Suggestions for Athens
Museums
1).I would suggest to do the Acropolis Museum before going up to the Acropolis unless you’re getting a tour guide. This way you will better understand and be more knowledgeable of all the architecture that you’re looking at.
2)National History Museum. Great history of Greece and good selection of all the traditional outfits from different parts of Greece and all our different flags also.
3) archaeological museum is also a must.
4). Lake Vouliagmeni – You can take a cab there. It’s about a 35 minute cab ride depending on traffic and you can use the app Uber or Free now. The lake has quite unique environmental conditions: it is supplied with warm seawater (28-35°C) via an underground channel spreading through a network of flooded caves, so its temperature never drops below 18 °C (usually ranges around 21-24 °C), whereas a freshwater spring reduces its salinity to brackish levels (14.5-18 psu).[1]
It continues deep inside the mountain in an underwater cave never fully explored, as its end seems impossible to trace even by employing sonar detection. Many underwater expeditions have been carried out in order to chart it, and a few amateur divers have drowned trying….
It’s very beautiful scenery and you can spend the whole day there. You can eat drink swim.. when you’re entering the water ittle fishies that are at pedicure places eat at your dry skin.
A couple of my friends just went and they paid 95 euros for two of them but they had booked the sun chairs and an umbrella that were away from everyone else and they used also different bathrooms. If you do go there pretty much across the street is a great restaurant. I will send you the link to. It’s called σαρδελάκι με θέα. They don’t take reservations there. It’s right on the water and beautiful view.
If you decide to go to the beach while you’re in Athens, I would suggest going to Nalu or Bolivar.
I would also suggest a excursion to the Temple of Poseidon which is also known as Cape Sounio. The entrance fee is €10 per person. There’s a cafe there. There’s a beach there and there’s also two restaurants there on the beach. You could either take a bus there or hire a driver. A bus will take about 2 hours and it’ll cost about 13 euros round trip per person. The bus departs from a park near the archaeological Museum. I will also include the link at the bottom for that.
Another thing that’s a definite must is a changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier which is at Parliament building, also known as Syntatagma square. It takes place every hour on the hour and on Sundays at 11:00 they have a 1 hour special ceremony.
Another must is the highest point in Athens which is known as Lycavitos Hill. There’s a cable car that takes you to the top. It’s 10 euros round trip and the cable car runs until at least midnight. And there’s a restaurant up there called the green tent and there’s a bunch of cafes. Great place for the sunset. There’s a little church up there also called St. George.
When you’re up walking through the placa and you’re near the Acropolis, there’s an area there called Anafiotika. It is the old Plaka and that’s where you will see whitewashed homes and you’ll think you are on an island.
The drive to Delphi is about 2 and 1/2 hours. I would suggest stopping at Arachova on the way.. Arachova is known for its rug making called flocates. And from there I would also suggest going down to the to the seaside town of Galaxidi.
If you’re going to have a rental car I would also suggest going to the town of Nafplio. It was the 2nd capital of modern day Greece. It’s a beautiful seaside town and it is known for its worry beads. There is also a castle that you can either walk up the 999 steps or drive up to and then tour it. There is also a Venetian Castle that you can visit and you take a little boat ride to get to there called Broudsi. It’s only about an hour and a half from Athens. Along the way there are several options – you could stop in Nemea along the wine road and go to several wineries and then also go to the archaeological museum of Nemes. Nemea in ancient Greece meant wooded district. The Nemea games were held there in ancient Greece and it was a competition held in honor of Zeus at the great temple of Zeus in nemeya and you could also see and run where they ran in the track from them.
Also near Nafplio is the ancient theater epidavros and also the ancient site of Mycenae. Pronounced Mikines, it is celebrated by Homer as the seat of King agamenon who led the Greeks in the Trojan war. Is also UNESCO site.
You could also do a day trip to the island of Hydra. No cars are allowed on that island. That island was very important in Greek history because of its naval positioning. It’s only about an hour and 45 minutes from the ports of Pireas. You could do a horseback riding tour up to one of the monasteries into the countryside of that island, which I have done is very beautiful and definitely worth doing.
Below is the link for the bus to sounio from the Park Pedio you Areos
http://ktelattikis.gr/en/sounioen
Archaelogical site of Nemea
+30 2746 024303
Lake Vouliagmeni – Natural Spa, Restaurant, Bar, Food & Resting Park … https://lakevouliagmeni.gr/
Nafplio Fortress
Fortress of Palamidi
+30 2752 028033