Ultimate 4 Day Athens Itinerary – All by Public Transports

Wondering what you can do in Athens for 4 days or 5 days? Take a look at our 4 day itinerary in Athens. Moreover, you can explore the greatness of Athens city center by using the metro only. 4 days in Athens was one of the best parts of our greater 14-day adventure in the Bulkan.

Is Athens worth visiting?

Yes, this is the only place where you can explore the ancient Greek archeological sites. Similar to the Giza pyramids in Egypt or the close encounter with penguins in South Africa, no other Countries or even cities can bring this experience to you.

Is it worth going to Athens only without island hopping?

If time allows, you should visit Athens city center and do some island hopping. These are two different experiences. However, Athens is the only city in the world that can offer you the in-depth ancient culture of Greece, while there are other places in the world which could offer you scenic views like the Maldives. Also, you could fly to Santorini directly on your next trip.

How many days in Athens are sufficient?

4 days is the most sufficient time to allow you to visit all the essential archeological sites in Athens. This also gives you extra time to visit alternative attractions like Lycabettus Hill, various local shops, and the National Garden of Athens.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at our itinerary as a guide for what to do there in 4 days.

4 Days in Athens – Day 1: Airport Arrival & Buy your Metro card

Regardless of your arrival time, the first thing you need to do in Athens is to buy a Metro card (aka ATH.ENA card). Most of the Athens attractions are within walking distance from the metro. So you will need to have one for your upcoming 4 days.

For the sake of cost-saving, the 3-day ticket is probably the best deal for your 4-day visit. The ticket is 20 EUR per person with one round trip from the airport to the city center. The ticket is valid for 72 hours upon first usage so it is a perfect fit for your 4 days in Athens.

Epidavros Hotel in Athens

We booked a hotel called Epidavros via booking.com with USD 120 for 3 nights in total for 3 persons. The hotel was not spacious but decent with 3 single beds and a clean toilet plus a balcony.

We chose that for its good price. The location was also very convenient near the Omonia metro station and most attractions including Acropolis are within 15 – 30 minutes walking distance.

Checking out the Athens City Center

After check-in, depending on your arrival time you could explore the Athens City center or even start visiting different Archeological sites. If you arrive, later like us I would recommend you to chill out in Syntagma Square in Athens. If you arrive very late like us, you could still have some food at the local Gyros shop or even KFC like us.

4 Days in Athens – Day 2: National Garden, Lycabettus Hill & Visiting 3 of the 7 Archeological Sites

As mentioned before, Athens is a walkable city. Thus, I would recommend you start with a free walking tour first. You may choose to stay in any icon that you would like to spend more time.

For example, after visiting the Zappeion Hall in the National Garden of Athens, we chose to leave the group and spend more time staying in the National Garden of Athens. Partially, it was because we were a bit tired and partially because the environment of the Garden was so charming that we would like to just chill out there a bit more. I highly recommend you spend at least 30 minutes just sitting there, enjoying the environment, and seeing the green parrots (aka the Parrots of Athens) flying around and building their nest

After spending some time in the tranquil garden, we headed to The Academy of Athens which is a perfect spot for photos.  The exterior of the buildings contains two statues (Athena and Apollo) at the back and two statues (Plato and Aristotle) in front. Along with the stairs in the middle, it created a sense of elegance and classiness. We bought some cooked food in a supermarket nearby for lunch. The roasted chicken and other protein options there were just too attractive and budget-friendly that we could not resist.

Climbing up the Lycabettus Hill

After recharging, we decided to climb up the Lycabettus Hill. The mountain was not tall, we spent less than an hour going from the bottom to the top. On the way to the top, we are rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of Athens. The mountain slope and the St. George’s Church on the top are highly recommended for photos. From there you could also have a view of the Parthenon along with the Athens city view.

Buying the 30 EUR ticket package in Athens

Don’t know which Archeological site to visit for your 4 days in Athens? I highly recommend you purchase the package ticket for 30 EUR per person which includes the Acropolis (a must-see in Athens), Ancient Agora, Kerameikos Cemetery, Roman Agora, Olympieion, Hadrian’s Library, and Lykeion. By going to all these 7 sites, you should have a wonderful Greece 4-day itinerary.

It’s worth noting that there are various online ticket options available for these sites, but a 30 EUR package ticket available for sale at each of the 7 archaeological sites shall be the most economical. I also found that the package is also available on the official website for the same price.

The Roman Agora, Hadrian Library & Kerameikos Cemetery

Wonder which one to start first with the package? I recommend you to go with The Roman Agora (small size), Hadrian Library (small size) and Kerameikos Cemetery (very big site first)

The Roman Agora is an ancient marketplace that once thrived with trade and commerce. The Tower of the Winds, an impressive ancient timepiece, stands as a testament to the architectural prowess of the time.

The Tower of the Winds, constructed around the 1st century BC, is a multifunctional timekeeping device, including sundials, a water clock, and a weather vane in the past. It was also open for tourists to go inside for photos. Other than the tower, Roman Agora also included various structures such as the gate of Athena Archegetis and the South Stoa which well we learned their history on the tourist board nearby and most importantly were ideal spots for pictures.

