Athens City Tour

Final Part Of The Two Week Vacation In Balkans

Flying back to Athens from Tirana (at a cost of approximately 57 EUR per person), we entered the final part of our two-week adventure. Bridiging the gap for our return flight to Hong Kong, our final part would be the Athens City Tour. For intra-city travel, we purchased the 72-hour tourist ticket for 20 EUR per person. Specifically, the ticket provided unlimited use of public transportation with a round trip from / to aiport within 72 hours.

Which Arcaheologlical Site To Go

Visiting archaeological site in Athens is a must for every tourist. On the other hand, there are numerous sites and would be hard for visitors to choose. If you purchase the all-in-one package like us, we would recommend visiting the seven sites included with below order:

1. Acropolis and its slopes (A must-visit in Athens, where you’ll find the Parthenon)
2. Ancient Agora (which includes a museum and the Temple of Hephaestus)
3. Kerameikos Cemetery (with an archaeological museum and numerous graves and burial monuments in its external layers)
4. Roman Agora (which also houses the Tower of the Winds)
5. Olympieion
6. Hadrian’s Library
7. Lykeion

The official price for the package was 30 EUR per person, which appeared to be the most affordable compared to other offers.

Arrive Early For Acropolis

We spent approximately two days visiting all seven sites. For the Acropolis, we recommend arriving when it opens and heading straight to the Parthenon. In that way, you could avoid the crowds and take photo for the famous Parthenon. leaving the other iconic structures within the Acropolis for later exploration after capturing your photos.

Other Free Sightseeing Icons

In addition to the seven sites, there are many other places in Athens worth visiting, including:

The National Garden of Athens, which houses the Zappeion Hall and is known for its population of green parrots (known as the Parrots of Athens).

The Academy of Athens nearby provides one of the most worthing-taking scenes in Athens. The exterior contains two statues (Athena and Apollo) at the back and two statues (Plato and Aristotle) in front.

Lycabettus Hill, where you can enjoy panoramic views of Athens including the Parthenon. There is also a beautiful Church called St. George’s Church at the top.

Monastiraki Square, where you can find inexpensive souvenirs and high-quality local fruit sold at night (we purchased 1 kg of kiwi for less than 2 Euros).

Varvakios Central Municipal Market is known for its variety of local products and fresh food.

Athens City Tour – Recommended To-Do List for 4-day Trip Planning in Athens: