Athens what to see

Athens what to see in 1-2 days

Ancient excavations and sights:

•     Athens Acropolis: namely the Deonis Theater, the Parthenon Temple, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Admission is open until 16 and the Acropolis is open until 16/30. A discounted ticket in winter costs 10 euros per person instead of 20. Visiting time is 1-2 hours at a slow pace with photos. After the entrance is a trail through all the described attractions to the upper city of Acropolis, where you can enjoy one of the best panoramas of the whole city of Athens. A must-visit.
•     The Areopagus Hill is very close to the Acropolis of Athens, more precisely at the second (not central) entrance. This way you can go up to the Acropolis and not go down the same road but from the Acropolis turn right and go straight to the Areopagus Hill (free entrance). You can also go up the hill at sunset in the evening when the Acropolis is closed. The view opens up to the Lycabitus Hill and the Acropolis. Not a must-see.
•     The Plaka area is essentially the old city of Athens and is the area at the foot of the Acropolis on one side. Around the Acropolis, you can walk in a circle through Plaka during an evening stroll. There are no special views. The Plaka area itself is nothing, an ordinary street with cafes and stores. Not a must-see.
•     Philopappa Hill - is located next to the Acropolis. From the top you have a view of Athens and the Acropolis. But it is more of a green park than a vantage point. Suitable for walking, including with dogs) Not a must-see.
•     Likavit Hill- The second best panorama after the Acropolis. There is a view of the Acropolis itself and the port of Piraeus. You can go up for 5 euros per person (7,5 euros for the round trip ticket) - the funicular goes once every 30 minutes and goes up for 5 minutes. Also, almost to the top can be reached by car, but in the season is unlikely to find parking there, in winter it is easy to do. So, you can go up by funicular railway, leaving the car in the parking somewhere in Athens))). Back down, we recommend to walk up the stairs and down the path, it takes about 15 minutes.
•     Temple of Zeus - stands apart from the Acropolis. In fact, it is a couple of columns that have good views from the Acropolis. Not a must-see.
•     Cape Sounion and the temple of Poseidon are not worth your attention. It is about 70 km away from Athens and the views are the same as everywhere else. You can get there by car up to the cape, then walk 5 minutes to the view and/or the temple. The temple is open until 3 pm in winter. The parking lot is not large and what goes on here in the summer season at sunset...it's not hard to imagine.
•     Port of Piraeus - Worth coming here only for ferry trips or for those who want to see the big ships) About ferries and piers of the port of Piraeus we'll write a separate block below. Not a must-see, as it is not essentially a tourist attraction.

Walking route in Athens - description of the map of sights

Trying to find a paid centralized parking near the Acropolis makes no sense! You should come to the Acropolis in the morning before it opens (guide 9 o'clock) to have less people and more parking spaces. Even in winter, there is a full house. The map below shows the streets where you can park as close as possible to the main entrance. Parking is spontaneous and free, just on the road, respecting the signs. The entrance to the Acropolis in the winter is open until 4 pm! From the central entrance we follow the red arrows and see the theater of Deonis, the Odeon of Herodes, go up to the top and admire the view and the Parthenon. We go to the second entrance, from it we go up the Areopagus hill, descend from it and follow the blue arrows around the Acropolis, through the Plaka district. At the main entrance, follow the green arrows and climb to the top of the hill Philoppa, take the view and go to the parking lot. Green and blue arrows can be changed places or do not walk on them at all) The main route is inside, which is indicated by red arrows. Here you can end your walk in Athens, or you can visit Likavit Hill. You have to drive to it. Parking at the foot is spontaneous, in the streets of the city, or you can take a car to the hill almost to the top. On the hill Likavitos is a landmark observation point on the city. As a result, for the average traveler in Athens, not a fan of architecture and antiquities, will be enough 0,5-1 days to visit all the interesting places. You don't even have to stay overnight.

Athens is definitely worth seeing, but not in summer, and even better to come here is the winter) Here in January, everything is in bloom and green, outside it is up to 20 degrees. There are no strong winds and rains in winter. But most importantly, there are no queues and places are free parking))))