While Athens is most well known for the Acropolis, Athens has many more places worth visiting that are just as rich in history and in culture, places that let you experience the beautiful city from different perspectives. Here are the top 10 places you should definitely visit when you’re in the beautiful Greek capital.
Old Royal Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Located in the more modern part of Athens, the Old Royal Palace is a huge yellow building that stands over Syntagma Square. Completed in 1843, this building is the first royal palace of modern Greece, and it used to be the home of Greek royal family. Today, it houses the Hellenic Parliament.
Right below the palace is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a memorial built to honour Greek soldiers who were killed during wartime. The tomb is guarded by two presidential guards, known as evzones, who are dressed in ceremonial uniforms. Every Sunday at 11am, a whole platoon of evzones, along with a military band, will march down to the tomb for a ceremonial changing of the guards. If you happen to be at Syntagma Square during that time, be sure to head over to the palace to catch a glimpse of these guards in action.
Address: Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias 133, Athina 105 57
Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium is a large open-air stadium in the city that is one-of-a-kind: it is the only stadium in the world to be entirely made out of marble, hence its other name: Kallimarmaro, which translates to “made of beautiful marble”.
It is the site for many concerts and festivities, but it is probably best well known for the Olympic Games. The first ever international Olympic Games were held in the stadium in 1896, and since then, every four years, the Olympic flame’s journey that first began in Olympia will end in the stadium after travelling through Greece, where it will then be handed over to the host country of the year’s current Games.
Enter this stadium and sit on one of the many white marble seats, run along the track, or even pose on the winners’ podium with your friends. Whatever you do, you’ll definitely feel like you’re taking part in the legacy of the Olympic Games.
Address: Leof. Vasileos Konstantinou, Athina 116 35
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission:
General Admission Ticket: €5
Reduced Admission (Students and Seniors over 65): €2.50
Child: Free Entrance
Mount Lycabettus
From the top of the Panathenaic Stadium, you’ll be able to spot Mount Lycabettus, the highest point in the whole of Athens. There are several ways to get up the mountain. For the more active, hiking is always an option, which takes anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes depending on your speed. If climbing isn’t your thing, you can always take the Lycabettus Funicular, a 3 minute ride that costs €7 for a round trip and €5 for a one way journey.
At the top, there’s a cafe, restaurant, an open-air theatre, and the Chapel of St.George, a small, white-walled church. Perhaps the best thing to see from the peak of Mount Lycabettus is the view of the city below you, as well as the Acropolis, which will look even more beautiful under the glow of the setting sun, so be sure to check the sunset timings for the day before you head up this great mountain.
Address:
Lycabettus Funicular: Aristippou 1, Athina 106 76, Greece
Opening Hours:
Lycabettus Funicular: 9:30am – 1:30am
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Located in a lush green space in modern Athens, the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus stand tall above the surrounding buildings and streets. Once the largest temple in Athens, this temple was dedicated to Zeus, honouring his role as the King of the Olympian Gods. Unfortunately, only fifteen original columns remain standing. There is a sixteenth, but it has collapsed and lies in pieces on the ground. However, despite having so little of it left, this temple is still a great sight to behold, a must for anyone visiting Athens.
Address: Athina 105 57
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission:
General Admission Ticket: €6
Reduced Admission (Students and Seniors over 65): €3
Child: Free
Kerameikos Cemetery
While the Kerameikos Cemetery might be the least visited site on this list, it nevertheless played an important role in Athens’ history. This cemetery is known for its many detailed stelae (grave markers), marble sculptures that were placed on top of graves to represent the deceased. While the originals are in the Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos, they have been recreated and the copies are placed on the respective graves, giving life to this previous land of the dead.
Address: Ermou 148, Athina 105 53
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission:
General Admission: €8
Reduced Admission (Students and Seniors over 65): €4
The Ancient Agora of Athens
The Agora of Athens was the place where political debate met philosophical thought, and where Athenians from all walks of life interacted and crossed paths. It’s most famous monument is the Temple of Hephaestus, also known as the Hephaestion, and it is one of the best preserved temples in the whole of Greece.
Another iconic monument that lies in the Ancient Agora is the Stoa of Attalos. With 42 stores across two floors, it was essentially a shopping mall for ancient Athenians. Today, it is a museum for visitors, housing sculptures and artefacts recovered from the Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus.
