View of Athens with the Acropolis in the centre and the sea in the distance
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Athens in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.1 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you get to know Athens from the inside: the famous, the classical, and those market and taverna streets where the city still belongs to Athenians. Each day pairs a route with extras that are worth it, and the last has a farewell feel: a market morning, a sunset of legends and a long dinner.

Day 1Postcard Athens

Start with “From Syntagma to the Parthenon: the must-see Athens”: evzones, cathedral, Monastiraki, the Acropolis and its museum, best done early. Have a souvlaki in Monastiraki and give the afternoon to two unhurried extras: the National Garden, a step from Syntagma, to breathe in the shade, and the National Archaeological Museum, to see up close what the Acropolis only hints at. Go back to the hotel, rest, and save the legends for the last day.

  1. Morning

    From Syntagma to the Parthenon: the must-see Athens

    Mixed · 2.4 km · 2 h

    1. Syntagma Square and the Tomb of the Unknown SoldierA royal palace turned Parliament and a square named after the Constitution wrested from a king.
    2. Metropolitan Cathedral of AthensThe great church of the new kingdom, twenty years in the making and, so the story goes, built with stones from dozens of demolished churches.
    3. Monastiraki SquareA square where a Byzantine monastery, an Ottoman mosque, a Roman library and the metro station all live side by side.
    4. The AcropolisThe rock where Pericles raised the Parthenon, and which survived a Persian fire, a Venetian explosion and Lord Elgin.
    5. Acropolis MuseumA glass museum floating above an ancient neighbourhood, with visible gaps waiting for the Parthenon Marbles to come home.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Souvlaki and kebab at O Thanasis. Odós Mitropóleos, 69, Monastiraki

  3. Afternoon

    National Garden

    An oasis of shade and ponds beside Parliament, laid out for Queen Amalia in the 19th century. It's the ideal breather after the Acropolis: enter from Syntagma, wander for a while, then head on to the Archaeological Museum.

    Directions

    National Archaeological Museum

    The great museum of ancient Greece: the Mask of Agamemnon, archaic kouroi, bronzes and the Antikythera Mechanism. Allow two hours, pick your galleries and take the metro or a taxi from Syntagma, as it's a fair walk away.

    Directions

Day 2Theatres, stadium and temples

In the morning, “Before Athens was Athens: theatres, courts and emperors”, from Hadrian's Arch to the Stoa of Attalos, with Lysicrates, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Areopagus. Follow it with loukoumades at Krinos on Aiolou Street for a sweet lunch. In the afternoon, go back to Hadrian's Arch, where the route began, for the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium. This is the day of the marbles: unhurried and photo-heavy.

  1. Morning

    Before Athens was Athens: theatres, courts and emperors

    History · 1.6 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Arch of HadrianA marble gateway that used two carved sentences to announce that the city of Theseus had a new master.
    2. Choragic Monument of LysicratesA 2,300-year-old theatre trophy that survived hidden inside a monastery where Lord Byron once stayed.
    3. Theatre of DionysusThe seats where Athens first watched Oedipus, Medea and Aristophanes' frogs.
    4. Odeon of Herodes AtticusA millionaire's gift to his wife's memory that still fills with audiences almost two thousand years later.
    5. The AreopagusA rock polished by millions of footsteps, where murderers stood trial and Saint Paul addressed the Athenians.
    6. Stoa of AttalosThe shopping arcade of Hellenistic Athens, a king's gift rebuilt in the 20th century with the same marble.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Loukoumades at Krinos. Odós Eólou, 87

  3. Afternoon

    Temple of Olympian Zeus

    Fifteen Corinthian columns still standing from a temple that took centuries to finish: Hadrian completed it in AD 131. It sits right beside Hadrian's Arch, so half an hour is enough, with views of the Acropolis.

    Directions

    Panathenaic Stadium

    A white marble stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896. A quick visit, and it's a ten-minute walk from the Temple of Olympian Zeus; climb the stands to see its horseshoe shape.

    Directions

Day 3Market, tavernas and legends

Start by taking the city's pulse at the Central Market, then drift into Psyrri, the neighbourhood of tavernas and street art next to Monastiraki. Have a tiropita or spanakopita at Ariston and let “Curses, dervishes and a prison without a prisoner” fill the evening: the Little Metropolis, Kapnikarea, Tzistarakis, the Tower of the Winds, Anafiotika and the so-called Prison of Socrates. Dine on moussaka in Plaka, under the trees. It's the most street-level day.

  1. Morning

    Athens Central Market

    The covered market on Athinas Street, with butchers and fishmongers calling out and the spice stalls in the lanes around it. Authentic, loud and best in the morning. Combine it with Psyrri, five minutes' walk away.

    Directions

    Psyrri

    The neighbourhood of tavernas, craft shops and street art north of Monastiraki. Quiet by day, lively at night. Wander without a map and stop wherever you see tables on the street.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Tiropita and spanakopita at Ariston. Odós Voulís, 10

  3. Early evening

    Curses, dervishes and a prison without a prisoner

    Mysteries & legends · 2.1 km · 1 h 55 min

    1. The Little MetropolisA tiny church built from some ninety pieces of pagan temples and tombs, a few of them “baptised” with a cross.
    2. Church of KapnikareaAn 11th-century church in the middle of the shopping street, which nearly fell victim to a straight new street plan.
    3. Tzistarakis MosqueThe mosque an Ottoman governor built with an ancient column, and the plague Athenians believed was his punishment.
    4. Tower of the WindsA two-thousand-year-old clock with eight winged gods, which ended up as a place where dervishes danced.
    5. AnafiotikaA Cycladic village clinging to the Acropolis, which tradition says was built by night to get around the law.
    6. The so-called Prison of SocratesRock-cut chambers that tradition turned into the philosopher's cell, and that hid the statues of the Acropolis during the war.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Moussaka at Taverna Platanos. Odós Diogénous, 4, Plaka

The map

Athens in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Athens in 3 days

  • Spread the effort: day one is the Acropolis, day two the stairs and stands, and day three nearly flat. Do the Acropolis first thing, with fewer people and before the midday heat.
  • A combined ticket for archaeological sites usually pays off if you'll visit several; check what it includes and how many days it lasts. Before planning your days, look up museum and site closures on public holidays.
  • For the Archaeological Museum and the Panathenaic Stadium take the metro or tram; the historic centre is done on foot. At the Central Market, watch your wallet and avoid Sundays, when it is usually closed.

Questions

Athens in 3 days: your questions

What should you see in Athens in 3 days?

Day one, the Acropolis, Plaka and the Archaeological Museum; day two, the south slope with its theatres, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium; day three, the market, Psyrri and the legends at dusk. With spare time, add Lycabettus Hill.

How far do you walk in three days?

The three routes add up to about 6.1 km: 2.4 on day one, 1.6 on day two and 2.1 on day three. With extras, trips between sights and meals you'll walk 6 to 8 km a day, a comfortable pace.

Is it better to take the metro or walk?

The historic centre is best on foot, but for the Archaeological Museum and the Panathenaic Stadium the metro or a taxi saves tired legs. Combine both: walk the routes and use transport between the extras.

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