Athens, Greece

City of the Gods

Athens in my eyes

I had heard a lot of mixed reviews about Athens before our trip and so I didn’t really know what to expect. Some had loved it and others had commented that it was dirty, unsafe and only worthy of a couple of days. What did we think? We thought it was a fantastic city and really enjoyed our three days there. You can honestly do the essentials in 1 days but I would recommend 2 -3 days with a family especially if travelling from overseas and have to take into consideration the dreaded, jet-lag!

Greece is also a very safe destination. Of course, places such as Athens or Thessaloniki pose the same usual risks you can run in every important city, but in general, the atmosphere is quite and there aren’t any major risks to be aware of.

Greece’s capital, featuring the ancient world’s most magnificent sight — the Parthenon atop the Acropolis hill — plus excellent museums, an atmospheric old town, the lively Central Market, and funky neighborhoods bursting with avant-garde nightlife.

If you get off the beaten path, you’ll discover that there are countless hidden gems to be found in Athens like uncommon museums, tiny cozy cafes, charming pubs, exclusive high-end restaurants, hiking trails, fascinating vantage points, lesser-known monuments, and much more.

Favorite Athens Activities

Historic Syntagma Square – The Changing of the Guard: Every hour, Evzones perform “the change of the guard” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus – Roman theatre stone structure located on SW slope of the Acropolis

Parthenon – Must do!
Constructed entirely of Pendeli marble, the Parthenon represents architectural perfection—a pinnacle of human achievement.

Anafiotika – My Favorite!
Located on the northern slope of Acropolis and right above the popular neighborhood of Plaka — a must see with tons of great restaurants and local shops. Anafiotika is a car-free area. The best
and only way to see Anafiotika is on foot. Biking isn’t recommended since the alleys are cobblestoned and in some parts, you’ll have to walk up the stairs.

Plaka – Love it here!
Plaka is a quaint neighborhood
of traditional houses and cobbled streets strewn with cafes, shops, and ancient ruins. Tons of souvenir shops but the ones you actually want to see!

Pittaki Street – umbrella street

Monastiraki Square – famous for its square with fruit stalls, flea market, and vintage stores

Lykavittos Hill – one of the best Instagram spots in Athens if you want to take photos of the sunset. You can either hike up there or take a cable car.

Pysrri neighborhood – a traditional neighborhood famous for its popular tavernas and picturesque alleyways

Doctor Fish Athens Day Spa – Garra rufa eat away dead skin on the feet, it’s a wierd sensation but cool to do!

Evil Eye Shopping – a souvenir that is quintessentially Greek.

Eats & Treats

The further away from the popular tourist spots is always better food and more reasonably priced! Greeks typically eat late. Lunch time is between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. and dinner is usually around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.

Old Ithaki – not far from the acropolis and delicious! Highly recommend.

Little Kook – a fairytale themed café that is very over-the-top as far as decor, it’s definitly worth checking out and is a great instagram photo op if nothing else! We were there for Christmas time and it did not dissapoint.

Acropolis Museum Restaurant – The scenery is breathtaking, the panoramic view on the Acropolis is one of the best in the city.

Hans & Gretel – magical and delicious desserts!

Fairytale Athens – Pastry Boutique with pink overload!

“koulouri tou Psyri” – Athens top street food, found on almost every corner

Sleeping Headquarters

Moxy Athens City

Stadiou 65, Athina 105, 51, Greece

Brand new hotel, comfortable and in walking distance to the most popular sites! Another area I would recommend staying is the Historic Syntagma Square.

Planning my family vacation to Greece

Greece offers sunshine, whitewashed houses with bright-blue shutters, fascinating archaeological sites, delicious food, and a relaxed lifestyle. Greece is really a great place for family travel but can be challenging to plan a family itinerary with so many great options! How long you plan to stay in Greece will play a big part in determining how many places you can visit.

We visited during the winter holiday of 2022, 3 days in Athens and 3 days in Santorini. We had initially planned on 2 weeks in Greece visiting more of the Greek Islands, but travel in the winter can be uncertain. There are very limited hotels and restaurants on the islands during the off-season. The weather factors (cool and crisp or rainy and cold) and the infrequent and non direct island to island flights can make a multi-city trip difficult. We ultimately decided to spend a week in Greece and a week in Turkey!