Let’s make the most of your one day in Athens! And fill your Athens itinerary with all the best sights and activities.
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Athens, Greece, and really Greece in general will always hold a special place in my heart, since this was the first place I traveled to internationally. With it being my first time traveling internationally, I made all the mistakes. And, I do mean all! But, I’ll have a blog post coming soon about how to travel internationally way better than I did and all the funny stories that went along with those mistakes.
For anyone wanting to extend their time away in Greece, then check out my blog post on a Crete holiday away and all the best things to do there.
Athens is known for a great many things. And the city itself is so large and there is so much to see and do there. From museums to restaurants to nightlife to ruins to shopping, the list goes on and on. But what would a trip to Athens be without a visit to the Acropolis. Many people may give you a list of things to do with one day in Athens. Some may be less touristy, then others. But I can’t imagine coming even for one day in Athens and missing the most iconic landmark of Greece.
We’ve done a bunch of DIY projects in our home, like the laundry room, our modern toilet room, and more in which blog posts are coming soon. So, it always amazes me seeing structures like the Parthenon being built with the most basic of tools for the time and lasting thousands and thousands of years. Especially since these structures went through not only weather anomalies, but also multiple wars. Yet, here they are still standing for us to enjoy and marvel at.
First Half of your One Day in Athens Itinerary
Acropolis and Parthenon
With one day in Athens, the Parthenon and the other structures on top of the Acropolis are a must on your itinerary. There are 2 different types of tours that you can do. The first is a guided walking tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon. I would say if I had to do my one day in Athens all over again, I would still choose this. It’s early morning which typically means less hot and less crowds, although there still could be both. Plus this takes care of the ticket situation for you, so you don’t have to worry about standing in line for that.
With this tour, you’ll learn all the history of the Parthenon and the Greek mythology surrounding all of these ancient structures. You’ll see amazing sights like Parthenon (of course), the Dionysus Theatre, the Caryatids of the Erechtheion, Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater, and the Asklepieion.
At the top of the Acropolis, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of all of Athens. From here you can see all the way out to the sea (on a clear day). You can also see the National Observatory of Athens, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch (which is another must see you’ll read about below), Temple of Hephaestus, Ancient Agora of Athens, and even Areopagus Hill.
Areopagus Hill [or Mars Hill] is the location of Paul’s sermon which is now commemorated with an engraved plaque of his words as recorded in the Bible.
In Athens
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
As a Christian and lover of Biblical history, this was amazing to see with my own eyes especially being in context of where he was and what he was talking about at that time. Just another of the reasons, why this is a stop on your Athens itinerary. Could you spend the entire day here if you wanted to? Absolutely. But you don’t have to. I would say half a day would suffice. Then you can spend the other half of your one day in Athens on some other can’t miss sights and activities.
Combination Tour
The second type of tour would be if you want to combine your guided walking tour of the Parthenon and Acropolis with some of the other local sights. Such as the Acropolis Museum, or the Temple of Olympian Zeus, or even the Temple of Hephaestus. My recommendation would be to take in a tour that includes the Temple of Olympian Zeus. I mean tell me you’re a 90’s kid, without telling me you’re a 90’s kid. Disney’s Hercules was my favorite movie growing up, and now you’d be walking around the very same place in Athens, Greece. So surreal.
Activities for the Second Half of your One Day in Athens Itinerary
National Archeological Museum of Athens
Acropolis Museum
Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
Ancient Agora of Athens
On and Off Bus Tour of Multiple Locations
The best way to see exactly what you want would be to take a bus tour where you can get on and off as you please, seeing only the sights you want. Especially places that don’t require a great deal of time. You can visit Panathenaic Stadium (where the Olympics were held), Monastiraki Square (location of Athens flea market), or Athens National Garden. Even watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier between Syntagma Square and The Old Royal Palace Parliament building similar to what we have here in the United States in Arlington, Virginia.
No matter what you choose, you will be sure to see and learn so much in your one day in Athens. It’s definitely an amazing place that shouldn’t be missed.
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
