After a week in Santorini, we spent a day in Athens before heading back to Munich. This was our travel itinerary: Munich to Athens, Athens to Santorini. Santorini for one week. Santorini to Athens. Athens for one day. Athens to Munich. Instead of flying back to Munich right away, we decided to spend a day in Athens and I am so glad we did! We had a great time and really enjoyed seeing so many historical sights. I know a lot of people skip Athens because it’s hot, crowded, and rumored to be dirty but we loved it! We were there in early May and didn’t find it to be any of those things.
Where we stayed:
We stayed at the Intercontinental and LOVED it. Great location and they have a shuttle that runs to the center of town which we took to and from the Acropolis.
What to do in Athens:
Rooftop Bar: We arrived in Athens around 9pm and flew out the next day at 6pm. So we had one evening and most of the next day to explore Athens. The hotel we stayed at had an awesome rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis, so after checking in we hung out at the rooftop bar most of the night.
Walking Tour: The next morning we woke up bright and early and did the Rick Steves walking tour of Athens. We each downloaded it as a podcast on our phones. The tour took about an hour and ended with sights close to the Acropolis. We grabbed some lunch and then headed to the Acropolis!
Acropolis: What would a visit to Athens be without going to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon? The Parthenon is so popular because it was the most perfect building built by the world’s most advanced civilization. The Acropolis is one historical sight you can’t miss. We download Rick Steve’s Acropolis tour podcast and listened on our phones. There is basically no shade once you enter, so I highly recommend wearing sunscreen and bringing water.
Where to eat in Athens:
We didn’t spend a ton of time in Athens so I don’t have too many recommendations. But we did have the best souvlaki EVER here!
Rooftop bar: The Intercontinental we stayed at has a really nice restaurant and bar on their rooftop. We enjoyed drinks overlooking the city and the Acropolis.
O Kostas souvlaki: Patrick and I agree that this was some of the best souvlaki we had in Greece. SO GOOD and so fresh. We wandered in around 1pm and it was packed with locals. We figured it must be good so we just got in line. They only make a limited amount of each meat choice every day and once they sell out, they’re done for the day.
Third Place Coffee: High quality coffee in the heart of Athens. The decor is really cute, lots of pink and green, and the service is very friendly.
