First, let me say, Athens is a city that deserves more of your (and my) time than 35 hours.  But, I appreciate it’s often a quick stop over destination before people head off to Rhodes, the Peloponnese or the Aegean islands.  So, how can you get the most out of a quick 2 night, 1 day stay in Athens? Hopefully those 35 hours well spent will ensure you return and explore some more, but if not, this will cover the big sights and some hidden gems.

Stay

• Stay in an Airbnb (if it’s your first time, you can get a $50 travel credit through this link!) as more often than not, you’ll get some great local food recommendations from your host. We were so happy with the places our host, Homer, recommended.  It’s also so fantastic to walk into an apartment building where Athenians actually live. For me, Airbnb stays fast track my immersion into a city.  A quirky bathroom, the sounds of an apartment building, some personalised art on the walls and books left behind by other guests somehow result in me feeling more present in the city itself, as opposed to a stay in a sterile ‘I could be anywhere in the world’ hotel.
• Plaka is the main tourist area, but you can stay in some nearby neighbourhoods that are more reasonably priced and still be within walking distance of all the main tourist attractions. We stayed in the Koukaki area and it was a great central location, only a 10 minute walk from the Acropolis.

Eat and Drink

• If you’re in Plaka and desperate to avoid the crowds, the tourist prices and the average food, duck out of the main area to find lots of other options to grab a bite to eat, such as Evgenia. This was a no fuss restaurant with just a few tables on the street serving traditional Greek food. It’s not fancy, it doesn’t have a great view, but the food and service were lovely. We ate simple chicken and potatoes and a Greek salad.  The specials looked good too, with lots of seafood. Open lunch and dinner.  Voulis 44a.
• Drink: Mythos and Fix beers. Honestly, it was so hot, all we wanted was beer and lots of water!
• Couleur Locale rooftop bar. With thanks to our Airbnb host Homer, we went in search of Couleur Locale. Situated in the Monastiraki area, in one of the streets of the flea market, Couleur Locale is a buzzy, fun rooftop bar with a spectacular view of the district and the Acropolis. We headed there around 7pm, found a shared table and had a bottle of Prosecco whilst watching the colours of the rock change as the sun went down. Open lunch till late. Normanou Street 3 – there are plenty of signs to point you down the alley to find it then go up the stairs (or elevator).
• Mavros Gatos (The Black Cat) is only a 5 minute walk from Couleur Locale, in the Psirri area. It’s a small, hole-in-the-wall, authentic Greek tavern and the food is fantastic. We were surrounded by people speaking Greek which we took as a good sign (including an older man who was knocking back ouzo by the carafe and singing along to the street musicians)! There are lots of small plates you can try. We had Dakos salad (Cretan rusk which is a bread that sits on the bottom of the salad and soaks up all the good stuff, feta cheese, capers, tomato, oregano and olive oil), Octopus marinated in vinegar and oregano and Bekri Meze (slow cooked pork with wine, tomato, green peppers and cheese). Homer also recommended the Regasalata (herring salad). This felt like real Athens – honest, delicious food, friendly staff and interesting customers! We were gifted a glass of a liqueur and a sweet cake for dessert and happily tried both! This happens quite often in Greece.  It’s a perfect representation of their generosity and kindness. Open lunch and dinner. Navarchou Apostoli street 4

Mavros Gatos – traditional Greek taverna

Dakos Salad

Marinated octopus

Couleur Locale rooftop bar

View from Couleur Locale

See

• Seek expertise! If you’re going in summer, book a City and Acropolis walking tour for the morning. This city is so full of history and legend, unless you’re an ancient Greek history and mythology scholar, it would be such a shame not to learn about it all by doing a tour. We used Athens Walking Tours (booked through Viator) and had a great experience. As always, it depends on the guide you get, but they were professional, tickets easy to buy online and easy to find in town.  We did a 3.5 hour tour covering the historical heart of Athens including Syntagma Square (and its archaeological exhibits), the Parliament Building and the changing of the guard, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch before tackling the climb up the UNESCO-listed Acropolis, finishing at the top at the Parthenon. Use the East Entrance to the Acropolis rather than the main entrance if you’re going on your own as you’ll see a lot more of the site than just the Parthenon and steps. Be prepared for heat and swarms of people. Take plenty of water, wear sunscreen, a light long sleeved shirt, comfortable walking shoes and a hat!

Changing of the guard

Temple of Zeus

Theatre of Dionysos

Our tour guide, Evangaolos

Odeon of Herodes

Hearing about the Parthenon

• Plaka is the oldest section of Athens. It’s pretty, colourful streets are mostly closed to traffic and lined with shops and restaurants, interspersed with the occasional ancient ruin. It’s incredibly touristy and a lot of the shops and restaurants are just selling rubbish, but it is still charming. Definitely worth seeing, just be prepared for the crowds!

  

• Sunrise. Yes, an early start. But I promise it will help with the jetlag if you’re coming from a tough time zone! We found a great spot just outside the main entrance to the Acropolis (from the south of the site, walk along Dionysiou Areopagitou to the stairs just beyond the Odeon of Herodes Atticus).  Face the Acropolis and look left and you’ll see Areopagus Hill just a few steps away. Be careful scrambling up the rocks, they are really slippery!  From this site, where judicial bodies sat to preside over homicide trials in the fifth century BC and St Paul the Apostle preached, you can watch the sunrise over Athens and the Acropolis site as church bells ring out.  Without a doubt worth the early morning.