Athens Travel Guide

SUMMARY

Restaurants

Elia Ermou Rooftop

Athina

In Town Restaurant

Dia Tafta

Sights

Monastiraki Square

Aristotle’s Lyceum

National Garden

Hadrian’s Arch

Temple of Zeus the Olympian (Olympieion)

Roman Baths

Hadrian’s Library

Activities

Acropolis

Acropolis Museum

Panathenaic Stadium

Ancient Agora

·      Temple of Hephaestus

·      Agora of Athens Museum

Agora Museum

Stands/Cafés

Street corn stand

Da Vinci (gelato)

Hotel

Elia Ermou

COMMENTARY

Restaurants

Elia Ermou Rooftop

·      The view here was truly UNMATCHED; we had dinner with sunset view of the whole Acropolis

·      Guests get the preferred dining room with a better view, but the non-guest tables still have beautiful views

·      Lovely restaurant; really pretty aesthetic on the inside and you have amazing views!!

·      I got a pasta dish for my main with a Greek cheese and braised meat; it was really good, but pretty rich and I was kinda full already, so not my favorite thing ever

·      The saganaki (flaming cheese) was DELICIOUS; a must-get

·      The chocolate cake I got for dessert was delicious, would definitely recommend

·      They gave us free shots at the end! (well, I thought it was a shot and took it like one, but it turns out I think you were actually supposed to sip it)

·       

Athina

·      This was one of my BEST meals abroad; My FAVORITE restaurant we went to in Greece

·       

·      The food was amazing and we had an perfect, up-close view of the Acropolis from ground level; we sat outside and could see the Parthenon and the whole Acropolis hill

·      We split three things: feta block with olive oil, pita with tzatziki and a chicken gyro (but it’s “deconstructed” in Greece, they serve the chicken, pita, fries, sauce, and extras separately and you make your own bite); they were all delicious and the feta was the best feta I’ve ever had, I still dream about it

·      The prosecco was also great; would totally recommend

·      Absolutely a must-visit lunch (or dinner) spot if you’re in the area; we went in between the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum; it was the perfect break and super close to both!

In Town Restaurant

·      This was a last-minute place we had dinner at after our other reservation fell through (at a restaurant called Ella that my mom’s friend recommended to us; it was closed for renovations, but if it’s open I’d recommend it based on what they said!)

·      Not the best meal ever, but it was still pretty good and the décor was eclectic and really cool

·      I got a seafood pasta with red sauce that was good and just would’ve been better if it was served warmer

·      Nothing super special but still a good atmosphere and an overall good meal, especially considering I wasn’t super hungry

Dia Tafta

·      Also loved this restaurant!!

·      It was along some ruins that I think were a part of the Agora; there’s a walkway along ruins and there’s lots of restaurants along it; GREAT spot overall to eat

·      We had really beautiful views of the Acropolis at night and sat outside; the only thing we didn’t like was that the people next to us were feeding the stray cats so they were around our table; don’t feed them or they won’t leave!

·      The food was delicious! We split chicken gyros again and it was really good! I’m sure we split something else, but I can’t remember and don’t have any other pics

·      I also remember the wine being really good here; common theme in Greece

·      Inside of the restaurant was really cool and very ~Greek~ (look at the old photos in the bathroom if you have a chance!)

Sights

Monastiraki Square

·      Main square of Athens

·      Lots of shops and restaurants and souvenirs; super lively and busy with people

·      There’s several old little churches scattered throughout the downtown that they just left in the middle of the street; they’re really pretty and super cool against the newer buildings; one of them was in this square, but there’s several others!

·      Definitely worth a walk through, and it’s in a convenient spot

Aristotle’s Lyceum

·      This is where Aristotle taught and set up a school, so it was cool to see

·      This was included in our historical sites pass

·      It’s ruins now, not a ton is left but they did a good job explaining what everything and every area would’ve been used for

·      The wildflowers and natural plants are also surprisingly super beautiful and really just add to the site; the little wildflowers are so pretty and cute and colorful, and they’re everywhere

·      Scenery is absolutely lovely; you also have a view of the mountains

National Garden

·      Soooo pretty to walk through

·      Also in a convenient spot, so I’d recommend walking through it if you get the chance

·      Lots of different paths and fountains and plants and trees

·      There’s also a zoo in the middle!

·      Free to go/no official “entrance” or “exit”

Hadrian’s Arch

·      This was also included in our historical sites pass and it was really cool, especially if you read about the history of it

·      Right next to the Temple of Zeus, so you might as well hit both

·      Really cool picture opportunity!

Temple of Zeus the Olympian (Olympieion)

·      This was also super cool; included in our historical sites pass

·      Interesting because a lot of it has fallen, so the middle is left standing; gives it a cool vibe

·      Tons of cool history to read about

·      The views are beautiful! You can see the mountains in the distance really well

Roman Baths

·      This is along one of the main roads, we just stumbled upon it

·      We just stopped quickly to read some of the info!

