dina4

Please let me know if you have any comments/criticisms on the itinerary below...

We have 2 nights in Athens in mid-June. We are staying in Syntagma Square.

Day 1 --
Dinner and evening in Plaka area

Day 2 --
morning: Ancient Agora and related sites, Monastaraki flea market area
after lunch: Benaki Musuem and Kolonaki area

*** Can we fit in the Benaki before lunch? Just not sure how much time to allocate for these areas. We are late 40s couple traveling with four kids aged 19-23. Definitely interested in ancient history as well as art history, but more interested in highlights and won't want to meander too long in one place.***

Day 3 --
morning: temple of zeus, new acropolis museum, and acropolis
(leaving after lunch)

Thanks in advance for any advice!
dina

cathies

I think it's doable, rushed, but you acknowledged that. Day 1 I'm not sure, others will comment.

The point I wanted to make is that you shou,d make time to see the changing of the guard at Parliament House. It's quite spectacular and I think you'll all enjoy it. From memory it's every hour on the hour.

clausar

An evening in the Plaka area sounds great, make sure you go up to Anafiotika, which looks like a small Cycladic village in the middle of Athens, and offers a great view over the city.

As for dinner, locals avoid the restaurants of the Plaka for offering " touristy" food..
There are two excellent restauranst next to the Plaka that i'd like to recommend to you :

1. Trapezaria
their website is unfortunately only in Greek.
The food is excellent !!!!

http://www.trapezaria.gr/index.php

2. Attikos Greek House
Great Greek cuisine, and one if the nicest terraces with panoramic view to the Acropolis and the Pilipappou Hill.

http://www.ghattikos.gr/Αρχική.php

Your second day sounds good, but if you want to see the archaeological sites and monuments of this area, you won't have time to see also the Benaki Museum before lunch.

For Thisseion, the Museum of Kerameikos, the Roman Agora, the Ancient Agora etc you will need 1/2 day

There is a ticket that includes entrance to the following archaeological sites at the price of 12 Euro :

Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens, Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos, Hadrian's Library, Kerameikos, Museum of the Ancient Agora, North slope of Acropolis, Olympieio, Roman Agora of Athens, South Slope of Acropolis.

I am not sure why you want to visit the Benaki Museum ( which is an excellent Museum). From your itinerary it seems that this is your first time to Athens.

You could visit the National Archaeological Museum instead which is the most important Museum of it's kind in the world.
( i hope that by June it will have longer opening hours .

Your 3rd day looks Ok, just start with the Acropolis in the early morning. when it is more quiet and then continue to the New Acropolis Museum

cathies

I loved the national archeological museum. If you don't have much time at least go to the sculpture wing which is filled with wonderful sculptures.

clausar

The correct link to the Attikos restaurant is :
http://www.ghattikos.gr/
( also this website is in Greek but you will see pictures of the amazing view )

Please visit also the official website of the Minstry of Culture with useful information about every Greek Museum, Archaeological site and Museum.

http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/eh10.jsp

neckervd

I second ghattikos and cathies: the National Aarchelogic Museum is one of the best of the world.
Acropolis Museum, Acropolis, Ancient Agora and Thission are all close together, you may save time if you visit them the same day. If you like the Benaki museum, you may also be interested in the Byzantine Museum. And don't forget the Cycladic Museum, it's close to Syntagma.
But first of all, check the opening hours of all these sites:
http://www.athensinfoguide.com/wtsmu...archmuseum.htm
http://www.greece-athens.com/place.php?place_id=2
http://www.athensguide.com/
Nice sandy beaches close to Athens: Varkiza, Vougliagmeni.

clausar

neckervd they won't have any time for all that...
Have a look at their itinerary.

The New Acropolis Museum should best seen together with the Acropolis IMO.

mes2525

I hope you can squeeze in the Benaki Museum because it has a comprehensive collection of the history of Greece and is located in a lovely mansion. I don't think you can fit it in before lunch but it depends on how fast you can go through the other planned visits. As the above poster says, the Benaki is near the Byzantine and Cycladic Museums and you might want to visit them too.

dina4

Thanks so much for all the responses.

First, I apologize... I should have mentioned this is not our first trip to Athens. It's actually our fourth. The problem is we usually only spend time in the Plaka area, visit the Acropolis, and spend time with our Greek relatives who live in Athens. We have previously been to the National Archaeological Museum and the New Acropolis Museum. We have been on Mt. Lykavitos and seen the changing of the guard. But we will visit the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum again because one member of our group has never been. We have never been to the other sites mentioned -- the Ancient Agora, Temple of Zeus, Benaki Museum.

Re: the BENAKI -- i was torn between this and Cycladic, but somehow settled on the Benaki. Hope that's the right decision, as we don't have time for both.
***I am wondering if there is a good AUDIO GUIDE, or if I should hire a guide to show us the highlights.

Thanks to several of you for all the great links with more informaiton and for the restaurant recommendations.

Clausar --
***where can i get one of those all inclusive 12€ tickets, and does it last for more than one day?

I am so grateful for your input!
Thank you!
dina

clausar

Dina

You can buy the combined ticket at the entrance of any of the sites. There you will have two options, either to buy an individual ticket just for this site, or the combined ticket.

I asked the employees at the entrance of the Acropolis how long the combined ticket is valid, they said 4 days.

Between the Benaki and the Goulandris Museum i would chose the first one, as it covers a quite long period of Greek history.

yiassas

Dina, the 12 euros you pay to get into the Acropolis is the combined ticket anyway! This is the only site you don't have the choice, it has to be the full ticket. The larger part on it is the Acropolis entrance ticket & attached are the smaller ones that can be used for any of the other sites, one will get torn off as you visit them.
I have joined in with suggestions on your identical thread on TA, but now see you have been up Lykabettus, so do consider Philapappou instead.
The Benaki: It is one of my favourites, I think I've been 6 or 7 times, I love the range of exhibits, especially clothing, the 2 complete rooms laid out & the farming tools, mainly because you don't get these in most other museums.

clausar

As Dina will save the Acropolis for the last day of their Athens stay, she will have to ask for the combined ticket at the entrance of the first site that she will visit.

The New Acropolis Museum has a separate ticket that costs 5 Euros.

yiassas

Oops! See what you mean Clausar, if she sticks with itinerary order as it is, then yes, she will have to ask for the full ticket elsewhere

dina4

That's great news about the multi-use ticket.

Sadly, i don't even know where Philapapou hill is -- so i will look that up tonight. thanks so much. it sounds beautiful.

what about the benaki -- is there an audio guide? should i consider hiring a guide?

thanks!!!