Greece’s capital city is one of the world’s oldest cities dating back over 3,400 years and is full of history you just have to explore…
Travelling to Athens
Athens has it’s own international airport (ATH) located around 20km from the centre of Athens, so is easily accessible from most places. Flights from the UK take around 3 hours 30 mins, while from the US it can be around 10 hours. The good news is that there are plenty of cheap tickets available as most airlines operate daily flights to the Greek capital.
Activities
The First Thing I recommend you to do while you’re in Athens is to take a bike tour.
This might be the best way to explore the city, because you will be able to visit places that are hard to reach as a pedestrian. Also, you will be able to explore a lot more ground in less time. The first place I recommend you to visit while you’re on a bike tour is the archeological park that has been built around the Akropolis.
It features a lot of paths to explore and the traffic is very low, so you get the chance to admire the scenery and the ancient monuments, without being disturbed. Or, you can choose to visit the neighborhood in old Athens (named Plaka). You are guaranteed to find a lot of hidden streets and interesting attractions there !
The Second Thing I think it’s most importantly to do while you’re in Athens is to visit The Acropolis Museum and The Parthenon. The Acropolis Museum is a modern building which hosts the most significant greek statues and a lot of other interesting arthefacts, while the ruins of the Parthenon will delight you with the sublime white marble columns and it’s perfect proportions. You will be able to wander for hours in these majestic locations !
Another thing that you have to do when you’re in Athens is to try the Hammam Baths. They will provide you with an incredible relaxed feeling, given by the full body scrub and the massage performed on warm marbles. The experience is unique and authentic, and the Melidoni street is the only place in the city where you can try out the traditional Hammam Baths. The prices are quite low, but a booking is required.
The fourth thing Athens has to offer to you is its nightlife, so I highly recommend you to go for a walk around the city during night. You will find a lot of attractions, such as the tourist shops which are open untill late at night. There are also a lot of pubs in Athens, and most of them are opening around 10 in the evening. And, if you would rather go to a concert, you will be glad to find out that Athens hosts a lot of concerts and live performances in the Megaron Concert Hall. The parking is free of charge and there is also a theatre available.
Finally, the last, but not least thing to do in Athens is to visit Piraeus, the port city of Athens. Piraeus is easilly accessible by the Metro, and the scenery, which is mostly familiar to the greek island visitors, is definitely going to delight your view.If you want to serve the dinner while you’re here, you may opt for the fascinating seaside taverns, which are also a little pricy. Also, you’d better get your photo camera along because Piraeus is known for its sights and you might be tempted to visit the exquisite Piraeus Archaeological Museum or the equally-marvellous Nautical Museum.
Athens is a truly a wonderful city, and you are most likely to want to visit it again and again.