Upon the purchase of the ticket package, we played the ‘city hunting game’ of exploring all seven sites. After the Roman Agora, we picked Hadrian’s Library adjacent to the Roman Agora. It was an ancient Roman Library built in the 2nd century AD and used to be the house of a vast collection of books, manuscripts, and scrolls as one of the largest libraries during the ancient Rome and Greece time.

With all the time left, we spent at Kerameikos Cemetery the third site. It is a very large burial site featuring a street of tombs with tombstones and stelae with multiple sculptures. Other than that, it also offers the Kerameikos Archaeological Museum which portrays various artifacts discovered in the surrounding areas with descriptions for the tourist.

Where is the cheapest place to buy souvenirs in Athens?

It should be the shops near Monastiraki Square.

If you stay at Kerameikos Cemetery until its closing time at 5 pm, I would recommend you to walk to Monastiraki Square. There you will find a lot of economical Greek souvenirs. We highly recommend the olive soap which contains a magnet of Athens for 1 EUR and a table stand of Acropolis for 5 EUR. Especially the stand which still reminds my days in Athens today.

On the way back you can also take a Gyros near the hotel for dinner which is the cheapest and best local food.

4 Days in Athens – Day 3: Acropolis (the Parthenon!), Ancient Agora & Varvakios Central Municipal Market

You cannot visit Athens without visiting the Acropolis.

It is the number one what to do in all Athens Greece itinerary. Yet, you should remember it opens at 8 am and we recommend you to stay at Epidavros Hotel where you can walk there for around 20 minutes.

So on day 3, before the opening of the Acropolis, we chose to take a walk to the site. On our way, we bumped into a local fresh market complex called Varvakios Central Municipal Market. It had plenty of stores selling fresh meat, aromatic spices, fruits, local tea, etc. Other than that, it also had several local restaurants with very budget-friendly offerings. On our way, to the Acropolis, we also came across a lot of local pop-up shops for pastry and bought some for our breakfast.

The best way to visit the Acropolis and avoid the crowd

The Acropolis is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world recognized by UNESCO. So you should expect the crowds to be there all across the years.

However, there are some ways to avoid the crowd and take some nice photos there.

First, of course, you need to arrive at 8 am the opening time, but that alone would not suffice.

Our tactic for the visit is to quickly ascend to its majestic slopes, the iconic Parthenon and Erechtheion first, and other icons later. With this strategy, you can have all the time (or enough time at least) to take as many photos as you want for the Parthenon and Erechtheion you want.

Note that the Parthenon and Erectheion are the two most IGable spots inside the Acropolis. You can leave the rest later on after you finish photo taking.

The Ancient Agora with The Temple of Hephaestus

Finished the most important icon in Athens, we intended to also cover the Ancient Agora today and left the Olympieion and Lykeion for tomorrow. Ancient Agora was a central public space and marketplace in ancient times.  The most prominent structure inside is the Temple of Hephaestus, a very well-preserved temple dedicated to the god of craftsmanship. We also visited the gigantic museum Agora Museum for the displays of sculptures, pottery, inscriptions, coins, jewelry, and other objects in ancient Athenian society.

We finished all the visits around 2 PM and decided to head back to the Varvakios Central Municipal Market, where we enjoyed a delectable meal in a local restaurant.

Exhausted for the morning routine, we chose to have a rest at the hotel and chilled out for the rest of the day. In that, we did not advance to other icons but instead paid a visit to a Lidl near Attiki station for some budget-friendly snacks and potential souvenirs.

We also bought a very hearty dinner from Lidl as well.

4 Days in Athens – Day 4: Lykeion, Olumpieion, Lukumades & Airport Departure

As the last part of our Athens Greece itinerary, we headed for the two archeological sites remaining. We started with Lykeion, the ancient gymnasium where Aristotle taught his students. Although it is not as popular as Acropolis, we still found the site worth visiting and the Garden inside comfortable. After all, our ticket also included Lykeion.

Our final archeological site visit – the Olympieion

Next, we discovered Olympieion, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, a colossal monument dedicated to the king of the gods. Outside the Olympieion, you can also find the Arch of Hadrian for photos free of charge.

Before bidding Athens farewell, we treat ourselves to a sweet indulgence at Lukumades. a renowned dessert shop specializing in loukoumades which are a popular Greek dessert made with deep-fried dough balls with toppings. We ordered a serving with pistachio source which was very amazing.  Savor the heavenly taste of these Greek doughnuts and relish the final delights of our Athenian adventure.

We covered a lot of items in our 4 days detailed itinerary in Athens. The same itinerary could be used for up to one week of travel by spending more time on each item. Particularly, the city is highly recommended for someone with an interest in archaeology. Even for a normal traveler like us, we enjoyed taking photos of the stunning icons in the City. I highly recommend you include Athens in your next annual leave escape.

Our 4 Days Detailed Itinerary in Athens summary table: