3 Must-Dos in Athens, Greece – If Your Time is Limited

Our 3 favorite things we did in Athens, Greece:

Okay, the first one is kind of a two-fer. The Acropolis with the Parthenon at its center is an iconic historical treasure not to be missed. Plus you get amazing views of all of Athens from up there. Don’t skip the Acropolis Museum that is at the foot of the hill. Most of the decorative friezes from the Parthenon are being preserved in the museum, and there are wonderful exhibits explaining everything and showing how it originally looked. My favorite exhibit is the 5 of the 6 original Caryatid Sisters that are located in the museum as well. Throughout the museum there are also some plexiglass see-through floors so that the ruins underneath are visible.

The Panathenaic Olympic Stadium. It’s the only all-marble stadium in the world, and it’s where the “modern” Olympics started in 1894. The ancient ones ended 2500 years prior. The stadium also houses each of the Olympic torches and posters, so don’t miss going into the tunnel.

The Plaka Neighborhood is within walking distance of the Acropolis. It’s a vibrant area with some pedestrian streets and lots of sidewalk restaurants and plenty of shops. We stayed in this area and enjoyed finding new places to eat and/or shop each day. We stayed at the Electra Palace Hotel, which has a rooftop pool and amazing views of the Acropolis. We had friends who on a previous trip picked a hotel randomly and ended up in a business district that was not nearly as fun as staying in the Plaka neighborhood. From this area it is possible to walk to either of the two attractions I mentioned above.

There are so many more things to do in Athens, but these are great options if you only have a little bit of time. If you prefer taking a tour, here is one that includes the Acropolis, Museum, Olympic Stadium and more, and can leave you off to explore Plaka on your own.