3 Days In Athens Greece
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece
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The Best Athens Itinerary - How Long Will You Really Need?
I fell in love with Athens, Greece, just moments after arriving on my solo Greece trip. Before making my trip, I wondered how many days in Athens I would need to properly see all the highlights. A lot of guides recommended spending only one day in Athens before jetting off to one of the Greek islands like beautiful Rhodes, Mykonos, Naxos, or Crete. But I can promise you, you’ll want to spend as much time here as possible before doing some solo Greek Island hopping. The city is stunningly beautiful, very welcoming, and has plenty to offer. Need proof? Just check out these gorgeous pictures that will convince you to visit Athens, Greece.
I hope my Athens 3-day itinerary has you falling in love with this beautiful city as much as I did. That said, you could easily spend more than three days in Athens. While it’s possible to visit all the highlights and enjoy some incredible Greek food in just 3 days, you’ll get a far better understanding of the city, the culture, and the people if you have more than just 3 days in Athens. You’ll also be able to see all the famous Athens landmarks… and there are a lot! But as I know travel can be expensive and not everyone has a week or more to spend in one location, so I’m here to offer you the very best accessible itinerary for Athens in 3 days.
Rooftop view of the Acropolis and city of Athens at sunset
How to Get Around Athens
Thanks to recent renovations, Athens' entire public transportation is wheelchair accessible. I took the metro during my stay and found it quite easy to get around the city. There are several easy ways to get from Athens International Airport to Athens itself.
You might also opt to purchase tickets for one of Athens’ hop-on hop-off buses during your stay. In fact, I encourage it. All Athens sightseeing buses have a dedicated area large enough to accommodate any type of wheelchair. If you purchase a 2-day pass it will take you to most of the city’s major sites.
Athens Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
What To Pack for Athens
If you’re wondering what to pack for your Greece Trip It will depend on where your itinerary takes you. I always air on the side of packing light. Remember, you’re visiting a thriving metropolis with tons of great shopping, so you’ll want to leave some room in your suitcase for those great Greek souvenirs. Just make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes and pack all of your medicines, essential items, and a spare change of clothes in your carry on. I always like to pack a change of clothes in my carry on in case the airline loses my luggage.
Where to Stay In Athens
There are many great places to stay in Athens. During my stay in Athens, I stayed at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel. The Divani is a 5-star hotel located conveniently blocks from the Acropolis museum with breathtaking views of the Acropolis. For just $190/ night I got a superior room with an Acropolis view and balcony. Since I was visiting for New Year’s Eve, it was the perfect way to watch the fireworks over the Acropolis and ring in the new year.
The Divani offers wheelchair-accessible rooms and common areas. They also offer wheelchairs for rent onsite.
I plan on making a future post with more suggestions on where to stay in Athens. But rest assured, there are tons of affordable, accessible, and beautiful hotels within the city.
Athens 3-Day Itinerary
Day One
Acropolis
Acropolis Museum
Temple of The Olympian Zeus
Monastiraki Square
Dinner in the Plaka
Day Two
Street Art Tour
National Archaeological Museum
Day Three
Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour including:
Hadrian’s Arch
Syntagma Square Athens
Greek Parliament
Ermou Street
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Royal Palace and the changing of the guard
Panathenaic Stadium
Looking up at the Acropolis
Day One
Day one of our 3 day Athens Itinerary kicks off with the Acropolis. Because let’s face it, it’s probably what you came all this way to see, especially you first-time visitors to Athens. It’s the most famous landmark in Athens and is filled with important Greek history.
Greece was once home to 2 of the original 7 wonders of the world, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Zeus. Sadly, only one of the original wonders of the world exists today and you’ll have to visit Egypt to see it. But you can still get a great idea of ancient history by visiting the Acropolis.
After we finish seeing the Acropolis, we’ll pop over to the Acropolis Museum and Temple of the Olympian Zeus. From there we’ll head over to the popular Monastiraki Square before having dinner in the popular Plaka district.
The Caryatid Porch on the Acropolis, Athens, Greece.
The Acropolis
The ancient Greek Acropolis of Athens is a fortified center of town located atop a rocky hill. But don’t worry, it’s wheelchair accessible. If you have mobility issues, walk to the back of the Acropolis where you can be escorted up in a golf cart to the top of the hill. From there, an elevator can take you to the top of the Acropolis for views of the Parthenon and other ruins. If you decide to brave the walk, know that not only is it a steep hill, but the walkway is also made of uneven stones. Not knowing about the accessible back entrance, I walked up the hill, which took me about an hour and had me biting my nails, worried I would roll an ankle. I saw several other visitors walking up with canes. I can only assume this is due to the poor signage and lack of information about the newly constructed accessible route. Of course, it’s always great to get advice on visiting the Acropolis from an Athens resident.
The Acropolis is actually a collection of ancient buildings, the most famous of which are the Parthenon, Propylaea, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. During ancient times the Acropolis was known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent man. There is evidence the hill was populated as far back as the fourth millennium BC. However, the remains of the structures you see now were constructed in the fifth century BC during the height of ancient Athens.
