Athens travel guide

Introduction to Athens

Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, and Acropolis Museum have one thing in common - they're all three very good reasons to visit Athens, Greece. Athens has plenty of experiences to offer curious travelers. This capital and largest city of Greece is a travel destination everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. Boasting a variety of natural beauty and architecture, a unique historical background, and a culture as rich as its population of over 664 thousand people, the city of Athens is truly one of the main highlights of Greece.

Easily accessible from Athens International airport, Athens is the perfect base for a memorable and unique vacation in Greece any time of the year.

Travelers curious about Athens might find it interesting that the city was named after Athena. You'll learn more fascinating facts about Athens as you explore this spectacular city.

Traveling to Athens is especially rewarding for anyone eager to connect with locals and learn more about their unique culture and traditions.

Get ready to explore and learn more about the city of Athens below!

Top services in Athens

Here on this page, you'll find all the top travel services in Athens, Greece. Check out the cheapest and most popular flights offered by 379 airlines that fly to Greece. Browse the 2499 top-rated tours available to you in Athens. We make it easy for you to find and book the top services in Athens.

Enjoy the convenience of planning and booking every detail of your trip to Athens, including flights, accommodations, activities, and more, in one place. Book with Guide to Europe to get an expertly-curated and fully-customizable itinerary and experience the best of Athens on your vacation in Greece.

Get answers to questions about the routes and services offered in Athens from our free 24/7 customer support. Continue reading to learn how you can enjoy a stress-free and memorable vacation in the city of Athens!

Learn more about Greece

There are many reasons to visit the city of Athens, but a trip to Greece needs no explanation.

Exploring Greece, which spans 131,957 square kilometers, is an adventure of a lifetime. Greece offers an abundance of truly magical places to discover, including cultural, historic, and scenic sites of significant value to both locals and travelers.

As the home country of many world-famous attractions like the spectacular Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, and the Acropolis Museum, you’re all set for a unique and memorable travel experience in Greece.

Click or tap the link below to discover more about Greece.

What to see in Athens

Photo of panoramic view of the popular seaside, south Athens.

Athens has something for everyone. Regardless of age and interest, travelers have the best time exploring every corner of the city.

Read on to discover the best places to visit and find out what to expect from the city of Athens.

Top attractions in Athens

Home to plenty of top attractions, Athens is more than just a wonderful city in Greece. Athens is a travel hotspot and a great place to experience a mix of the traditional and modern culture of Greece.

One fascinating sight in Athens is the unforgettable Acropolis of Athens. Considered one of the most well-known attractions in the city, a visit to this spectacular travel destination is something you shouldn’t miss on your trip to Athens. This remarkable attraction is located at Athens 105 58, Greece and is open for visitors Monday - Sunday, between 08:00-20:00.

For more information about what you can expect during a vacation in Greece, check out our list of top attractions in Athens below. Discover the best places to visit in Athens, including the fascinating Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Acropolis Museum, Athens National Garden, and Ancient Agora of Athens.

Map of attractions

Use this map to find the location of all top attractions in Athens.

Things to do in Athens

Photo of skyline of Athens with Monastiraki square and Acropolis hill during sunset.

Enrich your travel experience in Athens by joining tours and activities. Athens offers an exciting selection of top-rated tours and it's easy for every traveler to find something to their liking. Take the opportunity to catch the top attractions on a tour, stay active with an adventurous excursion, or learn something new about the local history or culture of the city.

Discover the most popular experiences in Athens below.

Most popular experiences in Athens

Traveling is all about gaining new experiences. You can have that and more in the city of Athens.

Athens offers numerous tours and activities for travelers to choose from. Bus Tours, Historical Tours, and Ports of Call Tours are only a few of the many experiences you can book for your holiday in Greece.

Explore the most popular experiences you can join in Athens by clicking on one of the top-rated tour categories below.

