I traveled from Santorini to Athens on Friday night and spent Saturday in the Greek capital. The city was a pleasant surprise for me, not just because of the ancient monuments.
I flew to Athens with Volotea; this was the last flight that day. The plane landed after half past eleven, and at that late hour, you can only get to the city center by bus (besides a taxi), as the metro does not operate at night.
You can buy a ticket at a booth next to the airport exit, unfortunately, there are no machines. Therefore, the line is quite long. The X95 bus goes to Syntagma Square (operating day and night) and stops at several places. You need to touch the ticket to the sensor on the bus to validate it.
I booked my accommodation in the city center, which in one aspect was not a good idea. The weekend downtown is very similar to the party district in Budapest. There are bars, restaurants, pubs, and lots of people at every turn. So, Athens is quite a party city.
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Luggage storage
Saturday morning, my first trip was to a luggage storage so that I wouldn’t have to carry my bag all day. There are several of these in the city center, and I chose this one.
It’s a few minutes from Syntagma Square and completely automatic. You can choose from several sizes of storage units. Initially, you only have to pay 1 euro, and the rest when you open it. (It was 4 euros for the whole day.) It’s very simple to use, and I can definitely recommend it.
Acropolis
I bought the ticket in advance online on the official website. You can buy them in hourly slots, and you can enter during this period.
The entrance is on the western side of the area. There is a huge crowd even at the entrance. Right away, you can see the Herodes Atticus Theatre below to the right. Then there’s more waiting, as you can only go up to the rocky ridge step by step and in turns.
It is indeed worth coming here. The buildings, remains, and the view are really worth it. You can see every part of the city.
However, the descent to the exit is the worst. The line is incredibly long, as you have to go down the same narrow staircase as you went up. So, the crowd moves very slowly. It took me about 40 minutes. Fortunately, it wasn’t very hot, but the wait was still tiring.
Opposite the entrance is the Areopagus hill, from where you have a good view of the northwestern part of the city. The striped church of Agia Marina can be seen very closely.
Panathenaic Stadium
I walked to the marble-built stadium, intending to see the Temple of Zeus on the way. However, from the outside, it was apparent that it was completely scaffolded, so I didn’t buy a ticket for that.
The stadium, however, is impressive even from the outside. It’s huge, and it doesn’t take just a few minutes to enter. You can buy a ticket on site.
National Garden and Presidential Palace
From the stadium, I walked through this park towards the city center. The park is noisy with parrots, a great walking experience in the middle of the city.
On the eastern side of the park is the Presidential Palace, where there was a changing of the guard happening. The evzones, or guards, put on a several minutes long „show” which is quite interesting. It’s like watching a slow-motion recording. 🙂
National Archaeological Museum
I also bought my ticket online in advance, the same place as for the Acropolis. You can buy them in two-hour slots, during which you can enter the museum.
You can see a repository of ancient Greek artworks. There are lots of artifacts, statues, and creations on display; I spent almost two hours here. The museum is a real treat for those who love ancient arts.
Lycabettus hill
After the museum, I walked to the highest point in the downtown area. You can also go up by funicular, but since it goes through a tunnel, there is no view on the way.
A serpentine path leads up, and you can reach the top in about 15 minutes at a comfortable pace. The view is beautiful even on the way up, but of course, it’s best from the top. The Acropolis rising above the city center and the sea behind it offer a great panorama.
Old town and Syntagma
The Greek parliament is located here. There is a changing of the guard every hour, which is a several minutes long show. It’s crowded with tourists, and it’s worth seeing at least once.
Then I went to the old town, walked through a few pedestrian streets, and rested at the main square, Monastiraki Square.
Beside the square is Hadrian’s Library, the ruins of an ancient Roman library, and the Roman Agora. Both require an entrance fee, but the area is well visible from the outside.
Agora
A few minutes from the square is the large area of the Greek Agora, which I visited last.
Its most famous building, visible from the Acropolis, is the Hephaisteion. This ancient Doric-style temple is one of the best-preserved Greek monuments of its kind.
But it’s also worth spending time at the Stoa of Attalos on the eastern side. The two-story building is beautiful in itself, and the view of the entire area is also impressive.
Back to the airport
I got on the Line 3 metro at Syntagma Square, which goes to the airport. You can buy tickets from machines, this is the Ath.ena ticket. You need to buy a specific airport ticket, which was 9 euros.
However, not every machine offers ticket purchasing, only top-ups. This is not marked separately, so if there’s no ticket purchase option at a machine, go to another one.
In summary
I read in several places that Athens is dirty and quite chaotic. Well, I didn’t experience that. I found it to be a particularly pleasant city, full of ancient Greek relics. I absolutely recommend it for a few days’ trip.
In terms of prices, I didn’t notice a big difference, maybe the restaurant parts are a bit more expensive. However, expect similar prices in shops as at home.