Athens holidays
Athens has always been able to captivate an audience. See sunbaked temples topping craggy hills and classical statues bathed in hazy sunsets. Listen for the hoot of an owl as you stare down at a glittering metropolis from a hilltop. Then listen to the stories told on stages at open-air amphitheatres and over little tables in courtyard cafes. Dig into the Greek capital’s myths, its ancient history, its tales about the beginning of Western civilisation as we know it… and, of course, its souvlaki.
Our cheapest holidays to Athens
Holiday package prices shown exclude local taxes, fees and charges that may be payable at your accommodation. If applicable, these will be displayed when booking.
City of storytellers and sunlit terraces
The Acropolis, an ancient citadel on a sacred rock, rises from the centre of the city. Back on street level, the all-marble Olympic stadium stands where Socrates and his students once sought shade – as well as the answers to life’s most abstract questions – under riverside trees.
If your group can’t agree where to go for dinner, head to the Agora to do as the ancient Greeks did and take a vote. This is the birthplace of democracy, after all – where better to settle the debate of gyros versus moussaka?
Wise Athenians will tell you to give in to spontaneity. Wander narrow streets to stumble upon graffiti murals and bustling tavernas. Let neoclassical buildings catch your eye and the sound of a bouzouki’s steel strings catch your ear. When your feet tire, pull up a chair on a balcony overrun by flowerpots and breathe in a sweet summer breeze. Or enjoy dinner at a rooftop restaurant and toast to the Parthenon’s mighty columns glowing beneath the stars. Book your flights to Athens now.
Carefully selected Athens hotels
Best hotels in Athens for all types of traveller
Stay at the Plaka Hotel to gawk at monuments. You’ll be in one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, surrounded by ancient temples and bars oozing with ouzo. You’ll also be able to see the Acropolis illuminated under a cracking sunset from the hotel’s rooftop. Grecotel Pallas Athena is another centerally located option close to the best things to visit in Athens. The rooms in this avant-garde hotel are stuffed with art and handcrafted furniture – expect plenty of bold murals and neon sculptures.
Alternatively, stay away from the city centre and surround yourself with coastal views on the Athenian Riviera. Grand Resort Lagonissi resembles an island getaway with waterfront bungalows and private beaches. At Grecotel Cape Sounio, rooms feature large doors that open out onto majestic vistas of the mountains, the Aegean Sea or the Temple of Poseidon. Meanwhile, seaside boutique The Margi is remarkably chic. Stay here for spellbinding views of beaches and pine forests, as well as rustic dinners by olive trees.
Holiday package prices shown exclude local taxes, fees and charges that may be payable at your accommodation. If applicable, these will be displayed when booking.
Athens holiday FAQs
- See the Acropolis gleaming on its limestone perch. Climb the ‘Sacred Rock’ at sunrise and pass through the Propylaea, a monumental gateway, to reach the summit. Stroll past ruins washed in a honey glow and stop to admire the sun peeking through the Parthenon’s marble columns. The Porch of Maidens watches over you from the Erechtheion. The Theatre of Dionysus, said to be the oldest theatre in the world, waits to be admired on the southern slope. Also ready to enchant is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The Odeon is a main host of the annual Athens Epidaurus Festival – meaning you can still see performances at this stunning ancient venue.
- Delve even deeper into Athenian history at the city’s museums. Start at the Acropolis Museum. Meet five of the six famous Karyatids from the Porch of Maidens and step inside the glass-walled chamber on the third floor to find statues that once mused in the Parthenon. To goggle at more awe-inspiring discoveries, head to the National Archaeological Museum and breeze past its neoclassical columns to face a bronze Zeus (or Poseidon, depending on who you ask) looking up to the sky. Finally, roam the halls of a family mansion and see historic heirlooms at the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture.
- Visit the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. This is where the ancient Panathenaic Games were held, and victors took home olive oil from Athena’s sacred groves. The original stadium was renovated by the Romans, abandoned, and then reconstructed for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Run or walk around the track’s hairpin bend before standing tall on the podium. Before you leave, climb to the upper bleacher in section 21 to admire a view of the Acropolis, the National Garden and Lycabettus Hill.
- Towering above even the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens. It’s snaked by zigzagging staircases and (thankfully) cable cars. At its peak sits a whitewashed church, looking like a royal icing decoration atop a cake. Make sure to step inside the church of St George – its flickering candles and brightly painted ceiling are worth admiring – but spend most of your time dwelling on the incredible views of Athens outside. Dine at the terrace restaurant Orizontes to fill up on stuffed aubergine and feta as evening dawns and the city twinkles under an inky sky.
- Athenians have always appreciated storytelling beneath the stars. Between May and September, around 65 open-air cinemas take over the city. Watch a romcom in a courtyard lined with tumbling flora or see a blockbuster in a cinema that serves up views of the Acropolis alongside cups of sour cherry juice. The oldest is Aegli, a beloved cinema set in the stunning Zappeion Garden. Cine Paris and Cine Thision are also popular choices – mainly because at both cinemas you can see the Parthenon shining above the city from your seat.
- There’s so much to see and do during cheap city breaks in Athens. The Herodion is ideally located in Plaka, meaning you’ll be within easy reach of museums, archaeological marvels and sought-after selfie spots. Named after the nearby Odeon of Herodes Theatre, it also boasts theatrical views – whether you’re sat in the hot tub gazing at olive trees or sat in the rooftop restaurant gazing at the Parthenon.
- If you’re dreaming of luxury holidays in Athens, follow in the footsteps of Elizabeth Taylor and stay at the five-star Hotel Grande Bretagne. You’ll be immersed in old-world elegance as you wander through the column-lined lobby and admire intricate antiques in your room. This hotel is so full of history you can even take a ‘museum tour’ of its highlights. Drink in every lavish detail, and then have a drink at the rooftop restaurant with extravagant views of the Acropolis.
- Multi-centre holidays in Athens give you the chance to see different sides of Greece’s capital. Once you’ve visited every temple and climbed every hill in the city centre, retreat to the Athens coast. Four Seasons Astir Palace is around 15 miles from the Acropolis, sitting on a peninsula where sea breeze mingles with the fragrant aroma of pines. This could be Poseidon’s paradise thanks to the abundance of private beaches, sea-view restaurants and shimmering pools.
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