We will be in Athens for 4 days in October. Can anyone suggest their favorite things to do in town or on day trips? Thanks!

Hi Wanderlusthawaii,

When I was in Athens I really enjoyed strolling around the Plaka area. You can do some souvenir shopping, have a coffee on a terrace at a nice cafe and people watch. It's just a very nice area!

Layla

You mean besides the Acropolis and Archaeological Museum, right? Quick list:

Funicular up Lykavittos Hill and walk down
Bus to Poseidon Temple for sunset
Other museums - Goulandris, Benaki, Folk Art, Jewish
Botanical Gardens

You like Museums, but like music more? In Plaka uphill is Museum of GReek Folk Instruments (Free!) open til about 2 pm. Interactive (earphones to hear each one in display case played)

Like Jewelry? At neighborhood "back" of the acropolis, find a mansion which is the LaLounis Jewelry Museum --- he was the Cartier/Tiffany of GReece. Museum shows thousands of designs inspired by great civilizations -- i.e. Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Celtic. Also there are live demos by jewlry-makers. Gift shop has quality reproductions.

Athens is one of my favovite cities. You will have no trouble filling 4 days. Here is another vote for the Goulandris museum -- the Cycladic statues are fantastic. If you are into coins, the (free) Numismatic Museum is also worth a stop. It is located in a mansion that was built for Heinrich Schliemann. We also enjoyed walking down Lykavittos Hill. Another great spot for a walk is through the charming Anafiotika area. This small community of little houses is right below (actually on the side of the Acropolis). Originally, people from the island of Anafi lived here when they were hired as cheap labor. Enjoy!

It is ilias Lalaounis, darling. And he is still alive as he sends me a Christmas card ever year. I own lots of his jewellery.

Go to Starbuck's on Mitropoleos and have a frozen frappaccino.

The Great and Powerful

bookmarking

Hi

The Byzantine and Benaki Museums are well worth a visit too. You may also find the Keramekos cemetery very interesting - http://www.dilos.com/location/10219. Have a wander through the Central markets on Athinas Street. Lunch in Athens park will give you a nice break from the traffic and heat (probably not as important in October though).

Don't forget to go to the Benaki Museum in Kolonaki after a shopping spree at Louis Vuitton.

"Darling, your bag looks fabulous next to that silver chalice. Stand there. Don't move."

The Great and Powerful Thingorjus

Like Reen above, I also liked exploring the Anafiotika neighborhood of Plaka.

Anafiotika is uncrowded and relatively unknown, and is so quiet compared to rest of Athens. From Anafiotika's narrow, crooked pedestrian streets, alleys, and stairways, one has views of the Acropolis and out over the Plaka.

Just got back 2 weeks ago and we were also there 4 nights. Traveled with our 2 girls 12 and 15 so some choices centered around them. We stayed in an apartment in Pagrati so walking distance to Plaka but out of the rush.

Day 1 Sleep in then to National Garden for lunch (crazy hot when we were there but pretty). Taxi to Archaelogical Museum. Shop in Plaka. Walk to
Acropolis. Dinner at neighborhood place Meze Depolio where we just pointed in the kitchen at what we wanted to eat- yummy.
Day 2 More shopping on Studio Street
while I got ferry tickets at travel agent ( great one at Studio 38 can't remember name).Lunch Ommonia at Neon. Hop on Hop off bus- just rode and hopped off for change of guard. Street fair in our neighborhood. Carry out in our neighborhood and ice cream later in neighborhood- Immitou is very lively at night if you are over that way.

Day 3-Walk to Hadrian's arch and Temple of Zeus. Public bus to Sounio for Temple of Poseidon. Lunch at Cafe there and swimming at pebble beach. Souvlaki carry out on corner for dinner and to the Palace Cinema on Immitou which is an outdoor movie theatre on the roof of a building which we loved.
Day 4
Shop Plaka- funicular to Lyccavatteous and the to Benaki museum. Lunch at My Sushi on steps on the way up hill to funicular and off to Crete in afternoon.

Hope this helps and don't miss the outdoor cinema
Day 3

Bookmarking! I'll be in Athens again in October (just 1 day on a cruise) so I want to do things I haven't done before.

Monica

Jumping on the bookmark bandwagon.

bookmarking

Hear live rembetika music at Stoa Athanaton in the central meat market building. Don't leave until at least 2 AM.

Hunt for the prison cell in which Socrates drank the hemlock in the ancient agora.

Wander through the Monastiraki flea market on Sunday morning.

Buy warm breakfast pastries with ham and cheese from a tiny storefront on Athinas Street.

Have dinner at 10 PM or later in any restaurant in the Psiri neighborhood that has live music playing inside.

Buy gyros from the streetside window of one of the restaurants at the Monastiraki metro stop. Cheapest, best street food you can find.

Take the metro to Piraeus and take a ferry to Aegina and visit the temple on the hilltop with a view of the sea in all directions.

Drink coffee frappes.

My favorite trip outside the city was Delphi.

Eat 100 gyros.

Go to the Museum of the City of Athens and look at all the furniture and Meissen of King Otto and Queen Amalia. Then, sweetie darling, take a short walk over to Attica Dept. Store and wonder why you feel like you are in Bloomingdale's on Lexington.

Stand in Syntagma Sq. late at night and shout at cabs to pick you up. Share a cab with two fat ladies who don't speak English very well and try to carry on a conversation about Balenciaga and George Michael.

Thingorjus

Reading eagerly as I leave for greece in 8 days! Eeep! I am dying with impatience.

Thanks for the tip on the jewelry museum, Travelerjan.

Wander around the Plaka and the Monastiraki market. Eat at Oh Thannassis.yum! Souvlaki to die for!
Go to the Acropolis very early to beat the crowds and the HEAT!!!!! If you can afford it.....have dinner on the roof of the Grand Bretagne Hotel to see the acropolis at sunset and as the lights come on! This was a highlight of our trip in late June! We loved this hotel!