Athens city guide

for fabulous travellers

things to do in athens @minkaguides
Heading to the Greek capital? Here’s my guide to all the fun and fabulous things to do in Athens! Know something else that’s awesome in this fabulous city? Comment below and share the love 👇 Regular...

 The area is a great place to base yourself for the stay as you can easily walk south to Acropolis or north to Exarcheia. It's busy and alive at night, so I always felt safe walking around here, even on my own at night.

City Circus Hostel

Athens city guide CREDIT Minka Guides

#MinkaGuidesAthens

Things to watch out for in Athens

Don't leave town with trying these...







  • Athens G.A.: I kept Googling places in Athens and then realising that they were actually in the U.S. state of Georgia. So add Greece to your search, just in case.


  • Greek alphabet: I was very intimidated by the fact that everything would be written in an alphabet I couldn't even read! At least in most of Europe, I can try and pronounce a word but here everything is indecipherable (due to my limited language skills). Thankfully, this wasn't ever a problem as most signs and menus were either in English or translated (and most Athenians spoke excellent English).


  • Language: once I learnt a couple of phrases, I found them especially easy to remember!


  • Five different spellings: anything that is translated from Greek tends to have multiple spellings in the Latin (this) alphabet. For example, the area I stayed in is called Psyri but it could also be spelt Psiri, Psyrri or Psirri in Latin and then Ψυρή or Ψυρρή in Greek. Fun, right? This made researching the city quite difficult as you often needed to try Googling a restaurant or an area by multiple names.


  • Long short flight: Athens is 4-hours from London, which isn't bad at all (considering I'm from Australia) but I think this might be my limit on a budget airline. Without any in-flight entertainment options, you really have to bring something seriously entertaining or you will go a little bonkers.


  • Smoking: I'd forgotten what it's like to go out in a city where people smoked EVERYWHERE. There are laws banning smoking inside but no one pays any attention to them. So don't pack clothes with the intention of wearing them for a second day as they will reek of smoke. Fun if you're a smoker! Not so much fun if you're asthmatic (like me).


  • Brunch: while you can get weekend brunch in some cafes and restaurants, it isn't really a thing on weekdays. So I would recommend booking accommodation that does breakfast (something I never recommend as I love exploring brunch options!) if possible.


  • Coffee: Greek coffee is stronger than what they call 'American coffee' so if you don't like an intense caffeine hit in the morning, avoid it. Apparently, getting your coffee to go is much cheaper than having it at the cafe so if you're on a tight budget just sit outside.


  • The Acropolis: don't leave it until your last day like I did. I was a fool and had to rush the whole experience. Ascending those steep hills in a hurry wasn't fun. Thankfully, this means I can't wait to go back and do it all again.

A lifestyle blog for everyone who questions the norm. From polyamorous relationships and personal growth to being genderqueer, Minka Guides helps you live a fabulous life with intentionality.

Follow me

We should keep in touch!

Enter your email and I'll keep you up to date with my latest posts

Doing drag - Fanny Minka at Agent Provocateur party CREDIT Sink The Pink
We should keep in touch!