Athens is often just seen as a stop before heading to Greece’s stunning islands, but this city has so much to offer on its own! If you’re anything like us, you’re probably itching to get to those islands, but trust me – it’s 100% worth it to spend at least 1-2 days in Athens. You don’t need a full week here, but with just 36 hours in Athens, you can pack in so much and still have time to enjoy the vibe of the city.

Athens is the perfect place to dive into Greece’s rich history, amazing food, and vibrant street life. Whether you’re into the ancient ruins, a serious foodie, or just love soaking up culture, Athens has something for everyone. And the best part? You don’t have to rush to see it all.

From iconic spots like the Acropolis and Ancient Agora to hidden gems in neighborhoods like Plaka and Psiri, it’s totally possible to hit the top spots in Athens and still have time to enjoy the city at a relaxed pace.

Planning your own Greece trip? Check out my complete Greece Travel Guide or dive into more Athens coverage with my Athens Travel Guide for a deeper dive into the city’s highlights.

Stay close To the City Center (Psiri Or Plaka)

For our 36 hour stay in Athens, we chose to stay in Psiri – and it couldn’t have been a better decision. Psiri is often considered the heart of Athens’ nightlife, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a charming area mixed with hipster vibes and the streets are filled with quirky cafes, local boutiques, and tons street art. We found it to be the perfect spot to base yourself if you want to experience the lively, authentic side of Athens, while still being within walking distance of the city’s major historical sites.

Our Airbnb in Psiri was just a short 5-minute walk away from Monastiraki Square, one of the main squares in Athens. From here, it’s super easy to navigate to main spots in town like the Acropolis and Plaka. And, at night, the neighborhood comes alive with tons of trendy bars, cozy restaurants, and unique spots to unwind. There’s tons of cool spots to sit out on the streets, day or night, and be side-by-side with both locals and visitors.

After a long day of sightseeing, Psiri has a laid-back charm that feels removed from the touristy areas of the city. It’s why we chose this area over the more touristy Plaka that tends to be busier all day and night.

Check out my Where To Stay in Athens post for more info on the best neighborhoods and hotels to stay in on your next visit.

Getting In

We decided to make Athens our first stop on our Greek Island trip, so we arrived at night after two flights. We debated getting an Uber into the city, but the train vs Uber would take just about the same time. It was super easy to navigate to the train area, where we bought a ticket for about $9 each and jumped on for the 45-minute ride to the city center.

Since we were staying nearby the city center (only a 5-minute walk from Monastiraki Square), the whole experience was very smooth. If you’re staying a bit further away from the major city train stations (Monastiraki & Syntagma), I’d consider an Uber or Taxi, especially if you’re getting in quite late!

We settled in as quickly as we could to get as much rest as possible for the busy day ahead of us!

36 Hours In Athens Itinerary

Day 1: Full Day of Exploration

Today is the main sightseeing day! In the past, you were able to purchase a ticket with all the historical sites included, but as of the Summer of 2025, you will need to buy them individually – which kind of sucks. It was much easier in the past, and by paying for each site, you likely will end up skipping a few. But, that’s ok because I’ll give you the run down on what’s worth seeing, what’s skippable, and what you can see without going inside!

The only ticket you do need to buy in advance is the Acropolis. We bought these through GetYourGuide (HERE) – you’ll need to pick an hour timed entry, and these tend to go fast (especially the early times!).

7:15AM: Quick Coffee Run

Before you head out for the day, grab a quick caffe freddo (iced coffee) for the road. We stopped at Picky, a small, cute cafe around the corner from our airbnb. Surprisingly, compared to America, the majority of coffee shops in our area were still closed around 7:30AM, but Picky was open, and a great little spot! You can also grab a to-go bite, if you’d like, though it was just slightly too early for us two.

7:50AM: Acropolis

We began our day early with a visit to the Acropolis. Arriving at 7:50 AM allowed us to enter just after the 8:00 AM opening, beating the larger crowds. We chose the South Slope entrance, which was less crowded and offered a more peaceful ascent. Booking tickets through the Headout app was convenient, and we also downloaded an audio guide app to enrich our experience.

You want to get to the Acropolis a few minutes before the 8AM opening to beat the larger crowds. Since cruise ships start coming in around 9AM, this allows you a bit of time before the hoards of people show up. And, definitely start at the South Slope entrance – it’s much less crowded.

We found that the entire walk up to the Parthenon from the South Slope entrance was lovely, with not too many people, until you get all the way up to the top of the hill. That’s when you’ll see the mass crowds of people. The tour guides tend to stay on the main side of the Acropolis, where it’s more developed, but head over to the opposite side for less crowds. You’ll be able to get better pictures here, too. But don’t get me wrong, there will still be tons of people regardless.

We chose to book an audio tour which was pretty cool. You download an app and share your location with it, so every time you approach a new site, it starts the audio tour for that specific location. We really liked this option instead of a tour group as it allowed us to go pat our own pace but still get the info!

10AM: Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus & National Gardens

After you finish up at the Acropolis, head over to Hadrian’s Arch, which is only a 10 minute walk from the Acropolis. Stop by one of the cafes as you leave the Acropolis, and grab a coffee & pastry if you need a quick bite to keep you going until lunch.

You don’t need a ticket to view the Arch, but you will to see the Temple of Zeus. Since you can pretty much see all of the Temple from the street, we chose to skip a ticket here and just move along to the National Gardens, just north of the Temple.

The Temple & Arch are just south of the National Gardens, so take some time to peruse the free walkways of the park. There’s plenty to see including a zoo with goats, a turtle pond, and tons of beautiful flowers & secluded corners. Once you’ve explored long enough, it’s time to grab lunch!

