30 Fun Things to do in Athens, Greece: From Rooftops to the Acropolis

We spent three days exploring the capital of Greece. From its ancient ruins to its exciting rooftop bars, these are the best things to do in Athens that are not to be missed. Welcome to Athens. Before we get started make sure to subscribe to our channel because we put out new travel videos each week and make sure you click on that bell so that you get notified because you don't want to miss a thing. Heading up to the Acropolis to beat the rush. So walking up to the Acropolis you go through a very nice quiet neighborhood of Plaka. I say quiet if you go in the a.m. because nothing is really open yet. We're going for the 8 a.m. opening to beat all the tourist buses so hopefully that works. Let's go. On your way up there are some cafes, great photo opportunities and it's a pleasant stroll through the neighborhood. So give yourself some time on your way up. The sun goes up very early in the summertime so we have lots of time to explore on our way to the Acropolis. We're waiting for a moment now because the army is coming. Each morning soldiers raised the Greek flag at the Acropolis so we had a chance to see them marching down from their duties. By arriving for the opening we were the first up to see the Acropolis. Crowds fill in quickly so we walked right to the other end for a rare view of the Parthenon free of people. We bought the Acropolis and six archaeological sites combo ticket in advance so we didn't need to wait in line for tickets. Once the doors opened we scanned our pass and strolled right on in. Welcome to the Acropolis. Contrary to popular belief the Parthenon is not the Acropolis. It's just the main temple of the Acropolis and there are many other amazing wonders on top to see like the Temple of Athena Nike, the Old Temple of Athena and the Erechtheion. Getting here early did pay off. We ended up being the first ones up and we ran ahead of everyone to take photos of the many ruins without the crowds. It was no time whatsoever before we looked back and had throngs of people. I'm talking you literally have about one minute before all the crowds fill in. Luckily we saw it all in a short time and it's maybe what 820 830 maybe? And this is what it looks like at 9 a.m. Yeah man it's not even even midday yet and it's absolutely packed with people. Come early. On your way down there are plenty of sights to see including panoramic views of Athens and the theaters of Dionysus and Odeon of Herodotus Atticus. The Odeon is one of the world's most awe-inspiring open-air theaters dating back to 161 AD. It was restored in the 1950s and is used to this day for performances for famous artists and in the Epidaurus Festival. When you're in Athens in the summertime you can check out the Epidaurus Festival. It's a festival of just music around all of the venues around the city, most notably right here at the Odeon. And there's someone rehearsing because there's a show tonight. Hear them? Sounds like a good band in there. Make sure to set aside at least two hours to see everything at the Acropolis. It truly is the star of Athens. The walk between the Acropolis and ancient Agora is really pleasant. It's a nice walking street and plenty of cafes and restaurants along the way. The ancient Agora is located on the northwest slope of the Acropolis. It was a meeting place for the people of Athens where the likes of Sophocles and Socrates would meet. The temple of Hephaestus is the centerpiece of the sprawling complex that is surrounded by shady trees and walking trails offering a peaceful escape from the city. Make sure you go into the museum. The Stoa of Attalos was beautifully restored in the 1950s with its rows of columns creating a superb escape from the sun and the heat. There is another Agora in Athens, the Roman Agora, which is located just off Monastiraki Square. You can visit it and Hadrian's Library together. The main sites include the Tower of the Winds which is considered the world's first meteorological station and the Gate of Athena. Well Hadrian's Library is included in my six archaeological paths with Get Your Guide and it's great because it's just you just flash your card and walk on in. It's on my phone and we get to see more of these incredible ancient ruins right here in the center of the city. Once you've seen some of Athens ancient archaeological sites it's time to take a look from above. Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens and a great place to go for sunset. So even just going to the funicular to go up the hill so you can hike up but you can catch the funicular and that's what we're going to do. We're on the funicular going up to Lycabettus Hill and it's all underground I didn't realize that. Tickets cost seven euro and there are plenty of things to see and do once you get to the top. We have a great view of the Acropolis right there. You can spend an hour or so up here easily as there is a cocktail bar, a couple of restaurants and patios, the Church of St. George and panoramic views of the city. Wow I knew it was a nice view but this really took my breath away. Yeah it is pretty amazing see how sprawling this city really is. But Lycabettus Hill isn't the only place to see Athens from above. There are rooftop bars everywhere. The best way to take a break from sightseeing is to stop for a rooftop drink. I'm having a pair of spritz with views of everything around me. One of the most popular things to do in Athens is to find a rooftop bar to look over the Acropolis and we found a great one right here. One of our favorite rooftop patios was at Athens Gate. It has views of the Acropolis and overlooks the of Zeus. We're rooftop bar hopping, come join us. The most popular bars overlook Monastiraki Square where you can choose from one of the many cocktail bars or restaurants. We had cocktails as we watched the Sun go down from A is for Athens overlooking the square and the Acropolis. Monastiraki Square is the main meeting place in Athens and it is always filled with tourists. Just off of Monastiraki Square are a bunch of ruins. If you walk a little farther out of the square you'll find the Hadrian's Library. It costs six euro to enter and I don't really think you need to do it unless you have a pass. A little farther on is the ancient Agora that is included in your museum pass so I suggest going in there when you have a pass. Both of them are just cool to see from the outside as well and they're just a short distance from the square. Many of the archaeological sites are nearby with shopping streets branching out from it. One of the main walking and shopping streets in Athens is Erma Street. It connects Sigmata Square to Monastiraki Square. I forgot the name. And there is an old Byzantine church right in the middle. Pretty cool. No cameras are allowed in the church but it is free to go inside. We have come up to Syntagma Square at the top of the hour and every hour of every day, 24 hours a day is the changing of the guards. Also known as Constitution Square, Syntagma Square is a lively square of Athens and the location of the Parliament buildings. It is here where guards dressed in traditional uniforms stand guard over the tomb of the unknown soldier 24 hours a day. Now you can watch the changing of the guards every hour on the hour with the larger ceremony taking place on Sundays at 10 a.m. Syntagma Square is located in the heart of Athens and is a great place to make a base when exploring the Greek capital. When looking for a place to stay in the center of Athens, I do suggest looking for a place between Syntagma Square and Monastiraki Square. It's the most central location and there's all types of accommodation from super luxury all the way to budget hotels. And no matter where you stay, you know you're in a good location. We stayed at the Aster Hotel which was affordable, central, and had amazing views. This is pretty wild. In the subway at Syntagma Square, there are some ancient Greek ruins down here from an archaeological dig. You don't have to pay to go into the subway, so you can just come on down and look at the artifacts that they have on display down here. It's actually a really, really nice Metro stop. And in Syntagma Square station, they actually have this excavation of early Christian graves here all along the wall. Pretty cool. The beauty about Athens is it's a very walkable city, so you can basically walk around everywhere in the city centre. You don't necessarily have to jump on the hop-on-hop-off buses if you don't want to. The Metro system is very efficient and very economical, so you can get all around the city on that. So there's a lot of different ways to travel around Athens. You don't have to just be stuck to one particular mode of transportation. Well this is it. This is the site of the first modern Olympic Games, but it actually dates back to the 6th century BC, when it was just a little track for racing. So I think it is the birthplace of the Olympics period. One cool fact, it is the only stadium in the world made completely out of marble. Very fitting for Athens. Everything here is made out of marble. Absolutely beautiful. So this is a pretty cool historical site here in Athens. Zapion Hall was built to open the first modern Olympic Games. That's pretty significant because we all know that the original Olympics were held in Athens, and then this commemorates the beginning of a new era. Unfortunately there's a movie filming in here, so we can't go in right now, but it has some great interior architecture to see, and it's a very historic place here in Athens, so I highly recommend stopping by. When you're walking