I've got a Mediterranean cruise coming up in the second half of May that will depart from the port in Athens. We're planning to fly into Athens two days early, arriving Friday to have a full Saturday in Athens, and then catch our cruise on Sunday. How would you craft your single day in Athens? I'm traveling with my mom who is 75, she can't walk for super long periods of time (not more than say 30 minutes at time) or hike too many flights of stairs in one shot. Our cruise will be going to Santorini, Olympia and Corfu, not sure if these ports of call will have some better attractions that allow us to skip some attractions in Athens.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
5291 posts
The Acropolis Museum in the afternoon when its hot-and it has a nice cafe
Posted by
Michigan
614 posts
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, find a rooftop bar/restaurant for dinner with views of the Acropolis - it's lit up at night and amazing.
Posted by
Granite Bay, CA
2020 posts
I ended a med cruise in Athens with my 90 year old dad and sister. I found a fabulous day tour with a private "driver" not "tour guide", but he was every bit of a tour guide or better. He picked us up from the port and dropped us off at our hotel. He could get you at your hotel and return you there. He took us all around and knew the timing to avoid crowds. He will make your day into whatever you want. It was a perfect full day!
I highly recommend!!
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
2326 posts
Visit the Acropolis in the morning when it is cooler. You can go on guided tour, if you wish, with Athens Walks. And visit the Acropolis Museum in the afternoon when it is hotter.
https://www.athens-walks.com/
You can ask them if they do private guided tours if that is something you are interested in.
Posted by
197 posts
I would agree with the other posters that if I only had 1 day in Athens I would go to see the Acropolis. That being said, your mother may have difficulty walking or climbing to the top. There is an elevator but it isn't always in operation.
Posted by
Atlanta
5710 posts
The Ancient Agora sits right at the base of the Acropolis and has one of the best preserved temples in Greece. Google it and see if it holds any interest.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
For the Acropolis, I see you have to buy tickets ahead. On the website for tickets, it shows you have to reserve a time and the earliest available is 12 Noon. It's only showing that time on other days as well. If we want to go in the morning to beat the heat do you buy tickets there?
Aside from the Acropolis, Parthenon and the Ancient Agora, are the other historic sites not really worth seeing, with limited time? I was interested in seeing the Panathenaic Stadium but I'm wondering if it's really worth it, especially since it hasn't been mentioned. For museums, is the acropolis museum better to see than the national archaeological museum?
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
3863 posts
If we want to go in the morning to beat the heat, do you buy tickets
there?
You can check if tickets are available on a third-party website for your chosen time and day. These sites have quotas of pre-purchased tickets, but you'll pay much more than on the official website (it can be up to double the price with completely unnecessary options.
Alternatively, you have two options: buy tickets on-site when you arrive, or visit at another time of day when it will be less crowded (from 4 pm onwards).
When it comes to other sites or museums, it's similar to any cultural activity—whether it's cinema, books, or music—it's really up to you to choose based on your interests. So, I won’t speak about cafes and restaurants; in my opinion they're not central to the main purpose of visiting a museum.
You'll have little to no queues to enter sites other than the Acropolis.
For museums, is the Acropolis Museum better to see than the National
Archaeological Museum?
It's not a question of "better"; the Acropolis Museum focuses exclusively on archaeological discoveries from the Acropolis site, the NAM is the largest museum in Greece, covering the entire history of Greece (from prehistory to the end of Antiquity).
Regarding your 75-year-old mother, the Panathenaic Stadium presents no particular difficulties. She can sit in the stands, and even the small museum inside is easily accessible. Free audio guides are available upon request at the entrance. However, it is located on the other side of the National Garden, which means about a 20-minute walk from Syntagma Square / Acropolis Museum.
The Acropolis Museum has four floors but isn't huge, and there are no particular difficulties to navigate. It's located right next to the Acropolis's eastern entrance.
The National Archaeological Museum is huge and exploring all its rooms can take 3 hours or more. It's located away from the other sites, north of Omonia Square. You can get there on foot (a 30-minute walk) or by bus, metro, or taxi.