Visit Athens Like a Pro

Athens is one of my favorite cities. It sits right in that sweet spot at the intersection of familiar and exciting. European but Byzantine. Old but new. So, if there’s anywhere you should go, it’s Athens. Any type of person will enjoy it. The problem is that the entire world knows this and Athens is already a huge tourist destination (also, you know, the ancient Greeks). So, how to make the best of it? Read on for my advice on how to hack Athens: have the best time, see the best things, encounter the least tourists, for the least money.

First of all, I think you should spend at least four days in Athens so you don’t feel like you’re running around like a madwoman. I was there for a week and still wailed to my mom on the phone that I was worried I wouldn’t get to see everything. Don’t put yourself through that. Also, I ended up seeing everything I wanted to, so the wailing was unnecessary. But sometimes it's just what I do.

My most important tip: go to Athens in the off season. Everything is cheaper, including entrance tickets and hotels, the temperature is cooler (but the weather is still good), and the crowds are lighter. If your schedule allows, avoid visiting in the summer.

In terms of archeological sites, it is possible to buy a combined ticket to see the seven major sites, but I wouldn't recommend this because half of them aren’t worth it (or you can see them for free without actually entering the site). You should pay to enter the Ancient Agora (the temple of Hephaestus is also here) and the Acropolis. The Roman Forum is cool, but you can just peek through the fence to see it while you pet the cats napping on the wall. Same with Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of Zeus, and the Panathenaic Stadium (which isn’t technically an archeological site, but still, don’t pay to go in).

And, of course, you should go to the Acropolis. You have to prepurchase your ticket online for a specific time slot. I would buy the earliest ticket possible, check what time it opens, and show up fifteen minutes early so you're one of the first people through the turnstiles and up the steps. It’s worth waking up early, because you avoid the crowds and the worst of the sun, but also because the morning light is beautiful. There’s something so tranquil about walking through Athens at seven in the morning, before the city wakes up (Greeks do everything very late, seven a.m. is basically four a.m. for them). And please, once you’re on top of the hill, take a few pictures but then put your phone away and just enjoy the ruins and the views of the city. For a beautiful view of the Acropolis, walk up Pnyx Hill at sunset.

In terms of museums, I will come murder you if you leave Athens without visiting the Acropolis Museum and the National Archeological Museum (I'll state for legal purposes that that was a joke, but you would be really stupid not to go see this stuff). I also recommend doing some reading about Ancient Greece beforehand, finding a movie or a TV show set in Ancient Greece, listening to a podcast, just doing something to familiarize yourself a little bit with Athenian history, because everything you see will be mean so much more if you know what you’re looking at!

If you want to get on my good side, you could also visit the National Gallery. It was a solid museum if you like art. The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is also nice, but you could skip it if you aren’t a huge museum fan or if you’re short on time.

Coffee almost everywhere is really good—just make sure they’re using an actual espresso machine, and you’re all set. I even had a great espresso freddo in the airport. I normally do not waste money on airport coffee because it is usually disgusting, but I started my period on the flight from Chania to Athens and I was really sore from the hike the previous day, and I needed something to give me serotonin. I was not disappointed. MY POINT, ahem, is that I’m not going to waste time giving you coffee recommendations because you should just find a place close to wherever you’re staying where locals seem to go for coffee and cheese pies and make that your regular coffee and breakfast place. That’s what I did.

Other tips for visiting Athens:

- The metro and the buses are great; use those and skip the expensive taxis. If you do need a taxi, you can call one through Uber, that way the price is pre-set and you avoid scams.

- I did a free walking tour my first day in Athens and it was great. https://www.freetour.com/athens/athens-free-walking-tour

- If you want Greek olive oil, wine, olives, or anything like that, just buy it in a normal grocery store. Don’t buy it at one of the tourist shops for a ridiculous markup.

- Basic Greek vocabulary:

Hello: yassa (YAH-sah)

Good morning: kalimera (kah-lee-MER-ah)

Thank you: efcharisto (ef-ah-ree-STOH)

Sorry/excuse me: sygnomi (sig-NO-mee)