Athens Itinerary: 2, 3, or 4 days

Athens is a capital city full of life that offers unique and special sensations.

Those who decide to discover its every nook and cranny will be fascinated by its archaeology and history but will also be surprised by the numerous nightclubs ideal for those who want to have fun.

Athens’ stupendous monuments date back to distant eras and alternate with the modernity of the buildings in its fashionable neighbourhoods. Athens has the privilege of resembling no other city in Greece and is the perfect blend of big-city and small-town atmosphere.

Not sure what to visit on a 2, 3 or 4-day weekend in Athens? Start with a visit to the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum and the nearby neoclassical-looking neighbourhood of Thisio, full of cafés, traditional taverns and trendy clubs, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Parthenon, especially at sunset.

Visit Athens in 2 days

If you only have two days to visit Athens, perhaps on your return trip or on your way to one of the many unforgettable Greek islands, it will be very useful to have an itinerary in mind.

On the first day, a visit to the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum is definitely a must, perhaps reaching them by walking through the bustling streets of Plaka.

In the afternoon, for some entertainment, don’t miss a trip to the flea market of Monastiraki. After a day of culture and shopping, there’s nothing better than relaxing in one of the many cafés or restaurants in Thisio where you can stay late and enjoy authentic Greece.

On the second day, you could head to Syntagma Square to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony and from there to the Temple of Zeus and on to the Panathinaic Stadium, an imposing horseshoe-shaped monument built entirely of white marble. In the evening you can relax at the dinner table by going to the Psiri district or opt for the trendiest and most fashionable district of Athens, Gazi.

Visit Athens in 3 days

If you have a few extra days and spend a long weekend in Athens, in addition to the must-see destinations recommended for the two-day itinerary, you can continue to immerse yourself in ancient Greek history by visiting the Museum of Cycladic Art, housed in a villa in the heart of Athens near Kolonaki Square.

Then on to the Byzantine and Christian Museum, one of the most important international museums on Byzantine and post-Byzantine art and culture with a collection of more than 25 000 objects. From there, you can go to the National Gallery where more than 20,000 art objects including paintings, sculptures and engravings are housed, covering a period from the post-Byzantine period to the present day. It also has a remarkable collection of Western European paintings.

Those who do not wish to do a full immersion in the museums may be fascinated by the elegant shopping area of Kolonaki, popular with Athenians and non-Athenians alike.

To reach this museum and shopping triangle you can take metro line 3 and get off at Annunciation or Syntagma station or take line 2 and get off at Constitution. Many buses serve the area: A5, E6, E7, X14, 054, 200, 203, 204, 220, 221, 224, 235, 408, 608, 622, 732, 815.

At sunset, you can admire Athens and the Acropolis from Lycabettus Hill, a green lung in the heart of the city that can be reached by funicular, only a 3-minute ride, or by car or on foot, in which case it is a 35-minute walk. On top of the hill, the highest in Athens, there is also a modern 3,000-seat amphitheatre where concerts, cultural events and plays are staged throughout the year.

Visit Athens in 4 days

After visiting the main attractions on the previous days, on the fourth day you can venture out of Athens and reach Cape Sunio, on the extreme tip of the Attica peninsula, where the Doric temple of Poseidon is located. Only an hour’s drive from the cosmopolitan and pulsating heart of Greece you can find this magical and peaceful place that offers one of the most beautiful Hellenic sunsets on a par with Santorini. The rest will be done by the temple with its magnificent view of the Aegean Sea.

Back in Athens, we recommend that you spend the evening listening to rebetika music, a melody born of the encounter between Greek and Turkish music, in a club in Psiri.