(One Day) Athens Greece Itinerary
Most people want to be able to spend a month in a new destination, but most people are only allotted 7-10 days for a trip per year.
If Greece happens to be your trip this year, use this guide to pack all of the main sights of Athens Greece in one day.
This post is an Athens Greece Itinerary for one day.
Preparing for Athens (before you go)
*Outfit– make sure you are planning to wear a comfortable breathable outfit for your one day in Athens because you will be walking a lot.
You should also have comfy shoes to wear that you can walk around in all day that have good traction as the ancient marble can be slippery (not to mention, the roads/sidewalks in the city are pretty rough).
*Tickets – Purchase these ahead of time so you can enter the sites as soon as they open. I purchased a multi-site pass that included the Acropolis museum and I would suggest you do the same.
This itinerary takes you to four sites where you need a ticket to enter (the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the Temple of Zeus).
Either make sure you can access the ticket(s) on your cell phone offline or print out the tickets beforehand.
*Map/Directions – The other digital need you may have is a map for navigation. Unless you have cell service in Greece that you can count on, make sure to download the directions so you can use your phone offline.
*Bag/Purse – Pick a bag/purse that isn’t too big so you can comfortably carry it around all day.
But at the same time it should be able to carry sunscreen, your camera (if you have one), your cell phone (for your navigation and to access your tickets), a portable charger (optional, but good to have), headphones (for listening to audio guides), and your wallet.
Additionally you can bring a water bottle and/or snack(s) if you wish although you can also buy these at pretty much any kiosk which are located at least every two blocks in the city.
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Your Day in Athens
7am – Wake Up
Get ready for the day and, as you will be outside all day, don’t forget sunscreen!
Optional: 7:20am – Hotel Breakfast
If your hotel comes with free breakfast and you wish to participate, plan to give yourself at least ten minutes to grab some food to-go (plan longer if you wish to sit down to eat a proper breakfast).
7:30am – Walk to the Acropolis stopping on the way for coffee.
Next, make your way to the entrance of the Acropolis stopping on the way for a coffee if you wish.
Coffee shops are everywhere so you can just follow the directions to the Acropolis and you will probably stumble across one. Or, you can select one in advance.
8am – Be at the entrance to the Acropolis.
Ideally arrive earlier than 8am so you can be one of the first people through the gates.
Make sure to eat/drink whatever you have with you before you enter as nothing is allowed except for water.
Follow all directions and signage or you will hear a whistle blowing that you have done something against the site rules.
Only walk on the designated pathways and don’t touch or climb on anything that is roped off.
Also note that there are no drinking fountains at the top so bring/buy water before you enter the site.
10am – (Done with the Acropolis) Walk to the Acropolis Museum.
The museum is just down the road from the Acropolis and is the next stop on the itinerary.
No food or drink allowed inside so if you buy something after the Acropolis, know that you have to finish it or put it away while you’re in the museum.
Also follow the signage and be sure to check that the flash is off on your camera as most historical artifacts can’t be photographed with the flash on.
There also may be some things that you aren’t allowed to photograph. Just be sure to read all instructions.
Noon – (Done with museum) Go to lunch.
You can go wherever you want for lunch. It’s pretty hard to find bad Greek food so you’re pretty guaranteed to find good food wherever you decide to go.
The only thing to watch out for is if they are asking you to eat at their restaurant, it is probably not very good/authentic food and is a tourist trap.
The best strategy is to go off the beaten path and pick a restaurant that is not on the main roads or that is already popular and doesn’t have people begging you to eat there.
Also, you are likely to run into/come across people who are trying to sell you things (toys, flowers, bracelets, etc.).
If they place anything on your table, do not touch it unless you plan to pay for it.
1:45pm – Watch the changing of the guard.
At the top of Syntagma Square is the Monument to the Unknown Soldier and it is always guarded by soldiers.
The Monument to the Unknown Soldier is a memorial for all of the soldiers that have died in war that were forgotten/lost.
Every hour on the hour, the guards are switched out and they do a march/dance that is really cool to see.
You need to be really respectful here because if you act unruly, the soldiers will slam their weapons into the ground and their captain will tell you off. Just keep your distance, be respectful, and follow all instructions.
2:15pm – Walk in the Royal Gardens.
After the changing of the guards, you can take a walk in the refreshing shaded grounds of the Royal Gardens.
3:15pm – Visit the Temple of Zeus.
Down the street from the gardens is the Temple of Zeus.
There is not much of it left but the ruins are pretty remarkable because you can see how grand it really was.
4pm – Rest at hotel/airbnb.
Before walking around in the evening, take some time to rest at your accommodations.
You can take a nap or just take a load off your feet as you’ve been walking all day long.
6pm Walk around Plaka and Monastyraki neighborhoods.
The night life in Greece is always fun to see.
The neighborhoods of Plaka and Monastyraki are the most fun to see.
8pm – Dinner
Same as lunch, try to pick a place that you will experience a good authentic meal.
Traditionally, dinner is a smaller meal than lunch, but do whatever you like.
9:30pm – Sleep
Now that you’ve seen all of Athens in just one day, it is time to go to sleep.
I hope you enjoyed this Athens Greece itinerary and that you have a wonderful time when you visit.
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