2 Days in Athens, Greece: Perfect Athens Itinerary for First-Timers

Wondering how you should spend two days in Athens before heading out to the Greek islands?

After visiting Athens multiple times, I’ve curated the ultimate guide. My 2-Day Athens Itinerary focuses on two key aspects: discovering the wonders of Ancient Athens and eating delicious Greek food! What more could you ask for in this colorful, chaotic, and marvelous 3,000-year-old city? 

From exploring historic sites (like the Acropolis and the Agora of Athens!) to tasting traditional food (like gyros, dolmades, tzatziki, and plenty of succulent seafood!), to visiting can’t-miss museums, this Athens guide covers all the best things to see, do, and eat in Athens in two days.

This guide includes everything you need to know for a seamless 48-hour trip to Athens, before you head off to paradise beach destinations like Sfakia!

Start the Day with Greek Coffee

If you’re like me, then your day always starts with coffee. But this is Athens, so it starts with Greek coffee!

“What is Greek coffee?” you ask. Greek coffee, incredibly strong and rich in flavor, is made by boiling (not brewing) super finely ground beans.

Some of my favorite places in Athens for coffee and pastries are Myller Coffee Shop, Six Dogs, Mokka, and Samba Coffee Roasters. 

Visit the Roman Forum (Roman Agora) of Athens

Post-caffeine, it’s time to start exploring the ancient archeological sites scattered around Plaka and Monastiraki. First stop? The Roman Forum.

By 146 BC, the Romans had conquered all of ancient Greece. Between 19 and 11 BC, Julius Caesar and Augustus funded the construction of the Roman Forum in Athens for markets. During the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation, the Roman Forum was covered with houses, workshops, churches, and mosques. Excavations began in the mid-1800s – and today, important monuments such as the Gate of Athena Archegetis, the East Propylon entrance, and the Tower of the Winds still stand.

You might be happy enough to see the Roman Forum from outside the fence – especially if you recently spent four days in Rome.

However, if you want a closer look, you can purchase an Athens Combo Ticket, which includes entry to the Acropolis and six other archaeological sites (including the Roman Agora, Ancient Greek Agora, and Hadrian’s Library). It also comes with audio guides! Otherwise, the standalone Roman Forum ticket costs €8.

Stop by Hadrian’s Library

A short walk from the Roman Agora, you’ll come across the grand ruins of Hadrian’s Library.

Built in 132 AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian, Hadrian’s Library was more than just a library. It functioned as the main cultural and civic center, hosting an archive of legal and state documents, philosophy lectures and classes, and halls for reading, music, and exhibitions. 

Again, you can admire the ruins from outside the fence (I think this gives you an adequate understanding!). Otherwise, entry is included with the Athens Combo Ticket, or a standalone ticket costs €5.

See the Ancient Agora of Athens

Continue your discovery of ancient Athens at the Ancient Agora of Athens. In ancient Greece, an “agora” was a large public space for gatherings, assemblies, and markets.

The agora features the ruins of many ancient monuments and structures, while the onsite museum – the Museum of the Ancient Agora (Stoa of Attalos) – houses a collection of artifacts in an ancient rebuilt structure. 

For me, roaming around the fenced perimeter of the Agora is enough; you can still see a lot! But if you want a closer look, get the Athens Combo Ticket – or pay €7 to enter the ruins and €5 to visit the museum.

Seafood Lunch at Atlantikos

Want to try some of the very best seafood in Athens? Then beeline it to Ristorante Atlantikos in the Psiri/Monastiraki area for lunch!

Just be prepared to wait a few minutes for one of the tables that spill into the small cobblestone side street. This place is popular… because it’s cheap, low-key, and delicious.

We (over-)ordered – the chickpeas with smoked mackerel, the fish sandwich, the half-filet of baked seabass and vegetables, and the lentil salad – and everything was so tasty!

Mid-Day Drinks in Monastiraki 

Next up, it’s time for a little mid-day pick-me-up in Monastiraki! 

Cool bars and restaurants line every street in Monastiraki, but my two favorite places for drinks are Usurum (for cocktails) and Tapfield (for craft beer). 

Go on a Guided Tour of the Acropolis

Of course, the most important archaeological site to visit during two days in Athens is the Acropolis.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, freedom of speech and expression, and theatre, the historical significance of the Acropolis can’t be overstated! I highly recommend this Acropolis Guided Walking Tour to discover it in depth!

This ancient monumental complex, perched atop the fortified Attica plateau, was built to honor the city’s patron goddess, Athena, and host Athens’s most important government buildings. 

The most important structures (which were built in the 5th century B.C.!) still stand today: the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion (Temple of Athena Polias), and the Propylaea (the monumental entrance).

Led by a licensed archaeologist, you’ll explore the Acropolis while learning about classical history and ancient Greece, the goddess Athena, the monuments, and how this very site shaped the world as we know it. You’ll also see ruins on the slopes of the Acropolis, like the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (an ancient Greco-Roman theater, like the one in Taormina, Italy!).

Our guide was so knowledgeable and engaging, I wouldn’t have wanted to visit without her!

Book your Skip-the-Line Acropolis Guided Walking Tour here, and make sure to select the option with entrance tickets!

