In this section you can find proposals and ideas for other activities while in Athens in the daylight. We have more proposals for later, when the sun sets and the moonlight sparkles.For later at night, have a look at our other page Nightlife.
- Have a bike tour
and overview the whole city center on a bike
Our proposal is www.webikeathens.gr
Bike Athens and its surroundings with an eBike! - Go for shopping-therapy
Best commercial and pedestrian street for shopping is Ermou street
From clothing, shoes, faux bijoux, cosmetics up to food and coffee shops, you can almost find anything you like on Ermou street, next to Syntagma square and the parliament
Our proposal for clothing and more is www.emescorners.gr If you prefer famous and expensive brands of jewelry shops, visit Kolonaki district or Voukourestiou street, near Syntagma square. - Play and create with clay
There is nothing more creative and fun than playing with clay! Learn how to use it, create your own clay objects and have a lot of fun. The place is great for all ages, so you can spend some time there with your kids as well. For more info checkwww.pilosstudio.com - Go to the beach
Athens city center is very close to many beaches, organized and free ones.
It is your choice. If you prefer sun-beds and umbrellas then you choose an organized one. If you are a free-spirit, content by lying on the beach, swimming and enjoying the sun, choose one with a free entrance.
Tip - Take the tram nr.6 from Syntagma Square to Pikrodafni and if you wish to go further towards Voula change at Pikrodafni to tram nr.7 towards Asklipio Voulas. These trams go along the seaside so you will be able to choose where you wish to stop and get off.
Some of our favorites have excellent water quality, according to the latest annual report by the European Environmental Agency.
Even for just a quick afternoon swim as the sun sets is always worth it. Better to avoid the weekends as they can get pretty crowded.- EDEM is a long sandy beach located between the districts Paleo Faliro and Alimos. It is organized, although there are free parts along the seaside. Easily reached via Tram 6 (Edem stop)
- THALASSEA is one of the most popular spots to swim in Athens, at Voula. The sandy beach offers a range of services and has high quality sun beds at reasonable prices. During the summer, beach parties are often organized with performances by well-known Greek singers. Either take the metro to Elliniko station and then bus 122, or take the tram 7 to Asklipio Voulas stop.
- KAVOURI, at the suburb of Vouliagmeni, is actually a pine-tree covered peninsula studded with expensive villas. Megalo Kavouri is the most popular place with an organized beach, as well as a free area. The beach is sandy and the water shallow for quite a distance. Take the metro to Elliniko station and then bus 122.
- ASTIR BEACH in Vouliagmeni. The ultimate luxury beach experience! At a cost that is not affordable for everyone of course. Astir Beach is considered one of the top spots and offers a full range of high quality services. On the weekends the cost of a pair of sun beds can reach 160 euros.
- VOULIAGMENI LAKE is not quite a beach, but a rare geological formation located next to the sea. The waters of the lake are fed with saltwater via underground currents, through the mountain (although there is still some mystery about how this occurs). The therapeutic water of the lake is always warmer than the sea water and the temperature is stable at 23-24 degrees Celsius. Generally peaceful and quiet, with sun beds and plenty of amenities, it is also worth staying for a drink in the evening when the rock walls are lit up and soft music floats out over the still waters.
- YABANAKI BEACH, at Varkiza resort. A beach park with a full suite of services and amusements. A full range of watersports is available, such as water skiing, banana boats, SUP, windsurfing lessons. In the afternoons a fully supervised play area with numerous large bouncy castles also operates for children. To get there take the metro to Elliniko station and then bus 171 or bus 122.
- Take the cable car to the top of Lycabettus hill
The view is magnificent, especially the sunset. You can visit the little Greek orthodox church of St. George at the top and underneath you can enjoy your dinner or just have a drink admiring the stunning view of the city, at Orizontes restaurant. - Admire hi-tech inventions of ancient Greeks at Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology.
