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Athens

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Couple drinking and enjoying the view of the Acropolis at sunset. Athens, Greece

©Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

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Overview

Equal measures of grunge and grace, Athens is a master of reinvention, serving up an anarchic mash-up of architectural gravitas, urban grit and infectious creativity.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Greece, Athens, Panathenaic Stadium

    Panathenaic Stadium

    Athens

    With its serried rows of white Pentelic marble seats built into a ravine next to Ardettos Hill, this ancient-turned-modern stadium is a draw both for…

  • Odeon of Agrippa statues in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece 637930866 Triton, Travel, People Traveling, Ancient Civilization, Tourism, Looking At View, Cloudscape, Giant, Antiquities, Mythology, The Ancient Agora, Art, Stone Material, Statue, Sculpture, Archaeology, Speculative Being, Greek Culture, Number, Roman, Classical Greek, Ruined, History, Ancient, Old, Cultures, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Tourist, Roman Forum, Acropolis - Athens, Athens - Greece, Attica - Greece, Greece, Europe, Animal, Marble, Cloud - Sky, Architectural Column, Monument, Old Ruin, Cityscape, agrippa, odeion, God, Odeon Cinemas

    Ancient Agora

    Athens

    The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…

  • 11.03.2018 Athens, Greece - Gate of Athena Archegetis, on the winds square (plateia aeridon) below the Acropolis of Athens.; Shutterstock ID 1053590486; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1053590486

    Roman Agora

    Athens

    This was the city’s market area under Roman rule, and it occupied a much larger area than the current site borders. You can see a lot from outside the…

  • ATHENS, GREECE - APRIL 8, 2011: Statue of hunter on the horse killing lion in Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens; Shutterstock ID 1701764272; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1701764272 ancient, art, athens, building, carving, culture, decoration, detail, greece, heritage, history, horse, hunter, landmark, late antique, lion, monument, old, relief, religion, religious, roman, sculpture, statue, stone, temple, tourism, travel, warrior

    Byzantine & Christian Museum

    Athens

    This outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…

  • Sculptures are seen during a preview of the exhibition "Kallos, The Ultimate Beauty" at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 27, 2021. A new exhibition by the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens invites visitors to reflect on their personal notion of ultimate beauty by taking them on a time-travel in ancient Greece. Through 300 antiquities gathered from 52 museums, Ephorates of Antiquities and collections in Greece, Italy and the Vatican, the exhibition entitled "Kallos, The Ultimate Beauty," presents what this concept meant in everyday life and the philosophical discourse in ancient Greece, the organizers told a press conference on Monday. (Photo by Marios Lolos/Xinhua via Getty Images) 1235547905 ie

    Museum of Cycladic Art

    Athens

    The 1st floor of this exceptional private museum is dedicated to the iconic minimalist marble Cycladic figurines, dating from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. They…

  • G2NPXM Traditional Greek costumes on display at The Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece G2NPXM Benaki, museum, costumes, clothes, clothing, Athens, Greece, Greek, art, arts, capital, cities, city, traditional, costume, craft, crafts, cultural, heritage, culture, design, designs, display, dress, embroidery, museums, needlework, sewing, Attika

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

    Athens

    In 1930 Antonis Benakis – a politician's son born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 19th century – endowed what is perhaps the finest museum in Greece…

  • Ceramic vase like hedgehog in National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Remains of famous Ancient Greek culture. Old artifact, historical dishes, crockery and pottery. Athens - May 7, 2018; Shutterstock ID 1522798868; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1522798868 amphora, ancient, animal, antique, antiquity, archaeological, archeology, art, artifact, athens, civilization, clay, crock, crockery, culture, dish, europe, exhibition, exposition, famous, fix, greece, greek, hedgehog, hellenistic, historical, history, indoor, jar, landmark, museum, mycenae, mykines, national, old, ornate, peloponnese, pitcher, pot, pottery, roman, showcase, sightseeing, tableware, tourism, tourist, travel, vase, ware, zoomorphic

    National Archaeological Museum

    Athens

    Housing the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities in an enormous neoclassical building, this museum is one of Athens' top attractions. Treasures…

  • Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris near Filopappou hill; Shutterstock ID 1666148053; your: Barbara Di Castro; gl: 65050; netsuite: digitl; full: POI 1666148053

    Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris

    Athens

    At the foot of Filopappou Hill, this 16th-century church may not be the oldest in Athens, but it is certainly one of the loveliest, with a heavy timber…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Athens offers unparalleled encounters with ancient history – and is a thriving 21st-century metropolis, too. Here are 16 ways to explore the city.

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Best Time to Visit

Whether you're after the beach or a bargain, here's when to go to Athens, Greece.

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Transportation

Tangled streets. Troublesome traffic. Athens can be tricky to navigate. This is how to get around.

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Free Things to Do

Roam Athens’ ancient streets, then take in cost-free museums, markets and art. Here’s our guide to the best free things to do in Athens.

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Best Neighborhoods

Learn the difference between Kolonaki and Koukaki, Psyrri and Gazi, in this tour of central Athens’ most visited districts.

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Day Trips

From ancient ruins to beaches a short boat ride away, here are nine ways to escape the bustle of Athens for the day.

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Traveling with Kids

From wandering ancient sites to catching waves at Kyma Surf School, here's how to see Athens with kids.

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