Hi,

We will be in Athens for 3 days this October (first visit to Greece) and want some suggestions on must-see\must-do activities in Athens. We wont have a car, so will be limited to public transportation.

We enjoy history and culture, especially items of old Greek mythology and historical significance. We have some of the usual suspects (Acropolis, Parthenon, Olympian Zeus, Agora, etc) - but are looking for more suggestions.

Also, given a 3 day visit, would a day trip to someplace make sense ? If so, what would you suggest for a day trip ? We will be visiting Santorini for a couple of days.

Thanks in advance !

Boy, you're going to be all over the place! Switzerland, Italy and now Greece. What a trip. Since you're already going to be getting the island experience, I'd confine my time to Athens. The list you have is a good start. Be sure to go up on Lycabettus Hill. It's the best way to really get a grasp of the scope of Athens. Have fun!

I think 2 days in Athens is enough to see the main sights, so yes, a day trip might be a possibility. Since you are already going to see an island, consider a tour to see Delphi. Any number of companies offer 1 day tours, Delphi is one of my favorites. the site is very interesting, and the trip isn't too long.

Yes this is going to be a trip of a lifetime ! ;-) We are spending 5 weeks in Europe, covering Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Greece (in that order).

And I am sure as others will agree, planning is getting to be really fun and a pleasurable part of the whole experience as well ! I'll make sure to keep good notes and post a detailed report once I get back - although I might need another vacation to get over this vacation !! ;-)

If 2 days is enough in Athens, would it be better to spend an extra day in Santorini or take a day trip to Delphi or Sounion ? Thoughts ??

No! Delphi is too far. It's fabulous but you need to stay over night. If you take one of those tours you're going to be driving for hours and then had one hour to fly around Delphy and then be on the bus for hours again. Do yourself a favor and plan more down time into your 6 weeks trip. Trust me, you're going to get worn out. Schedule time for sitting in tavernas, drinking caffe freddo, people watching, shopping in the Plaka. When you're at home on your couch with your laptop it's so easy to over fill your schedule. You have to plan in some space time for unexpected surprises!

OK, maybe you'll find yourself in Athens and think, I need to get the heck out of here. Then you can walk over to one of the many tourist offices and see what they have to offer.

Ah ! great words of wisdom, Grasshopper. That does it - I'll leave out day trips for now, and will go there and decide what makes sense and what doesnt make sense. Also, since Athens will be the last stop on our trip, its entirely possible that we will be sooo worn out that we may not want to leave our hotel at all ! ;-)