Athens is the home of one of the most interesting ancient civilizations. So how do you fit all of this in 24 hours? The truth is you can’t. However, if you are looking to get the most out of the time you have in this historic city, here are a couple of tips to keep you on track.
Where to stay
Monastiraki Square: This is a central blend of culture, food, and shopping. It has a good combination of both old and new.
This area has it all. Ruines that are steps away, long strips of shopping (traditional and some high end) and long strips of restaurants! I don’t know about you but these are my favorite things.
Hotel
A is for Athens: This hotel is located a few steps from Monastiraki Square. The price is very reasonable and the rooms are BIG. We got a suite since we were traveling with our toddler and most hotels count it as 3 occupants but even then it was a great deal. The best part about this if you are pressed for time is that you can have a beautiful view from their rooftop. It has an incredible view of Acropolis and since we were guests we got priority for a reservation. We got to see this stunning view for dinner and breakfast (included).
Best View
As I just mentioned our hotel A is for Athens had an incredible view of the city, including many of the historic landmarks that Athens is known for. Can’t go wrong with a great view, dinner, cocktails, and breakfast!
Make the most of your time
We made the most of our time by booking a half-day tour of the main attractions (3.5 hours). This allowed us the opportunity to get a little bit of what Athens has to offer. The tour we chose passed by the Constitution Square and Panathenaic Stadium (first Olympic Games). We explored Acropolis by foot with a guide along with a small group.
They had an option to extend the tour a little longer and go to the Athens Acropolis Museum but we wanted to have some free time to explore freely before our ferry to Paros.
Where to Eat
Lunch: We had lunch at O Thanasis, one of the restaurants on Monastiraki Square. Our tour guide said Monastiraki is the best place for authentic Greek food. She was right! We had some simple, casual yet tasty chicken and beef souvlaki. They have indoor and outdoor seating which I think is always a bonus.
Dessert: This is the most unique street that you are going to find in Athens. Little Kook is decorated with such attention to detail. It has this whimsical fairytale vibe. It changes seasonally when we went it had a Mary Poppins fantasy decorations. Not only does this place look great but it also lives up to the hype by providing mouth-watering desserts. I got to try the chocolate cake along with the caramel chocolate cake.
Tip: This place is BUSY! If you want to have dessert inside the resturant make sure to make reservations. If you are cool with outdoor seating, you should be fine.
After dessert, we picked up our bags from the hotel and headed to the Ferry to begin our island stay. This was a short but sweet stay in Athens and I’m glad we got to take a short tour and have free time to explore the city.
Here are other fun vacations to check out:
Happy Travels!