MADDY’S TIP: The best times to visit the Acropolis are first thing in the morning or late afternoon. My favorite is the late afternoon – around sunset – because it’s less crowded and not as hot! Between June and September, avoid visiting during mid-day at all costs! No matter when you visit, wear good walking shoes, and bring a hat and water!

Savor a Traditional Greek Dinner

Ready for an unforgettable meal? After your Guided Walking Tour of the Acropolis, snag a reservation at either Seychelles or Karamanlidika.

Seychelles

Seychelles, a casual mezedopoleio (meze/small plates restaurant) – with its seasonally rotating menu, big, soulful Greek flavors, and friendly service – is worthy of one of your two precious dinners in Athens. 

We had the most delicious Dakos-style salad ever (and yes, that was after spending a few weeks on Crete!); the grilled cuttlefish and beans stew; the bonito with cauliflower and jalapeños; and fresh bread, olives, and wine, of course. I practically rolled out of there, I was so full of goodness!

NOTE: Make a reservation for Seychelles well in advance!

Karamanlidika

Karamanlidika offers the quintessential Athens foodie experience. 

For 60 years, this Byzantine deli and meze-style restaurant has been serving up Greek delicacies – from fine cheeses and artisanal cold cuts (like pastirma) to giant beans with feta, fried saganaki cheese, dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves), and Greek salad. 

The food is fresh, local, and flavor-packed. Almost every item on the menu is less than €10. The service is warm and friendly. So it’s no wonder locals and travelers alike flock to this lively, hyper-traditional spot to feast!

I loved this place. You will too! So good. 

Make a reservation for Karamanlidika here. 

Day 2 in Athens, Greece

For your second day in Athens, a mind-blowing museum (or two) and some mouthwatering Greek food are in store!

Visit a Museum

After grabbing a coffee and some breakfast (see Day 1 for my favorite cafés!), it’s time to hit a museum. Or two, if you’re feeling ambitious!

Acropolis Museum

With your Guided Walking Tour of the Acropolis under your belt, it’s time to dive deeper at the Acropolis Museum.

This incredible museum houses the archaeological findings from the Acropolis, tracing its historical and cultural evolution from its early days as a small citadel to its height as a sacred place of worship and government.

From everyday items like pots, vases, and other tools to impressive sculptures from the Parthenon, you will be blown away by this spectacular collection.

Visiting the Acropolis Museum will take you about two hours. Book your Acropolis museum tickets in advance to avoid standing in the long ticket line in the heat! They cost €20/person.

National Archaeological Museum

If you have more time (and you’re not bored of museums yet!), visit the National Archaeological Museum; it’s the largest and most important archaeological museum in Greece, housing antiquities from across the country.

Tickets cost €6-12 depending on the season.

Go on a Greek Food Walking Tour

No surprise here, but my favorite thing to do during two days in Athens will always be this Greek Food Walking Tour! This is one of the best food tours I’ve ever been on (and I go on a lot of food tours). 

As we strolled through Athens with our expert guide, we made seven different stops at foodie establishments (from typical coffee shops and bustling markets, to traditional tavernas, street food joints, and iconic bakeries!) to taste countless Greek dishes and street food snacks.

After happily scarfing down gyros, marinated anchovies, fava beans, tzatziki, Greek salad with feta cheese, fried sausages, grilled haloumi cheese, giant marinated beans, meatballs, zucchini balls, olives, calamari, feta-stuffed bell peppers, local olive oil, loukoumades (donuts), koulóuria (sesame bread rings), local wine, ouzo, Greek/Turkish coffee, and more (so much more!), we were completely stuffed.

Of course, along the way, our guide filled us in on Greek and Athenian food culture and ancient history too.

Talk about a perfect last meal (feast) in Athens! This Greek Food Walking Tour was the highlight of my recent trip, and I know it’ll be your favorite activity too.

In high season, it sells out, book your Greek Food Walking Tour well in advance!

How to Get to Athens

Most likely, you’ll fly into Athens via Athens International Airport. From there, you have two easy ways to reach downtown: 

1. Take Metro Line 3. A one-way metro ticket from the airport costs €10 per person; it includes unlimited use for 90 minutes, in case you need to transfer lines. For more bang for your buck, I recommend purchasing a “3-Day Athens Transport Tourist Ticket” for €20, which includes one round-trip journey to the airport. The metro journey from Athens Airport to central stops like Syntagma Square or Monastiraki takes about 45 minutes. 
2. Take a taxi or Uber. Expect to pay about €40 between 5 AM and midnight, and about €55 between midnight and 5 AM. (Plus, a small booking fee if you use Uber.) Taxiing to the city center takes about 40 minutes. 

If you’re arriving in Athens via ferry at the Athens Piraeus ferry port, then the easiest way to reach downtown is via Metro Line 3. The journey to Syntagma Square takes about 20 minutes. By the way, search for Athens ferry timetables and reserve tickets here for Greece and beyond! 

Where to Stay in Athens, Greece

With only 2 days in Athens, I recommend staying in a central neighborhood so you don’t waste any extra time in transit. Hands down, the best neighborhoods to stay in are Syntagma and Plaka. 

Both of these neighborhoods are centrally located (near historic must-sees like the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Library, and the Roman Agora!), surrounded by incredible restaurants and bars, and offer easy access to the metro.