole chapter about Athens, sights, ancient sites, taverns and much more. This book reports in detail from the Ionian Sea to Turkey, from Macedonia down to Athens and Attica and of course the offshore islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas – nothing is left unaccounted for! So it is a good investment for your trip to Greece.

If your focus is on art history, I recommend the DuMont art travel guide to the Greek mainland. It is very well-founded and provides a lot of background information on the ancient sites and for a better understanding of the exhibits in the National Archaeological Museum. Or the practical paperback city guide from DuMont direct Athens travel guide. Baedeker Allianz Travel Guide Athens is the classic of all travel guides and offers a large city map. Or you can browse further Athens city guide here

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Athens is a wonderful metropolis where you can eat delicious food and stroll around. You will find everything, modern shops right next to ancient sites, small bazaars with an Arabic flair, the famous flea market and the winding old town. Don’t even get me started on the Acropolis and the ancient Roman market. Read my updated tips for a successful stay in Athens. If you want to stay overnight, here is my top hotel list and the easiest way to get from the airport to the city.

Use Momondo, my favorite flight search engine! With one click you can see which flight is the cheapest, the fastest or the best combination of both on which day.