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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Athens
Αθήνα
Athens is a morning-and-evening city: the Acropolis at opening, the museum and a long lunch through the heat, then Plaka and the lanes after 18:00.
Athens' main sights sit within two kilometres of each other, but the marble is slippery, the hill is steep and the summer sun is strong. The trips that go wrong start the Acropolis at 12:00 in July, drag a suitcase up Plaka's steps, or leave the museum for the day the site is closed. Four clusters cover a first visit: the hill and museum, Plaka, Monastiraki with the Ancient Agora, and Syntagma with the National Garden.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Αθήνα
- Best months
- Mar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov
- Time zone
- Europe/Athens
- Stay
- 2 days: Acropolis and museum, then Plaka and Monastiraki
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Cards are widely accepted and terminals are required in most businesses; carry cash for kiosks, small tavernas and some taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget EUR 40–70 excl. bed · Mid EUR 70–130 excl. bed · High EUR 130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a tourist SIM at the airport with your passport.
- Emergency
- All services (EU) 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199
- Plugs
- 230 V; type C and F sockets.
- Tipping
- Round up or leave 5–10% in restaurants; round up taxi fares.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; bottled water is cheap at kiosks.
- Toilets
- Cafés, museums and hotels; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (freddo espresso at a café) | EUR 3–4.5 |
| Souvlaki pita, takeaway | EUR 3–4.5 |
| Beer, bar or taverna | EUR 4–6 |
| Metro or tram single ticket | EUR 1.2–1.4 |
| Taxi across the centre | EUR 6–12 |
| Museum entry | EUR 6–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH)
- ATH to Plaka: a taxi at the rank or a pre-booked car, about 40 minutes, or the metro to Syntagma; after the last metro the taxi is the plan.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Larissa Station (Athens central rail) (Σταθμός Λαρίσης) | Domestic trains north (Thessaloniki) and international connections | Metro line 2 or a short taxi |
| Piraeus Port (Λιμάνι Πειραιά) | Ferries to the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete and other islands | Metro line 1, about 30 min |
| Kifissos and Liosion bus terminals (KTEL) | Long-distance domestic coaches (Delphi, Peloponnese, Meteora) | Local bus or taxi |
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, metro line 3
- about EUR 9–10, 40 min
- Airport → centre, taxi (fixed day rate)
- EUR 40–54
- Single metro/tram/bus ticket
- EUR 1.2–1.4, valid 90 min across modes
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the historic core; use the metro for the airport, Piraeus and longer hops. Taxis and Beat/FreeNow are cheap for short rides at night or with bags.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Syntagma — all within 2 km (1.2 mi)Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Syntagma — all within 1.2 mi (2 km) |
| Metro | EUR 1.2–1.4 single; day/multi-day passes available | Airport (line 3), Piraeus (line 1), longer hops |
| Tram | Same ticket as metro/bus | Coastal route towards Piraeus and the beaches |
| Bus | Same ticket as metro/tram | Routes the metro does not reach |
| Taxi / Beat / FreeNow | EUR 6–12 across the centre; metered | Bags, night, groups |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass needed for a first visit; a single metro ticket is cheap and taxis are inexpensive for short rides.
- Late at night
- The metro stops around midnight (Friday and Saturday later); taxis and ride-hailing run all night. Check the current hours.
See and do
01AcropolisΑκρόπολη
The reason most people come.
02Acropolis MuseumΜουσείο Ακρόπολης
Makes sense of what you just climbed.
03Ancient AgoraΑρχαία Αγορά
Where democracy and daily Athenian life actually happened.
04National Archaeological Museum
The country's best single collection.
05Plaka lanes
The old town at street level, best in early evening.
06Temple of Olympian Zeus
Scale you can grasp from the street, five minutes from Syntagma.
07Mount Lycabettus at sunset
The whole basin laid out below you.
08Monastiraki flea market
Souvenirs, junk and people-watching in one square.
09Panathenaic Stadium
Stand where the first modern Olympics were run.
10Syntagma guard change
Free, on the hour, five minutes if that is all you have.
