Athens 7-day itinerary

Arrive at 8am for morning light and fewer crowds. The Parthenon, the Erechtheion's Caryatid porch, the Temple of Athena Nike, and views to the sea. Combined ticket (€30) covers six sites for five days — the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Library, and Kerameikos.

The Acropolis Museum (€10) recreates the Parthenon frieze at original height with the actual Parthenon framed through glass walls. Walk to the Ancient Agora (combined ticket) — where Socrates debated. The Temple of Hephaestus is the best-preserved Greek temple. Lunch at O Thanasis near Monastiraki (souvlaki pita, €3.50).

Wander Plaka — neoclassical houses and bougainvillea. Climb to Anafiotika — a Cycladic village on the Acropolis slopes with whitewashed houses. Sunset at A for Athens rooftop (cocktails €10–12, Acropolis views). Dinner at Avocado on Nikis Street (vegetarian, mains €8–12) or Scholarchio in Plaka (taverna since 1932, mains €8–12).

Athens Central Market (Varvakios) on Athinas Street — fish, meat, olives, and herbs since 1886. Walk to Monastiraki Flea Market and Avissinias Square — antiques, vinyl, vintage cameras. Sundays are biggest. Coffee at Six d.o.g.s (creative cafe with secret garden, espresso €3).

Metro to the National Archaeological Museum (€12) — the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities. The Mask of Agamemnon, the Antikythera mechanism (ancient computer), the bronze Poseidon, and thousands of years of human achievement. Allow 2–3 hours minimum. It's easily the equal of the British Museum or Louvre for ancient Greek art.

Walk through Exarchia — Athens' anarchist quarter with political street art on every wall. Browse record stores and cafes on Valtetsiou and Kallidromiou. Climb Strefi Hill (free) for a neighbourhood sunset view. Dinner at Ama Lachei in Psyrri (meze, €6–10 per plate) or Seychelles in Metaxourgio (trendy taverna, mains €10–14).

Start at the Temple of Olympian Zeus (combined ticket) — only 15 massive columns remain of the largest temple in Greece. Hadrian's Arch nearby marks the boundary between ancient and Roman Athens. Walk through the National Garden — shady oasis with a duck pond, botanical garden, and Zappeion hall. Coffee at The Vintage Rooftop on Normanou.

The Panathenaic Stadium (€10) — marble rebuilt for the 1896 Olympics. Stand on the track and imagine the roar. Walk to Kolonaki — Athens' elegant neighbourhood with boutiques and galleries. Then hike Lycabettus Hill (20 min from Kolonaki or funicular, €10 return) for the highest panoramic view of the city, the Acropolis, and the Saronic Gulf.

Dinner in Psyrri — Karamanlidika tou Fani for Constantinople-tradition cured meats and meze (€8–12). Then find a rembetika bar — the Greek blues, born in the 1920s among refugees. Stoa Athanaton near the central market has live rembetika Wednesday–Saturday. Or head to Baba Au Rum in Psyrri (World's 50 Best Bars, cocktails €12–14).

KTEL bus from Pedion tou Areos park to Cape Sounion (€6.90, 2 hours, coastal route). The drive hugs the Attic Riviera — swimming spots, seaside tavernas, and the Saronic Gulf glittering to your left. Arrive at the Temple of Poseidon (€10, combined ticket) perched on a cliff 60 metres above the Aegean. Byron carved his name on a pillar here in 1810.

Explore the temple ruins — the columns framing the deep blue Aegean is one of Greece's most iconic views. Swim at the small beach below the temple (free access, crystal-clear water) or at a beach along the coast in Lavrio or Legrena. Lunch at a taverna in the Sounion area — grilled octopus (€12), horiatiki salad (€7), and a carafe of retsina (€4).

Stay for sunset at the Temple of Poseidon — watching the sun drop into the Aegean between the marble columns is genuinely one of the most beautiful sunsets in Europe. Lord Byron thought so too. Catch the last bus back to Athens (check schedules, usually around 7pm in summer). Dinner in Athens at Nolan (Greek-Japanese fusion, mains €16–22) or Kostas souvlaki.

Metro to Piraeus, then ferry to Aegina (€9, 75 minutes by conventional ferry or €14 for 40-minute hydrofoil). Aegina is the closest Saronic island — pistachio groves, a charming harbour, and the Temple of Aphaia (€6), one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples. Rent a scooter (€15/day) to explore the island. Swim at Marathonas Beach or Moni islet.

Lunch at the Aegina harbour — fresh fish tavernas line the waterfront with tables right on the quay. Grilled whole fish by weight (€30–40/kg), Greek salad (€6), and cold Mythos beer (€3). The island produces the best pistachios in the Mediterranean. Visit the Church of Agios Nektarios, one of the largest in Greece, or just swim at one of the island's quiet pebble beaches.

Ferry back to Piraeus, then tram to Glyfada or Voula on the Athens Riviera — the southern coast where Athenians go for beach bars and seafood. Walk along the coast, swim at the free public beaches, and have dinner at a seaside taverna. Balux on Asteras Beach (cocktails €10) or Mourayo (traditional fish taverna, mains €12–18) for sunset over the Gulf.

Visit Kerameikos (combined ticket) — Athens' ancient cemetery and potters' quarter. The Sacred Way to Eleusis began here. Then walk to the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture (€12) on Koumbari Street — a chronological journey from prehistory to modern Greece in a beautiful neoclassical building. The Byzantine art collection and the 1821 Revolution rooms are exceptional.

Bus to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) — Renzo Piano's stunning waterfront complex housing the National Library and National Opera. The park and gardens are free and beautifully designed with a canal, playground, and olive groves. Take the free shuttle boat back along the coast. Lunch at the SNFCC restaurant or food trucks (€6–10).

Gazi — Athens' main nightlife district around the old gasworks (Technopolis). Start at Noel for cocktails (Christmas-themed year-round, €10–12), then hit Baba Au Rum (World's 50 Best Bars, €12–14). Clubs along Voutadon and Iera Odos streets — Gazarte rooftop, six d.o.g.s., and Romantso are consistently good. Cover €5–10, drinks inside €8–12.

Walk through Thissio — the neighbourhood directly below the Acropolis with the best street-level views. Climb Filopappou Hill (free) for a panoramic viewpoint that includes the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, and Piraeus harbour in the distance. It's quieter and more peaceful than the Acropolis itself. Coffee at a cafe on Apostolou Pavlou pedestrian walkway.

Last shopping in Monastiraki and Plaka. Buy Greek olive oil from the Central Market (€8–12 for premium extra virgin), natural sponges, worry beads (komboloi), and Greek sandals from the workshops on Pandrossou Street. Visit Mastihashop for mastic products from Chios island — unique to Greece. Final souvlaki at Kostas on Platia Agia Irini (€2.80).

Farewell dinner at Strofi in Makrygianni (traditional taverna with Acropolis views, mains €12–18) or Diporto Agoras — a hidden basement taverna under the Central Market with no sign, no menu, and ouzo straight from the barrel (cash only, meze and wine €15). One last Acropolis rooftop view at 360° Bar or Couleur Locale before you leave.