through the National Gardens, it's right in the centre of it all. The National Gardens here in Athens are a great escape from the heat. When you need a little bit of shade or a little bit of relaxation from sightseeing, come to the National Gardens and take a load off. Let's face it, Athens can be hot in the summertime. The National Gardens is a beautiful shady green space covering 40 acres in the city. You can walk from the ponds, the green spaces, and the many statues and historical ruins. Well, the Temple of Zeus is under construction, and I think it will be for a few years, so I wouldn't bother coming. However, we have it in our six museum paths that we got with Get Your Guide, so hey, you can walk on in and see a few of the pillars close up. We're going to head over to Hadrian's Gate and check out some more of Athens. Walking under Hadrian's Arch. One of the things you can actually get close to here in Athens. It's not roped off. Amazing. And there it is, the Temple of Poseidon. This is so exciting. We're heading up to see it. It's early in the morning, and hopefully there's no people around. Gorgeous scenery up here. The Temple of Poseidon is one hour and 20 minutes from Athens. Standing 60 meters above sea level, it is the perfect location for a temple honoring Poseidon, the great god of the sea. The Temple of Poseidon was constructed in 444 to 440 BC, and is 70 kilometers outside of the city. We visited while spending a few days out at Vinci Ever Eden to enjoy some beach life out on the Athens Riviera. If you want to enjoy some beach time in Athens, the Riviera stretches from Piraeus to Sunio. We found this little gem just outside of Athens. It's a great little escape that's on the beach. It's on the Athens Riviera, and it's about 30 minutes outside of the city. We got breakfast and dinner included with our room, sea view, and this gorgeous beach. We loved our stay at this hotel, relaxing on the beach, enjoying the summer, and hanging out by the pool. So if you are in Athens, I do highly recommend you come to the Temple of Poseidon. It's about an hour outside of Athens itself. It's 10 euros to get in, you can grab a taxi, or you can come with a bus tour or day tour. It's just as impressive as the ruins in Athens without the crowds. And it really is the location and the view that makes it so special. Day trips can be booked from Athens, or you can hire a car, but we recommend staying at a hotel to get a feel for the Mediterranean without having to leave the mainland. If you don't have a chance to get down to the island, but still want to learn a little bit about the history of the island, you can come to the Cycladic Museum here of Art in Athens. It has a great array of art from different periods, all from that region of Greece. Included in your museum pass is the Kerameikos Archaeological Site. It's an ancient cemetery, and it was the only cemetery in ancient Greece or ancient Athens at the time. Now you can walk through the archaeological ruins, and there's a museum here as well. Once you finish up at the Acropolis, come on into the Acropolis Museum. There's air conditioning, there's Wi-Fi, there's a cafe, and even if you don't go to tour the museum, there are some ruins that they let you see that are on display as well. So, cheers! Enjoy! The Acropolis Museum is an extraordinary museum located on the southern slope of the Acropolis. It houses the findings from excavations from the Acropolis itself. A unique feature is the transparent glass floor that lets visitors see the actual excavation site, creating an authentic open-air museum. Walking through the historic district of Plaka is such a pleasant experience. It's much more quiet than the other squares. We've got a nice marble walking street here, lots of shopping, and yeah, there's not any traffic. Before we go, we wanted to share a little insider tip. We said earlier that Athens was hot, and when you're walking through the streets of Plaka, which is the main tourist area of Athens, you can find some air conditioning in the Hard Rock Cafe. I know Greek food is amazing, and we ate a lot of it while there, but we snuck into the Hard Rock for happy hour to cool off before we went to go and explore more of the ancient ruins around the city. And that was Athens! Athens is one of our favourite cities in the world to visit. The ancient ruins are scattered throughout, creating a living museum within the modern city. If you are planning a trip to Greece, make sure to spend three days in Athens to see all of the sites we highlighted in this travel video. It can easily be done, and if you get yourself the six museums pass, you'll be able to walk into all of the top archaeological sites with ease. And these are the best things to do in Athens in three days. 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