The Daisybutter Travel Guide to Athens, Greece
Athens is a destination that has always been on my travel bucket list, not least for its rich history but for its bountiful mythology and sweet windy neighbourhoods. When it came to planning a birthday surprise for my boyfriend, it was a no-brainer to pick Athens since we both love city breaks where we can immerse ourselves in history and culture, and getting some relaxation time in. Celebrating his birthday in a founding place of civilisation? The vibes were immaculate.



See & Do
There is, of course, an abundance of places to visit in Athens: you won’t really be stuck for ideas since there are plenty of ruins and historical landmarks to explore. We booked a few tickets in advance online, but quickly realised that there’s a €30 general admission ticket that you can buy at the entrance of many attractions that allows you entry to several attractions in one day – something to bear in mind! Below are the top places I recommend you visit.



The Acropolis and Parthenon
Top of everybody’s Athens list should be the Acropolis and Parthenon. It is recommended to go as early as possible to ‘beat the queue’ but, honestly, it is one of the busiest spots in the city. The Acropolis sits 490ft above sea level, offering impressive views of the city, an ancient citadel that features the remains of equally ancient buildings including the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. Wear grippy shoes: the surfaces are a little slippery!


Panathenaic Stadium
We just adored the Panathenaic Stadium, which is one of the main attractions in the city. A multi-purpose stadium that was originally built c. 330 BC, it hosted the Zappas Olympics in 1870, the first modern Olympics in 1896 and was used again more recently as an Olympic venue in 2004. It’s the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble and is seriously impressive. Entrance tickets are €10 and include a self-guided audio tour, which I totally recommend picking up. You can climb all the way to the top of the seats (it’s steep!) and even pop into the side rooms to view all of the modern Olympic torches and posters.
National Archaeological Museum
Of the many museums in Athens, we only squeezed one into our trip. The National Archaeological Museum hosts an impressive collection of artefacts and statues dating from the 7th millennium to around 1050 BC. Like so many other tourists have said, it probably takes two visits to explore properly. There’s a lovely café and courtyard to break up your visit, too.


Mount Lycabettus
If you have a ‘spare’ evening, be sure to fill it at Mount Lycabettus. It’s the highest point in Athens and offers the most gorgeous view. My boyfriend cleverly suggested that we go for sunset, so we enjoyed an earlyish dinner and then made a beeline for the funicular station about an hour before sunset. You can buy return tickets by card at a machine or with cash at the counter, and there’s often a short queue for departure. The journey up is short, and it’s very tight up there! Follow the trail through the restaurant (we didn’t eat here!) and you’ll be greeted with the Agios Georgios church and the most incredible deep reddish-orange sunset.




Railbiking in Mégara
Always the ones to go off the beaten path, we found a railbiking tour unique to Greece. It takes you on a ‘cycling’ tour along the Mégara coastline, on a disused railway, and the host is so welcoming, funny and knowledgeable. It’s a really fun way to spend an evening and I couldn’t recommend it more! Book tickets far in advance.
Book Railbiking Tours in Greece.



Areopagus Hill
Just across from the Acropolis is Areopagus Hill, which is certainly worth a visit. It offers a great view of the Acropolis and is home to the Philopappos Monument, the Prison of Socrates and an abundance of gorgeous flora and fauna. It makes for a wonderful morning walk: stop by the drinks stands at the Acropolis afterwards for a light refreshment!
Wander the Plaka neighbourhood
Something I always like to do when travelling is simply walk the streets (safely). The Plaka neighbourhood came up time and time again as a recommendation, and I can see why. It has a quaint village vibe and there are plenty of cafés, bars, restaurants and gift shops to dip in and out of.



Explore the Monastiraki neighbourhood
Another lovely spot to explore is the Monastiraki area, full of vintage and secondhand shops. There are lots of little streets and squares to discover, plus there are great views of, you guessed it, the Acropolis.
Eat & Drink
Eating vegan and plant-based is surprisingly easy in Athens. While of course there are places where it’s meat-heavy, many restaurants have vegan and vegetarian options that can be easily adapted. We went to a mix of vegan and non-vegan restaurants and ate so well.




Old Ithaki
This family-style restaurant wasn’t on our list, but it was close to our hotel and in perfect distance for a bite before heading to Mount Lycabettus. And it turned out to be an incredible choice! They have plenty of vegan options and even live music playing in the evenings. I opted for their vegan vegetable orzo with dolmadakia to start, while my boyfriend chose the chicken souvlaki with garlic oyster mushrooms. Very highly recommended from us both!
Address: Agias Filotheis 2, Athina 105 56, Greece
Cookoomela Grill
I tried a few vegan souvlakis during our trip, but this was by far the best. There’s a fairly big menu and, unlike other places, they don’t rely on meat alternatives, instead they are mushroom gyros. It’s super affordable and is more of a casual place to eat.
Address: Themistokleous 43, Athina 106 83, Greece
LUKUMAΔΕΣ
This little café offers lukumádes, Greek doughnuts, that can be filled and topped to your heart’s desire. What’s best is that there are plenty of vegan options! Definitely worth a visit.
Address: Eolou 21, & Aghias Irinis Str, Athina 105 51, Greece


EATERY
We also loved EATERY, which is nestled in the Monastiraki area. It’s fairly casual but their food is delicious, prices very reasonable and they do frozen Aperol Spritzes. Need I say more?
Other Places On My List:
- Veganaki
- Vegan Beat Athens
- Mama Tierra
- Mama Roux
- Lime Bistro
- Treis Lahoun
Stay & Relax
The Marblous Athens



I’ve shared a separate post dedicated to The Marblous Athens – we loved it so much! – but I genuinely couldn’t recommend this hotel more. It is ideally located close to Syntagma Square and in walking distance to most of the tourist attractions, the rooms are beautiful and perfectly equipped, and the team are incredibly attentive and hospitable.
Read my hotel review of The Marblous Athens.
Have you been to Athens? Or is it on your travel bucket list?