Last Updated on March 18, 2026
Athens remains one of the great cities of western civilization. And if you spend just 2 days in Athens, you can get a good taste of this remarkable city...
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
By Jim Ferri
Since I hadn’t been to Athens in years, I decide to spend two days there en route to the Greek islands. A beautiful city, Athens is renown for its relics of past civilizations. In fact there are so many – the world-famous Acropolis, the Parthenon, temples and theaters, ancient and beautiful Neoclassical buildings – you practically trip over them wherever you go.
But it’s also a city bursting with lively markets, a plethora of cafés and restaurants, innumerable shops and wonderful museums, all modern tributes to the 21st century.
It’s also still somewhat exotic, with exceptionally friendly people, most of whom speak English. Even better, it’s affordable.
Table of contents
The Start of Your 2 Days in Athens
Wherever you’re headed in Greece you’ll likely arrive at Athens Airport. From the airport it’s a comfortable 45-minute ride to downtown on the Metro. Take Line 3 to either Syntagma or Monastiraki Squares, from which you can either walk or get a taxi to your hotel.
The cost for the Metro is €9 one-way and €16 roundtrip. You can also purchase a three-day “tourist ticket” for the Metro and buses for €20. Taxis from the airport to downtown cost about €40-45 (a flat rate) during the day, €55–€60 from midnight to 5:00 AM.
I purchased a Metro Pass (cash only at the rail station at the airport) but didn’t take full advantage of it. Once I was in the city I only walked or took taxis, since they are plentiful and relatively cheap. Still, it was good to have the pass, just in case.
I was also able to book a room at a very good rate at the aptly named Economy Hotel. Less than a 10-minute walk to lively Monastiraki Square, it’s a basic two-star that’s clean and comfortable with a helpful staff and good breakfast.
Up to the Acropolis on My First Day
Eager to re-visit Athens in just two days, on the first day I left my hotel about 7:30am. It was a perfect time to wander about without the crowds. Church bells were ringing all over the just-awakening city and people were having their morning coffee in the few cafes already open.
I was heading to Monastiraki Square, about a 15-minute walk from my hotel. A major square in the heart of the city, it’s famous for both its 10th-century Church of Pantanassa and its daily flea market. It was the latter I sought.
I was told that the market really didn’t get underway until 9am. But when I got there at 7:45am I found vendors already setting out their wares. Following them were a few knowledgeable buyers already sifting about looking for little treasures.
I only briefly walked through the market before heading towards the ancient Acropolis, my primary destination that morning.
Finding My Way
Not knowing how to get to the entrance after not having visited it in years, as I neared the Agora, the city’s 6th century BC marketplace, I asked for directions. I was directed to a nearby path, and told it linked with the entrance road up to the Acropolis.
The route turned out to be longer and steeper than I had hoped for. But I enjoyed looking at all of the ancient remnants lying about in the grass and on rocky outcrops. Bright red poppies were poking up all along the way.
Although the walk up was mainly solitary, once I arrived at the entrance I met plenty of other travelers. There were also several tour groups, which are given priority entrance before non-tour visitors. But I found that when the gates open, the groups all mingle inside the entrance as the guides start speaking. You can walk right by them and be up to the Parthenon before they’ve moved on. Once atop the Acropolis, you have beautiful views of the city below.
Parliament and the Benaki Museum
After an hour and a half at the Acropolis I took a taxi to Parliament to see the popular changing of the guard, a colorful ceremony I had seen only briefly years earlier. After watching dozens in the crowd stand next to the guards to have their pictures taken, I decided to do it myself.
I went up and stood next to one of the two guards. However, as I raised my camera for a selfie he slammed his rifle butt on the ground. I took the photo and then another as he slammed it on the ground again. Only this time an officer came running over and said, “didn’t you hear the rifle on the ground?”
I told him I did, but thought it meant the guard was going to turn around. The officer said that no, he was calling out since no selfies are allowed.
Admonished, I set off for the Benaki Museum, just a few blocks away. Set in an old mansion, the Benaki provides a broad view of Greece from the Stone Age to the present day. I found it fascinating.
The exhibits include a broad range of objects including painting, sculpture and Greek handicrafts. It even includes works by El Greco, the Greek artists given that name when he lived in Spain.
A Great Museum in Greece and Europe
I arose early again on my second day in Athens, wanting to make the best use of my time. After breakfast I took a cab to the Acropolis Museum, which, by the way, is not on the Acropolis. I had been to the old Acropolis Museum years earlier before this incredible all-glass building replaced it. I had been looking forward to this visit.
The museum stands over an archaeological excavation of an early Christian settlement. At its entrance you walk across glass panels where you view the ancient remnants below. In the spot where the excavation has no panels, the ground was covered with thousands of euro coins.
The museum is quite large and holds an extensive collection, as one might expect. It’s really an astounding place where you can spend a long time. I also was entranced by a video showing how the museum had developed a new way of removing centuries of grit and grime from its priceless artifacts with lasers. I had also heard about the museum’s indoor and outdoor café, so I timed my visit to include lunch. Your reward is a good lunch with a beautiful view up to the Acropolis. It’s a setting you cannot beat anywhere in the world.
Visit the Always Charming Plaka During Your 2 Days in Athens
The Museum is adjacent to the old quarter of the Plaka, a colorful, lively area filled with restaurants and cafés. A warren of winding medieval lanes and alleys, some areas are the most charming places in Athens.
Along the street outside the museum I found a show of mimes, musicians, and countless others, including a woman sitting at a little table offering to write my name in Greek in “two minut.” Nearby another was holding the strings of a huge bundle of balloons that were blowing about in the welcomed breeze. There were also bicycles you could rent, tours you could take, and even a little train that promised to take you past the top city sites. Although at times it can be almost circus-like, it is the heart of both ancient and modern Athens. You only need to walk a few blocks from the chaos to relax in delightful neighborhoods sans the t-shirt shops.
Many More Choices for A 2-Day Visit
There are innumerable other places to visit, and things you can do, during 2 days in Athens. North of the Plaka, and a five-minute walk from lively Monastiraki Square, you’ll find the city’s vegetable, fish and meat markets, the latter not for the squeamish. You’ll also find street-food vendors scattered about the city
To the east are the National Gardens and the Temple of Olympian Zeus along with several first-rate museums, including the Benaki, and the Museum of Cycladic Art.
Other museums abound all over the city as well. They range from the National Gallery of Art to the highly regarded Byzantine Museum. The later houses more than 15,000 objects from Byzantine monasteries and churches worldwide.
And, of course, along with the Acropolis there are those innumerable archaeological sites. With more being found all the time.
During your two days in Athens be sure to also leave time to enjoy the city’s tavernas and cafes in the evening.
You may also enjoy: Best Greek Islands to Visit / Best Places to Visit in Europe – 9 Worth a Detour / Greece’s Incredible Monasteries of Meteora
If You Go:
Greek National Tourism Organization
305 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
Tel : (212) 421-5777
[email protected]
Economy Hotel
5, Klisthenous Street
105 52 Athens
Tel. 0030 2105220520
https://www.guestreservations.com/economy-hotel-athens/booking
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