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Sounion | Bus or car, about 90 min each way | Half day, leave 15:00 for sunsetHalf day, leave 3:00 PM for sunset |
| Delphi | Tour bus or car, about 2.5–3 h each way | Full day |
| Aegina (island) | Ferry from Piraeus, about 40–75 min | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bairaktaris | Souvlaki and kebab plates · Monastiraki | EUR 8–12 | Budget |
| Krinos | Loukoumades (honey doughnuts) · Monastiraki | EUR 5–7 | Budget |
| Souvlaki pita, street counter | Pork or chicken souvlaki wrap · Citywide | EUR 3–4.5 | Budget |
| Plaka taverna set meal | Mezedes and a main · Plaka | EUR 18–30 | Mid-range |
| Varvakios Central Market counter meal | Fresh fish or grilled meat at a market taverna · Central Market | EUR 15–25 | Mid-range |
| Modern Greek tasting menu | Chef's tasting menu · Kolonaki or Koukaki | EUR 50–120 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours change seasonally: check the day before.
Sleep
- Koukaki
- Quieter nights south of the hill: local cafés, a metro stop at Syngrou-Fix, and a walk to the museum and the promenade.
- Plaka
- First-timers: a hotel on the edge of Plaka with a 24h desk and a door the taxi can reach, a walk from the Acropolis, Monastiraki and Syntagma.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςyah sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώef-har-ee-STO |
| Please / you're welcome | Παρακαλώpa-ra-ka-LO |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton lo-ga-ri-az-MO pa-ra-ka-LO |
| Please take me to this address | Παρακαλώ, σε αυτή τη διεύθυνσηpa-ra-ka-LO se af-TEE tee dee-EF-thin-see |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Churches: Cover shoulders and knees; no photos during a service.
- Ancient sites: Do not touch, climb on, or sit on the ruins; follow the guards' whistle.
- Tipping: Round up or leave 5–10% in restaurants if service is not already added; round up taxi fares.
- Coffee culture: A coffee at a café table is a seat you can keep for an hour or more; nobody rushes you.
- Name days: Many Greeks celebrate their saint's name day rather than (or as well as) a birthday; a shop or friend might be 'closed for the feast'.
Red lines
- Acropolis and ancient sites: do not climb on monuments or take stones; drones are banned.
- Churches: cover shoulders and knees, and take no photos during services.
- Taking antiquities out of Greece without a permit is illegal.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi drivers who refuse the meter or name a flat price for a short ride: ask for the meter, or use a ride-hailing app.
- Bar and club touts around Plaka who invite you for one drink and present a large bill: check the menu prices before you sit.
- Fake petition, 'found ring' and friendship-bracelet tricks near Monastiraki and the Acropolis: say no and keep walking.
One and two days
1 day
The first day of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Acropolis at opening, museum, a 13:30 lunch table in Plaka
- 08:008:00 AMAcropolis
- Acropolis Museum
- 13:301:30 PMLunch table 13:30 (Plaka)Lunch table 1:30 PM (Plaka)
- Hotel or AC café 14:30–18:00; Plaka's lanes at dusk.Hotel or AC café 2:30 PM–6:00 PM; Plaka's lanes at dusk.
2 days
The first two days of the timed plan.
Day 1 — Acropolis at opening, museum, a 13:30 lunch table in Plaka
- 08:008:00 AMAcropolis
- Acropolis Museum
- 13:301:30 PMLunch table 13:30 (Plaka)Lunch table 1:30 PM (Plaka)
- Hotel or AC café 14:30–18:00; Plaka's lanes at dusk.Hotel or AC café 2:30 PM–6:00 PM; Plaka's lanes at dusk.
Day 2 — Ancient Agora, Monastiraki, a grill lunch
- 08:308:30 AMAncient Agora
- monastiraki flea (optional)
- Varvakios Central Market (optional)
- Bairaktaris
- Afternoon: loukoumades north of the square; Psiri's bars from 21:00.Afternoon: loukoumades north of the square; Psiri's bars from 9:00 PM.
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Greece (Greek National Tourism Organisation): www.visitgreece.gr/
- Athens International Airport: www.aia.gr/
- Wikivoyage — Athens: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Athens
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AthensΑθήνα
Παρακαλώ, σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- ΑκρόποληAcropolis
- Μουσείο ΑκρόποληςAcropolis Museum
- Αρχαία ΑγοράAncient Agora
Most embassies are along Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, east of the National Garden. Write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/athens). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.