Athens is certainly one of the world’s great cities, at least for people who care about culture and history. It’s also a great stop for a few days for people on their way to or from the Greek Islands, and fortunately you can see all the main highlights in two days or so. The city is cheap compared to places like Rome or Paris, but not as cheap as many might expect it to be.
With many of the world’s most famous historical sights, Athens is a must-visit for anyone who is touring Europe. You can see the main sights in two days or so, and also experience many of the country’s best food and drink options in that time as well.
| Population | 800,000 |
| Area | 3,700,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+2 |
| Currency | Euro |
| Airports | Athens International Airport (ATH) |
The Acropolis with the Parthenon on top is the one thing that all guests want to see and photograph. The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is the other must-visit attraction, and all of that can be enjoyed in one busy day.
The main sites aren’t too expensive, at least compared to how amazing and important they are, so you won’t need to spend a fortune during the day. Food and drink can be cheap in places meant mostly for locals and quite pricey in the places with English-language menus out front. It’s easy enough to stick to a budget if you are careful, and even many of the tourist restaurants have good specials.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 11.83 - 53.76 |
| 20.43 - 92.47 |
| 23.66 - 109.68 |
| 44.09 - 134.41 |
| 92.47 - 198.92 |
Minoa Athens Hotel Doubles from €60/night | |
Our pick: The best cheap and central 3-star hotel in Athens |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 11.83 - 25.81 |
Zorbas Hostel Beds from €10/night | |
Our pick: The best cheap and central hostel in Athens |
| Budget breakfast | Many restaurants include breakfast. If yours doesn't then you have corner shops and bakeries serving good options. | $4.84 - $7.53 |
| Budget lunch | Really good souvlakis are among the local fast-food items on offer. Sitting down in a tourist-area restaurant will cost much more. | $6.45 - $10.75 |
| Budget dinner | Athens is loaded with tourist restaurants charging fairly high prices. Casual places more for locals are better bargains. | $10.75 - $16.13 |
| Beer (.33l bottle) | Drink prices in Athens all depend on where you are doing it. Mythos is the cheap local lager. | $3.76 - $5.38 |
| Beer (.33l bottle, retail) | Buying beer in shops can be a good money-saving tip to get things started. | $1.40 |
| House wine (liter) | Local table wines can be great bargains at taverns and casual places. | $6.99 - $9.68 |
| Souvlaki | A single souvlaki sandwich can make a great local meal or snack on the go. Sit down and the price doubles, or more. | $2.69 - $4.30 |
The free (tips-based) walking tours of Athens are highly recommended since so much of the historic center is pedestrian-friendly.
The hop-on, hop-off double-decker bus tours in Athens are also quite good since the major streets in the city center are accessible by those vehicles.
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55 | 41 | 2.2 |
| February | 56 | 42 | 1.8 |
| March | 60 | 44 | 1.6 |
| April | 68 | 49 | 1.2 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 0.9 |
| June | 88 | 65 | 0.4 |
| July | 92 | 69 | 0.2 |
| August | 92 | 69 | 0.2 |
| September | 85 | 63 | 0.6 |
| October | 74 | 56 | 2.1 |
| November | 65 | 50 | 2.3 |
| December | 57 | 44 | 2.7 |
Athens has a very Mediterranean climate, though it gets less rain, especially during summer, than most nearby cities. Winters are cool and it really isn’t until April that the city warms up enough to go without a sweater or jacket during the day. Summers, and particularly July and August, can get very steamy in Athens, with extreme heat and humidity most of the time, not cooling off too much even late at night.
So for obvious reasons, spring and autumn are considered the ideal times to visit. Most of the famous attractions here are outdoors and from April through early June and from September through early November you can be almost guaranteed of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. There’s virtually no rain in the city during summer, except for the rare thunderstorm, but it’s humid all the time anyway.
| 21 Mar | 6:28am | 6:38pm |
| 21 Jun | 6:03am | 8:51pm |
| 21 Sep | 7:12am | 7:24pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:37am | 5:09pm |
Hotels in particular can be pricey, partly because the city center is quite compact and places with good locations can get away with charging quite a bit. There are several new hostels, a few near the foot of the Acropolis, so if you are on a tight budget you might consider those, whether in a dorm or private room.
Athens hotels don’t change prices much throughout the year, with the exception of some of the more posh places. The low season is generally from October through mid March, but even then things stay pretty busy so it’s hard to find a great deal.
The high season for Athens hotels runs from mid March through September, and even though the city is nearly unbearable during the height of summer, enough holidaymakers come through for a few days on their way to and from the islands that hotels keep their prices high.
Generally speaking, hotels in Athens tend to be more expensive than most people would expect, so it’s a good idea to research in advance online and look for a good deal on a highly rated place, since finding a bargain once you arrive could mean a lot of walking and disappointment.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 11.83 - 53.76 |
| 20.43 - 92.47 |
| 23.66 - 109.68 |
| 44.09 - 134.41 |
| 92.47 - 198.92 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 11.83 - 25.81 |
The Athens International Airport is where nearly all visitors arrive, and fortunately it’s usually pretty easy to get good fares from within Europe as well as from North America and Asia.
Train service in Greece is still quite limited and not well connected to the main train lines of western Europe.
The ferry port in nearby Piraeus is a major arrival hub as well so it can be useful for those who fly directly into Santorini or another island and then want to explore the capital before flying onto another stop on the continent.
Most of Athens is very flat and walkable, but there is a modern Metro system that connects the center with the airport and several other sights that are a bit away from the center.
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 41.94 - 58.06 |
| Metro from airport to city center | 10.75 |
| Public bus from airport to city center | 5.38 |
| 3km taxi ride in Athens | 7.53 - 9.68 |
| Metro or bus ride in Athens | 1.51 |
| Metro ride to Piraeus port | 1.51 |