Day 1:
8:00am – Get to the Acropolis right when the gates open to avoid the crowds and get some good pictures. Grab at map at the entry gate to be sure you don’t miss anything!
The Parthenon at the Acropolis
10:00am – Grab a coffee at the base of the Acropolis and spend some time exploring Historic Plaka as the shops are opening up.
11:00am – Go to the Acropolis Museum. Be sure to check out the live excavation sites through the glass floor outside the entrance.
The Erechtheion at the Acropolis
1:00pm – Grab some lunch in Plaka. Order a gyro and some Horiataki (Greek Salad).
3:00pm – Head East from the Acropolis to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Keep walking until you come to a large, busy road and you’ll see the monument directly on the other side of it. You can’t miss it!
Temple of Olympian Zeus
5:00pm – Walk back to the Metro through the National Garden and settle in for an afternoon nap. You’re probably exhausted.
8:00pm – Wake up, get dressed, and head out for dinner. Ask your hotel concierge for recommendations, or check out the incredible food at Geros Tou Moria in Plaka, complete with dancing and breaking plates (NOTE: They bring out special plates for you to break, don’t just start chucking dinnerware around).
10:00pm – Take an evening stroll around Monastiraki or Plaka. Grab a glass of red wine or enjoy a nightcap.
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Comments
Could you please share more details on your cruise? I have so many questions..which trip /compnay did you use? Which Greek islands did you visit? How long did you have in Instanbul? Your trip sounds like exactly what my husband and I want to do with perhaps time at the end on one Greek island. I was in Greece many years ago and loved it. We also really want to see Turkey. Any details or tips you could provide would be most appreciated!
Hi, Maureen! We planned and booked everything ourselves. The cruise line we went on was called Louis Cruises. Here’s a link to our itinerary: http://louiscruises.com/en/cruises/cruise-itinerary/G7L/6-greek-islands-and-istanbul-cruise-cruising-from-greece.html
We spent 1 day in Istanbul and 1 day in Kusadasi (to see the ruins at Ephesus). It was amazing!!
Thanks so much for the additional info. What a great holiday-the only thing I would add is time at the end on a Greek island-time to really savor the slow pace of life in Greece (and eat more Greek food!).
Anyway I really appreciate you sharing more details of your trip!
Absolutely! I loved the slow pace while we were there.
I am unable to read the rest of the pages, can you send me this post? Thanks!
Hi, Victoria! I’m so sorry for the inconvenience – I’ve fixed the error, so the pages should work fine now!
OH my gosh, yes! I have always wanted to go to Greece. Can’t miss Athens. Thanks for the tips on the highlights!
This is an absolute dream vacation for me. Your guide will come in very handy for me one day…and your photos are stunning (and beckoning)!
I have yet to visit Greece, it is somewhere I definitely want to get to. Looks like you maximized every moment in Athens, looks like a great adventure!
An incredible resource!! Pinned this for future reference!!
Love this! Lived for two years with my husband in Greece and I miss it dearly, especially the food and all that free flowing wine! And you’re so right about the metro, rode it daily!
We will be in Athens for exactly 24 hours after a relaxing few days in Santorini! I’ll be printing your itinery and following it to a tee because it seems you covered all the basis and we couldn’t have planned it any better even though we’ve been fortunate enough to tour through most of Europe !
The tips will apply to most European travel and is great advice to follow !
I’m so glad to hear that you’ll get to use my tips, Marlene! Santorini is so beautiful, too. Have a wonderful time – I miss it there already! Have a glass of wine for me 🙂
Hi Anetta!
Thank you so much for this! My husband and I will be traveling to Greece next year and we are beyond excited! Do you have any advice or tips on converting money? Also, would you say Greece is expensive when it comes it food, metro, and activities o comparable to the United Sates? I’ve been reading various articles, but I thought I would ask someone who has been there recently.
Thanks again!
