Athens travel guide
Athens Tourism | Athens Guide
You're Going to Love Athens
With 664,046 inhabitants, Athens is the most populous city in Greece. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Athens has to offer.
Activities & attractions in Athens
Food, Drinks, & Nightlife
Tours
Nature & Outdoor Activities
Where to Eat in Athens
Plaka is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Athens. These include popular favorites such as Grande Dame Athenian Tavern (46 Nikis), Hard Rock Cafe - Athens (Adrianou 52) and Birdman Japanese Grill & Pub (Voulis 35). If you’re looking for affordable options, Aleria Restaurant (57 Meg. Alexandrou str.) and GB Roof Garden Restaurant (Vassileos) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Tudor Hall (3 Vasileos Georgiou A) and Balthazar - Athens (27 Tsocha street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Athens.
When to visit Athens
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Athens in July, when the average temperature is 82.4 °F, and the highest can go up to 89.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 44.6 °F, with an average temperature of 50 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in December, when precipitation is around 2.5″. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Athens, with an average rainfall of 0.2″.
How to Get to Athens
Plane
When flying to Athens, you’ll arrive at Athens Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) (ATH), which is located 12 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Athens include Air France, Delta and KLM. The shortest flight to Athens from the United States departs from New York and takes around 9h 20m.
Train
The train station in Athens is called Athina, and is located 0.7 miles from the city center.
Car
Another option to get to Athens is to pick up a car rental from Heraklion, which is about 199 miles from Athens. You’ll find branches of SURPRICE CAR RENTAL and Right Cars, among others, in Heraklion.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Athens, including Union Ivkoni, Bus and Tourist Service Holding. From Sofia, the bus ride to Athens takes 680 miles and will cost you around $42. From Tirana, the ticket costs about $87 for a journey of 840 miles. The most popular bus station is Athens Karolou, located 0.4 miles from downtown Athens. Athens St. Yperastikon Leoforeion Kifisou is also a commonly used station, and is 1.9 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Athens
Where to stay in Athens
From 5-star hotels such as the Coco-Mat Athens Bc to great affordable options like the Iasonos Suites, Athens offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $115 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $193 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Epidavros Hotel and Phaedra Hotel. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Athens, with prices from $16 to $813 per night. Plaka is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Athens are about 35% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Plaka - In Athens’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Ava Hotel & Suites, 360 Degrees and Ad Athens Luxury Rooms & Suites.
Omonia - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Brown Kubic, a member of Brown Hotels, Athens Market Portrait and Dave Red Athens, a member of Brown Hotels. The average nightly price for a double room in Omonia is $23.
Kolonaki - Coco-Mat Hotel Athens, Coco-Mat Athens Jumelle and Periscope Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Kolonaki will cost you about $81 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Athens
Most booked hotels in Athens
Renting a car in Athens
Renting a car in Athens costs $41 per day, on average, or $123 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Athens is the Centauro branch at Attiki Odos, Spata Artemida, which is 12 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Athens.
Expect to pay $7.84 per gallon in Athens (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $94.03 and $125.37. Economy (Class Economy Car or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Athens, while also 54% cheaper than other types, on average.