Top tours & tickets starting in Athens

Travelers in Athens can choose from 23 categories of top-rated tours and tickets. If you're curious about what the most frequently recommended experiences in the city are, Multi-day Tours is the answer.

The most popular tour in Athens is the fantastic 2 Days Private Tour: Delphi & Meteora. By joining this highly recommended tour, travelers get to learn more about what makes Athens one of the best travel destinations in Greece.

Athens also offers plenty of budget-friendly tours and activities that promise travelers a unique experience in the city. The affordable 1-Hour Guided Private Tour by Legendary General Lee Movie Car in Athens Greece is the cheapest tour in the city, and is a popular E-Bike Tour. This experience costs around 4 EUR and allows travelers a great time in Athens. This E-Bike Tour is available in 1 language: English.

Secure an unforgettable experience for your upcoming trip to Athens and book a top-rated tour in the city. Discover the best tours, activities, and tickets in Athens below.

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Search for things to do in Athens

Discover the best things to do in Athens. Choose from 2499 fantastic tours and activities available in the city.

Select your dates and number of travelers in the search bar below to receive the best recommendations for your vacation in Athens. Click the green button to view your options.

Vacation packages in Athens

Photo of famous Astir Beach in south Athens, Vouliagmeni, Greece.

The best and easiest way to visit Athens is by booking a vacation package. A vacation package includes everything you need for a worry-free and perfectly planned holiday in Greece.

Booking a vacation package to Athens means spending less time planning and more time enjoying your vacation. A vacation package includes everything from flight tickets, accomodation, and a rental car, to 24/7 personal travel support and a carefully planned travel itinerary. You can also take your vacation in Athens to the next level by adding tours, tickets, and activities to each day of your trip.

Apart from providing you with everything you need to travel comfortably, your vacation package to Athens is also fully customizable. In other words, you can add or remove services at your own convenience, to create the perfect vacation for you and your travel companions.

On our website, you will find 234 unique vacation packages to Athens, including flight tickets, hotel reservations, and recommendations for the best sightseeing spots, restaurants, bars, and activities.

Continue to the next section to learn more about what types of vacations you can book in the city of Athens.

Popular types of vacations in Athens

The most popular way to experience Athens is by visiting the city as part of a road trip across multiple destinations in Greece. However, it is also common for travelers to go to Athens on both shorter and longer getaways, to get a break from everyday life, relax, and experience something new.

With Guide to Europe you can find road trips, city breaks, and weekend getaways in Greece, ranging from budget to luxury. Whether you’re planning a multi-day road trip across Greece, or you just want to enjoy a few days exploring Athens, there is a vacation package for you.

Discover the most popular vacation packages in Athens below.

Top vacation packages in Athens

Travelers have a great selection of vacation packages to choose from in Greece. In fact, you can choose from as many as 234 different top-rated vacation packages to take you to Athens, and even more if you expand your search to include a bigger area of Greece.

To help narrow your choices down, here are some of the best vacation packages for exploring the city of Athens.

For an epic vacation, discover Athens and other top destinations in Greece on a top-rated holiday like the Cheap 10-Day Greece Road Trip Vacation from Athens traveling west to Platamonas, Ioannina, Aigio, and Corinth. This vacation package provides travelers with tons of opportunities to experience not only the most popular attractions in Athens, but also in other top places to visit in Greece. If Athens National Garden, Temple of Hephaestus, Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens, and Technopolis City of Athens are on your bucket list, this is the perfect vacation package for you.

If you would like to go on a budget vacation in Athens, book the popular Cheap 3-Day Greece City Break in Athens and spend as little as 174 EUR. This vacation will take you on a journey to experience some of the most incredible attractions and sights in Athens, including the fantastic Athens National Garden, Acropolis Museum, Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens, and Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Get more Athens vacation ideas on this site and discover the greatest selection of vacation packages in Europe. Scroll down to find the best vacation packages in Greece that match your needs and budget.

