3 days in Athens

Panathenaic Stadium

The marble stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. You can walk the stands and the track, and the ticket includes an audio guide and the stadium museum.

1 h visitOpen 8:00 am–7:00 pmAdult ticket €12

In summer the stadium advises visiting in the morning or late afternoon, when it is cooler. Bring water and sunscreen.

Open 08:00 to 19:00 from March to October and 08:00 to 17:00 from November to February. The last ticket is sold at closing time. The stadium closes on official public holidays and sometimes for events, so check its site.

Source: Panathenaic Stadium, checked October 5, 2026

Syntagma Square

The main square of modern Athens, in front of the Greek Parliament, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a guard change every hour. It is free and open at all hours.

45 min visitAlways open

Stand near the monument a few minutes before the hour. The Sunday 11:00 ceremony is the full parade and the most crowded.

The square is open at all hours. The guard changes every hour, and the full ceremony runs on Sunday at 11:00.

Source: This is Athens, the official Athens guide, checked October 5, 2026

National Garden

A shaded public garden behind the Parliament, with over 500 plant species, a small zoo and a botanical museum. It is free to enter.

1 h visitAlways open

Use the garden as the shaded link between Syntagma and the Panathenaic Stadium, especially in summer.

Open every day from sunrise to sunset.

Source: Greek National Tourism Organisation (Visit Greece), checked October 5, 2026

Acropolis Museum

The museum at the foot of the rock holds the finds from the Acropolis, with the Parthenon sculptures on the top floor. Glass floors let you look down onto an excavated neighbourhood under the building.

2 h 30 visitOpen 9:00 am–5:00 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €20

Go on a Friday evening. The museum stays open until 22:00 and the tour groups have left.

You can buy at the desk or online, and the museum warns of waits at busy times. Book online if you plan to arrive at midday in high season. Reduced and free tickets are issued only at the desk with the right documents.

From 1 April to 31 October it opens Monday 09:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Thursday and the weekend 09:00 to 20:00, and Friday 09:00 to 22:00. From 1 November Monday to Thursday close at 17:00. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 December and 26 December. Entry is free on 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October.

Source: Acropolis Museum, checked October 5, 2026

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The remaining columns of the largest temple in ancient Athens, standing in an open site beside Hadrian's Arch. The Roman emperor Hadrian finished the temple in the second century.

1 h visitOpen 8:00 am–6:30 pm · last entry 6:10 pmAdult ticket €20

Late afternoon gives the best light on the columns. The visit is short, so pair it with the Acropolis Museum or the stadium.

From 1 to 15 October the site opens 08:00 to 18:30, and from 16 to 30 October 08:00 to 18:00. Winter hours are 08:00 to 15:00 and summer hours 08:00 to 20:00. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing in October. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, 25 December and 26 December. Entry is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. Road works on Vasilissis Olgas Avenue mean the area around Hadrian's Gate is closed to the public.

Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture (Odysseus), checked October 5, 2026

Acropolis

The sacred rock with the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. The visit is a climb up a stone path and a loop of the summit, with almost no shade.

3 h 30 visitOpen 8:00 am–6:30 pm · last entry 6:00 pmAdult ticket €30

Be at the gate at 08:00, or come for the last hour before closing. The polished marble is slippery, so wear shoes with grip.

Tickets are sold at the gate and on the Ministry of Culture e-ticketing service. The queue grows from mid morning, so buy online before you go and arrive at opening.

From 1 to 15 October the site opens 08:00 to 18:30, and from 16 to 31 October 08:00 to 18:00. Winter hours from 1 November are 08:00 to 17:00, and summer hours are 08:00 to 20:00 with a gradual cut from 1 September. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, 25 December and 26 December. Entry is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October.

Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture (Odysseus), checked October 5, 2026

Ancient Agora

The marketplace and civic centre of classical Athens, with the best preserved Doric temple in Greece and a reconstructed stoa that houses a museum. The ticket covers the site and the museum.

