10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO VISIT IN ATHENS

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This list of places to visit in Athens Essentials will help you get to know a city with more than 3,000 years of history and cradle of Western civilization.
It is usual to hear that Athens is a city, that as soon as you step on it, you love it or hate it. We can say that after spending three days in the city, we are sure that if you dedicate enough time to tour neighborhoods like Plaka, Monastiraki and Psiri, you will end up loving her and wanting to return.
In addition to its old neighborhoods, in the city you will find important archaeological sites, of which the Acropolis stands out, endless markets, incredible viewpoints or Orthodox churches, which together with the friendliness of its people and, one of the best gastronomies in the world, will turn your trip to Athens and Greece in general, in a whole discovery.
So based on our experience, in the time we spent in this city during our trip to Greece, we have made a list of what we think, are the 10 essential places to see in Athens. We start!

1. The Acropolis

The Acropolis, located on a peak more than 150 meters high, is the most important place in Athens and one of the essential places to see in Greece.
Despite being in a position that is easy to defend, it has been ransacked and destroyed numerous times throughout its history, although thanks to the different restorations you can get a fairly accurate idea of the importance it had during the classical era.
Most of its buildings, such as the imposing Parthenon, were built during the time of Pericles (from 499 BC to 429 BC) and in addition to the Parthenon, other buildings such as the entrance to the Propylaea, the Dionysus Theater, the Odeon of Herod Attic, the temple of Erechtheion and that of Athena Niké.
After our experience, we recommend you to enter early, open at 8 in the morning, to go straight to the top and enjoy the Parthenon and the other temples with the greatest tranquility.
After touring all the old buildings and seeing the magnificent views that are obtained from the city, you can go down to see other archaeological remains, which are in the site.
After leaving the Acropolis we recommend climbing the small Areopagus mountain, with good views of the Acropolis, both during the day and at the time of sunset.
To complete the visit nothing better than entering the impressive Acropolis Museum, another of the places to visit in Athens, in which important pieces of the different buildings of the Acropolis are conserved, including the impressive Caryatids.
A great opportunity to know the history of the most interesting monuments of the city is to book this guided tour in Spanish or this one that includes the guided tour of the Acropolis Museum.
If you do not want to take a guided tour you can book this access ticket through the southern entrance of the Acropolis or this ticket to enter the Museum, you will enter both without queuing.
Visiting hours of The Acropolis: every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (summer).
Museum visiting hours: Mondays from 8 am to 4 pm; from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Fridays it closes at 10 p.m.

The Acropolis of Athens

2. Plaka Neighborhood

Located at the foot of the Acropolis, the picturesque Plaka neighborhood is another of the places to visit in Athens. This neighborhood, the oldest in the city, still retains the charm of traditional Greece with narrow streets, beautiful facades of 19th-century buildings and old taverns where you can devour a good moussaka, a gyro, some olives or the typical Greek yogurt.
And although this neighborhood, in recent times has become a very popular area, which also abounds with souvenir shops and terraces with a more tourist and less quality menu, you just have to leave the streets a little more Central to find that charming neighborhood of yesteryear again.
When you are here, keep in mind that next to Plaka, on the slope of the Acropolis, is the small Anaphiotic neighborhood, with its small white and blue houses, which will take you for a moment to the beautiful villages of the Greek islands .
We recommend walking first thing in the morning or at sunset, through the labyrinthine streets of the upper part of Plaka, thus avoiding crowds, and ending up on a terrace serving traditional Greek food.

Plaka neighborhood

3. Lycabettus Hill

At the top of Mount Lycabettus, at 227 meters, is for us the best viewpoint of the city and one of the essential places to see in Athens.
From this point, the highest in Athens, you will get fantastic panoramic views of the entire city and the impressive Acropolis.
Although the mountain is a little far from the center, about 2 kilometers, if you have time, we recommend you to arrive on foot and thus know other less touristic areas of the city. Once at the base, to reach the top of the mountain you have two options: by funicular or on foot. If you do it on foot you have the advantage of stopping at the different natural viewpoints before reaching the top, although with the heat the climb can become somewhat strenuous.
In our experience, the best time to climb the viewpoint is one hour before sunset, to see the city day and night. The moment the sun sets behind the Acropolis with the red sky, we are sure that it will be one of those that will remain forever in your memory and will become another of the places to visit in Athens more recommended.
And if you arrive soon, you can make time visiting the chapel of San Jorge and having dinner in one of the restaurants of the viewpoint, which although very touristy, we have to say that they are highly recommended.

Lycabettus Hill

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

4. Temple of Olympian Zeus

Located 500 meters from the Acropolis, in a flat area, the Temple of Olympian Zeus still retains 15 of the 104 impressive 17-meter-tall Corinthian columns, which it had at its inauguration.
Although the temple began to be built in the sixth century BC it was not until the second century AD that it was completed and the great statue of Zeus could be placed inside. The Roman emperor Hadrian was the main architect of the completion of the work and in honor of him you can see the huge door of Hadrian 20 meters high next to the temple.
The huge columns next to the views that are obtained from the Acropolis make it for us, in another of the best places to see in Athens.
Many of the archaeological sites of Athens retain few remains, so a very interesting option is to book this guided tour of the city in which a guide in Spanish will tell you the history and the most interesting anecdotes of each monument, or this free Athens tour Free! You consider both two of the best excursions in Athens.
Visiting hours: every day from 8 am to 3 pm.

