4 Days in Athens: The Perfect Itinerary

Planning to spend four days in Athens? I have the perfect itinerary for you that will have you visiting the best of Athens and exploring Delphi. I visited Athens before heading out to spend a week in Crete and it was the perfect amount of time to visit Athens.

This full guide to Athens has the best places to stay, things to do, and the best side trips from Athens. With 3000 years of culture, delicious food, scenic views, and a vibrant city, Athens is well worth a stop when you visit Greece.

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Is Athens Worth Visiting?

Athens is definitely worth visiting! My expectations for Athens were pretty low prior to visiting. Over the years I’ve read so many terrible reviews of the city: that it’s dirty, crowded, and not worth it. While visiting I found myself wondering why people say it’s a dirty city. It’s lived in, there’s street art, but these aren’t bad things. I found Athens had a lot of life. It was a pleasure to explore, the food is fantastic, and I loved being able to visit the Acropolis.

I definitely recommend Athens and I would visit again. I visited Athens and Crete and it was nice to be able to contrast the mainland with the islands.

When to Visit Athens?

I visited Athens at the end of May and found the weather to be perfect and the crowds quite manageable. I recommend visiting Athens in March to May or September to November to get warm sunny weather. From June to August in Athens you will have a lot more crowds at the Acropolis and unpleasantly hot weather. During the summer there is the risk of the Acropolis being closed due to heat.

How Many Days in Athens?

I would budget two full days in Athens to see the sights and two more days to explore around the city as day trips or side trips for four days total. I think four days in Athens is the perfect amount to see the city and nearby sights as well.

Where to Stay in Athens?

In Athens, I recommend staying around the Plaka, Syntagma, or Monastiraki neighbourhood. The Plaka is at the center of the historic area of Athens and is in easy walk to the main sights and lots of restaurants. The Syntagma neighbourhood is also very close walking distance to everything. It’s also near Syntagma Metro Station, which is a meeting spot for many tours and the metro line that connects the airport and ferry terminal. Monastiraki Square is an excellent place to stay as it is adjacent to the Plaka and has lots of nice streets to explore with many restaurant and hotel options.

Whichever you choose, try to book early as hotels can get booked up and very expensive in peak times.

In Athens, I stayed at The Athenians Art Apartments and would happily stay again. The apartments are in an excellent location and are super comfortable and recently renovated.

Where to Eat in Athens?

Athens has a fantastic food scene. The first night there I joined a food tour, which was great for trying out many foods and getting an idea of how the city is and some history of their most famous foods. Other places I enjoyed in the city include:

Vegan Beat– Delicious mushroom gyros and super affordable
Athena’s Cook– Nice patio and delicious modern Greek style food
Holy Llama– Vegan pastries, amazing croissants. Wish I could have tried more.
Lukumades– Delicious Greek donuts served warm. My favourite is the pistachio.
Baklavas– So many types of baklava here, chocolate, pistachio, walnut. All delicious.

4 Days in Athens Itinerary

This four-day itinerary for Athens is set up to maximize your time in the city and to nearby destinations. I flew into Athens from elsewhere in Europe so I didn’t have jetlag the first day of this trip. If you are getting off a trans-Atlantic flight, then the first day of this itinerary may feel a bit punishing.

I do recommend a rental car for the first two days of this itinerary. I booked with DiscoverCars and was very happy with the price and the ability to add insurance in advance. If you aren’t comfortable driving in Greece, there are day trip options to Delphi and Cape Sounion instead. For all your day trip options from Athens, check out my list of the best day trips from Athens.

Day 1: Hosios Loukas Monastery and Delphi

After arriving in Athens, pick up your rental car and drive towards Hosios Loukas Monastery. The monastery is a slight detour from Delphi but well worth it. The roads are well-maintained and easy to drive with rest stops with bathrooms and restaurants along the way.

Hosios Loukas Monastery is a 10th-century Byzantine UNESCO World Heritage Site. To visit, make sure you have shoulders covered and pants or a skirt that covers to your knees. Hosios Loukas is situated in a beautiful area with sweeping views of the mountains. I spent about 1.5 hours wandering around the different buildings. It was only 4 euros for entry to Hosios Loukas.

Scenic Drive to Delphi

After Hosios Loukas Monastery, continue towards Delphi. This was some of the most scenic driving I did in Greece. There are a couple of places you can pull over to take in the view of the mountains.

Explore Delphi and Enjoy Greek Food

I arrived for my visit to Delphi around 4 pm and even though it was enough time to visit the Delphi Ancient Site, I decided to spend the evening wandering Delphi’s shops and enjoying my first meal in Greece. Check in to your hotel and then explore Delphi. I stayed at Pan Hotel and loved how convenient and affordable it was and the included breakfast. Fedriades Delphi Hotel is another excellent pick. Whichever hotel you choose, try to get a room with a panoramic view of the mountains and sea so you can have a front-row seat to beautiful sunsets.