To see the Acropolis, I recommend this skip-the-line Acropolis tour.
Location: Athens 105 58, Greece
From here you can head back down the hill to the nearby Acropolis Museum, which lies 300 meters from the Acropolis.
The Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum houses around 4,000 priceless objects from the nearby Acropolis. Surrounding the museum is a designated archaeological site where archaeologists can be seen hard at work. You can even view this Archaeological work area from inside the museum’s clear ground floor.
Illuminated by natural light, the extensive exhibition galleries display a stunning array of sculptures and priceless artifacts. Most of the items in the collection were uncovered at the Acropolis archaeological sites.
The collection spans from the seventh century BC to the second century BC. Highlights include the original Caryatids from the Erechtheion, the fifth-century-BC relief of Mourning Athena, the sixth-century-BC Moschophoros statue of a young man carrying a small calf, and the series of reliefs from the Temple of Athena.
The Acropolis Museum charges a separate entrance fee and is not part of the admission to the Acropolis. Acropolis Museum tickets start at 12 Euros. If you want to see both the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum I recommend this combination skip-the-line Acropolis and Acropolis Museum Tour.
Location: 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens
If you’d like to grab lunch there are a number of great restaurants across from the museum. My favorite is God’s Restaurant. I ate here twice during my stay in Athens because the food was out of this world good. For more restaurant suggestions check out my Food Guide to Athens.
Temple of The Olympian Zeus
Temple of The Olympian Zeus
If you haven’t gotten your fill of looking at ancient ruins, you can head over to the Temple of The Olympian Zeus. A five-minute walk from the Acropolis Museum, the Temple is a former colossal temple in the center of Athens. Dedicated to Zeus, the head of the Greek Gods, construction began in the 6th century BC. However construction was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 later. Proving even in BC times, contractors were just the worst.
It was once the largest temple in Greece, featuring 104 colossal columns. Sadly, all that work was for naught as the temple was quickly pillaged by barbarians in 267 AD just a century shy of its being finished.
You can easily view the temple from the surrounding sidewalks, making it wheelchair accessible.
Location: Athens 105 57, Greece
From here it’s a 14-minute walk to our next stop, Monastiraki Square.
Monastiraki Square
Monastiraki Square
Monastiraki Square, Greek for “the little monastery,” is a popular neighborhood with tons of great shops. The Monastiraki area is famous for great bargains on things like clothing, fantastic Greek gifts and souvenirs. The area is named for the Church of the Pantanassa which is located within the square. The main streets to hit up are Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street. While most days the area can best be described as a grand bazaar a la Istanbul’s grand bazaar, the proper Monastiraki flea market takes place on Sundays.
If you’re not into shopping it’s still worth checking out this neighborhood for the people-watching, as well as the church of Pantanassa, Hadrian’s Library, and the Tsisdarakis Mosque. (The big domed building pictured above.)
If you choose not to walk from the Acropolis Museum, Monastiraki Square is conveniently located right next to The Monastiraki Metro Station, serving both Line 1 and Line 3 of the Athens Metro.
Location: Agias Eleousis 3, Athens 105 55, Greece.
Narrow street in the Plaka area
Dinner in the Plaka
Finally, we’ll end day 2 of our 3-day itinerary for Athens with dinner in the Plaka neighborhood. This was my favorite neighborhood in Athens. Though, word of caution, the Plaka area can be difficult to navigate for someone with mobility issues. While you can find plenty of great, accessible restaurants in my Athens food guide, (linked above) you will also find many restaurants stacked along narrow stairways. It took me a little bit of effort to find the streets that wind up the hills, as opposed to the stairways climbing back up to the Acropolis. But it’s well worth the effort to check out the live music and performances taking place around this bustling restaurant scene. You simply cannot beat the ambiance.
Top restaurant pick: Geros Tou Moria
Busy restaurants in the Plaka
Day Two
Day two of our 3 day Athens Itinerary starts with a fair amount of walking, so I’ve scheduled only a trip to the museum in the afternoon to give you plenty of time to relax and take it easy. Vacations shouldn’t be a stressful affair, so let’s take it easy on our tour itinerary.
Street art by Ino in Athens Greece
Street Art Tour
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know I love street art, having published guides to street art in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I was excited to check out Athens’ street art scene which is world-renowned.
I know a lot of people like to explore on their own and skip formal tours, but I swear to you this is the best tour I have ever been on and it’s an absolute must for your time in Athens. This 3-hour Street Art walking tour will take you through some of Athens' less touristy neighborhoods. It will also give you a better understanding of recent Greek history and politics. You’ll see some of the best murals and street art in Greece with a local street artist as your guide. And don’t worry, they keep it to a small group and we took plenty of breaks on our walk to use the restroom and grab some coffee.
You’ll venture off the beaten path and discover a whole new side to Athens in the city’s more colorful neighborhoods. Learn about graffiti art, murals, stencils, and more as you see why Athens’ bold street art has made a name for itself worldwide.
The group tour is limited to 12 people, though on my tour there were only 2 of us which made for an incredibly personalized tour.
