Sights to see in or near Athens.

We just happen to stumble upon the tram going up to Lycabettus Hill while walking around Athens in search of an Apple Store. The view over the city from the top was incredible. The temple of Olympian Zeus was pretty interesting. You might check to see if there’s a changing of the guard on one of the days there. It was fun to see the guards in their ceremonial uniforms.

A summary of Rick's top sightseeing suggestions for Athens can be found here: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/greece/athens; click on "At a Glance".

The National Garden is located right next to the Parliament:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pQ3D3C9XZ3ew8tay8

Crossing it (a 15-minute walk) and you get to the Panathenaic Stadium, which you can visit (€12) with an interesting free audio guide available at the ticket office.

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

The changing of the guard takes place every hour in front of the Parliament on Syntagma Square. Sundays at 11 a.m. is a larger ceremony.

The SNFCC (Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center) has a very large garden with fountains. You can go to the top of the building and enjoy a beautiful 360° view from a bar with comfortable armchairs. There is also a huge library and an opera house (I love this place). Free shuttles take you there from Syntagma Square

https://www.snfcc.org/en/

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KkGQHCfqmbCoWLW29

The "tram" Margie is talking about is actually a cable car that you can take to go up Lycabettus Hill. It's a short half-hour walk from Syntagma Square or by taking Bus 60. Note that the last section to get to the cable car station is very steep if you walk there.

https://www.lycabettushill.com/

If you want to escape Athens for a day, you can visit the archaeological site at Cape Sounio and see the temple dedicated to Poseidon. 2 examples of day tours:

https://www.alternativeathens.com/tours/cape-sounion-sunset-day-trip/

https://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/greece-tours/29-half-day-tour-of-cape-sounion-the-temple-of-poseidon.html

You can also visit Aegina for the day by taking the metro to the port of Piraeus and then a ferry. The crossing takes about an hour. There are numerous ferries every day during peak season, no need to book (some also operate during the off-season).

www.visitgreece.gr/islands/saronic-islands/aegina/

These are just a few examples; there are countless other options to keep you busy for several days. Check the official Athens website:

https://www.thisisathens.org/

... will already include the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Note that the Parthenon is one of the temples located on the Acropolis hill. Visiting the Acropolis means seeing the Parthenon

We were in Athens for two nights in early October and stayed near the Plaka area. We just wandered around that area of Athens and did not even get close to the Acropolis. Here are some images of the area which is near the Plaka area.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72177720329955923/