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Find vacation packages in Athens

Discover and compare 234 vacation packages that take you to the wonderful city of Athens.

The best flights, hotels, and activities in Athens get fully booked quickly. Use the search tool below to find the best vacation packages in Greece. Your customized holiday package to Athens is only a few clicks away!

How to get to Athens

To get to the city of Athens the fastest way possible, travelers from outside Greece can travel by plane. International travelers can fly to Athens by booking flights with any of the 86 airlines that offer direct flights to Athens International airport. Some airlines that operate flights to Athens International airport are United Airlines, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Delta Air Lines, and British Airways. Go to this page to compare all flights to Athens.

To reach the city of Athens, travelers can choose from various airport transfer options available at Athens International airport.

If you're looking for the best flight ticket deals to Athens, knowing the cheapest travel time and which airlines offer the most affordable flights is helpful. Luckily, we have this information for you. Discover more about the cheapest and most popular flights to Athens International airport and Athens below.

Find cheap flights to Athens

Photo of Parthenon temple at sunset. Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Over the years, more airlines have started offering flexible and direct flights to Athens, making it one of the most accessible travel destinations in Greece. However, it is usually cheaper to fly to Athens, Greece, in May.

The cheapest one-way flight to Athens costs around 20 EUR and is offered by the airline Ryanair.

The cheapest round-trip flights to Athens cost approximately 87 EUR in total. The departure flight leaves on October 13 and the return flight is scheduled on October 15. The flight time is around 1 hour per way.

The return flight is operated by Syros Island National.

Use the search tool below to find the cheapest flights to Greece and the city of Athens from your city of departure.

Popular flights to Athens

Travelers visiting Athens in Greece can fly to Athens International airport directly from 2228 destinations worldwide.

The three most popular routes to Athens International airport and the city of Athens in Greece depart from Athens International airport in Athens, Greece, Albany airport in Albany, Australia, and Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County airport in Santa Rosa, the United States.

Travelers can fly to Greece by choosing from from 2 weekly flight(s) from Athens; from 1 weekly flight(s) from Albany; and from 1 weekly flight(s) from Santa Rosa.

The airline that operates most flights to Greece is Cambodia Angkor Air. Cambodia Angkor Air offers 3 scheduled flight routes to Greece.

Discover the most popular flights to Athens below. Click to view flights to Athens, Greece from destinations all across the globe.

Where to stay in Athens

Photo of traveler girl enjoying vacations in Athens, Greece.

An essential factor to consider when traveling to a new place or country is accommodation. While visiting a city as fantastic as Athens is always exciting, any avid traveler knows that accommodations often make or break the vacation experience.

The best place to stay in Athens usually depends on travelers' needs and preferences. However, booking accommodation in downtown Athens offers a ton of benefits.

Staying at the heart of the city allows you to easily walk to many of the top sights and dining areas in Athens and cut down on your travel expenses. Centrally-located accommodations are also an excellent choice for travelers in Athens planning to go on a quick tour or drive to the neighboring regions.

For example, honeymooners or travelers on a romantic getaway in Greece can experience the ultimate relaxation at one of the 5-star or 4-star hotels in Athens. Travelers whose purpose is sightseeing can also find plenty of mid-range hotels to budget-friendly accommodations in the city, allowing access to many of the top attractions in Athens.

Learn more about the most popular places to stay and the top-rated hotels in Athens in the next sections.

Popular types of accommodation in Athens

While each type offers varying amenities and rates, there is no denying that Athens provides a great selection of lodging options ready to cater to every kind of guest.

Budget accommodations are also incredibly popular among travelers in Athens. Cheaper alternatives allow travelers to save on accommodation costs and have more to spend on other experiences.

Select the type you prefer to compare options under each category and find the best accommodation.

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Search for accommodation in Athens

Use the Accommodation Search tool below to find available stays in the city of Athens on specific dates. This handy feature also allows you to compare prices and amenities.

