Athens: Travel tips

A quick summary:

Places to go: 

Plaka, Mount Lyccabetus, Anafiotika, Acropolis Hill, Museum and Agora, and Temple of Poseidon.

Time of the year to go:

Transition months! April is best. Maybe September too. Less tourists (and cheaper entrance fees) than the summer, and less colder than the winter months. Temperatures at night in April can get quite cold too so be prepared!

Transportation: 

Athens has a train straight from the International Airport to the city center. It takes about 40 minutes? The city has a great network of metro and buses too, so public transportation is fine. 

Accommodation:

I stayed in an airbnb near the city so we walked to all the sites :) As with a lot of European cities, there's many hostels, backpackers rooms, air bnbs and couch to surf.

Halal Food: 

There's a lot of seafood selection (request no wine sauces), and there's also a couple of kebab shops.

Min number of days in Athens:

 2 days :) 

I was in Athens for a couple of days in April 2015. My main goal for the trip was to sit at the Acropolis and just marvel at Greek architecture under the Mediterranean sun, while thinking about Hercules, and pretending to be greek goddess who wears flowy dresses and gold head bands (let a girl dreaammm hehe). That aside, there are so many other wonderful things to do in the city, so I'll give you a quick list...

My excitement level masa sampai Greece is super kawaii ok.

1. Plaka

Plaka is the area around the foot of the Acropolis hill. Here's where you find the cafes, bars, and souvenir shops - it's also a great place for romantic candle light dinners. It's known as the 'Neighborhood of the Gods' because it's so close to the Acropolis. Generally speaking, it is a tourist area - but it is quite beautiful, and while the food can be quite pricey, it's worth to try at least once (some of the restos have very good pesto I'm sure - see what I did there). The area closes quite late and it's nice to walk around even to the outskirts - where you'll find punk record shops and old vintage clothes stores. Adrianou Street is one of the main avenues, but generally, wandering around Plaka and noticing the small details on the buildings in an experience itself :) 

"Idrina! Take a picture of me blending into the wall quick!"

So charming! The Mediterranean culture of just lounging with good food at outdoor cafes is definitely a vibe that I can get with. (But KL has good mamak too... #naksemua)

Told you about the romantic cafes.

2. Mount Lycabettus 

Mount Lycabettus is a hill located almost opposite of the Acropolis hill - as such has an amazing view over the city! It's perfectly possible to get up there from the Kolonaki terminus. Idrina and I took a cab from our place because we were so tired (I wouldn't recommend this if you're saving money reallyyy don't take cabs in Greece. The uncles may look cute but they're all out to get your money lesson learnt but our body was thankful tak payah hike sangat #youwinsome #youlosesome). Best time to go is during sunset :D 

This is the mountain.

Idrina and I sitting on a graffitied wall looking at the Acropolis hill. 

View from the top. 

3. Acropolis Hill - Agora - Acropolis Museum! 

I don't know why this is number three! But of course this is a must do if you're in Athens. Have a read on the history of the Acropolis first - how it was a sacred hill during the prime of the Greek civilisation: a place of worship, gatherings, rituals, and royal living quarters. Just soak in the fact that you're at one of the most historical sites in the world! 

Funfact: I was told by my friend who's from Greece that scientists actually did a research on the Acropolis hill and found that it has a higher magnetic force than the area surrounding it - so it really gives off peaceful, positive energy and is one of the main reasons the ancient Greeks used the hill as a holy location. 

The hike up to the top of the hill is mild at best, except for those who haven't exercised for a long while you might need to breathe once or twice :D  But its ok, there are many beautiful stops along the way. Tip: wear proper shoes for this. Don't pakai selipar like I did on my first climb. 

You need to buy tickets to enter - they can't be booked in advance online. They're available for purchase at several kiosks surrounding the Acropolis. Its 12 euros between november - march, 20 euros from april-october. This is because of peak summer time. Good news though: it's free for students! (But you must bring your student card) It's open 8am-8pm. 

Tip: It's cheaper to buy an all inclusive site ticket. There's a ticket that includes multiple entries to other sites, you can check the schemes at the kiosk (and save up to 5 euros). 

This is maybe my most favourite photo of my trip in Athens.

Me sketching and trying not to fall to death.

Pretending to look smart at the Acropolis  museum.

Bonus; there's a rock at the bottom of the Acropolis hill that you can climb and hang out on. It's on the way to the Agora ;) Have a walk and find it yourself. It's visible from the Acropolis. 

Rock on.

Statues around the gardens near the Agora.

We were tired from the heat and wandering around the Agora and surrounding gardens. So we found a bench near the Heroon/Iroon monument, and here's a picture of Idrina facetiming haha. 

4. Anafiotika  

Anafiotika is so beautiful. It's just a walk above Plaka. This is the closest you can get to feel as if you're at the white beach houses of Santorini. (Side note: Athens is a good stop over to get to Santorini! I haven't yet been). The paths and steps are all so tiny, and you might find yourself squeezing under a bougainvillae bush to get to the other side. All the houses are white, with colourful doors and curtains and pretty bushes, it's so easy to get into a beach vibe. 

If you're keep your eye out, you'll find signs pointing a route that goes to the Acropolis. They've closed off the entrance to the mountain top, but you can sit in front of the gate and just enjoy the view with a smoothie :) It's a great place to chill and talk.

 

So lawaaa. 

We stayed up here til sunset and watch the lights come on twinkling one by one. 

5. Temple of Zeus, Olympic Stadium 

It can't get any more grand than this. Take a seat and imagine how Hercules must have trained when he was here! The original stadium is long gone, but they've rebuilt a new one in it's place. If you have time, go around the stadium, and find an entrance to a small Olympic museum through a tunnel that goes under the bleachers. It's on the left side! When we were there, there was a group of school students having a regular gym session. Haih #untungla #bersenamdiolympicstaidum .  The Panathenaic Stadium costs 3 euros per entry and is open 8am-5pm. 

The Temple of Zeus is basically a big field - with the ruins of the temple in the middle. It's huge!  An entrance ticket costs about 2 euros.

Architecture fun fact: There's 3 types of Greek columns. Ionic, Doric and Corinthina. Zeus's Temple has the Corinthian order, because it's very flowery and intricate. Ionic columns are the simple ones with just a flat top. Doric has the swirls :)

Jumping high! 

6. Visit Temple of Poseidon

The easiest way to do this is to book a half day trip out. It's roughly a 40 minute journey from from the city center, and you'll need to take a shuttle bus to visit. There are many tourist information center in the city that can help you with this trip. 

Kasi chance berangan.

And there you go, my two cents! Athens is an amazing city to just walk around and enjoy. Please try the Greek Yoghurt smoothies, they're amazing. I stayed in an air bnb right in the center - and it's easy to get from the airport to the city via metro. Weather wise, I dare say the Mediterranean is good all year round. Be aware of summer - pickpockets, large tourist crowds and very very hot weather. It can get quite chilly at night during the winter months. As always, do a forecast check before your trip to plan proper clothes. 

My photos and random videos can be checked out here https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/acaciagreece/ if you need :D

Have fun!