5-Day Athens Itinerary (Part I), Athens, Greece

When I think of Athens, a few things come to mind. The first in particular, has to be the Acropolis, the numerous archaeological sites and their history. Then there is also the origins of the modern Olympics. It’s incredible how the relatively small and compact capital has preserved and blended all these rich historical gems together with its modern developments. All of these plus the nearby Saronic Islands. This 5-day Athens itinerary aims to introduce to you the best of these gems around the capital.

To get further planning considerations and tips to help with your Athens itinerary, refer to my Greece Travel Guide. It covers some of the general and important pointers when it comes to planning a trip to Greece, i.e., transport, cost, food and duration.

Athens is a small and compact city and so makes walking a very pleasant way to explore. There is no need for a car to get around the city, unless you are looking to drive out for day trips. Even then, there are numerous day tours available to cover these sights without much planning hassle.

If proximity to the main sights is important to you, then the districts of Plaka and Monastiraki may appeal most to you. That’s because, these districts are right in the heart of the Athens city centre, putting you within a 30-minute walk to all of the key sights of this Athens itinerary. Even if you prefer not to walk, they are mostly within one or two metro stops away, making these areas extremely convenient as bases to explore the capital. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).