Stories · Greece
3 days in Athens
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
I discovered Athens one summer evening from a terrace in Plaka, the Acropolis lit above the rooftops, and I never again thought of it as a mere stopover to the islands. It is a rough, warm city where ruins rub shoulders with tavernas and where you dine at ten under the orange trees.
Day 1 · Fresh air
In the morning, it’s Parthenon. Be at the gate at opening, climb up the south slope, and stay while the light turns on the columns. The whole city reads from up there. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (88,167 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Late morning, head to Erechtheion. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. 4.8 out of 5 across 2,464 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or go through Tiqets.
For lunch, Athina 105 58 is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, meet me at The Porch of the Caryatids. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. Travellers give it 4.9 out of 5 (269 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Athens is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · Museums and culture
To start, I make my way to Ancient Agora of Athens. I always pick two or three rooms rather than seeing everything. You walk out light. 4.7 out of 5 across 41,015 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or also check Tiqets.
Then, meet me at Museum of Illusions Athens. The kids will still be talking about it weeks later. So will the adults, though they admit it less. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Athina 105 55: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
In the afternoon, meet me at Temple of Hephaestus. Quieter than the Acropolis, just as moving: the best-preserved temple in Greece among the olive trees. 4.8 out of 5 across 13,126 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Athens does the rest.
Day 3 · Day trip
Early in the morning, meet me at Cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina. Three islands in a day from Piraeus: car-free Hydra, Poros and its pines, Aegina and its pistachios. A foretaste of the Cyclades. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Around noon, meet me at Cape Sounion. An hour by road along the coast for the Temple of Poseidon at sunset, above the Aegean. One of the most beautiful ends of day of my life. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or also check Tiqets.
If you’re still hungry
I still have a few up my sleeve: Acropolis Museum, Areopagus Hill, Acropolis of Athens, Philopappos Hill, Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus and Monastiraki and its flea market. Your call.
My advice
The combined ticket for the ancient sites covers the Acropolis, the Agora and several others: worth it from the second one.
The metro links Piraeus, the airport and the centre; the stations display the remains found during the works.
Dine late, order to share, finish with an iced coffee: the Athenian rhythm.
And if you go, tell me what you loved. Athens changes, and so do I.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.