Visiting Athens, Greece has been #1 on my bucket list since I was 6 years old and devouring the Magic Tree House non-fiction companion edition on Ancient Greece (-ok nerd). Over the years my love of Ancient Greece expanded and I read every book I could get my hands on about the period, mythos, people, and philosophy.
Recently I had the opportunity to spend nearly two weeks exploring this beautiful city, and I used up every second of it. But if I only had 48 hours in Athens, this is what I would prioritize.
Heads up: some links in this post are affiliate links to tours and tickets I booked myself. If you book through one, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to things I actually did, and I’ll tell you when something isn’t worth booking ahead.
1. The Acropolis
The most obvious inclusion on this list. If you only have 48 hours in Athens, you must hike the hill of the Acropolis and set your eyes on the Parthenon. No it’s not overrated, and yes it’s worth it!
The Acropolis is where you’ll find many key spots you probably wanted to visit:
The Parthenon: The pride and highest point of Athens, built in the 5th century BCE. This temple to the goddess Athena, also served as a treasury for the Athenians, storing their precious metals and coins within the secure walls of the building.
Theatre of Dionysus
On the way up to the Parthenon is one of the coolest stops (that a lot of people walk right by!). These ruins are part of the original ancient sanctuary dedicated to Dionysus. What is left of this sanctuary are the remains of the stage and some of seats that once bore witness to some of the very first dramas in human history. This stage hosted the performances of Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes.
When you walk past it, keep an eye on the well-preserved stone chairs visible in the first two rows! These were Prohedria: meant as seats of honor to watch the performances. If you look closely you may see the faint remnants of an inscription. These were reserved places so the name of the priest or official to whom it belonged was carved into them.
The very most central throne to the stage was reserved as the honored place for the priest of Dionysus.
Included in the Acropolis entry, are a few other sites you probably had marked.
– The Temple of Athena Nike: A small temple dedicated to Goddesses Athena and Nike (victory).
– The Erechtheion: The older temple to Athena, famous for the Porch of Caryatids and the shared temple space. (half dedicated to Athena, the other half to Poseidon)
– Odeon of Herodes Atticus: Roman-era theatre (built 161 AD).
If you take your time with the Acropolis, and really enjoy the stops along the slopes, it should take you 3-4 hours total.
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2. The Acropolis Museum
A lot of people skip this museum, because they “just went to the Acropolis, why would they need to go to the museum?” but trust me, it’s worth your time. The Acropolis Museum is one of the most beautiful and well-curated spaces I have ever been to.
The entire museum building is built as a perfect one-to-one replica of the Acropolis! The artifacts throughout the multiple floors are places precisely where they were found on the hill, giving context to each item you see.
Remember the beautiful Caryatid statues you saw on the porch of The Erechtheion? Those are cast reproductions, the originals (well, most of them- looking at you British Museum) are inside the Acropolis Museum.
Make sure you take a moment to admire the intricate and varying braids on each of the maidens. Museum labels leave a lot out. Male translators left even more out of Sappho.
The tour I booked made a big difference by giving context and pointing out things I may have missed while visiting the site. I highly recommend booking a tour that also includes entry tickets to the Acropolis + Museum to make things easier day-of.
Book The Guided Tour I Experienced!
3. The National Archaeology Museum of Athens
If you love history and museums you must go to the National Archaeology Museum of Athens.
Now – be warned: It is possible to lose an entire day in this museum. I accidentally ate the lotus flower and spent 9 full hours exploring until they literally started closing… but you can do it more quickly if you are more mindful of time.
I loved this museum in particular because it gave a full picture of the history of the region, and didn’t just focus on antiquity. The exhibits presented artifacts from archaeological excavations from prehistory all the way up to antiquity. Many famous pieces are on display here, given their vast statue collection. This is also the home of the legendary Mask of Agamemnon.
If you’re short on time, I would recommend booking tickets in advance.
4. Ancient Agora of Athens
The Ancient Agora (market) is a sprawling space right in the middle of Athens, near the Acropolis. This is the place where the real, everyday lives of the people in ancient Greece occurred. Like the acropolis, there is a lot to see within the Agora.
The highlights you should prioritize are:
– The Temple of Hephaestus: Huge, can’t miss it. (also it’s the best preserved temple in Athens??? Coincidence I think not.)
– Stoa of Attalos: One-to-one reconstruction of the original covered walkway on the grounds, once served as the center of business, it now hosts a beautiful display of ancient statues and a small museum inside. Some parts of the museum may be repetitive, so make a beeline for the democracy exhibit and check out the artifacts exemplifying ancient voting systems and jury selection!
I won’t steer you wrong for a commission: It will be easier and cheaper to buy your ticket for the Ancient Agora at the entrance gate. They’re timed entries and buying online in advance gets dicy.
48 hours in Athens isn’t a lot of time, but if you want to cram in as much amazing history of the city as possible, these are the sites to prioritize.
I could probably fit one or two more small activities in this list, but Athens is a city where history is literally ALL around you everywhere you go.
Undoubtedly when you’re running from one ancient site to another, you’ll see a ruin that catches your eye next to the sidewalk and want to have time to take that in. So my biggest piece of advice when visiting Athens is this: Build in time for exploration. And enjoy! More history travel is coming. In the meantime, the archive is here.