12:30PM: Plaka, Anafiotika & Lunch at Anafiotika Café

In the heart of the Anafiotika neighborhood, we found Anafiotika Café, a charming spot with whitewashed walls and bougainvillea-covered stairs. The Greek salad was exceptional, and the local ouzo served as a delightful aperitif.

Head out the East exit of the National Gardens, and you’re just steps away from the neighborhoods of Plaka. With its cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and blooming bougainvillea, Plaka is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the city.

Venture onto Adrianou St, where you’ll find tons of stores offering everything from unique trinkets to Greek souvenirs. While it can be a bit touristy in parts, it still has a warm, authentic vibe that’s hard to resist.

Once you finish up in Plaka, head over to the next town over, Anafiotika, which is a quaint village like neighborhood between Plaka and the Parthenon. You’ll find a street in Anafiotika that runs up quite a few steps, all with restaurants lining both sides of the stairs. It’s the perfect place to people watch and take in the views while snacking on some bites.

We ended up at Anafiotika Cafe, which was lovely – the Greek salad was one of the best we had on our entire trip, the spritzes were spritzing, and their dips were perfection. They even brought out a shot of Ouza, their local aperitif, for us.

2PM: Ancient Agora + Walk by Roman Agora & Hadrian’s Library

After lunch, we continued back with a few last historical sites of the day! Before we knew about the change in the ticketing for the sites, we did plan to stop in all three of these sites. But at this point in the day, we were getting sightseeing-out and we decided to focus on the Ancient Agora.

We found that there is much more to see in the Ancient Agora, plus you can see most of the other two locations just by walking by. But definitely take the time to stroll past these, which are on the route towards the Ancient Agora anyways!

Included in the tickets for the Ancient Agora is the museum inside the Stoa Of Attalos, which is a restored structure in itself. The museum was pretty interesting – spend some time checking out the artifacts and history in there before venturing out into the outside area of the agora. You’ll find the Temple of Hephaestus, which is one of the more persevered structures in Athens, plus a few other ruins.

3PM: Monastiraki Square

After you finish at the Ancient Agora, walk through Monastiraki Square – at this hour, it is probably the busiest all day, but it’s almost fun to watch the liveliness of the area. If you have the time and aren’t fully exhausted just yet, spend some time perusing the flea market & the goodies being sold across all the stalls. And, if you’re there on a Sunday, you’ll have the biggest selection of goods, as this is their busiest day!

4-6PM: Chill Time

After a day of sightseeing, take a break, maybe even a nap, at your hotel before getting ready for dinner. With jet lag settling in and the probably 20,000 steps you’ve gotten in today, you deserve the break!

7PM: Dinner at Attica Rooftop

We reserved a spot on the rooftop at Attica – the view was amazing but the food was pretty lackluster. I hate ordering American food when I’m traveling, and it felt like a majority of the very small menu focused on options like burgers and pizza. Also, the drinks are all extremely sweet, even the Prosecco they bring you for the fee of reserving ahead of time.

But even with us not being fans of the food & cocktails, we still had an incredible time watching nighttime settle in on the Acropolis. I’d recommend grabbing dinner elsewhere and coming to the rooftop either for a pre or post dinner drink instead.

Post-Dinner: Drinks in Psiri

After dinner, we decided we still wanted to explore town a bit more. We headed over to Juan Rodriguez Bar where we took a cocktail into their outside tables to people watch. The interior of the bar is absolutely incredible, though – it’s such a beautiful space.

We then had one more nightcap glass of wine at a street-side cafe. I just can’t say no to an outdoor drink, watching the life of the city moving around you.

Day 2: Morning in Athens

9AM: Coffee at Myller Coffee Shop

We started our day at Myller Coffee Shop, a cool, hipstery café with incredible coffee. Order your drinks and sit outside in the terrace to enjoy before getting back into running around town!

10AM: Walk Eastside of the Acropolis & More Shopping

We took a leisurely walk around the Acropolis, but this time, we walked along Apostolou Pavlou, to get a different experience. There’s tons of cute outdoor vendors all along this stretch, with was really adorable to check out.

We wanted to see the southern neighborhood of Athens, Koukaki, so we ventured over to ERE Athens, a boutique selling some lovely unique handmade goods and trinkets. It was one of my favorite shops we found in the entire city, plus they are also part cafe! We also stopped in a few other souvenir shops, which we found to be less touristy and crowded on this side of town.

On the way back, we viewed the backside of the Acropolis, and while closed during our visit, definitely recommend going to the top of Areopagus Hill for the best views of the Acropolis! From this side, you’ll also see in the insane queue for the main entrance of the Acropolis – be glad you went early and didn’t have to deal with that 🙂

12PM: Final Stroll Through The City

Before heading to the airport, we took a final stroll through Plaka, enjoying its charming streets and picking up a few last-minute souvenirs.

So, Is 36 Hours Enough?

Our time in Athens was short but sweet. By staying centrally in Psiri, starting our days early, and planning our activities efficiently, we were able to experience the best of Athens without feeling rushed.

Honestly, in 36 hours in Athens packs in more than you’d expect. From the iconic Acropolis to the charming streets of Anafiotika, there’s no shortage of things to see and do. Sure, you could spend more time here, but with a little planning, you can hit all the top spots and not feel like you’re non-stop running around!

So, while a longer stay might be tempting, 36 hours in Athens definitely enough to leave you with unforgettable memories and a serious love for this city – until next time 🙂