Hadrian’s Library

·      Another historical sites pass location

·      The hours are kinda weird here, but I’d definitely recommend going if you have time

·      Cool to walk through and learn about what use to be there!

·      There’s some little cats that live there and roam around; I don’t love cats but they were pretty cute

Activities

Acropolis

·      AMAZING

·      Absolute must-do in Athens

·      Everything is just SO cool and SO interesting and I could’ve spent all day here

·      The views of the city are stunning and it’s just incredible to be in such a historically significant place

·      The Parthenon is the main part, but there’s tons of other sites on the hall that you should try to visit all of! They’re all different with unique significance

Acropolis Museum

·      Also AMAZING

·      I wish we would’ve done this on a different day than the Acropolis because I just ended up kind of tired after that and wish I would’ve paid more attention/spent more time here

·      You should definitely visit here as well

·      Tons of ancient art, artifacts, and recreations

·      Everything is really interesting to read and look through

Panathenaic Stadium

·      LOVED this place; the first modern Olympic stadium!

·      Awesome spot to go to

·      There’s a great audio tour that I’d definitely recommend doing, it really makes the experience

·      Climb to the top to see amazing views of the Acropolis and most of the city

·      Don’t forget to go through the tunnel to where the locker rooms used to be!

o   It’s a super cool room with all the posters from the modern Olympics; I wish I would’ve had more time to spend in here

Ancient Agora

·      One of my favorite places in Athens

·      This was the ancient marketplace and it’s HUGE

o   Contains different spots like the famous Temple of Hephaestus, etc.

·      The Temple of Hephaestus was my favorite part and it was super iconic; also great photo opportunity here because you can see the Parthenon behind you!

Agora Museum

·      This was included in the Ancient Agora

·      I didn’t have much time to spend in here because they were closing but all the artifacts and art they had were super cool

·      Everything they have is organized by periods of time, so it’s really cool to see all the objects and styles evolve

Stands/Cafés

Street corn stand

·      OH MY GOD this was one of the best things I ate abroad

·      My mom and I found this random stand on one of the main streets downtown

·      They grill/roast the corn right in front of you and then put butter, salt, and lemon juice on it

·      Super cheap and so delicious; I could’ve eaten like 15 of them; I think we went 3 or 4 times in the 3 days we were there

Da Vinci (gelato)

·      This gelato was soooo good

·      More of a modern, new gelato place that also has super cool flavors and some trendy things like big milkshakes, etc

·      Located in a convenient spot downtown that we stopped at twice on our way home from dinner & walking around at night

·      The staff are super friendly!

Hotel

Elia Ermou

·      Looooved this hotel!

·      It was new and modern but was really classy and had older touches with “character”

·      Had the absolute BEST included breakfast; it was outside up on the roof with Acropolis views

·      The food was DELICIOUS… I’m not a huge breakfast eater, but even I stuffed myself every day and wished I could’ve eaten more

o   The fresh fruit was amazing and such a breath of fresh air considering I hadn’t had a ton in Europe; literally everything I ate was phenomenal

o   Niche but they had these delicious homemade granola bars that I took with every day to have as a snack

·      Everything was super clean and pretty and aesthetic; also great views of the city and liveliness around it!

OVERALL ADVICE

Transportation

·      We mostly walked everywhere; we only took cabs to and from the airport

·      Make sure you have cash for the cabs!

o   One of my friends was here the week before us and he had a whole debacle because he didn’t have cash for the cab; so, have cash for the cab! in ours you could’ve paid with card, but based on his experience, have cash to be safe

·      We walked everywhere else, didn’t take any public transportation

·      The airport is a decent distance from the city; like a 35-40 minute taxi ride

o   You can also take the bus or metro, but this is the fastest and it wasn’t very expensive, so it was worth it to us for the ease and not having to figure out public transportation in a completely different language

City Itself

·      My mom and I love love LOVED Athens!

·      If you can get here, it’s one of the best places; and it’s convenient because you pretty much have to stop here en route to the islands

·      It’s a super walkable city and most of the main sights are located relatively close to one another

o   This is a really traffic-heavy city, so walking is usually best!

·      The food here is AMAZING and it’s pretty cheap; try a bunch of stuff and make sure to get your share of Greek food!

·      Even if you visit earlier in the spring, or even in April like we did, the sun is still super strong; I didn’t wear sunscreen our first day and got absolutely ROASTED (seriously, I was a tomato)

o   Also keep that in mind for what you wear: layer, layer, layer! I would’ve gotten cold if I didn’t have an extra layer, but would’ve been so hot in the sun if I didn’t have something underneath

·      Most people that you’ll interact with will know English, especially in restaurants, shops, and tourist areas

o   BUT a lot of things are sometimes only written in Greek

·      Most people are super friendly and nice! Be careful though because apparently pickpocketing is kind of prevalent

Take time to just walk through the city! The architecture is lovely and this is just such a history-rich city that you absolutely have to take it all in:)