7 nights in Athens help

We have never used a tour guide when exploring the Athens highlights. The sites are easy to get to so we just bought tickets and did them ourselves.

I am going to suggest that you consider splitting your Athens adventure and adding a visit to Nafplio. It is a lovely city easily reached transfer service or KTEL bus from Athens in about a 2 hour commute. It is the place that Athenians head to for weekend get a ways.

It has a wonderful old town and harbour area along with a Venetian era fortress standing over the city. We always find a hotel in the old town to explore the area. Since you have a week on the mainland you might real;ly enjoy spending 2 or 3 days away from very busy Athens.
Bonus you do not have to hire a guide to enjoy Nafplio.
Some images
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720319228274/

Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon are about an hour from Athens.

You can get there by car, taxi, KTEL bus, or with organized day tours.

https://www.discovergreece.com/experiences/visit-magical-temple-poseidon-sounion

Olympia is too far, it will be more travel than sightseeing.

Athens itself has enough to keep you busy for several days.

https://www.thisisathens.org/

stanbr: Appreciate your response! First, your pictures are gorgeous! We have got into the habit when we travel on our own, to have a guided tour the first day-whether it is an overview of the city or a sight(s) that would need some explaining. After taking 9 Rick Steves Tours, we appreciate all the information that we learn and want to some how duplicate that when we are on our own. Nafplio is sure an idea to go somewhere totally different from Athens and easy to get to. Thanks!

JoLui: Your website suggestions are great! I was not aware of Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon and it looks like they would be really easy to get to for the day. I will add those to my list! I am trying to tell myself that Olympia is too far if we aren't going to spend the night; I am a BIG sports fan/Olympics fan and would love to see that. Can't do everything!

If you're a big sports/Olympics fan, go to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. It's in the city center, a 10-minute walk from Syntagma Square.

Bring your sneakers; you can run around the stadium like an athlete (preferably in the morning).

Even if you don't run, it's worth a visit and has a good free audio guide. There's also a small museum dedicated to the Olympic Games.

https://www.panathenaicstadium.gr/en/home/

Good idea JoLui, it is the stadium for the first modern Olympic Games (1896) so should be of interest :)
There’s also the new Olympic Museum on the edge of the 2004 Olympic stadium, I went when it first opened & it was a lot bigger than I expected & I learnt a lot too, I was very impressed & I'm not particularly a big sports fan, I’m sure you’ll love it! You can get there on the green line metro to Irini station which is on the edge of the other side of the stadium.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/jA6Km6KUuj4JKC1o7?g_st=ic

Oh that is a great idea! I did not know about the Panathenaic Stadium and will definitely put that on our list. The museum sounds really interesting too. Thank you so much.

I always stay a few days in Athens on every trip to Greece as there is more to it than just the usual tourist sites.

I've never taken a tour as there is so much info on websites and guidebooks to guide you throughout the city.

The Central Markets on Athinas St. is a smorgasbord of sights, smells and delights. Seafood, Meat and Produce sections are amazing and definitely something to visit if you don't have this type of large market where you live. Even if you don't buy anything it's worth checking out.

The National Gardens are worth a visit as it's an amazing quiet and green place in the city. Easy walking, huge assortment of plants, small zoo with a few animals, small pond with water birds, and several nice areas to sit and gaze around. Located behind the Government Building at Syntagma Square.

If you want a taste of a Greek Island head to Anafiotika on the North side of the Acropolis. It looks like a Cyclades Village with white washed houses, narrow lanes and views of Athens. A nice break from a city of millions and a short walk from Monistiraki Square.

If you are into pomp and circumstances then every Sunday Morning there is a parade, soldiers marching and the changing of the guards at Syntagma Square.

Thanks for your reply, tommyk5! I like the ideas as they are something different from the basic "must sees".

I will clarify on our idea of a tour guide. I hear the replies that mention that a tour guide is not needed. We were thinking of getting a tour guide for the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. To us, the Acropolis is the "main event" in Athens and we just don't want to go there and not understand all the history, etc. I read something that someone on the forum wrote: She treats each trip as if it is her last. Totally agree with that as we are getting older and just don't know about the next one.

Again, thanks to all that have replied. I will definitely check out all of them.

We made our first visit to Greece last fall, and spent five nights in Athens. We also spent three nights in Napflio, and liked the town very much. From there, we visited Mycenae (and other places, but that was the highlight for me). (We also visited other places in Greece, but I'm only mentioning the places that you are considering visiting.)

I am very interested in ancient Greek history, so it was important to me to have a private guide for our visit to the Acropolis and New Acropolis museum. I'm so glad I did that, she added so much to what we were seeing, even though I had reread a number of my college textbooks. She was very knowledgeable, her name is Nota and we found her through Tours by Locals. One thing I wish we had done was to return to the Acropolis at the very end of the day, either that day, or to buy a ticket and visit again on a different day. Also, we did spend extra time in the museum after our tour with her was over.

Each morning, I went for a walk on the pedestrian walkway that goes along the entrance to the Acropolis (our excellent hotel was close by). It looks like many locals go there, too, as well as tourists. It's so historic, and quiet, and lovely. You can walk to Pnyx, and Lycabettus Hill. One morning was able to watch the sun rise over the city. I definitely recommend strolling around that area, at any time of day.

One of our nights in Athens, we took a day trip to Delphi. We had Nota as our guide to this site, as well, and she was also very informative. Because I have a fear of heights, we had a hired driver take us, as part of Nota's tour. There are cheaper ways to visit Delphi, but I really wanted to go because of its historical significance and this was the only way that me and my fears could get there. "Normal" people wouldn't have an issue.

