Like most travelers heading to the Greek islands, my first stop was a short 24 hours in Athens. A quick stay in here will give you a chance to overcome your jet leg and see the highlights of the city. For this trip, I landed after an international flight from the United States in the late morning and didn’t have to leave until 4pm the next day to board our cruise.
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Where to stay in Athens
You will find travelers have mixed opinion on Athens, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the Acropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must-see. I recommend making it your main focus during your 24 hours in Athens. To maximize your time, I would chose a hotel in close proximity to the Acropolis. I personally chose the King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens a very nice 5 star hotel. Since my Marriott points balance could cover the 1 night stay, I thought a bit of a luxury splurge would be nice. The only downside to this location is that it was a little far from the Acropolis (20 min walk) so I ended up taking an Uber to get there.
Itinerary for 24 hours in Athens
It took about 30 minutes to reach the hotel from the airport. Once there, I checked in and settled into the room. I was starving so I ate onsite at a restaurant with a view of the Acropolis. Eating at the hotel was definitely overpriced compared to local options, but the view helped to soften the blow.
Ancient Agora of Athens
Afterwards, I was doing ok with jet lag so I decided to stay awake and walk about 20 minutes through a modern shopping district of Athens to the Ancient Agora of Athens. This archaeological site is located beneath the Acropolis. It was a site for political and legal gatherings and now contains ruins amongst shady trees and greenery. The main site is the well preserved Temple of Hephaestus. Additionally, there is a small museum housed in the Stoa of Attalos that contains sculptures and remnants from the site. Another noteworthy site is the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles which is the oldest Christian church in Athens. Overall, it doesn’t take too long to walk around and see the sites in this area.
Evening & Dinner in Athens
After exploring the Ancient Agora, I felt like I had enough sun to go back to the hotel and rest until dinner. If you are up for more exploring, I would walk or take a taxi/Uber to the Plaka neighborhood. I ate dinner at Mani Mani. The food was excellent and the prices were so much more reasonable compared to what I would have paid for a similar meal in the United States.
The Acropolis
I recommend starting your day bright and early with a tour of the Acropolis. It gets hot in Greece and there is little shade in the Acropolis, so starting early before the sun is too intense makes for a more pleasant experience. If your 24 hours in Athens doesn’t allow for an early morning trip to the Acropolis, then try to go at the end of the day when the sun’s intensity is decreasing. Whenever you go, make sure you bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and water.
I personally enjoy having a guide to walk you through archaeological sites otherwise I don’t really know what I am looking at. I booked a skip the line tour through Viator and chose the earliest departure time (8:30 am). They also offer a similar skip the line tour with an Acropolis Museum Tour added on. I did this, but found the guided museum tour really wasn’t necessary so I do not recommend paying extra for that.
The tour takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and involved walking over uneven terrain and climbing some elevation. You will see the Parthenon, Theater of Dionysus, Herod Atticus Odeon, Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena. In some areas you will be walking on beautiful marble that is surprisingly slippery so tread carefully and wear shoes with good grip.
Update: Starting September 4, 2023 Greece is capping the number of visitors to the Acropolis at 20,000 per day and requiring timed entry tickets. If you will take a self-guided tour you MUST book your tickets in advance. Currently, the Acropolis gets more than 20,000 visitors on busy days so if you wait until the last minute you might be out of luck. You can secure your timed entry ticket here. Alternatively, take a tour as described above and let them handle the tickets for you.
Acropolis Museum
Time permitting, after seeing the Acropolis ruins, you can make your way to the air-conditioned Acropolis Museum to get out of the sun. This museum holds findings from the Acropolis site including pottery, sculptures, and other artifacts. My favorite part of the museum was underneath. Here you can see remnants of an ancient Athenian neighborhood including streets, houses, and more.
Lunch and Leaving Athens
Once you have seen your fill of the Acropolis, it’s time to eat. I stopped at a restaurant a short walk from the Acropolis. Although the area is touristy, the food was still great. Afterwards, I returned to my hotel, gathered my bags, and headed to the port to board my cruise.
If you are looking for more things to do in nearby Greek islands, check out my guides on Corfu, Kusadasi (Turkey), Santorini, Argostoli, and Rhodes. If you are wondering what it’s like to do a cruise through the Greek Isles, read my review of the Norwegian Jade here.