Beautiful and majestic, the capital is rich in history , it was a surprise on all fronts, to visit the city for good I recommend at least 3 days,  especially if you are visiting there‘Acropolis and all the archaeological sites during the summer, the sun beats strongly and a hat on your head really saves your life.

The historical places to visit are different, but the city is not very big, so being able to visit all the archaeological sites and all the museums is more than feasible in a few days. Tourism flows purely to the center of the city, under the Acropolis, in the area of Monastiraky and Plaka , adorable and colorful, full of life, delicious smells with the wonderful illuminated Parthenon looking down on us. Beyond that area, moving towards the city proper, the air you breathe is not exactly the same, you can really breathe the air of crisis that the capital has suffered, the city is suffering, it suffers, and you can see, walking through the real streets of Athens opens your eyes, because the wonders that Athens preserves are not found anywhere else, I felt anger and disappointment in seeing what I saw, and those who say the opposite I think have never gone beyond the tourist districts . As for the museums and historical places they are not of the best organization, they could offer more services for what they offer, so be prepared on what there is to see, drafting an itinerary before leaving is a nice tip and you save time by avoiding being involved in the pit and the little  organization. As for how to get around Athens, here you will find what is right for you.

Acropolis

Declared a Unesco heritage since 1987, inside the Acropolis there are: the Parthenon, Ancient Temple of Athena, the Erechtheion, Propylaea, Temple of Athena Nike, Sanctuary of Artemis; Aphrodite and Demeter, Theater of Dionysus, Ode of Pericles, Odeo of Herodes Atticus  and much more. Starting early in the morning is advisable for two reasons, the first is that you will avoid the endless queue to buy the ticket, the second is to avoid the beating sun and too much internal crowds.

It is located right in front of the AKROPOLI red line metro station.

There are two types of tickets to see the Acropolis, the first only includes the visit to the Acropolis with all the archaeological sites inside and the cost of the ticket is 20.00 Euros. The second type (the one I recommend) frames the Acropolis with all its interior, it also includes the Ancient Agora ; Adriano’s bookshop ; Karameikos; Aristotle’s school; the Roman Agora and the Temple of Olympian Zeus . The total cost of this ticket is 30.00 Euros.

You can only visit each site once, but from the moment you buy the ticket you will have 4 days to visit all the attractions, so you can organize yourself without stress.

Plaka and Monastiraki

They are the most touristic and characteristic neighborhoods in the whole city. The atmosphere you breathe is magical, colorful, fun and full of scents , you are spoiled for choice on where to sit and eat, narrow streets full of lights, the Greek atmosphere is one hundred percent perceptible, the parthenon looks the scene from above, and the whole is truly unique.

Ancient Agora

Absolutely not to be missed, it is located right in front of the TISSIO green line stop, a lot to see, at least 2 hours to fully enjoy it, walking along the ruins you have a glimpse of the truly marvelous Parthenon.

With the 30.00 Euro combined ticket you don’t have to pay.

Roman Agora 

More intimate than the Ancient Agora but always interesting, you will find the wind tower , and from there a few steps away  Hadrian’s Library .

Included in the combined ticket price of 30.00 Euro.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Reachable from the Akropoli stop, red line . Right in front of the temple erected in honor of Zeus we find the majestic Arch of Hadrian , the temple of Zeus is one of the largest, unfortunately there is very little left.

Included in the combined ticket price of 30.00 Euro.

Acropolis Museum

Reachable from the Akropoli stop, red line .

You will discover all the treasures found in the archaeological site, models of the reconstruction of the acropolis of the past. The ticket price is 10.00 Euros (the Acropolis museum is not included in the combined ticket).

National archeologic museum

Accessible from the Victoria stop, green line .

The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the most important in the world, a must see, it must not be missing in your itinerary.

The ticket price is 10.00 Euros , it is not included in the combined ticket.

Motors Museum 

Close to the National Archaeological Museum, really nice, a little different stop from the usual ones. Among the most famous cars in the collection you will find the 1959 Chrysler Imperial which belonged to Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, the 1953 Lancia Aurelia which belonged to the Formula 1 driver Lorenzo Bandini.  A more than unique opportunity to admire cars that have made history.

The ticket price is 10.00 Euros , it is not included in the combined ticket.

Filopappo Hill

This has been one of my favorite destinations there Filopappo hill is to be traveled absolutely, historical walk , until you reach the monument to Filopappo, located at the top of the hill (to reach it you have to walk a bit, the path is uphill and the path is not asphalted), from up there the view is spectacular, you can take the most beautiful photos . Only one wall remains of the monument, with reliefs describing the life of Philopappus, considered a great benefactor and esteemed by Athenian residents.

It can be reached from the TISSIO metro, green line , or from the AKROPOLI red line stop.

Karameikos, ancient Cemetery of Athens

Ancient cemetery of Athens , The area takes its name from the ” Keramos ” which means in Greek “pottery”, taken from the countless pottery workshops that surrounded the area before being transformed into a cemetery.

Included in the combined ticket price of 30.00 Euros.

Beaches and the Athenian Riviera

A very nice and simple way to go through the whole riviera and enjoy the most beautiful Athens beaches , is to try the Hop on- Hop off tours , there are different types, and generally the price for the coast includes both the route of the historic center and the route of the coast, the cost is 25.00 Euros for both routes, with audio guide inside the ticket has a duration of 24 hours . Obviously you can choose the formula you prefer.