Some posts on this website comprise affiliate hyperlinks. In the event you e book or purchase one thing by way of these hyperlinks, I earn a small fee (at no additional price to you). Check out my privateness coverage for extra info.
Uncover a special facet to Athens with these enjoyable, uncommon issues to do within the Greek capital…
Athens. One of many world’s oldest cities, a spot the place the traditional world collides with the fashionable – and the place a number of layers of historical past and tradition coexist in a chaotic jumble.
Historical structure emerges all around the metropolis centre: seen in metro stations, beneath public squares, or integrated into trendy buildings. And all of the whereas, the enduring Parthenon on Acropolis Hill overlooks town’s skyline.
However past the historical past town is so well-known for, Athens is a pulsing and fast-evolving metropolis present process a radical city transformation. As soon as-impoverished districts are being reclaimed as inventive centres, filled with vibrant avenue artwork, fashionable boutique retailers, and bars & eating places to swimsuit each style conceivable.
When you’ve checked off the primary points of interest in Athens, it’s time to immerse your self within the metropolis’s quite a few personalities. Dive into standard native nightlife hotspots, search avenue artwork between Byzantine buildings, beach-hop your manner alongside the Athens Riviera, or people-watch on the bustling metropolis centre markets.
These are a number of the extra uncommon issues to do in Athens – that will help you get beneath the pores and skin of town and expertise it a bit extra “like a neighborhood”. Don’t have time to learn the entire article? There’s additionally a map and a brief model of the listing on the backside of this web page. Get pleasure from…
Advisable Athens Excursions
Whether or not you need to discover the primary websites in Athens or get off the overwhelmed observe, there are some nice excursions on Get Your Information. These are a number of the top-rated…
Uncommon Issues to do in Athens
In a rush? There’s a map and a brief model of the listing on the backside of this web page! Use the contents menu above to skip forward if it is advisable to.
1. Don’t Miss the Historical Websites in Athens
Athens is legendary for its historical websites – particularly the enduring, hilltop Acropolis which might be seen from throughout town. These don’t actually matter as “uncommon issues to do” as they’re so well-known, however they’re positively must-sees whenever you go to Athens. So right here’s a quick listing of the “prime” historical websites you shouldn’t miss:
- The Acropolis and the Parthenon. For a extra uncommon take on Athens’ most well-known sight, try this Acropolis Mythology Tour.
- The Acropolis Museum
- The Historical Agora
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus
- Temple of Hephaestus
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Prime tip – you may purchase a Combo Ticket for entry to the entire following: Acropolis, Historical Agora, Roman Agora, Temple of Zeus, Aristotle’s College, Hadrian’s Library, and Kerameikos Historical Cemetery. Click on right here for particulars and newest costs.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Acropolis, Parthenon, & Acropolis Museum Guided Tour (from €57pp)
2. See Athens with a Native on an Different Athens Tour
After I visited Athens, I took a strolling tour with a incredible native firm referred to as Different Athens. They’re simply probably the greatest tour firms within the metropolis, providing small-group strolling excursions led by professional native guides – all of which purpose to take you past the traditional vacationer websites and show you how to get to know the actual, genuine Athens.
Different Athens runs a number of distinctive metropolis excursions, together with meals excursions, a Homosexual & Lesbian Nightlife Tour, and a Road Artwork Tour. I took the Surprising Athens Orientation Tour, which runs day by day at 9:30am, takes 4 hours, and prices €49 per individual.
It’s the proper introduction to town, taking in a lot of the primary websites in addition to a number of the metropolis’s quirkier districts. Plus, your information will be capable to share plenty of insider suggestions for locations to eat and drink throughout your journey to Athens. You simply can’t beat a suggestion from a neighborhood!
3. Watch the Altering of the Guard at Syntagma Sq.
Syntagma Sq. seems like the guts of Athens: a bustling sq. on the pinnacle of the busy excessive avenue Ermou.
It’s house to the Royal Palace, a modest neo-classical constructing courting from the 1830s when Greece lastly gained independence after centuries of Ottoman occupation. In the present day, the palace homes the Greek parliament.
Don’t miss the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in entrance of the parliament constructing: a memorial devoted to the fallen troopers of Greece’s wars. The tomb is continually guarded by troopers wearing conventional livery, together with Tsarouhi: massive, clog-like footwear with studded soles and fluffy pompoms on the toes.
