Athens
The Acropolis above, and a loud, warm, living city all round it.
Athens is the ancient sites — the Acropolis, the Agora, the temple of Olympian Zeus — set inside a sprawling modern capital of rooftop bars, street markets and neighbourhood tavernas. The Parthenon is visible from half the city; the rest asks to be explored on foot.
Why go
For the Acropolis and its museum, which together do more to explain the classical world than any book. Then for the Plaka's lanes below it, the flea market at Monastiraki and the archaeological museum's bronzes.
And for the city's own life: the food scene in Koukaki and Pangrati, the sunset from Lycabettus, the swim at a beach on the Athens Riviera, and the ferries to the islands from Piraeus.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Acropolis
The Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its caryatids and the Propylaea gate, on the rock above the city. Go at opening or in the last hours of the day; the museum at its foot holds what came off the buildings.
02The Ancient Agora and the Roman Forum
The marketplace of classical Athens, with the intact temple of Hephaestus and a reconstructed stoa, and the Roman-era forum and Tower of the Winds beside the Plaka.
03Plaka and Anafiotika
The old quarter under the Acropolis, with its neoclassical houses, tavernas and the tiny whitewashed island-village of Anafiotika clinging to the rock above it.
04Monastiraki and the markets
The square with its mosque and metro, the Sunday flea market, and the central food market on Athinas Street with its fish, meat and olive stalls.
05The museums
The National Archaeological Museum for the bronzes and the Mycenaean gold, the Acropolis Museum for the marbles, the Benaki and the Cycladic for the rest.
06Lycabettus and Filopappou
Two hills with two views: Lycabettus by funicular or on foot for the city at sunset, Filopappou across from the Acropolis for the Parthenon in the last light.
07The Riviera and the islands
The tram runs to the beaches south of the city; Cape Sounion's temple is a day trip; and from Piraeus the ferries leave for Aegina, Hydra and beyond.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Plaka and Monastiraki
Under the Acropolis, historic and central. Lively, touristed and a few minutes from every ancient site.
Koukaki
The residential streets south of the Acropolis, with cafés and restaurants and the museum on the doorstep.
Syntagma and Kolonaki
The parliament square, the smart shops and galleries of Kolonaki, and Lycabettus above. Well connected and polished.
Psyrri and Kerameikos
Nightlife, street art and the ancient cemetery, a short walk from Monastiraki.
When to go: Athens
- SpringApril and May
- Warm, bright and green on the hills. Comfortable on the Acropolis and early enough to beat the summer crowds.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot, with the marble radiating heat by midday. Early starts, air-conditioned museums and evenings on rooftops are the rhythm; many Athenians leave for the islands.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Warm sea and softening light, with the city back at work. October is a favourite month.
- WinterDecember – March
- Mild, sometimes wet, and the sites nearly empty. Clear winter days give the sharpest views from the hills.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Athens. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- ATHAthens International
Distance from
- CDGParis2,090 km
- LHRLondon2,410 km
- DXBDubai3,290 km
- BOMMumbai5,170 km
- JNBJohannesburg7,150 km
- JFKNew York7,910 km
- SINSingapore9,060 km
- SYDSydney15,330 km
Getting around: Athens
The metro links the airport, the centre and Piraeus, and the stations near the Acropolis display the finds from their own excavations. Trams run to the coast; buses fill the gaps.
The ancient sites are within walking distance of each other around the pedestrianised Dionysiou Areopagitou. Taxis are plentiful; ferries to the islands leave from Piraeus and Rafina.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Greece
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Greek
- Time zone
- Eastern European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +30
The atlas
Athens in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Athens, month by month
- Jan12°
- Feb13°
- Mar15°
- Apr19°
- May25°
- Jun30°
- Jul32°
- Aug32°
- Sept28°
- Oct23°
- Nov18°
- Dec14°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: April to June and September to November.
Mean highs run from 12°C in January to 32°C in July, with about 500 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for AthensModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBAthens
3,290 km
4 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
From AUHAthens
3,280 km
4 hrs 35 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Athens
Plan this trip: Athens
Open the trip builder with Athens already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
