Things to Do in Athens

By Frank Adam Burns · Updated 31 August 2026

Athens is better than its reputation and worse than its photographs. It is scruffy, loud, hot in summer and built over itself in layers — and it has one of the most concentrated collections of classical antiquity anywhere, a food scene that has improved sharply in the last decade, and a habit of surprising people who arrived planning to leave after a day.

The Acropolis, and how to do it properly

The Acropolis is the reason most people come, and it is worth every bit of the attention. The Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its caryatids, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaea all sit on a limestone outcrop 150 metres above the city.

Entry is timed and the site runs a daily cap of around 20,000 visitors. Peak-season slots sell out days ahead, and during summer heatwaves the site closes through the hottest part of the afternoon. Take the first slot of the morning or the last of the day: the light is better, the marble is cooler underfoot and the crowds are thinner. Wear proper shoes — the rock is polished slippery by two and a half thousand years of feet.

Pair it with the Acropolis Museum at the base of the hill, ideally afterwards rather than before. The top floor is laid out to the exact dimensions and orientation of the Parthenon, with the surviving frieze in place and gaps where the sculptures in London would sit.

The other ancient sites

A single combined ticket covers the Acropolis plus six other sites, and it is good value if you use even half of it. The Ancient Agora is the one to prioritise — this was where Athenians actually lived and argued, with the beautifully preserved Temple of Hephaestus at the top. The Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds sit a few streets away, Hadrian's Library is in the middle of Monastiraki, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus stands in open ground near the Arch of Hadrian.

The Kerameikos cemetery is the quietest and the most atmospheric, and almost nobody goes.

The National Archaeological Museum

Often skipped, and it should not be. This is one of the great museums of the world — the Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism, the bronze Artemision Zeus, and Cycladic figurines that look three thousand years newer than they are. Allow two hours minimum and go in the morning, when it is cool and empty.

Neighbourhoods to walk

Plaka is the old town below the Acropolis — touristy in places, genuinely lovely in others, and best in the early evening. Anafiotika, tucked into the hillside above it, was built by island stonemasons and looks like a Cycladic village that wandered inland. Monastiraki has the flea market and the rooftop bars with the view everyone photographs. Psyrri and Exarcheia are where the city eats and drinks properly, well away from the tourist menus.

For the view, walk up Lycabettus Hill at sunset or take the funicular. The Acropolis lit up below you is worth the climb.

Eating and markets

The Varvakios central market is a working meat and fish hall with a row of tavernas at the back that serve until dawn. Around it, the spice and cheese streets are where the city shops. Greek meal times run late by Australian standards — lunch from two, dinner rarely before nine — and most tavernas will not rush you out.

Day trips

Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon is the classic sunset run, about ninety minutes down the coast. Delphi works as a long day or better as an overnight. Aegina and Hydra are an hour or so by fast ferry if you want a taste of the islands without committing days to them.

Athens is at its best in April to early June and late September to October. July and August regularly exceed 38°C, and the archaeological sites have almost no shade. If you are travelling then, plan sightseeing for before 11am and treat the afternoon as museum or lunch time.