Top Spots in Athens, Greece: What to See and Do

Without a doubt, number one on my “Top Spots for Athens, Greece” is visiting the Acropolis and the Parthenon. We have enjoyed this iconic landmark in Athens several times and will most likely visit here again! Currently you have a timed entry for the Acropolis and purchase tickets on line. Use the official site at this link. We enjoy visiting in the evening when it is a little cooler and the crowds thin out. It seems like we sually spend an hour and a half here more or less. We always do a self-tour of Acropolis and you can click on my link to read about it Our Self-Guided Tour to the Acropolis.

Even though we had been to Athens, Greece several times, we had never visited the Acropolis Museum; well, that changed in September 2024. It quickly became one of our Top Spots to visit in Athens and shows such a great collection of art in Greece, all related to the Acropolis. If we were to do this for a first time, I would visit the museum first and than the Acropolis for the best comprehension and appreciation. We went here in the evening and spent just a little over an hour. Don’t skip the gift shop as we found some unique items.

There is something about the Ancient Agora that makes me want to return. Although I have only been here once, I keep saying I want to go back. The ancient Agora was the hub of the city, the marketplace, the political center, a place to meet up and socialize, basically the place where it was all happening. I am sure it was a high energy place and that feeling, to me continues in this area. The Temple of Hephaestus is a very intact temple and still has its roof! That is pretty rare. You cannot go inside but it is still amazing to walk around it. We spent a good hour here but you could spend much more time if it isn’t too hot.

I am not big on museums, but I do love archeology and this museum, has so much to see. Athens National Archaeological Museum highlights relics from all over Greece organizing them into collections of different eras and areas. We explored this museum just last year, in 2025, not sure why we hadn’t visited sooner. I found it so much fun to see relics, statues, writings and even funeral stones from archaeological sites I had visited. Honestly, I was totally wowed by this museum. We are definitely planning to return here as there is just so much to see. We were here over two hours and plan on returning again.

We walked past the Roman Forumand Cave of the Wind each year we were in Athens telling each other we should check that out some day. Well that day came in 2025 when we decided to check it out. What a great little site this is. It is a hidden gem in plain sight! I really could feel the layout of this area when wandering through. In addition, I was fascinated by the Cave of the Wind and how it was engineered to tell the time, seasons, and weather all those years ago. I was so impressed by this site, it no longer is a pass by place but definitely scores high on my top what to see in do in Athens list. Budget about 45 minutes to an hour for this site.

Although quite in ruin, this temple is worth the stop because of its size. The Temple of the Olympian Zeus, named after the god Zeus was the largest temple in Ancient Athens and all of Ancient Greece. Just standing within the area of the ruins you can get an idea of just how massive this temple was. We visited the ground here a few years back and spent about a half hour. Currently I believe it is being renovated so I am not sure if entering the grounds would be worth it, but definitely walk by and get a look from outside the fence.

Hadrian’s Arch is another great site to see. It is right along one of the main roads and you can walk through it at any time. This Arch is in Honor of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian and constructed around 131-132 AD. and separated two cities, Hadrian, and Thesseus, or possibly separated new Athens from old Athens. On the one side of the arch it states, “This is Athens the old city of Thesseus“ on the opposite side it states, “This is the city of Hadrian and not Thesseus“.

Although a bit of a walk from where we were staying, this stadium definitely was worth the effort. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this stadium as I am not a big sports fan. Not only is this stadium huge, but it is made out of marble! You can run on the stadium floor and climb to the top of the seating. We spent a good hour here, there is a museum of modern Olympics here as well that is worth a look.This is one of the Top spots in Athens and Greece I would not miss if you have the time.

When we visited Areopagus Hill we definitely did it the hard way. We followed Google and basically climbed up the back side of the hill only to find out there are stairs to the top of this hill! Take the stairs!

Areopagus Hill was the meeting place for the Ancient Areopagus Council who decided the fate of those who were accused of serious crimes.

Areopagus Hill was also the site where St Paul delivered his Sermon on the Unknown God in 51 AD.

It is hard to say how long we spent here as we went the hard way. On the hill itself, about 15 minutes.

You can’t miss Lycabetus Hill. It stands out high above the Athens skyline, pointing upward. We visited this amazing view point at sunrise one year. It was beautiful. Of course, never known for doing things the easy way, we hiked up it and enjoyed the early morning peacefulness throughout the city. You can also take a funicular which is at the base of the hill. All in all, from hotel back to hotel was about 2 hours, walking.

