Athens is a wonderful city to fly into and out of for your vacation to Greece. It has the most accessible international airport and some of the most iconic monuments any first time traveler to Greece will want to see.
A great place to stay in Athens is called the Monastiraki Neighborhood. It is within walking distance of pretty much everything you’d want to see in Athens and has plenty of places to stay.
The Monastiraki neighborhood has a central square and a fun, upbeat fleamarket, surrounded by restaurants and bars. And, as you can see the hill containing the parthenon is right in your back yard. Monastiraki also has a central train station in this center square which you can easily use to get to the port for the beginning of your island vacation.
As you walk through the Monastiraki market make sure to stop at one of the many restaurants lining the streets to grab the classic Greek delicacy – Pastisio. Split a plate of Tzatziki or a Gyro and you and your travel partner will have the perfect lunch.
After lunch, follow a map or the GPS on your phone towards the Parthenon and Acropolis. There are ample signs and friendly English speakers to help you along your way. Plus there’s basically one road up to the Parthenon. You won’t be the only one heading up that way. Follow the crowd.
As you walk up towards the Parthenon you will see other lesser known ruins. You can see pretty much everything there is to see from the streets. There is also a ticket counter charging you to enter the sites. Unless you want to make a 20 euro donation to the Greek park services to take a photo of these pillars from the opposite side, don’t be distracted. Enjoy the ruins from the road and head on to the Parthenon.
As you walk up the hill towards the Parthenon make sure to stop at the landing halfway up to snap amazing photos of Athens below…
At the top of the hill there will be a clear area for buying tickets to enter the Acropolis and Parthenon. The tickets aren’t cheap, but come on you’re in Greece. Pony up and enjoy one of the coolest experiences you’ll have…standing beneath the Parthenon contemplating these amazing ancient structures.
As you return down the hill make sure to stop at one of the many restaurants sitting in the shadows of these amazing structures for a glass of wine. You’ll need it after the hike up and down and there’s no more beautiful spot to have a glass of wine in Athens.
Once back down in Monastiraki you’ll stumble across a pedestrian road called Adrianou Street. It’s filled with ice cream shops, restaurants and bars all with clear views of the Parthenon lit up on the hill above. It’s a bit touristy but, these beautiful views are the perfect spot to have dinner within view of the Parthenon.
After this perfect day in Athens it’s time to make it back to the hotel and get a decent night sleep before your early AM ferry ride to the islands. Remember the boat trip will take 4-5 hours and you’ll want to get after it early enough to have time to explore your first island after the long journey. Don’t forget to book a cabin room so you can sleep and lay down in private for that extra long first boat ride.