The Altering of the Guard takes place each hour, a drawn-out course of involving all of the pomp and fussiness you’d count on kind such a ceremony. It’s free to observe and is properly value together with in your Athens itinerary. On Sundays at 11am, the Grand Change takes place: a bigger model of the ceremony involving extra troopers and much more pomp!
4. Hunt down the Road Artwork in Athens
Followers of avenue artwork and concrete artwork will love exploring Athens’ historic sidestreets and quirky hipster neighbourhoods. There are murals, installations, and vibrant items of avenue artwork in all places!
Psirri, Monastiraki, Gazi, and Metaxourgio are a number of the greatest districts to go avenue artwork looking. Higher nonetheless, take a guided tour with a neighborhood professional that will help you discover the perfect avenue artwork in Athens. I’d suggest one in every of these two:
5. Hunt for Bargains at Monastiraki Flea Market
Monastiraki is a historic neighbourhood near the Historical Agora identified for its quirky buying scene and vibrant avenue artwork. The labyrinthine community of slender streets is filled with incredible eateries and bars, artisanal boutiques, and funky classic retailers.
Don’t miss the well-known Monastiraki Flea Market. That is held each Sunday morning within the space between Monastiraki Sq. and Avissynias Sq.. Stalls right here promote the whole lot from damaged Barbies and surplus military gear to vintage furnishings and outdated cash. There are sometimes avenue performers and busking musicians, too, giving Sunday mornings a celebration vibe!
Though the market is simply held on Sundays, the entire space is stuffed with vintage retailers and strange boutiques which are open all week. So even in case you’re not visiting Athens on the weekend, it’s nonetheless value exploring the Monastiraki Flea Market space for some window buying, people-watching, and bargain-hunting.
6. Uncover Athens’ Modern Artwork Scene at TAF (The Artwork Basis)
Housed inside a superbly crumbling Ottoman mansion with a central courtyard, TAF is an progressive cultural centre in Athens’ Monastiraki district. They host worldwide and native group exhibitions, in addition to cultural occasions, workshops, performances, and movie screenings.
It’s value visiting simply to discover the constructing itself – however this cultural hub can be house to a recent artwork gallery, a store selling native designers, and a energetic courtyard cafe-bar.
7. Witness 4 Eras of Athens Historical past at Monastiraki Sq.
From Athens’ well-known Monastiraki Sq., you may get pleasure from a view that takes within the 4 main eras of town. There’s the red-tiled dome of the Ottoman Tzisdarakis Mosque, the Roman pillars of Hadrian’s library, the fashionable metro station, and the Historical Greek Acropolis above.
It’s an awesome picture to summarise Athens, the place the layers of town’s previous are chaotically intertwined creating a posh, vibrant mishmash of various eras, architectures, and influences.
8. Take a Greek Meals Tour in Athens
For my part, one of the simplest ways to get to know a tradition is thru meals. I attempt to take a meals tour in each metropolis I go to. It’s the proper method to discover the native flavours (each actually and figuratively. There are some incredible meals excursions in Athens to select from – these are my prime picks:
9. Uncover a Roman Tomb inside a Zara Retailer
Head to the Zara retailer on Stadiou Road for a real hidden gem in Athens. On the basement degree, you may see the ruins of an Historical Roman tomb!
These are protected by a glass wall, and have a glass ceiling so you may look down from the ground above as you enter the store.
Athens is Europe’s oldest capital metropolis, with recorded historical past courting again over 3,400 years, so there are lots of traces of the previous buried beneath the fashionable metropolis. It appears you may’t begin digging within the centre of Athens with out discovering one thing, and lots of trendy buildings have needed to be distorted throughout constructing to protect the previous. This is only one of many examples: but it surely’s free and straightforward to go to so properly definitely worth the detour!
10. Swing by the Archaeological Website inside Monastiraki Metro Station
Main on from the above, there’s additionally a small archaeological website contained in the Monastiraki Metro Station. A number of archaeological finds had been uncovered throughout the station’s development, courting way back to the eighth century BC. It’s additionally free to go to – so cease by earlier than you catch your prepare!
11. Spot Neo-Classical Structure on Panepistimiou Road
Take a stroll alongside Panepistimiou Road, a significant avenue working from Omonia Sq. to Syntagma Sq., to discover a treasure trove of neoclassical structure.
Essentially the most well-known buildings right here kind the so-called “Neoclassical Trilogy”: the Academy of Athens, the Nationwide and Kapodistrian College of Athens, and the Nationwide Library. These are thought of three of the perfect items of structure within the metropolis and are completely beautiful.
