Your 2025 Guide to Athens
Honestly, before visiting Athens – I had heard a lot of mixed things: such as it was known for petty crime, graffiti everywhere, and was overall a rough city.
Wandering the streets of Athens; April 2023
Is Athens Really a Rough City?
Honestly, no – Athens isn’t as rough a city as people make it out to be.
After visiting with both my parents, I can confirm that it’s actually the opposite. Athens is a cute, small, hospitable city with warm people and amazing food.
Walking towards the Acropolis in Athens in Thiseio; April 2023
Is Athens Worth Visiting?
Yes, Athens is worth visiting – as it’s rich the history, culture, amazing food, and warm people. It’s a very “blue collar” city, making it different from other European capitals like London or Paris. In fact, the best food we had while in Greece was in Athens – it was both more affordable and delicious than the food we had in Mykonos or Santorini.
Is Athens Safe for Solo Female Travelers?
Yes, I think that Athens is more than safe for solo female travelers – as following the same precautions as you would traveling alone in any other European city will serve you just fine. Plus, the Greek are extremely friendly – they will be more than willing to help if you get lost!
View of Athens from the Acropolis; April 2023
How to get around Athens
Athens is a walkable city, meaning – everywhere you want to visit is probably within walking distance. However, there is also a public metro system. Remember that there is no Uber in Athens, it is a taxi that you are calling if you choose to use the Uber app in Athens.
How Many Days Should I Stay in Athens?
We felt that 3 nights and 2 full days was enough to do Athens justice, but you could stay in Athens and be entertained for longer. 2 days was enough for us to enjoy iconic sites, monuments, and streets in Athens such as :
Ancient Agora of Athens
Acropolis
Monastiraki Square
Kotzia Square
Syntagma Square
Plaka District
Greek Parliament
Ermou Street
Anafiotika
Ancient Agora of Athens; April 2023
General Advice And Tips For Athens
Airport to Athens: The easiest way to get to the city center of Athens from Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is to take an Uber, which will automatically be requested as a city taxi. This is because trains, running on the R3 metro line, don’t run regularly – and could be a drag to catch after a long-haul flight.
Transportation: Athens is relatively walkable, as long as you have comfortable shoes and are okay with relatively steep inclines from time to time.
Pickpocketing: Similar to other major European cities, Athens is known for pickpocketing – so make sure your belongings are safe and secure.
Cost: Athens is much cheaper than other European capitals such as Rome, Paris, and even Barcelona – making it great for budget travelers. If you want to save even more money, always opt for the small, hole-in-the-wall or off-the-beaten path family-owned Greek restaurants as opposed to the ones designed for tourists.
Combo Pass for Tourists in Athens – Offering a multi-city pass for people visiting Athens, you can buy one ticket to gain access to several different sites in Athens – such as the Acropolis, Parthenon, and more.
Best Time of Year to Visit Athens: The best time of year to visit Athens is undoubtely during shoulder season, meaning either between March and May or September to October. This allows you to enjoy temperate weather and less crowds during your trip to Athens.
What To Do with 2 Days in Athens
Here’s what we did during our full two days in Athens (two full days is plenty, you won’t need more to see everything this city has to offer)
1. Old Agora
This was one of my favorite parts of Athens: it’s like the old town, with great family restaurants and shopping to wander around before heading up to the Acropolis.
Center of Old Agora; Athens in April 2023
2. The Acropolis
We started going up the Acropolis around 3:30PM. There’s a side road you can take, which gives you a gradual incline before you start hiking up the stairs. Beware if you try to go up the Acropolis in the rain – the pavement is slippery and can be rocky up at the top of the Acropolis.
View of the Acropolis from afar; April 2023
View from the top of the Acropolis in Athens; April 2023
3. Syntagma Square
We started here on Rick Steve’s walking tour of Athens – which I couldn’t recommend more. It helps you see much of the city within a few hours. Some areas are steep though, so beware of walking up hill.
4. Hellenic Parliament
Nice view, here!
View of Greek Parliament, or Hellenic Parliament, in Athens; April 2023
5. Ermou Street
A street with a lot of shopping, and it’s bustling on a Saturday. This is where you’ll find a lot of locals hanging out on the weekend.
Near Ermou Street at night in Athens; April 2023
6. Plaka District
Another really cute area of Athens – many tourists are around here but for good reason. Very precious area with cute places to eat and shops to peruse.
Plaka District in Athens; April 2023
Souvenir shopping in Plaka District; Athens 2023
7. Arch of Hadrian
Nothing super special here, but if you’re interested in going to the Temple of Olympian Zeus – it’s right here.
Arch of Hadrian in Athens; April 2023
8. Temple of Olympian Zeus
We were more interested in walking around the town itself, but if you buy the pass for multiple museums and attractions in Athens (i.e., when you buy your Acropolis ticket – it should be around 30 euros) you’ll have access to go in here.
However, you’ll pretty much get the gist of it from the outside. I would suggest you keep wandering around because there’s more we did this day.
9. Anafiotika
This was our last (and my favorite) thing we did in Athens – it’s like the Mykonos of Athens as in you have the white and colorful houses and stairways leading to who-knows-where.
Is It Worth Visitng Anafiotika in Athens?
Yes, I think that Anafiotika is arguably the most charming part of Athens – and a nice break from the more crowded, touristic spots in the city.
Anafiotika is perfect if you want a photographer experience, with also great views of Lycabettus Hill.
Wandering Anafiotika in Athens; April 2023
View of Lycabettus Hill from Anafiotika in Athens; April 2023
Anafiotika in Athens; April 2023
Red home with motorcycle parked in front in Anafiotika in Athens; April 2023
Colorful yellow corners in Anafiotika in Athens; April 2023
Anafiotika is the Santorini or Mykonos of Athens in terms of photo opportunities!
In between all that photo taking, you’re going to want to eat in Athens, too.
Where to eat in Athens 2025
Greece has incredible, simple, but good food everywhere you go – but of everywhere we went in Greece: Athens was our favorite and also the cheapest.
Here are some places we ate at in Athens:
Dupios
This was our first meal in Greece, and it didn’t disappoint. Dupios has Greek food with a fusion twist – everything was intense in a good way: strong olive oil dolmades, sweet balsamic in the Greek salad, and cumin-heavy hummus.
Stuffed grape leaves at Dupios in Athens; April 2023
Greek salad at Dupios in Athens; April 2023
Hummus & avocado tzatziki at Dupios in Athens; April 2023
Amazing meal, and would definitely come back if I went to Athens.
The Kyklamino in Avissinia Square
To Kyklamino is a family owned place in this square with amazing, home-cooked – traditional Greek food and excellent prices.
Mousakka at The Kyklamino in Athens, Greece, April 2023
Gemista – or stuffed bell peppers with rice (like the rice in dolmas, but with tomato sauce)
We actually ate there twice: once before the Acropolis, and again after – they brought us dessert liquor on the house since we came back twice.
Classic Greek Salad at The Kyklamino in Athens, Greece, April 2023
Want to see more of Athens in action?
Watch my YouTube video below!
I hope this helps you plan your trip to Athens. Click here for more info on Greece to plan the Greek vacation of your dreams.
Last updated: June 28, 2025