Athens has always been a popular place to travel to due to its rich history and it being the central hub for all tourists going island hopping. We decided to only spend 24 hours in Athens as I had managed to narrow down my list to 5 keys things I wanted to do/see while we were there. However, knowing what I know now I definitely would have planned to stay there for 48 hours just so that we could have taken our time touring Athens. Athens was also the last stop on our 17 day vacation so I definitely would have preferred to stay in Athens at the beginning because by the time we got to Athens we were pretty exhausted so we didn’t end up exploring as much of Athens as I would have liked to.
Acropolis of Athens and the Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis is easily the biggest attraction in Athens. The Acropolis is made up of several temples, the most famous being Parthenon. You have the option to explore the grounds on your own or you can pay extra for a guided tour or an audio tour. I would definitely opt for the audio tour, as it’s nice to understand everything you are looking at while you explore the Acropolis.
If possible, plan to go to the Acropolis in the morning before it gets too warm out and make sure you bring lots of water.
If you are especially interested in history and archaeology then I definitely suggest making time to stop at the Museum as well. Neither my fiancé nor myself are huge history buffs so we decided to skip the museum.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus is one of the biggest ancient temples to date. If you are going to be in Athens then I definitely recommend adding it to your list of things to do. If you are only going to be in Athens for 24-48 hours like we were then I would skip it.
Changing of the Guards/Monument of the Unknown Soldier
Watching the changing of the guard’s ceremony and visiting the Monument of the Unknown Soldier had always been one of the top things I wanted to do while we were in Athens. As some of you know, my fiancé was enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces for nine years so this was definitely something that hit close to home.
Changing of the guards takes place every hour on the hour and on Sunday’s at 11:00 a.m. is the official changing of the guard ceremony. I believe this ceremony runs a bit longer than the rest but both are extremely interesting to watch.
The changing of the guards was unlike anything I have ever seen. The Greek soldiers parade is very intense and runs completely in sync. In Greece, being apart of the unit that is tasked with guarding the Monument is one the highest honours you can receive as a Greek soldier so the men you see guarding the monument have undergone a significant amount of training and work to be able to be apart of this unit.
I think it is important for everyone to check out the Monument because we often forget about the people who fought to give us the lives we have today.
Panathenaic Stadium
Panathenaic Stadium was built in 1896 for the first modern Olympics and is actually where the Olympic flame starts its journey. The stadium is a quick pit-stop to get that instagram worthy photo on top of the famous podium!
Plaka
Plaka is one of the most popular neighborhoods to explore in Athens, especially if you are only there for a short period of time. Plaka is a beautiful well-manicured neighborhood located just north of the Acropolis. There are tons of tourist shops, restaurants and cafes to explore. If you have time, stop at one of the cafes around the Plaka Stairs on Mnisikleous Street – it is a great spot to enjoy some food and do some people watching!
Areopagus Hill
Areopagus Hill provides one of the best panoramic views of the entire city and has many cafes and restaurants near by to stop at for lunch.
Areopagus Hill can get pretty crowded during the summer months so keep that in mind when planning your itinerary.
Open Air Cinema
Open air cinemas are extremely popular in Europe so it’s pretty easy to stumble across one. We had the chance to do one while we were in Santorini and absolutely loved it. There is literally nothing better than hanging out on a summer night watching a movie under the stars.
Pittaki Street
This was hands-down my absolute favourite street in Athens! I had seen pictures of it on instagram but I don’t always believe what I see because there’s usually a huge difference between instagram and reality. This was not the case on Pittaki Street and in fact, it exceeded all of my expectations!
Pittaki Street is lined with a ton of colourful stores with multi-coloured umbrellas hanging overhead. I loved walking along the street and taking everything in. Pittaki Street is the complete opposite of the rest of Athens. Athens is extremely rich in history so it was nice to stumble across Pittaki Street, which really brought the area to life!
Monastiraki Square
Monastiraki Square is the perfect place to visit to buy clothes, souvenirs and a bunch of other random items. Take some time to explore the square, do some shopping and listen to some of the local musicians performing. There’s no need to spend too much time in the square itself but it’s definitely an interesting place to visit, as it is a very popular place amongst locals.
Although we were only in Athens for 24 hours and were pretty exhausted by the time we got there, we definitely had an incredible time. As I mentioned previously, I would definitely have preferred to spend 48 hours in Athens so that we could have taken a more relaxed approach to exploring Athens but nevertheless, we had an unforgettable time and would definitely consider going back to explore more! Until next time..