2 h visitOpen 8:00 am–6:00 pm · last entry 5:30 pmAdult ticket €20

Come in the first hour. The paths are empty, the shade is thin later in the day, and the temple looks best in low light.

From 1 to 15 October the site opens 08:00 to 18:00, and from 16 to 31 October 08:00 to 17:30. Winter hours are 08:00 to 16:30 and summer hours 08:00 to 19:30, with a gradual cut in September. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, 25 December and 26 December. Entry is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. Visitors enter and leave by the gate at Thiseio Square while the main entrance on Adrianou Street is being rebuilt. Parts of the Stoa of Attalos exhibition and the Church of the Holy Apostles are closed to visitors.

Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture (Odysseus), checked October 5, 2026

Monastiraki Square

The busy square at the foot of the Acropolis where the metro, the flea market lanes and an Ottoman mosque meet. It is free and open at all hours.

1 h 30 visitAlways open

Come on a Sunday morning for the flea market, or after dark for the lit Acropolis above the rooftops.

The square is open at all hours. Shops follow their own times, and the flea market streets are busiest on Sunday.

Source: This is Athens, the official Athens guide, checked October 5, 2026

Philopappos Hill

A pine-covered hill southwest of the Acropolis, topped by a Roman monument, with one of the best views of the Acropolis. It is free and open at all hours.

1 h 30 visitAlways open

Go up about an hour before sunset. The paths have loose stones, so wear shoes with grip.

The hill is open at all hours, and the paths are unlit at night.

Source: This is Athens, the official Athens guide, checked October 5, 2026

Plaka

The old neighbourhood under the north slope of the Acropolis, with pedestrian lanes, neoclassical houses and small churches. It is free and open at all hours, and shops and cafes keep their own times.

2 h 30 visitAlways open

Walk up through Anafiotika before 09:00 for quiet lanes. The main streets fill from midday.

Open at all hours. Shops and cafes keep their own times, and the main lanes stay busy until late.

Source: This is Athens, the official Athens guide, checked October 5, 2026

Roman Agora

The marketplace built under Julius Caesar and Augustus, with the Gate of Athena Archegetis and the octagonal Tower of the Winds. The site is small and usually quiet.

1 h visitOpen 8:00 am–6:30 pm · last entry 6:10 pmAdult ticket €10

The visit takes about an hour, so combine it with Plaka and Monastiraki on the same walk.

From 1 to 15 October the site opens 08:00 to 18:30, and from 16 to 30 October 08:00 to 18:00. Winter hours are 08:00 to 15:00 and summer hours 08:00 to 20:00. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing in October. The Fethiye Mosque in the grounds is open on Wednesdays and Sundays from 08:00 to 15:00. Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, 25 December and 26 December.

Source: Hellenic Ministry of Culture (Odysseus), checked October 5, 2026

National Archaeological Museum

The largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the main museums in the world for ancient Greek art. The collections run from prehistory to late antiquity.

3 h visitOpen 1:00 pm–8:00 pm · last entry 7:30 pmAdult ticket €20

Arrive at 13:00 on a Tuesday or just after opening on other days, and pick three or four galleries instead of walking all of them.

These are the hours from 4 May to 15 November 2026: Wednesday to Monday 08:00 to 20:00, and Tuesday 13:00 to 20:00. Last admission is 19:30. Other periods of the year have their own hours.

Source: National Archaeological Museum, checked October 5, 2026

Lycabettus Hill

The highest hill in central Athens, with a small chapel at the top and a view across the city to the sea. A path climbs from Kolonaki, and a funicular runs most of the way up.

1 h 30 visitAlways open

Go up about an hour before sunset and stay for the lights. The path is steep, so wear sturdy shoes.

The hill is open at all hours. The funicular runs on its own timetable, so check before you rely on it.

Source: Greek National Tourism Organisation (Visit Greece), checked October 5, 2026