Temple of Zeus, one of the places to see in Athens

5. Monastiraki neighborhood, one of the places to visit in Athens

Walking west of the Acropolis you will pass from the old Plaka neighborhood to the bustling Monastiraki, another of the most famous neighborhoods and places to visit in Athens.
This neighborhood with Turkish influences, has in its markets in the form of souks its great attraction, next to several Orthodox churches and mosques, which we recommend you not to miss in the visit.
The most prominent place in the neighborhood is Monastiraki Square from which several shopping streets run through the historic center and are perfect for buying all kinds of souvenirs.
Other interesting places in the neighborhood are the Tower of the Winds, the Adriano Library, the Fethiye and Tsistaráki mosques, the Pantánassa Church and the Pazari open-air market, which are very interesting to complete the visit to this incredible neighborhood of Athens.
In addition, Monastiraki is a perfect area to try traditional Greek food in local restaurants such as All That Jatz or the Kallipateira.

Monastiraki neighborhood

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Athens by travelers:
- Cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina
- 2-day excursion to Delphi and Meteora
- Classic 4-day circuit
- Excursion to Delphi
- Excursion to Corinth, Mycenae and Epidaurus
- More excursions and tours here

6. Ancient Agora

The Ancient Agora was the meeting place of the ancient inhabitants of the city, where social and political activity was mixed with commercial activity. With a certain resemblance to the Roman forum, in this enclosure they were from administrative buildings, markets, temples to theaters and their origins date back to 600 BC, although the passage of time and the numerous looting cause that today a large imagination to move to the time of its greatest splendor.
Although most of the buildings are not left standing, you can take a pleasant walk seeing the remains of important places such as the Odeón de Agripa, the Vía Panatenaica, the Stoá de Atalo and the impressive Temple of Hephaestus, in style similar to the Parthenon and that is the best preserved building and another one of the essential places to see in Athens.
Visiting hours: every day from 8 am to 3 pm.

Ancient Agora

7. Central Market

They say that to get to know a city you must go through its markets. We, in addition to agreeing with this statement, recommend you especially visit the Central Market, one of the places to visit in Athens more interesting and that will bring you closer to the local life of the city.
This traditional market located between the streets of Mitropoleos and Athinas, a little far from the center, is the place where you feel the life and personality of the city and where we are safe, you will fall in love a little more, whenever that is possible, of Athens.
The market has a covered part located in a neoclassical building of the 19th century, where you can find the meat and fish stalls, in two separate enclosures. Outside and in the adjacent streets you will find the fruit and vegetable market, olive stands, spices, sweets and nuts, among other products.
Keep in mind that it is a market in which they buy mostly local and that we could define as a bit chaotic in the Eastern style, where you will listen to the vendors shouting their product while people try to make their way through the narrow aisles that remain between the stalls .
If you arrive at lunchtime we recommend the restaurant Oinomageireio H Epirus to try a good traditional Greek food, with fresh products.
A good option to get to know this whole area and try the local food is to book this gastronomic tour.
Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays closed.

Central Market, one of the places to visit in Athens

8. Neighborhood of Psiri

Psiri, located west of Monastiraki Square, is the city's fashionable neighborhood and is currently known as the SoHo of Athens. With a troubled past, Psiri has been transformed into one of the favorite areas of the locals to go out for a drink, shop at its designer stores or take a leisurely stroll away from the hustle and bustle of the most touristy neighborhoods. In addition, this small neighborhood is also characterized by its graffiti and the young and multicultural environment.
We recommend touring the entire Anargiron street, one of the best things to do in Athens, where most bars with terraces are concentrated, find the Heroes Square with a magnificent graffiti on the top and above all, enjoy a different atmosphere to the rest of Athens.

Psiri neighborhood

Our recommended hotel in Athens
The Phaedra Hotel, located in the picturesque Plaka district, 250 meters from the Acropolis Museum and 150 meters from the Temple of Zeus, is for us the best option to stay and tour Athens. The rooms are spacious, have good wifi, the staff is friendly and the rooms have incredible views of the Acropolis.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods we recommend you check this post of where to stay in Athens.

9. Filopappou Hill

The Filopapo or Filopappou Hill, with 147 meters high, is one of the best viewpoints of the city and another of the essential places to visit in Athens. Located to the south of the city, the hill receives the name of Filopapo by the monument that is at the top in honor of the Roman consul Cayo Julio Filopapo.
Keep in mind that although from below the climb may seem quite hard, for us it did not present difficulty, in addition to being full of vegetation, something that will allow you to rest in the shadows of the trees.
We recommend climbing one hour before sunset and stopping at the different natural viewpoints until you reach the highest point, where you will get fantastic views of the Acropolis and the city.

Filopappou Hill

10. Roman Agora

Another of the places to see in Athens It is the Roman Agora built by Emperor Augustus, between the years 19 BC. and 11 BC, and that became the center of power, meeting and business of the Roman Empire in the city.
Located near the Agora Antigua, this large rectangular square 100 meters long, preserves the remains of several important buildings such as the magnificent Tower of the Winds, the Athena Arquegetis Gate and the Hadrian's Library, another of the places to visit in Athens.
If you do not have much time to tour the entire city, a good way to amortize the time to the maximum, is to book the tourist bus that stops at the main attractions of the city.
Visiting hours: every day from 8 am to 5 pm.