The Biggest Mistakes Tourists Make When Coming to Athens

Updated: Jun 11

Athens has over 7 million visitors each year. Known for its deep-rooted history, the oldest city in the world has come a long way. It is now an extremely popular city of its own, and not just a place for a layover, before flying to visit one of the Greek islands. Over the years, Athens has really adapted to be a versatile city for everyone, with its archaelogical sites, to its roof top bars, local tavernas with traditional greek music, and its bustling shops. I have been lucky enough to visit Athens numerous times, with family, friends and even on solo trips. So naturally, I have acquired a bit of knowledge on common tourist mistakes!

Not pre booking your tickets to the Acropolis. You may well get away with it out of season, but during the peak summer months you will find long, LONG queues! It is not uncommon to find a queue of more than 100 people at just 9:30 in the morning, with the queues only getting longer as the day goes on.

Not wearing suitable footwear. Cobble stone streets are uneven and slippery marble stone. Athens is an extremely walkable city, so naturally you want to pack your walking shoes. However, the cobbled streets are pretty slippery, even without any rain, so use your common sense, take sensible foot wear, and always watch your step.

Go to the Acropolis museum before you go to the Acropolis hill. You will find much more information in the museum than on the hill itself. It will make understanding what you are looking at much easier. The first time I visited the Acropolis, don't get me wrong, I found it fascinating and it was so cool to finally see it with my own eyes, but once I was in the museum, straight away I wished I had visited the museum first.

Believing Athens is just the Acropolis and Plaka. Take a wander around the other neighbourhoods such as Kolonaki or Pireus. Pireus is the main port where you can catch a ferry to the islands, however, it is also a mini city in its own right. You can watch my Pireus vlog on my YouTube channel if you would like to see more. (Check out Georgia Louise Travels on You Tube for out other Athens vlogs and our other travel adventures). There really is so much to see and do here and it is easily accessible from the city. Pireus is located at the end of the metro on Line 1, and is covered by your weekly metro card too. Kolonaki is another beautiful neighbourhood worth visiting… you can read my neighbourhood guide of Athens if you would like more information on other places to visit. Kolonaki is a wealthy little neighbourhood at the foot of Mount Lycabettus, with trendy shops and cafes, perfect for people watching or a spot of afternoon shopping.

Dont drive and park in Athens. Use public transport or walk. If you are exploring the mainland, pick up your car from the airport, visit the mainland, then drop your car back off before making your way into the city by metro or taxi. The parking in Athens really is so limited, and if you know anything about Greek parking, you know that you will probably end up getting blocked in! The streets are narrow and difficult to drive down, not something I would recommend when driving a rental car! Explore the city on foot, use the metro to get in and out the city centre area, then get your train back to the airport, pick up your rental car, and you’re good to go.

Have some cash/small bills. You can pay for most things with a credit or debit card but I would recommend having some small bills for tipping/small local purchases. A lot of little local shops and cafes will prefer cash as they are charged for every card purchase. For this reason, some places will actually offer a discount for paying with cash.

Speak to the locals. Get recommendations. They can recommend their favorite spots outside of the normal touristy areas of Athens. Athens city centre is great to visit for a couple of days and tick off all the must-see tourist spots. However, Athens is more than just the Acropolis, and let’s face it, you cannot beat a local recommendation from someone who has lived in Athens for many years.