Regarding the Acropolis, if you're looking for a guide to enhance your visit beyond the few information panels on site, you can easily contact one directly without going through an agency or tour website.

You'll find a list of licensed tourist guides and their contact information below (I've selected those who speak English and are located in the Athens area to facilitate your search).

https://www.tourist-guides.gr/guides/list-of-licensed-tourist-guides/?bla=1338&q=attica

To get you in the mood while you wait for your trip, I quite like this video that depicts Athens during the Classical period.

https://youtu.be/ulAxMLJ7O7M

It comes from this very informative website:

https://ancientathens3d.com/

One of the most important aspects of going to the Acropolis is to avoid the crowds and tour groups which can either make or break your experience there.

The best time to go is at 8 a.m. when it first opens. If you can find a tour that does that it would be best.

After the first hour or two after opening most tours and tourists start showing up and for me the experience of the Acropolis starts going down hill.

Another option is a late afternoon tour.

You can check out my morning visit. The second part is long but shows most of the site:

Part One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_zztxCMPqo

Part Two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBXV4MLV9yI

Lexma: Thanks for the reply. Your trip to Delphi sounds very interesting! I had looked at Tours by Locals so having a name that someone has used is helpful. You mentioned fear of heights-was it the drive itself or where the sights are?

JoLui: The tourist guide link and video/website are great! Thank you!
tommyk5: The videos are very helpful; I am more of a visual person, so if I can actually see something first instead of reading about it works for me. I appreciate the suggestion to go to the Acropolis early. We usually try to do that as crowds gather fast later on.

Cindy - an important reminder -- unless you are booking an existing group tour for Acropolis, you 3 will need to get tickets in advance online for the tine you wish to enter (as recommended here, As early as possible after 8 am!). Your mention of "some research" does not tell us if you are aware of this. The ONLY place to do this without some add-on fee is to use the official government ticketing site:
https://hhticket.gr/tap_b2c_new/english/tap.exe?PM=P1P&place=000000002

If booking a tour thru Athens-walks, as noted, tickets can be ordered when signing up, and if not available for your date, you would be refunded for both ticket and tour fee; This is NOT the case for all tour agencies,.. read the fine print.

If you are booking a private guide for a tour for just you 3, the Acropolis admission ticket usually is your responsibility.

Thank you, janet, that is a really good point. When we figure out what we are going to do, I will definitely check about the tickets.

We used Athens Walks for a guided tour of the Acropolis, and I highly recommend them.

I also second everyone's recommendations of spending a few nights in Nafplio if you don't mind leaving Athens for a few days. Nafplio is a beautiful small city on the water. We saw our best sunset while in Nafplio. You can easily visit Ancient Epidaurus and Mycenae from Nafplio. If you won't have a car, look into a day tour. There are other ancient sights nearby, too. Janet will remember the names.

We also really enjoyed the Central Market in Athens, along with the Flea Market. There are small restaurants and cafes at the Central Market where you can have lunch, if you wish.

Thanks, kmkwoo, for the reply. I will look into Athens Walks and see what they have to offer. We will not have a car so looking at a day tour might be a good option. The market sounds really fun and love trying different foods.

We are getting very excited about our time in Athens-so much to see and do!!

Cindy, Kmkwoo was referring to gettting a day tour while IN Nafplio, to see nearby ancient sites ... NOT to getting a Day tour from Athens. I've avoided recommending them because most of them are are disappointments -- crowded busses take too long to pick up passengers at hotels & even get out of town, too long to reach sites, where a dozen busses may arrive at once and it's like a zoo, then (if the agency is taking kickbacks) you're rushed off to a group lunch you don't want and which costs you extra, then driven to souvenir stores, etc ... yuck.

The only bus tour at all I recommend is one that goes once a week on Tuesdays for 2 days (one overnight) -- from Athens to Nafplio, with site visits along the way. I recommend this because its not rush-rush... on day #1, you see Ancient Mycenae in AM, but the whole afternoon & evening is "free time", and Day #2, the whole day essentially is "free time", unless you want to do a guided tour of Nafplio Old Town (not neeeded, you can explore better on your own), bus departs for Athens at 5 pm. Here's the link: https://chat-tours.com/tour/mycenae-nafplio-2-days-tour-6/

NOTE: this tour on AM of 2nd day, used to take you to Ancient Epidaurus (stunning 15,000-seat ancient theatre!), but this is now not included. However, if on first day you meet a couple of others interested in seeing this, you 4 could easily hire a taxi to take you there on Wed AM & bring you back before lunch, for very doable shared price. Then you could have a great swim at the cute town beach before departure for Athens.

NOTE #2: if you would be in a hotel on Monday night, you'd have to check out, then back in on Wednesday --- do not fret!! Athens hotels are totally accustomed to guests leaving for tours & returning. You could check your large bags in their secure storage & just take a shoulder bag for the one-night away. DO look at stanbr's wonderful photographs of NAFPLIO -- it is considered to be THE most beautiful Old Town in All of Greece... on a peninsula, surrounded by the sea, Florentine architecture... everyone I've brought there, after a visit to Athens & 2-3 islands, has proclaimed it their favorite place in Greece.

Janet is correct that I meant getting a day tour to see the ancient sights while you are IN Nafplio.

Thanks for clarifying, janet. I did think the day tour was from Athens, so glad I know otherwise. We certainly have a lot to think about as the 2-day tour you talked about sounds really interesting! I like the fact that there is quite a bit of free time to explore the town and area.
Thanks again!