Athens - what 'not to miss' sites ?
 

Hello Hello. My wife and I will be in Athens for two nights before and two nights after a week on Santorini/Crete in September. I figure that we'll have 1 full day and one half day, on either side of our island vacation to enjoy Athens.

Could someone please recommend some not-to-miss itineraries for full and half days in Athens?

Obviously we'll need time on the Acropolis. Is this a full day or half-day activity?

We're especially fond of walking tours, usually led by English speaking grad students. Can anyone recommend any such tours for different parts of Athens?

Thanx,
joe arena
rochester, ny usa

I don't think the Acropolis is an all-day event, I would just give it a couple of hours. After the Acropolis you could visit the National Archaelogical Museum and then later spend some time in La Plaka and Syntagma Square.

Since time is so short, you could consider taking a half-day guided tour just to get a quick overview of the city. I would do that in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the museum or at some other place that caught your interest on the tour. I went on one of these quickie morning tours and it helped me to get oriented and decide what to do later. My tour ended at the Acropolis and we had the option to stay there a bit longer instead of being taken back to the hotel.

Sorry, I know nothing about walking tours, I hope someone else can help.

Hi, Joe!

The Acropolis should take you some time, but not all day. Last September, my husband and I were in line to see the Parthenon for well over an hour. The line snaked through the Acropolis, and the heat really was brutal. Plaka lies just below the Acropolis, and you can take it in afterwards.

Like P.M., I suggest you go to the Nat'l Archaeological Museum, even if you're not "museum people." It really is world-class. We spent a full day there and had time permitted, we could easily have gone back for more. Afterwards, you can go to Syntagma Square nearby.

There's also the Benaki Museum and the cafe at the top of Lycabettus Hill for drinks at sunset, as well as the Sanctuary of Poseidon and Athena at Sounion.

http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21102a/e211ba07.html

George the famous taxi driver might be someone who could take you around. He has a very good reputation for reliability and local knowledge, although his knowledge might not be as comprehensive as a grad student. Never having hired him I really don't know.

http://www.greecetravel.com/taxi/

George the famous taxi driver was booked when my daughter and I traveled to Greece, but he passed me on to a fellow cab driver, Vangelis, who was wonderful. It was great to have someone meet us at the airport and take us to Delphi and other places! I think it was $300 for a pickup at the airport, to our hotel, and then all day the next day. Well spent money.

I also highly recommend seeing the Acropolis night lights coming on from a rooftop bar. Hotel Attalos isn't much of a place but the rooftop bar has a great view!

Hi

I agree with all of the above. We also visited the Agora, Monastariki flea market, Kerameikos cemetery and Byzantine Museum.

For a fantastic website to help you choose see http://www.culture.gr/2/21/maps/ster...ki/athens.html

See ya

I agree that the visit to the Acropolis will only take a couple of hours. I also really enjoyed the ancient agora, which is a pleasant walk down hill from the acropolis. A different kind of experience is a visit to the central market.

You may be interested in the Athens portions of my recent trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34589254

On of the amazing things about the Acropolis is that it looks so daunting, yet the walk up seemed far easier than it appeared. Might have been the adrenalin. Hit the Agora on the way down, it's part of the same (12 euro?) ticket that you can buy when entering the Acropolis.

Also, all the recs for the National Archaelogical Museum are right on. There are some wonderful docents. If you see one museum, that's it -- although the small Acropolis museum is also very nice.