-Ariana
Hi, Ariana! I’m so happy for you and your husband – you’re going to have a blast! I always convert some money before I leave the country simply because exchange rates at my bank are usually better than at the destination airport. If you call your bank, they can tell you which location will have the foreign currency. Sometimes it takes a few days for them to order it, so plan ahead! If you need more cash while you are there, you can use your debit cards at an ATM. Be forewarned that some banks charge foreign transaction fees. You can also purchase more foreign currency while abroad, but it is kind of a hassle because they always want to see your passport and conduct some paperwork. The prices in Greece felt very similar to what I normally pay back home (in Portland). Like many places, you can get a good deal by avoiding the higher-priced tourist trap restaurants and hitting up somewhere filled with locals (and, hopefully, $2 (1 Euro) Mythos beers!)
Thank you for the great advice! 🙂
-Ariana
Hello Anetta!
Your tips are really good and useful!
Sounio is one of the most famous sights of Athens (The temple of Poseidon) and you need approx 1,5 hour by bus (KTEL buses) to get there.
Also, Piraeus (the port) is very beautiful. If you go for a walk in Pasalimani, Mikrolimano, Kastella and Piraiki you feel like you are on a greek island! Piraiki is very famous for the taverns, the freshiest fish and the stunning sunset!
From Piraeus port you take all the ferries to the islands! So… See you in Rhodes in 2015! 😉
Enjoy!
Hi Anetta:
I’m heading to Greece this Summer with my husband and 12 year old son. It’ll be our first time there. I found your itinerary and tips very helpful. I had a couple of questions I was hoping you could answer:
1. What hotel did you stay at and would you recommend it?
2. On Day 2 at 5:30 you mention “meeting your tour group”. Did you take a tour? If so, which one was it?
Thanks!!!
Michelle
Hi, Michelle! We stayed at the Areos Hotel and we really liked it. It was inexpensive and served our purposes. The tour group I mentioned was the cooking class (the link is in the article!). Have fun!
No lycabettus Hill? Maybe I read it too fast but didn’t see it mentioned?
I didn’t include it in my guide – it takes up a significant amount of time and would be awfully hard to fit it into 2 days! If you stay for a 3rd day, definitely go check it out 🙂
Awesome blog! Thanks so much for the info, my partner and I will be going to Athens at the beginning of June, and we only have 48 hours to enjoy it so this is perfect!
Makaela 🙂
Thanks, Makaela!! You guys are going to LOVE it!
oh my gosh! thanks so much for this blog. my girlfriend and i are going to greece in may, specifically athens, mykonos and santorini. i am browsing pinterest to get some good tips on how to explore the city and the two islands. i will definitely keep your excellent suggestions and detailed descriptions of athens. good luck on your travels and looking forward to more of your exciting blogs.
keeper
Yay!! I’m so glad to be of help. Santorini and Mykonos are amazing, you are going to LOVE them!
Great tips for Athens thanks! I’m going to have just 24hrs in the city so its great to know a few hints and tips. I’ve been blogging my travels adventures too at laurahatesmushrooms.wordpress.com
hey! should I buy tickets in advance to any of these sites? I know when we get there we should buy an all day metro pass as you said in this blog, right? but what about tickets to get in to any of these? thanks! this itinerary is helpful. my husband and I are going to Athens in October right after we fly out of Rome. thank you!
I didn’t buy any of my Athens tickets ahead of time – check out my post on Rome, I talk a lot about what to get ahead of time! –> https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/see-rome-3-days/
Sounds like you had an amazing time! I did a similar itinerary several years ago, then headed to Rhodes for a few days before heading to Turkey for three weeks. While I enjoyed Greece, Turkey captured my heart and I eventually moved here to open a gulet cruise business. Isn’t it amazing how some journeys just move your spirit? Thanks for sharing your story!
I found this post on Pinterest. I’ll be leaving for Athens in couple of weeks and will be staying three days. This itinerary looks perfect!