Enter the preferred check-in and check-out dates. Then, select the number of guests and rooms. Click the Search button to find all the available hotels and places to stay in the city of Athens that match the information provided.

Car rental in Athens

Photo of Piraeus, Athens, Greece. Mikrolimano harbour and yacht marina.

Experience the freedom and convenience of a self-drive vacation by renting a car for your adventures in Athens. Athens has 2 car rental companies ready to provide you with the perfect vehicle for your travels.

Automatic cars for rent in Athens start from 35.67 EUR per day or 249.71 EUR per week. The cheapest automatic rental car is a Suzuki Swift Automatic.

If you prefer driving a manual car, you’ll find multiple options for rent in Athens, starting from 16.02 EUR per day or 112.16 EUR per week. The cheapest manual rental car is a Hyundai I10 Manual.

Learn more about the different types of cars you can rent in Athens, Greece, below.

Popular types of car rental in Athens

Discover and choose from our broad range of popular car rental options in the city of Athens to find the best car for your travel plans. Travelers in Athens can choose from small cars, medium cars, large cars, estate cars, mini vans, SUVs, convertibles, premium cars, camper vans, mini campers, vans, cars. All car rentals come with CDW insurance for added protection throughout your trip.

Renting a car is a popular choice among travelers who want to explore Greece at their own pace. The most popular type of car rental among small groups of travelers in Athens is a TopLevel.

Another very popular type of car to rent in Athens is a TopLevel. This car is particularly popular among couples and solo travelers touring the city of Athens.

Check out all options available in Athens and book the car rental for your upcoming adventures in Greece below.

Search for car rental in Athens

Get ready to hit the road and explore the beautiful city of Athens. Find the best deals on a variety of popular car rentals in Athens, Greece, or any other destination in Europe by using the search tool below.

Enter your pick-up and drop-off location, driver's age, and dates. Click the green button to view your options.

Popular destinations to visit after Athens

Photo of remains of the Hadrian's Library in Monastiraki square in Athens ,Greece.

The city of Athens is just one of the many unique and scenic destinations you can visit in Greece. So if you're itching for another cultural adventure, a relaxing road trip, an action-filled city break, or a memorable weekend getaway, know that Greece has it all.

Greece is calling, and the country is asking you to experience its culture and diversity to the fullest! Take the opportunity to visit other captivating places in Greece that are as magical as the city of Athens. The most popular travel destinations in Greece are listed below. Click on the name of the place you want to explore next to learn more about it.

All the best destinations in Greece

When unsure of where to go next, use the map below. This map shows the locations of all the best destinations in Greece. Use the map to plan your trip and find the best routes.

Domestic flights from Athens

Photo of palm trees in the Athens National Garden in the city centre.

A taste of Greece through a visit to Athens can often reignite a traveler's passion for adventure. When this happens, the best way to satisfy this wanderlust is to book a domestic flight from Athens to another remarkable destination in Greece.

To begin your search for the best or cheapest flights from the city of Athens to other spectacular locations in Greece, jump to the last section of this travel guide.

Popular domestic flights from Athens

Travelers in Greece can catch flights to domestic airports in Alexandroupoli, Preveza, Chania, Kos, and Kythira. Domestic flights in Greece are operated by 8 airlines: Sky Express, Jet2, Aegean, Olympic Air, and Ryanair. There are around 39 scheduled flight routes operating to Athens on a weekly basis.

From Athens, travelers can book scheduled flights to 31 domestic destinations. The most popular flights from Athens depart to many top-rated destinations in Greece and are offered by Sky Express, Jet2, and Aegean.

Search domestic flights from Athens

Traveling to another city or region in Greece? Use the flight search tool below to quickly find the cheapest one-way or round-trip flights from Athens to different local destinations.

Enter all the necessary information and click or tap on the Search button to see a list of the available domestic flights in Greece on the selected dates.

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