Aside from being pretty good at building temples, the ancient Greeks knew a thing or two about science. Get your head around Plato’s hydraulic alarm clock and discover the world’s very first analog computer. There are early astrolabes, acoustic radars and musical instruments too. - Visit the Diomedes Botanical Garden
The largest botanical garden in Greece is a heaven of tranquility for those looking for a slice of nature and seclusion. Home to over 3,000 different plant species, the Diomedes Botanical Garden gives a great introduction to the diverse local flora. Follow secret pathways to hidden glades and breathe in aromatic scents in the herb garden. Bliss! - Explore the Stavros Niarchos Park
This park is a delightful green space with landscaped trails and a playground where kids can burn off some energy. Stroll through lavender gardens and along olive avenues, enjoying the peace and quiet. There’s a large pool where you can rent sailboats and kayaks if you fancy a splash on the water. It’s a great place to cool off! - Visit the Museum of Illusions
Let your eyes play tricks on you, as you delve into the mind-bending world of this museum. Your senses won’t know what’s hit them because nothing is quite what it seems. You’ll be defying the laws of gravity in the Reverse Room, and walking upside down in the Rotated Room. Stand on top of the infinity wall if you dare! - Have fun at Allou! Fun Park
Embrace a dash of whimsy as you enjoy a rip-roaring family day out at Greece’s largest amusement attraction. Hold onto your hats as you ride the Loop at the roller coaster, and don’t look down on the Shock and Drop tower plunge. Younger thrill-seekers love taking a spin on the Ferris wheel and zooming around on the bumper cars. - Have a walk and relax in the first Japanese Garden in Athens
The 3,500-square-meter Niriides Park in Pangrati, was recently transformed into the capital’s first Japanese garden. To appeal to the theme, the city has planted plants that are native to both Japan and the Mediterranean region. Therefore, one can find Japanese maples, cherry blossoms and bamboo alongside myrtle, laurel, and other endemic flora. A peaceful place in a busy capital. The place is near metro station Evangelismos and next to the National Gallery of Athens. - Visit the impressive National Gallery of Athens
Since May 2021, the National Gallery-Museum of Alexandros Soutsos has welcomed visitors to its recently refurbished building. The new building complex, with its roots in the heritage of Greek modernism, is a contemporary cultural landmark in the heart of Athens. The new modernized building complex of the National Gallery, an open space for access and familiarization with the history of modern Greek art, is articulated in an aesthetic and functional game of built volumes and outdoor spaces. Given the protected shell of the building, its total size was doubled to 20,760 m2: bigger exhibition spaces, contemporary art storage, a 240-seat auditorium, a two-storey art library, up-to-date conservation laboratories, modern offices, new educational areas, a large impressive lobby, where, in addition to the ticket office and the cloakroom, the museum shop and the digital information lounge are located, and finally, a garden-outdoor sculpture gallery and a stylish coffee shop. The new facility aims to spread its work through an energetic connection between the urban and the museum experience. - Visit Attica Zoological Park
Being wowed by wolves and making friends with monkeys is one of the best family things to do in Athens. The zoo is home to over 2,000 animals all waiting to get acquainted. You can walk inside giant aviaries and travel through the African savannah where giraffes and zebras roam. Watch out for the jaguars and rare white lions. - Walk in-between the graves of the First Cemetery of Athens
Feel the hairs on your neck stand to attention, as you take a walking tour around the city’s oldest cemetery. The final resting place of both Greeks and foreigners, this serene sanctuary boasts eminent statesmen, artists and writers as its residents. Admire sculpted masterpieces such as the Sleeping Lady of Giannoulis Halepas and enjoy the serenity and the calmness of the place, under the shade offered by the numerous cypress trees. - Take a stroll in the National Garden of Athens
Just a few meters away from Syntagma metro station and right next to the national parliament lies the National Garden which, together with the Ζappeion Hall, covers 24 hectares full of vegetation, rare kinds of plants, saplings and birds. The garden is accessible from seven entrances: The central entrance on Amalias Avenue, one on Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, three on Irodou Attikou Street and two more in the area of Zappeion. Before it was renamed “National”, the garden was called “Royal” or “The Garden of Amalia”, the queen to whom it owes its existence. The interest of Queen Amalia, wife of King Otto, in the garden completed in 1840 was such that she is said to have spent at least three hours a day personally taking care of it. She personally planted the iconic palm trees (now 25m tall) which grab your attention when you enter Vasilissis Amalias Avenue.
Just a few steps into the garden allows you to escape the hurly-burly of the city. Shaded by eucalyptus trees, its benches make an ideal spot to bury yourself in a book or perhaps even start a romance as Athenians jog by. The numbers speak for themselves. The garden is home to 7,000 trees, 40,000 bushes and other plants, making up 519 species and varieties. More than 100 of them are Greek, with Judas trees, oleanders and carob trees the undoubted stars, while others come from countries all over the world, such as Australian pines or Chinese trees-of-heaven. Centenarian Holm oaks, cypress trees and Canary Island date palms are also amongst the plants that have been a feature of the garden since it was first created. There are also six lakes, all with a sizable community of playful ducks. And one of the most amazing finds in the garden during 19th-century excavations is the Roman floor, uncovered at a depth of one meter, belonging to the courtyard of a Roman villa very near what is now the entrance on Vasilissis Sophias Avenue.
You’ll also love the sundial at the main entrance, where visitors try to guess the time before looking at their watch. The garden also has a conservatory, children’s library and a small café (entrance on Irodou Attikou Street). The conservatory is the place where plants are initially cultivated before being replanted in the garden and is considered to have been the country’s very first working greenhouse. The library, which has two reading rooms, a fairy tale room and a music and film room was founded in 1984. When it first opened, there were only 1,500 books on its shelves, but today there are more than 6,000. - Interact at the Digital Museum
Interactive, fun and kids-friendly, the Digital Museum is located in the neighborhood where Plato founded his school of philosophy, the Academy, around 387 BC. Built like a box with one exit and one entrance to symbolize the path to enlightenment, the purpose of this museum is to create a link between modern-day Athens and the life and teachings of the ancient philosopher. - Indulge yourself with a steam bath
There are a number of small-capacity traditional bathhouses in Plaka. Lie on the warm marble, breathe deeply in the steam bath and place yourself in the hands of experts equipped with a ketse (a special sponge for exfoliation) foaming with natural olive oil soap. Get your hair washed and your body massaged. There are many services available and special offers for couples. You can, of course, combine different options as you wish. Tea is served afterwards and you leave the place relieved and replenished.