National Archaeological Museum Athens, Greece
National Archaeological Museum
After your street art tour, you’ll hop on over to The National Archaeological Museum. The National Archeological Museum houses some of the most impressive artifacts from all over Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It’s widely considered one of the greatest museums in the world, so it’s an absolute must-visit.
The museum is located in the Exarcheia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street, and Tositsas Streets. Your street art tour will leave you off in Monastiraki Square. To get to the museum you’ll take a quick 10-minute ride on the metro’s Line 1.
I recommend this skip-the-line pass to the National Archaeological Museum.
Location: 28is Oktovriou 44, Athina 106 82, Greece
Syntagma Square or Constitution Square at night by the Syntagma Metro.
Day Three
Day 3 of our 3-day Athens itinerary involves getting tickets to the Athens Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus. It’s a great way to see the city without having to pay for expensive cabs or doing a ton of walking while visiting Athens. The Hop-On Hop-Off bus stops at all the best Athens attractions and gives you time to hop off and further explore, or simply snap photos from the comfort of the air-conditioned bus.
In the afternoon we’ll take a day trip and ride along the Athens coast to the beautiful Temple of Poseidon to watch the sun set over the Agean. You can purchase a combination ticket for both trips making the price a bit cheaper.
Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing
Start your day at the Acropolis station where you’ll catch the orange line, taking you through some of the top attractions in the Athenian historic center.
Adrian’s Arch
Hadrian’s Arch
Built to honor the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the Arch of Hadrian, or Hadrian’s Gate is a monumental gateway resembling a Roman triumphal arch. It once spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece to the eastern side of the city where structures like the Temple of the Olympian Zeus were located.
There were two inscriptions on the arch, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens, possibly meant to unite the old and the new city.
The arch is viewable from the main road and is thus wheelchair-accessible.
Location: Leof. Vasilisis Amalias 50, Athina 105 58, Greece
Hellenic Parliament Building
Stop here to see the change of the guards in front of the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located just off Syntagma Square below the Hellenic Parliament. The change of the guards takes place every hour by the military unit whose members stand guard proudly in front of Parliament. Every Sunday at 11 am there is an official ceremony in full, official dress. So if you happen to be in town on a Sunday, make sure not to miss it.
Location: Athina 105 57, Greece
Ermou Street Shopping District
Ermou Street
Ermou Street is the very center of the Athens city commercial district. Ermou is a commercial avenue that has been turned into a pedestrian-only street. If you want to indulge in more shopping, Ermou is the place to be. It’s filled with many big international brands as well as a Greek department store, Fokas, which sits in a beautiful neo-classical building that looks more like a museum. The Hondos center is another popular spot. Hondos is a massive cosmetics store that even houses a cafe, perfect for grabbing lunch.
You can find some fantastic bargains here on Ermou Street, with the big annual sales taking place in August and February. Another top spot is Nikos Spilliopoulos Shoes at 63 Ermou which has a fabulous selection of discounted Italian shoes and leather goods.
Since the area is often quite crowded with people and filled with street performers, mimes, and musicians, it’s easy to become distracted. Be mindful of pick-pockets who can sometimes frequent the area.
Public Avenue outside Panathenaic Stadium
Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium was home to the first modern Olympic Games. It’s also the only stadium to be built entirely out of marble. Originally built in 330 BC, it was excavated in 1869 and hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875. After being refurbished, it hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896. It was also the venue for 4 out of the 9 sports that year.
Throughout the 20th century, it was used for various purposes. In 2004 it was once again used as an Olympic venue. It’s also the finishing point for the annual Athens Marathon.
The Panathenaic Stadium provides access for disabled visitors. There are accessible toilets on the square, on the right side, for a fee.
Location: Leof. Vasileos Konstantinou, Athina 116 35, Greece
Sunset over the Aegean with views of The Temple of Poseidon
Sunset Tour of Cape Sounion
The Sunset Tour departs at 2 pm and takes you for a beautiful guided ride through Athen’s Riviera. See the stunning Athenian beaches and beautiful homes as you make your way to Cape Sounion.
Cape Sounion lies on the southernmost tip of the Attic peninsula, 43 miles south of Athens. It’s most famous for the Temple of Poseidon, one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Athens. The remains of the temple are perched at the top of the hill, surrounded on three sides by the Aegean sea.
Admission to the Temple of Poseidon is not included in your ticket price. Admission is 10 Euros. There is a paved hill leading up to the Temple, though this may be a somewhat difficult climb for those with mobility issues.
Even if you don’t make the climb, there’s a small museum at the base as well as a cafe and seating to watch the sunset over the Agean.
Hope You Enjoyed This Guide to 3 Days in Athens Greece
I really hope you loved this 3 days in Athens travel guide. Again, hopefully, you have more time to spend in this beautiful city. If you do decide to island hop I highly recommend Santorini as well as Crete. Santorini is stunningly beautiful and Crete has some gorgeous places to stay and is decidedly more accessible than many other Greek islands.
Have something I missed in this guide? Drop it in the comments below.
Happy travels!
Sunset over the Ancient Roman Agora, Athens, Greece
