Seeing the 5th-century Acropolis is the most popular thing to do in Athens. Of course, this means that everyone wants to go there, including visitors from cruise ships. Our advice is to get there early to buy tickets, or purchase tickets online ahead of time. The site opens at 8 am and the cruise ship passengers arrive around 10 am.

Most people visit the Acropolis to see the Parthenon but there are several other things to see on the hill, including the Erechtheion, the Arrhephorion, and the Temple of Athena Nike.

From the Acropolis, you can see much of Athens and can see all the way to the sea. The entrance fee is €20 ($23.25).

To learn about all of the incredible history, join a private walking tour. The tour will also take you to the museum (below). There are a few different types of tours you can take, click here to learn more about a highly-rated, skip-the-line tour. (We HIGHLY suggest booking a private tour so that you ensure your time-slot and skip the entrance lines).

If you are not up for the climb, reach out to a private tour company about setting up a tour with the chair lift... otherwise, be prepared for some uphill climbing.

Either before or after you visit the Acropolis, you must visit the Acropolis Museum. It’s not far from the entrance of the Acropolis and the entrance fee is €5 ($5.80) in the winter and €10 ($10.50) in the summer.

Line-ups here can be huge, to skip the line, purchase your ticket ahead of time here. Alternatively, you can buy an all-inclusive ticket for both the museum and the Acropolis here.

Enjoy the winding streets of Athen's city center, especially the historic Plaka! We suggest taking a walking, biking or food tour.

Visit the Holy Church of Saint George of Lycabettus which sits high, high, high above Athens. Take the cable car up to it and enjoy all of the views and some food at the restaurant.

Have dinner with a real view! There are so many options and you cannot go wrong with any of them.

Check out Lake Vouliagmeni! Lake Vouliagmeni is a thermal ‘spa’ lake where the water stays at a constant temperature between 28 and 35 degrees centigrade, so it’s a pleasant place to swim.

You can even get a free pedicure from the ‘doctor fish’ that you find in foot spas, which swim around in the shallows waiting to be fed!

You can spend the whole day at Lake Vouliagmeni by taking a dip in this picture perfect spot followed by a refreshing drink and bite to eat by the lake! Nothing is better than natural healing mineral springs.

Enjoy the cute Vouliagmeni main square. There is a food option for everyone - 5-star waterfront restaurants to traditional greek cuisine to gelato!

Visit the spa and pool at the Margi hotel. If you do not stay at the Margi, it is still well worth the visit. The spa treatments are amazing, but you can have a day at the spa for a fee without having a treatment.

Most of the hotels located in Athens Riviera have excellent spas and pools, with day rentals. You cannot go wrong with any of them.

Hit up a beach club in Vouliagmeni! Astir Beach is a great option, but there are many to choose from. What is Greece without a beach club day??

Who doesn't like to shop, especially across the world???

TIP: Shopping in Greece has become quite famous in recent years as the Greek markets are flooded with the best fashion pieces at the cheapest rates possible. Some people, in fact, prefer traveling to Greece with empty suitcases, just to fill them up with pieces bought in the local markets.

Cinema under the stars is a cherished Athenian institution during the steamy summer months. Every neighbourhood has at least one open-air movie house—some as old as the history of cinema itself.

Check out the Glyfada neighborhood for upscale boutiques, imported palm trees and style-conscious, outdoor cafes. Plus, the refreshingly grounded parts of Glyfada, such as the souvlaki joints, low-key cinemas and farmers markets sharing street space with trendy bars.

Learn how to bring traditional greek cuisine back to your home!

One of the best non-touristy things to do in Athens (or indeed anywhere) is to take a cooking class with a local. In Athens, you can arrange this through the Museum of Gastronomy.

Duh.

Book a full-day cruise to the islands of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina for a relaxing day trip from Athens. Laze on the boat’s sundeck, spot a once-upon-a-time pirates’ cove and spend free time exploring each Greek island.

While you’re on Aegina, visit the Temple of Aphaia, which is dedicated to the goddess Athena and dates back to 480 BC.

The day trip I’ve linked includes a buffet lunch and audio guide of Hydra plus a transfer from Athens city center to the port.

If you’d like to visit Aegina only, you might prefer to just buy a ferry ticketso you can explore the island at your own pace.

Alternatively, you can do a boat trip to Agistiri and Aegina that includes a stop for swimming at Moni. Buy your ticket online here.

There’s also the option just to get the ferry to Agistiri and go it alone.

... what more is there to say?

But, really, what we know as the "gyro wrap" is actually Souvlaki - Greece's most beloved street food, and it comes in seemingly endless varieties.

The city actually boasts three of the official World’s 50 Best Bars: The Clumsies, Baba au Rum and Line.

We visited The Clumsies (number 19 on the list) and were super impressed. The menu is inspired by three emotions: happiness, excitement and tenderness; and each of the current cocktails falls within one of these categories.

I also highly recommend trying their homemade vermouth. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even like vermouth! For our single friends, the bartenders are nice to look at, too…

Some of the other bars in Athens that we loved were Diego’s and Kuko’s.

This counts as history, right? Brettos can be found in the picturesque Plaka neighbourhood of Athens and it first opened in 1909.

If you need to ask a local for directions, make sure you pronounce the bar’s name correctly – the B in Brettos is spoken as a V.

You’ll know you’re in the right place as soon as you peer around the doorway and see the impressive back bar. My years on the wrong side of a bar endowed me with a real appreciation for a good back bar!

Brettos still makes its own brandy, 50% ouzo and flavoured liqueurs.