Athens, Greece

ATHENS

Between the main land and over 200 inhabited islands, there are so many different parts of Greece to visit. In this 3-part special edition I will be covering Athens, Santorini, and Rhodes. The first stop on our trip: Athens.

Before You Go

Figure out how many days you are able to go on vacation. If you want to visit multiple parts of Greece, I would recommend at least 11 nights (which is what I did). Make sure to look into ferry and flight schedules between Athens and the islands to coordinate your visit. If you plan to spend your time on just one of the islands, plan on one week. If you are only going to Athens, I’d recommend 2-5 nights. 

Also, make sure to pack an adapter for outlets. And note: not all hotels provide irons, so keep that in mind when packing.

A tip when visiting any foreign country, download the Google Translate app to learn a few helpful phrases or to get you out of a pickle. AND be sure to download maps of your destination from google maps offline so you can roam data-free.

Accommodations

We booked all our hotel rooms through Hotels.com. They provide competitive rates and the 11th night is free. Be sure to book through their app for their “secret prices.” For a major city, Athens is relatively inexpensive as far as hotels are concerned. I’d recommend getting a more inexpensive hotel in Athens and splurge when you get to the islands. Most importantly, try to find something within a 20 minute walk of the Acropolis, that way, you’ll be able to walk to most of the sightseeing you’ll want to do and all the markets and shopping. My hotel choice: The Royal Olympic. The Royal Olympic offers the Greek charm I was looking for, has a really helpful staff, is in a safe and convenient area, and has incredible views of the Acropolis from the rooftop restaurant.

Sightseeing

Acropolis:  

Mostly constructed during the 5th century BC, the Acropolis of Athens is home to ancient, notable buildings, the most famous being the Parthenon. Here, stand in wonder as you observe the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, and theater. Also consider the strength of the architecture that has endured thousands of years of wear, including wars, fires, and earthquakes. The Acropolis Museum is nearby and holds all the found artifacts as well as an excavated ancient Athenian neighborhood beneath the museum. TIP: if you visit during the summer, climbing up to the Acropolis during peak sunlight hours gets very hot. Do the ruins early in the morning or closer to the evening and do the museum while the sun is as its brightest.

If you want to see other ruins and excavation sights, you’ve got The Arch of Hadrian, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Agora, and many others all within walking distance (if you’re a good walker). TIP: sidewalks and ruins contain a lot of marble, so I found Athens very slippery. The traction on my three dollar flip flops was not ideal. If you don’t want to walk, whip out that cell phone and rent a scooter! Pick one up on the side of the street and leave it wherever you want. Payment is completely controlled by an app on your phone. 

Delphi:

If you just can’t get enough of those ruins, rent a car and take a day trip to Delphi (if you want to spend the money and devote some more time, you can do a bus trip with a tour group, but the drive is pretty easy...2 and a half hours...but easy nonetheless). Located on Mt. Parnassus, Delphi was settled around 1500 BC. About 700 years later, it became known as the center of the world and served as a religious sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. Leaders from all over the world would come to the oracle of Apollo to seek guidance on major issues (like war, colonies, and religion). Like the Acropolis, there is also a museum there that holds artifacts found on site. 

*Hidden Gem: about 10 minutes before you reach Delphi, you’ll go through the delightful village of Arachova. Stop in for a meal! 

Food

One thing I was most excited for about this trip was the food. Here is a list of Greek food you should try: Greek yogurt with honey, koulouri (from Beneth’s…kick it up with some feta inside), baklava (also from Beneth’s), moussaka (like an eggplant lasagna), Zisis’ fish in a cone, baked feta in phyllo and honey, spanakopita, lukumades (from Lukumades), nuts, olives, gyros, souvlaki, any and all seafood, ouzo (alcohol), and Greek coffee.

-I didn’t have any particular breakfast that was remarkable.

-street food was almost always better than restaurant food

Top three restaurant choices: 

-For a traditional feel and live music: Klimataria Taverna (overall, tavernas will often have an authentic feel)

-For really interesting cuisine: Mavro Provato, which translates to The Black Sheep.

For romance and the most beautiful, panoramic views in Athens: Orizontes. This restaurant is a must just for the view! It sits high on a hill (also know as Mount Lycabettus) and from the streets of Athens, looks as if it might be another magical set of ancient ruins. Take a cab to get most of the way up (tip: cabs in Athens are reasonable and you can use your Uber app, it just won’t give you the price beforehand, but between midnight and 5am prices double). Anyway, when you get out of the cab, you take an elevator up to the restaurant. There’s also a cool old church up there and multiple spots to overlook Athens, even if you’re not eating at the restaurant. There are stairs you can take back down to the street...a much more romantic journey than the elevator. 

Lastly, if you want one of the most whimsical dining experiences of your life, check out “Little Kook” which is a fairy-tale inspired cafe.   They change their decor to a different theme every few months. I lucked out and entered just in time for Mary Poppins. Their desserts were a bit extreme for me (not a sentence I ever thought I’d say), but there’s some ice cream outside if you just was to pass by and transport yourself back to childhood. I should also note: there is ice cream and gelato everywhere in Athens. Sweet tooth satisfied.

Shopping

Even though many stores carry the same souvenirs (and many are made in Italy), I really enjoyed going into the shops because they carried clothing and kitchen tools that are unique, special, and will work in my everyday life! In my opinion, the street with the best shops is, I believe called Adrianou- across the street from Hadrian’s arch is a road that runs northwest called Lisikratous, walk that about 5 minutes and take a left onto a vibrant shopping street. There is also the Athens market which has lots of fresh produce, if you’re looking for a snack. And different flea markets, if you’re looking for a more one-of-a-kind souvenir. 

Other attractions

What a joy to see a Greek tragedy performance in its native language! Catch Oedipus Rex at the Athiniais Theater! 

Greek guards have the most fun uniforms. Every hour spectators can watch the changing of the guards. 

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Athens has made it a priority to showcase a unique glimpse into antiquity amongst a modern metropolis.   Here, at the epicenter of a culture that runs so deep, you are inundated with tangible history. Thank you for reading, feel free to ask any questions, and please check out the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_pTaxfUuQg