{"id":3722,"date":"2026-02-01T14:47:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T12:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorewithangel.com\/?p=3722"},"modified":"2026-03-16T17:46:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:46:40","slug":"athens-one-of-the-most-ancient-cities-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorewithangel.com\/el\/athens-one-of-the-most-ancient-cities-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"ATHENS TRAVEL GUIDE: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT"},"content":{"rendered":"

I grew up in one of the oldest cities in the world that you should visit at least once in your life as it has so much to offer!\"\"<\/p>\n

Athens is for sure a city of contrasts. I have heard many people saying it is one of their favorite cities, with several websites ranking it in the top 10 of the most beautiful cities in the world; whilst others find it not pretty, chaotic and sketchy, full of graffiti.<\/p>\n

What is true? Both! Athens is all of that! And it depends on which side of it you choose to see! Even the locals have different opinion about their own city. Athens has incredible monuments & museums with thousands of years of history, vibrant culture, vivid nightlife, delicious food and so many attractions for all the tastes!\"\"<\/p>\n

General advice for first timers in Greece?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Check my relevant article with general information & tips when visiting GREECE. I think you will find it useful especially if you plan to visit for the first time. You can find it here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

How many days in Athens?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

While you could easily enjoy and find things to do in Athens for 1 week, I think Athens is perfect for 3-4 days in order to take a taste of the variety of things the city has to offer! Angel’s tip:<\/span><\/strong> Don’t forget to have cash with you (euros) despite tha fact that lately almost all shops, bars and even taxis accept card payments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Best time to visit Athens?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have been asked many times if Greece is warm all year long. I guess many people have this impression due to the pictures all over the internet with the sunny Greek islands and the amazing places. But it is not like that, Greece has 4 seasons and although winter is mild in general, you could even encounter snow or minus temperatures in the Greek capital.<\/p>\n

I would recommend if you don\u2019t want to face cold weather, you should better avoid visiting from December till April. And please note that Athens is really hot during July and August. But still Athens is great anytime for a city trip with good food and great nightlife. Angel’s tip:<\/strong><\/span> Keep in mind that Greeks mainly go on holidays from mid of July till end of August, so Athens is less crowded during these months and traffic barely noticeable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alimos Marina<\/p><\/div>\n

Closest airport?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” which is 30km away from Syntagma square where the heart of the city is located. It is super easy to take the metro, it will take less than 1 hour, trains run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm and one way ticket cost Eur 9-10.<\/p>\n

The other option you have is by taxi for 30 minutes that will cost around Eur 35-50 or the Bus X95 which costs Eur 6.<\/p>\n

Angel’s tip:<\/strong><\/span> If you are planning to wander around the city during your visit, consider to buy a 3-day Tourist ticket, valid for metro, buses and tram. The 3-day ticket includes a return ticket to Athens Airport and costs 20\u20ac-23$.<\/span><\/p>\n

Closest port?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Piraeus port is the main port of Athens and you can reach it easily by metro (via blue line). Taxi costs 25-35 euros one way.<\/p>\n

There are two other ports as well that connect some islands with Athens called Rafina and Lavrion port.\u00a0 Angel’s tip:<\/span> <\/strong>Unfortunately metro doesn’t connect Athens with these ports so be careful when you book your tickets to the islands.\u00a0<\/span> There is usually a bus (ktel attikis) from Athens Nomismatokopio Metro Station to Lavrio every 1 hour and 30 minutes. Tickets cost \u20ac5 and the journey takes less than 2 hrs but please have in mind that when you get to Lavrio you will need to take a short taxi or walk to the port. If you choose to take a taxi, it is around 65-75 euros from Athens to Lavrion.<\/p>\n

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What is the best way to get around Athens?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The metro (underground) is the easiest & most-used option for moving around as it connects many neighborhoods of Athens and the suburbs. In combination with taxis, you have your answer! In Athens<\/span><\/span> you can easily use your bank card to enter the Athens Metro<\/span><\/span>, or you can issue a ticket that is valid for a few hours to travel around the city.<\/p>\n

Taxis: In Athens, it is generally safe to take a taxi from the road. Uber<\/span><\/span> works a bit differently than in many other countries fyi – it basically connects you with regular taxis through the app. Another popular app locals use to call a taxi in Athens<\/span><\/span> is “FreeNow”<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Angel\u2019s tip:<\/strong> <\/span>If you want to easily discover many areas around the city center or head towards the beach, I would recommend you rent a car for 1 day. For example, towards Vouliagmeni-Glyfada area in Athenian Riviera or Sounio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Click here to<\/a> rent a car with a good price.<\/p>\n

Angel\u2019s tip: <\/strong><\/span>There is a combined ticket for many sites and monuments situated around Athens . It is valid for a single entrance per site and has a duration equal to the period of time indicated on the ticket (5 days), which starts from the selected date of the first visit. The ticket includes 7 Sites and Monuments of Athens: Acropolis, Ancient Agora + its museum, Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Roman Agora of Athens and Tower of the Winds, Hadrian\u2019s Library, and the Aristotle\u2019s Lyceum (Archaeological site of Lykeion).\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Accommodation?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0There are so many cheap airbnbs you can choose from.\u00a0 Ideally stay close to Syntagma, Plaka, Koukaki or Kolonaki area. One hotel with super central location that I love & recommend is “Athens Capital – M Gallery”.<\/p>\n

Angel’s tip:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 There are no areas in Athens that are truly dangerous but there are some parts of the city that you should avoid strolling around especially at night. Examples are some streets in Omonoia, Metaxourgeio, Vathis square, Pedion tou Areos, Kolonos, Larisis station, Attikis & Victorias square.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The view from the rooftop of Athens Capital Hotel in Syntagma<\/p><\/div>\n

Places to visit in Athens\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n