Free walking tours in Athens and what to see

Must-sees

The visit starts on the Acropolis: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its caryatids and the Theatre of Dionysus on the slope. Go first thing or late in the afternoon, because in summer the sun is fierce and the queue grows mid-morning. Below, the Acropolis Museum keeps the original sculptures and has a glass floor over the excavations.

Plaka and Anafiotika are the old quarters at the foot of the rock, with steps, tavernas and whitewashed houses. From there you can walk to the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Monastiraki with its flea market. The National Archaeological Museum, a little further north, and Mount Lycabettus at sunset complete the essentials.

Free tours and guided visits

Athens has free walking tours of the historic centre and guided visits to the Acropolis and its museum, which make a real difference to what you see. Day trips also leave for Cape Sounion, Delphi and Meteora, and by boat to Hydra, Poros and Aegina.

How long to spend

Two days are enough for the Acropolis, its museum, Plaka and the Agora. With three or four you have time for the Archaeological Museum, a sunset at Sounion and a trip to Delphi or the Saronic islands.

Where to stay

Plaka and Koukaki sit at the foot of the Acropolis and everything is walkable. Syntagma is the most convenient area for the metro to the airport and Piraeus, and Kolonaki the most elegant.