Address: Adrianou 24, Athina 105 55
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission:
General Admission: €8
Reduced Admission (Students and Seniors over 65): €4
Child: Free
Roman Agora
Another important Agora, the Roman Agora used to house the central market of Athens. Much like the Ancient Agora, all that remains are several columns and foundations, including the columns of the Gate of Athena Archegetis, built from donations from Julius Caesar and Augstus, the then emperors of Ancient Rome.
As you walk through the site, you’ll spot the Tower of the Winds. Containing a sundial, a water clock, and a wind vane, this tower is considered the world’s first meteorological station. Unlike the rest of the agora, the tower remains almost fully intact, standing above the rest of the ruins. It also has mythological significance, its name coming from the frieze of the Greek wind gods at the top of the tower.
Address: Polignotou 3, Athina 105 55
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission:
General Admission: €2
Pnyx Hill
Athens is known as the birthplace of democracy, and much of it began at Pnyx Hill. You’ll find a stone platform carved out along the hillside, known as the Orator’s Podium or Bema. Here, ancient Athenian leaders discussed important political issues, while male Athenian citizens assembled to debate and vote on these issues, following the belief that everyone had a say in the matters of the state. If you’re a fan of the show The Good Place, this place might be familiar as one of the episodes in the last season was filmed on location in Athens as well as at the Pnyx!
From the Pnyx, you will have a great view of the Acropolis and the surrounding city area. Even if Greek history is not your cup of tea, you can still enjoy the benefits of being at the hill and surrounding park with free admission. The place is ideal for a great and quiet place to just rest, or even to watch the sunset over the city.
Address: Pnyx, Athens 117 41
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission: Free
Plato’s Academy
Ancient Greece is also known for its philosophy and philosophers, one of them being Plato, whose famous works include The Symposium and the Allegory of the Cave. He had a school where he passed down his philosophical teachings in Athens, and you can visit the archeological site of this school.
Although this site might be less impressive and more obscure than the others on this list, Plato and his academy nevertheless played an essential role in how we think about our world today. Take a stroll down the roads that the great philosopher himself walked along all those years ago, and maybe take a seat as you contemplate life and all its complex mysteries.
Address: Gastounis 12, Athina 104 42
Opening Hours:
Summer (April - October): 8am - 7:30pm
Winter (November - March): 8am - 3pm
Admission: Free
National Gardens
Once you’re done with the ruins, why not visit the National Gardens next! Located between the Panathenaic Stadium and Old Royal Palace, this green space is a breath of fresh air in the middle of the city. With grounds that span 16 hectares, the lush greenery and vibrant flowers will give you a change in scenery from all the previous historical sites.
The National Gardens are filled with both flora and fauna. Like the rest of Athens, there are stray cats roaming about, along with many ducks swimming in the ponds or waddling around the grounds. There is even a small zoo in the Gardens, featuring animals like peacocks and wild goats.
Address: Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias 1, Athina 105 57
Opening Hours:
Daily: Sunrise to Sunset (Exact times vary according to season)
Admission: Free
Tips
1. Before you plan your visit, you might want to consider purchasing a combined ticket. At €30, this ticket allows you to skip the ticketing queues and access these sites:
- The Acropolis and its slopes
- The Ancient Agora of Athens and the Museum of the Ancient Agora
- Kerameikos Cemetery and the Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos
- The Temple of Olympian Zeus
- The Roman Agora of Athens and the Tower of the Winds
- Hadrian’s Library
- Aristotle’s Lyceum
While the ticket does not cover all the places on the list, it is definitely cheaper than if you were to buy the individual tickets for each attraction. Furthermore, it is valid for 5 days, so you can take your time to explore. The tickets can be purchased at any of the participating sites.
2. If you’re planning to explore Athens on your own and not part of a guided tour, you can also consider purchasing tickets for the hop-on hop-off bus. The bus will bring you to almost every site on this list, so you won’t have to worry about transportation.
3. There is free admission to all sites and museums on these dates: 6th March, 18th April, 18th May, the last weekend of September, 28th October, the first Sunday of each month from 1st November to 31st March.
As you can see, Athens is so much more than just the Acropolis, and with so many amazing places waiting to be explored, you’ll definitely have a fantastic time experiencing and learning more about the city’s long history and rich culture.