I highly recommend Taverna Vakhos for food. It was easily my favourite place to eat on this itinerary. It does fill up so it’s worth it to make a reservation. The restaurant has views of the Gulf of Corinth and has excellent service with a complimentary baklava dessert.

Day 2: Delphi, Cape Sounion, and Athens

Start your day early with breakfast at the hotel and then pack up the car and drive to park near the Archeological Museum of Delphi. While it is walking distance from Delphi, you will be thankful to not have to walk extra once it gets warmer and it is on the way out of town anyways. Make sure you arrive early, I got the last parking spot around 8:15 AM.

You can purchase tickets at the Delphi Archeological Site which includes entry to the museum as well. If you would rather skip the ticket line, you can also purchase your Delphi tickets in advance. There is also a fountain to the right of the ticket booth where you can refill water bottles. The Delphi Archeological Site is all uphill and there is very little shade so make sure you are prepared for a couple of hours.

Delphi Archeological Site

At the Delphi Archeological Site, there are plenty of signs to help you understand what you are seeing and its historical significance. Delphi is the site where the oracle spoke to Apollo and was believed by ancient Greeks to be the centre of the world. It was an important religious site in the 6th century BCE.

Because of its religious significance, as you walk through Delphi you will walk through the ruins of many monuments that were donated by ancient Greek leaders to curry favour with the gods. Some of the most prominent features are the Temple of Apollo, the theatre, and the stadium.

Walking the Delphi Archeological Site felt as significant as the Acropolis in Athens and you can certainly see why ancient Greeks felt this site nestled in Mount Parnassus is so special. For me, Delphi was a highlight of my time in Greece and is definitely worth adding to your itinerary, even if you can only visit on a day trip from Athens.

Archeological Museum of Delphi

After exploring the ruins, make a stop at the Archeological Museum of Delphi. It’s not a very large museum so it doesn’t take very long but there are some very important and interesting artifacts here. Perhaps the most famous are the Sphinx of Naxos, and the twins Cleobis and Biton.

Temple of Athena

If you have time, walk or drive down to the Temple of Athena, which has beautiful ruins of the Tholos of Delphi. Start your drive towards Athens, first stopping in the nearby town of Arachova to get some lunch. Arachova is a beautiful town and there is also a great lookout spot worth stopping just as you are leaving town.

Cape Sounion and Temple of POseidon

From Arachova, it’s almost a three-hour drive to Cape Sounion so you will arrive in the late afternoon. The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion is famous for the 5th-century white marble temple that looks out over the Aegean Sea. During the summer it costs 10 euros for entry which feels a bit expensive considering Delphi including the museum is only 12.

You don’t need very long to explore the site, perhaps an hour. You could try to time it out to be there for sunset if you are okay with arriving in Athens quite late. If you are traveling without a car, a sunset tour to Cape Sounion is an excellent option.

Check-in To Athens Hotel

After Sounion, drop your car off at the airport and head into Athens. I found the metro was very convenient, especially because the hotel I booked was very close to Syntagma metro station, which is right on the metro line that serves both the airport and ferry terminal. I highly recommend The Athenians Art Apartments. The location is perfect for exploring Athens as everything was easy walking distance on foot. The rooms were newly renovated and had tons of space, a kitchenette, and were very comfortable and quiet.

Day 3: Acropolis, Ancient Agora, and Food Tour Tour

Today starts with a visit to Athen’s most famous site, the Acropolis! I recommend buying your ticket in advance to skip the ticket line. Unfortunately, you still have to wait in the entry line to go through security. A combo ticket for the Acropolis is worth it as it allows you entry to six other sites over five days.

If you can, try to be at the Acropolis at 8 AM, right when it opens. I went up the Acropolis from the side entrance on the south side (on the map here) so I could walk past other interesting sights before seeing the Acropolis and exiting from the main entrance. I left the Acropolis around 10:30 AM and by then there were massive line-ups both at the ticket booth and at entry. Honestly, even by mid-morning it was starting to look and feel like a conveyer belt of people going through the Acropolis so getting here early really is worth it.

The Acropolis is completely exposed to the sun so make sure to be prepared. If you visit during a heat wave, the Acropolis may be temporarily closed if it’s around 40°C. There is a water fountain near the bathrooms here, and it’s the only place I saw for drinks on the Acropolis. I recommend packing tissues as well as the bathrooms were not stocked with toilet paper when I visited.

At the Acropolis, you first will go by the Theatre of Dionysus before walking up the stairs surrounded by columns through the Propylaia (ceremonial gateway) and next to the Temple of Athena Nike. The entrance to the Acropolis felt grand and was a highlight for me. Even though the Acropolis is ancient, there has been a lot of restoration happening and the restoration of the Temple of Athena Nike was completed in 2010.

The Parthenon is the main temple that the Acropolis is known for and unfortunately, you can only view it from the outside. The Parthenon was heavily damaged during the 1687 Siege of the Acropolis by the Venetians. Even though it was restored, many collonades were put together wrongly so since 1975 restoration has been conducted here to put everything back in its rightful place. Having been around since 495-429 BCE, the Parthenon has been through a lot.