There are a number of extra buildings value noticing alongside Panepistimiou Road. Don’t miss the Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, in-built an elaborate Neo-Renaissance type.
The pink-bricked Athens Ofthamiatrio (Public Eye Hospital) has an fascinating historical past. Supposedly, it was constructed to deal with the large quantity of eye issues that sprang up within the nineteenth century, brought on by the mud from all of the constructing work as Athens was remodeled from a tiny metropolis of simply 10,000 residents into the new capital of Greece.
12. Soak Up Ottoman Structure and Hipster Vibes in Psirri District
From the mid-Fifteenth century to the early nineteenth century, Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire, and earlier than that was beneath Byzantine rule. These centuries of occupation left as a lot of a mark on Athens as the sooner Historical Romans and Greeks did.
To find a few of these traces, head to the colorful, historic district of Psirri (additionally referred to as Psyri) – one of many metropolis’s oldest neighbourhoods. A maze of winding alleyways and sloping streets designed to channel rainwater, Psirri is stuffed with crumbling Ottoman Mansions and Byzantine church buildings.
Today, it’s one in every of Athens’ trendiest neighbourhoods; identified for its energetic nightlife and nice foodie scene. There’s a whole lot of avenue artwork round, with work and murals tucked into nearly any obtainable spot. Trendy tradition and hipster vibes blended right into a superbly vintage neighbourhood – what’s to not love?
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Psyri Neighborhood Graffiti Self-Guided Sport & Tour – from €10.99
13. Be taught In regards to the German Occupation at Korai 4
In newer historical past, Athens was topic to a different occupation: this time by the Germans throughout WW11. Initially an workplace constructing, Korai 4 was requisitioned because the headquarters of the Gestapo in Athens between 1941 and 1945.
Visiting Korai 4 is among the extra uncommon issues to do in Athens, but it surely’s an enchanting and chilling perception right into a horrible chapter of town’s historical past.
The slender, basement-level air-raid shelter – claustrophobic behind steel air-lock doorways – was transformed right into a “momentary” subterranean jail. Short-term within the sense that the majority prisoners had been solely saved there for a matter of days earlier than being transported to a camp or executed.
Inside, you may see imprints of the tiny cells on the flooring. The partitions are scarred with writing and drawings etched by the prisoners. Some left their names and the dates of their incarceration, others scratched out doodles or self-portraits.
14. Dive Into the Fashionable Gazi District
Athens is continually reinventing itself, and nowhere is that extra obvious than within the trendily grungy, industrial-chic district of Gazi.
The gasoline works that stood right here till 1989 as soon as pumped out a lot air pollution that the encompassing space was often known as the “Gasoline District” (Gazi). In the present day, the now-silent chimneys and the rusted skeleton of the outdated gasoline holder nonetheless dominate the realm – however now they’ve been repurposed into Athens’ coolest nightlife district.
The outdated gasoline drums have been transformed into eco-friendly places of work, whereas the previous gasoline works now homes Technopolis, an industrial museum and a significant cultural venue. The encompassing streets are filled with cafes, eating places, bars, and golf equipment – together with some incredible LGBTQ+ golf equipment – and the neighbourhood has turn out to be often known as probably the greatest locations to get together in Athens.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Bar Crawl with Free Drinks and Membership Entry – from €26.70pp
15. Take a Sip of Historical past on the Oldest Distillery in Athens
Within the coronary heart of the historic Plata district, you will discover the oldest bar and distillery in Athens: Brettos. The distillery was based by Michail Brettos in 1909, who produced ouzo, brandy, and liqueurs based mostly on outdated household recipes from Smyrni (modern-day Izmir in Turkey). You may nonetheless pattern these similar liqueurs at present for an actual style of historical past!
Over a century outdated, this atmospheric bar nonetheless seems to be virtually precisely because it did at first of the twentieth century. The partitions behind the outdated wood bar are coated with shelf upon shelf of vibrant bottles, lit from behind to create a surprising impact.
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Greek Wine & Olive Oil Tasting at Brettos – 2 hours, from €110pp
16. Take an Olympic Work Out within the Historic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium is among the most iconic websites in Athens. It was constructed (or re-built) as a reproduction of an Historical Greek stadium which as soon as stood on the identical website and which hosted the Panathenaic Video games, a spiritual and athletic pageant celebrated each 4 years in honour of the goddess Athena.
The stadium we see at present was reconstructed for the primary trendy Olympic Video games in 1896. It’s additionally the one stadium on this planet constructed fully of marble.
