1 extra free day in Athens- what to do?

It may be weather dependent but Hydra and environs is beautiful.

You have not mentioned Mycenae or Epidavros down near Nafplio, both are excellent but really probably most easily accessible by tour bus or car.

How many total days do you have for Athens? It deserves a minimum of 2 with 3 days being better. There is more to Athens than just the "ruins".

The Day Cruise to Hydra, Poros & Aegina will be more time spent on a boat than on each island. You are better off picking Aegina for the day trip. Leave in the morning, spend several hours on the island then return to Athens late afternoon with still enough time for a night out in Athens.

However, I would still recommend spending you "extra free day" exploring Athens.

Check out this website for what to do in Athens:

https://www.athensguide.com/

Nick B I am also planning a trip to Greece and want to suggest a food tour of Athens. I am looking at several right now. I have done food tours of Rome, Lima, New York and London. The best thing about them is not just the food, but you generally get great insight into the culture, city and people. It is a great companion for all the wonderful sites.

We usually spend three or four days in Athens, as there is so much to do and see there.
Corinth and Napflion go together but why would add Cape Sounio?
If a food tour interests you, Take one with Athens-Walks.com. Great experience with a small local company.

Thanks for all the advice. We will have 2-1/2 days in Athens. Since we won’t likely be back to Greece for a long time, I just want to make sure to get a good sampling of history, scenic, inland, island, food, etc. Will probably play it by ear and see how we feel after the first part of the trip then decide.

I think you have very little time for Athens so I would suggest not to go to another place... Stay in city center, visit neighbourhoods like Athens coast... Glyfada, Faliro seaside... Eat fresh fish at Mikrolimano or Pasalimani and in the evening watch an Ancient drama performance (fimonoitheater) .. You will relax enjoy and see real Athens

Athens sights: Acropolis, Old Agora, Temple of Zeus, Acropolis Museum, National Archeology Museum, Benaki Museum, Roman Agora. Whichever you have not done, do in that order. We have been in Athens the last 3 days.

Depending on how many days you will spend in Athens, I would suggest you walk around and visit other parts of Athens, instead of doing a day trip. Athens is much more than ancient ruins. You can walk around Plaka, or visit the flee market, visit some museums, or if you prefer beaches, there are plenty nearby the Athen's downtown, and they are as beautiful as some island beaches, the good thing is that they are not as touristy as the islands, so depending on the beach you go, it will not be crowded, I made a list of some nice beaches close to Athens

On our trip at Eastertime last year, we’d booked a room on Hydra for a couple nights after leaving Athens. We’d planned on taking the ferry to Hydra, but rough water (it was calm in the harbor, but it must’ve been rough farther out) cancelled our morning ferry. We split a taxi with another couple and drove the long way to another ferry which was able to make a shorter crossing. So conditions might affect a cruise, but maybe it’s a different kind of boat that can sail in more adverse conditions.

If you’re not visiting Olympia and its ancient stadium site this trip, do consider Nemea, on the Peloponnese Peninsula. We had the stadium and its entrance tunnel to ourselves, and the small museum and ruins there are also worthwhile. It’s about 60 miles from Athens, by land.