Another great spot for views of Athens is Philopappos Hill. This is another hill we tackled early in the morning for sunrise. Trekking on up is the only way to get to this summit. It is worth it for the views. Watching the sleepy city wake up as the sunrises is truly an amazing way to start your day.

This hill is also known as Hill of the Muses. At the top is the ruin of the 2nd century Monument of Philopappos, dedicated to an exhiled Roman Prince.

From leaving the hotel to returning it was about 2 hours.

I never get tired of wandering the streets of the Plaka. Eating on the famous Plaka Steps is one of the must do’s while in Athens. There are many choices which serve traditional Greek Food. Our favorite is Old Tavern of Psara.

What I love about walking these streets of Plaka is the beautiful old buildings with Bougainvillea trees all about.

This little area of Athens, just off of the Plaka, is like stepping onto a Greek Cycladic Island! It is so fun to wander these pretty walkways and get a bit lost. In 1840, stonemasons and builders from the island of Anafi were hired to excavate nearby sites and also rework the king’s palace. These workers recreated their Cycladic homes and buildings into an area they called “Little Anafi” making them feel more at home in Athens. So you can wander through the alleyways, passing whitewashed walls and brightly painted doors. There is also some unique graffiti in this area as well. Click on my link for directions on how to find this must see area of Athens

There are two areas I like to shop. One being Adrianou Street in the Plaka neighborhood and the other being Ermou Street which runs through the Suntagma and Monastiraki neighborhoods.

Monistriaki Square is just a fun place to be. The vibe seems to always be exciting with lots of activity. You see just about everything here! From roasted nuts to grilled corn, as well as street musicians and spontaneous dancing. Just a fun top spot to visit in Athens and see some fun culture in Greece.

The National Gardens is a green space within the city. Located behind the Greek Parliament Building this public park is a perfect place to roam around and relax. There is quite a bit of shade here so perfect on a hot day. Grab yourself an ice cold Freddo and find a spot to chill in these beautiful gardens.

Although the Temple of Poseidon is over an hour away from the Plaka area, it is still a great site to see. The ruins of this beautiful temple overlooking the sea is quite remarkable.

You can drive here or take a tour. Companies like Viator offer many different tours such as a Private Sunset Tour of Poseidon or a group half day tour.

I loved Ancient Corinth. It isn’t the largest or most renovated site, but it is truly a remarkable part of history and has quite a bit to see. It is about an hour and a half drive from Athens. You can combine it with Acrocrinth and make a day of it.

Again, you can take a tour from compaines such as Viator to see Ancient Corinth and mix and match other tours you may want to do in the area.

Acrocorinth is not far from Ancient Corinth so they are a good combo, if you don’t mind the trek up to see Acrocorinth. For me, Acrocorinth would be a top spot in Greece to visit and a great day trip from Athens, but I do like to hike and wander around.

Personally, I think Ancient Delphi is one of the prettiest top spots to see ruins in Greece, therefore if I were to do just one day trip from Athens, this would be it. This site is on a hillside and is just so pretty. It is not a super large site but it has temples, a stadium, a museum and more. It is a 2.5 hour drive from Plaka so you may want to combine it with other sites and make an entire day of it.

Viator has a group trip to Delphi which combines a stop in the picturesque mountain village of Arachova, one of my favorite villages.

One of the most unique top spots to see in Greece is Meteora although it is a 4 hour trip from Athens, if you have a full day, it is well worth the time. We did not do this as a day trip but I have known people who have and enjoyed it.

Meteora is amazing as it is an area of unique high rocks with monasteries built on top. You can actually visit these monasteries. Truly amazing and check out my post for more photos and information on this.

Viator offers a full day tour from Athens to Meteora. They also offer other tours such as 2 day tours with Delphi included.

Each time we are in Athens we stay at the Electra Palace Hotel located in the Plaka area. I can’t recommend this hotel enough. It is in walking distance to every place we want to go. As a matter of fact, we are able to walk to all of our favorite spots in Athens from this hotel. One of the many great benefits of staying here is the fantastic breakfast each morning including a view of the Parthenon.

We have found several great spots to eat in Athens over the years. We are not into a lot of fine dining and prefer more traditional tavernas and more laid back places. Some of the dining spots we enjoy are touristy, but hey, we are tourist so we are okay with that. All of the resaurants on my list are places we have enjoyed, some of them many times. You can find my recommendations at this link. Great Places to Eat in Plaka and Nearby. I update my list each year, adding new tavernas and revisiting tried and true spots. Can’t wait to see where we will eat this year! Although I guarantee we will visit O’Thanasis at least once!