These searching for extra uncommon issues to do in Athens ought to try this distinctive Olympic Video games Exercise expertise (from €55pp). You’ll get the prospect to run across the stadium – in addition to strive a number of the traditional Olympic sports activities like javelin, shot put and discus.
17. Watch an Historical Greek Theater Efficiency
Convey the tales and myths of Athens’ historical buildings to life with this distinctive expertise. In a rooftop theatre overlooking the Acropolis, you may watch a superb Historical Greek Theater Present.
Actors put on conventional costumes and use masks to depict totally different characters, precisely as they did in historical instances. The play, ‘Medea and Different Pals I Made in Athens’, is a humorous tackle the traditional Greek myths – so it’s a good way to study just a little of the historical past behind town’s iconic ruins. From €25 – click on right here to purchase tickets.
18. Or Catch a Movie at an Open Air Cinema in Athens
Talking of performances – how about an out of doors cinema? In summertime, open-air cinemas are a BIG factor in Athens, with over 60 scattered throughout town. Right here’s my choose of a number of the greatest:
- Aegli – the oldest open-air cinema within the metropolis, set throughout the gardens of stately Zappeion Corridor.
- Cine Dexameni – on the roof of the Historical Roman Hadrian’s Aqueduct.
- Cine Thisio – views of the illuminated Acropolis at evening.
- Zefyros – historic, bohemian cinema showcasing traditional & artsy movies.
19. Store with the Locals at Varvakios Market
Varvakios Central Municipal Market is the largest and liveliest market in Athens, so it’s an awesome place to expertise an genuine facet of Athenian life.
The historic constructing, courting from 1886, is filled with stalls promoting contemporary meat, fish, olives, herbs, spices, and all method of scrumptious Greek produce. It’s an awesome place to people-watch and pattern some native flavours. Be warned, although, the sections housing the meat and fish will not be for the faint-hearted!
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Half-Day Final Meals Strolling Tour – 4 hours, from €69pp
20. Discover the Seafront of the Athens Riviera
Athens could also be greatest often known as a metropolis break vacation spot, however you may also have a seashore vacation right here!
If you wish to see one other very totally different facet of Athens, head south to the coastal space often known as the Athens Riviera. The riviera stretches round 60km from the swanky marina at Paleo Faliro to Cape Sounion. All alongside it, you will discover lovely sandy seashores, bustling ports, posh “yachtie” haunts, and hidden coves.
Don’t miss the well-known Temple of Poseidon, the therapeutic mineral waters of Vouliagmeni Lake, or the wonderful seafood eating places round Piraeus.
21. Take a Greek Cooking Class
For an additional enjoyable and strange exercise in Athens, take into account taking a cooking class. This can be a nice method to meet different travellers, uncover some scrumptious native meals – and possibly study just a little about Athenian tradition whilst you do it. Right here’s my choose of the perfect cooking lessons in Athens:
Uncommon Issues to do in Athens: Quicklist and Map
Don’t have time to learn the entire publish above? Right here’s a fast listing of the perfect uncommon issues to do in Athens – plus a helpful map that will help you navigate.
- Don’t Miss the Historical Websites
- Take a Strolling Tour with Different Athens
- Watch the Altering of the Guards at Syntagma Sq.
- Hunt down the Road Artwork in Athens
- Hunt for Bargains at Monastiraki Flea Market
- Uncover Athens’ Modern Artwork Scene at TAF (The Artwork Basis)
- Witness 4 Eras of Athens Historical past at Monastiraki Sq.
- Take a Greek Meals Tour in Athens
- Uncover a Roman Tomb inside a Zara Retailer
- Swing by the Archaeological Website inside Monastiraki Metro Station
- Spot Neo-Classical Structure on Panepistimo Road
- Spot Road Artwork and Ottoman Structure in Psirri District
- Be taught In regards to the German Occupation at Korai 4
- Dive Into the Fashionable Gazi District
- Take a Sip of Historical past on the Oldest Distillery in Athens
- Take an Olympic Work Out within the Historical Stadium
- Watch an Historical Greek Theater Efficiency
- Or Catch a Movie at an Open Air Cinema in Athens
- Store with the Locals at Varvakios Market
- Discover the Seafront of the Athens Riviera
- Take a Greek Cooking Class
Learn Extra
Paros off the Overwhelmed Path
Have you learnt any extra hidden gems or uncommon issues to do in Athens? Scroll right down to share your prime suggestions within the feedback!
