Your Concise Athens Guide: Must-See Bars, Sites, and More!
Table of Contents
- How Long Should I Stay?
- Where To Stay
- Must-See Bars
- Sites
- Restaurants
- What To Wear
How Long Should I Stay?
Minimum two full days. The ambience is quite magical in Athens so staying a week for some wouldn’t be bad at all, also it would allow for day trips to Meteora.
Where To Stay
Definitely stay near Monastiraki or Plaka. Super lit, lively, safe area with lots of food and fun shops around :)
Must-See Bars
You’ll of course have to try Greek’s national drink: ouzo. Here are the two bars that my friends and I enjoyed during our short stay in Athens as well as additional recommendations by locals for more bars :)
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g189400-Activities-c20-t99-Athens_Attica.html
Brettos
Culture Trip put it best:
“Michail Brettos started the business in the early 20th century; he produced ouzo, as well as brandy and a selection of liqueurs, by using old recipes from the ancient Greek city of Smyrna, in modern-day Turkey.
Brettos is also where you can enjoy some authentic ouzo or over 50 different types of liqueur. The most popular flavors chosen by locals and visitors alike include mastiha (definitely not surprising), limoncello, watermelon, peppermint, orange, mango, coffee, and coconut. Those into harder drinks can opt for the original brandy produced by Brettos or one of the original cocktails made from the liqueurs available in the store, as well as over 200 labels of Greek wines.
Since all the liqueur and brandy recipes are original and date back to the 19th century, you are drinking history at Brettos.”
Website
Buena Vista Bar
This Havana-themed bar’s main selling point is the stunning view of the Acropolis it has, especially at night. My friends and I were captivated by the view and honestly spent longer here than expected because we didn’t want to take our eyes off the view haha. Drinks are fun and it’s a cool ambience.
Sites
Most monuments in Athens are of course buildings with the famous Greek columns and are either temples or assembly places. The one must-see is the Acropolis, that sits atop the high hill in Athens and is always lit.
Google Maps hours are not accurate in the winter, so remember to go see it early! It closes at 5 PM.
I thought I would not be impressed by these simple buildings, but even looking at the Acropolis from afar, I could feel the weight of Athens’ great history.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g189400-Activities-Athens_Attica.html
If you have more time, you can make a day trip to Meteora, which famous for its monasteries that sit atop cliffs. You can rent cars for cheap from Hertz, Sixt, etc. at the airport.
Restaurants
*(In the process of being updated. Retrieving the recs we got from our Airbnb host)***
You can’t go too wrong with food because most places are good and you can just walk downstairs to find restaurants all around.
You of course have to try two famous Greek dishes: Moussaka (eggplant- or potato-based) and Souvlaki (Gyros)
Here are the other 23 dishes: https://www.chefspencil.com/top-25-greek-foods-the-most-popular-dishes-in-greece/
Here is one of the restaurants we went to that had really good grilled octopus: https://g.page/oionoscafe?share
What to Wear
Greece does not get too cold. In the winter, you max need a jacket and jeans. In the summer, it’s super hot af, so you can wear shorts and stuff.