After exploring all the sites on the Acropolis head down. You can go up Areopagus Hill next to the exit to get views of the Acropolis as well.

Ancient Agora

Head towards the Ancient Agora. If you bought a combo ticket then entry is included. I had a terrible time finding the entry for it as it looks like there is an entry close to the Acropolis but when I visited, it was closed off. Google Maps is not your friend here as it tries to take you on walking paths that are fenced off. Entry is off of Adrianoy Street and when choosing walking directions, avoid green walking paths that are in the fenced-in Ancient Agora site.

There is much to explore at the Ancient Agora including the Temple of Hephaestus and Stoa of Attalos. If you visited the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, you might note a similar style with the Temple of Hephaestus as both are thought to be designed by the same architect. The Stoa of Attalos contains a small museum containing Athenian artifacts as well. One of my favourite parts of the Stoa of Attalos was going to the top floor to get a view over the Agora.

You can easily spend an hour or two exploring the Ancient Agora as there are many ruins and monuments scattered around the site.

Athens Food Tour

After a busy morning exploring Athens, grab some lunch, Vegan Beat has yummy mushroom gyros, and relax at the hotel before joining a food tour.

I went on an Athens street food tour that left from nearby Syntagma Square. The tour was fantastic. There were vegetarian and meat options at every stop and it was a great way to learn about Athens while tasting some of the food Greece is known for like spanokopitas, Greek pizza, loukoumades (Greek donuts!), and of course, gyros. Every stop had great food and it was a great way to get to try a variety of foods, including things I’d never heard of before like mastica ice cream. It was honestly the highlight of Athens for me and I have a full guide to the Athens food tour here.

Day 4: Exploring Athens

On your second full day in Athens, it’s the perfect time to explore the city with no time pressures.

Athens Spice and Food Markets

I started the day by exploring the spice markets of Evripidou Street as well as the central market. It’s an interesting area to explore even if you aren’t buying anything. The spice markets truly sell everything you could think of and it had me wishing I had more luggage space. It’s a good spot to find mastic if you want to take pure mastic home. I was able to purchase cinnamon sticks and licorice root at the spice markets. There are also shops that sell every kind of cured meat and olives.

In the Central Market, you have to be prepared for the open butchering of meat. A walk-through here will have you witness to many men with giant cleavers prepping meat for sale.

I followed it up by getting different baklavas at Baklavas, which has excellent baklava and is very close to Syntagma Square.

National Gardens

After lunch, walk through the National Gardens next to Syntagma Square. The gardens have lots of nice features to explore including the Byzantine chapel. Zappeion Hall is at one end of the gardens and is right next to an alley of jacaranda trees that look beautiful during late spring when they are covered in purple flowers. There are also some parrot nests in the pine trees that house some very noisy parakeets.

Temple of Olympian Zeus and Panathenaic Stadium

Walk to the nearby Temple of Olympian Zeus, which is included with the Acropolis combo ticket. It’s a quick site to explore but has a historic temple and great views of the Acropolis. A 10-minute walk down the hill from the Temple of Olympian Zeus is Panathenaic Stadium. This is the site of the first modern Olympic Games. You can get a good view of the stadium from outside or pay the 10 euros entry to tour the stadium. I skipped entering the stadium because I wanted to get out of the sun but if you do visit, you will be in the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.

Acropolis Museum and Plaka

After visiting the stadium, walk by Hadrian’s Arch towards the Acropolis Museum. I didn’t tour the museum as I was feeling a bit ancient-Greeced out but if you are a history buff then it’s a good time for a visit. Unfortunately, the museum isn’t included with any of the Acropolis ticket combos so you do have to pay extra.

Explore the Plaka neighbourhood and grab some dinner. The Plaka is the neighbourhood that is at the base of the Acropolis and it has very charming tiny streets to explore. Many streets are pedestrian-only and have lovely flowers and cute restaurants. It can get very crowded here, however. It’s a great place to shop for souvenirs, I especially loved the olive wood shop that sold everything from cutting boards to utensils and decorations.

Watch the Sunset with Views of the Acropolis

Just as the sun was starting to set I went up Philopappos Hill to get some views of the Acropolis at sunset. While there are amazing views, it’s unsafe to be there after dark and muggings have been reported. The path is also not lit up and quite uneven so it would be difficult to do in the dark. I recommend visiting it before dark though because the 360° views of Athens are stunning.

Areopagus Hill is the perfect place to get views of the Acropolis at sunset, although it is very popular and can be crowded. The sun doesn’t set behind the Acropolis but you will get nice views of the Acropolis lighting up at night.

Athens in Four Days Itinerary

I was very happy with spending four days in Athens. I had debated about leaving it out because of hearing so many bad things about Athens but I’m so happy I didn’t. Between the side trip to Delphi, Acropolis, and being a great city to wander around, Athens makes the perfect place to visit before or after a trip to the Greek Islands.

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