Days 7 and 8 of our 9 day honeymoon were spent in Athens. We spent two days here in this culturally and historically rich city— an interesting blend of the ancient and modern world. Athens is said to be one of the oldest cities in the world and is the capital of Greece. Being one of the oldest cities in the world, Athens is also known as the birthplace of democracy. With all of its rich history and preservation of ancient remains, it’s no wonder this city is any architect lover’s dream. Scroll through for a few tips for visiting the Acropolis and subscribe to our page for a free copy of a more detailed travel itinerary.
Getting Around Athens
We found Athens to be a very safe and walkable city. The hotel we stayed at, Hotel Titania, was within a 10-15 minute walk from most points of interest. For the places that were a bit further than we wanted to walk, it was super easy to hire a taxi with the assistance of the hotel receptionists and costs less than 20 euro.
Tips for Visiting the Acropolis
Sunscreen: If you’re planning a visit to the Acropolis between April and October, I highly encourage you to pack sunscreen and don’t forget to apply it. The Acropolis provides very minimal shade.
Non-slip walking shoes: Most of the walkways and stairs around the temples are marble, which means they are very slippery, even in dry weather, but especially if it has rained.
Comfortable clothing: You will be doing a ton of walking, up and down stairs, so you will want to be as comfortable as possible so you can focus on enjoying the history.
Water: The Acropolis does have a concession area at the entrance, but once you are inside of the gates there will be nowhere for you to rehydrate.
Pre-purchase tickets online: The official Acropolis website
Check to ensure it’s not a greek holiday and the Acropolis will be open during your desired time/date. We learned this the hard way. We had planned to visit during what is observed as Orthodox Easter, which we had no idea about. We quickly learned that almost everything in the city of Athens is closed for a couple of days in observance of this holiday.
Best Views of the Parthenon
Majority of the buildings in the central area of Athens and downtown are required to be built in a way that there is an unobstructed view of the Parthenon. So if you stay at one of the hotels in this area, then you will most likely find it easy to peep a good view of the Parthenon. We stayed at Hotel Titania and the view from their rooftop was phenomenal, especially at night. You can also find nice views of the Acropolis from Philopappos Hill and by hiking up Lycabettus.
The Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis museum is a relatively new addition to Athens’ rich history, built in 2009. It houses every artifact found on the Acropolis and the surrounding area. The museum is located directly adjacent to the Akropoli Metro Station and the entrance can be found on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. The museum’s design revolves around three concepts: light, movement and a tectonic and programmatic element, according to it’s designer, Tschumi.
Athens was the most crowded city that we visited during our journey through Greece. It has a large, urban city vibe with multiple shopping areas and lively restaurant strips. Our favorite area was near the Acropolis, specifically the Plaka District. Here, you’ll find the well-known Plaka Staircase which is lined by busy restaurants with hungry tourists. We found the tastiest kabobs at a restaurant in this area called O’Thanasis.