Day 2: Acropolis & Ancient Athens
Thursday, May 14th 2026
Matt and I celebrated our honeymoon with a trip to Greece, Serbia, and Switzerland. If you missed Day 1 in Athens, check it out!
This was our first full day in Athens and probably the day I was most excited for.
Breakfast at the Hotel
One thing Electra Palace Athens absolutely nailed was breakfast.
Breakfast was served daily from 7:00–10:30 AM, at their Electra Roof Garden, and was amazing.
The dining area had beautiful indoor/outdoor seating with huge glass windows overlooking the Acropolis.
It definitely catered to travelers of various countries, so there was a mix of European-style breakfast foods alongside more American options.
Everything was buffet-style with tons of variety.
- meats and cheeses
- fresh fruit
- scrambled eggs
- sausage
- potatoes
- pancakes
- pastries
- cereal
- toast
We loaded up before heading out because we knew it would be a long morning of walking and exploring.
Visiting the Acropolis
The Acropolis was only about a 15-minute walk from our hotel.
We booked 8:00 AM timed-entry tickets, and I HIGHLY recommend going as early as possible before the heat and crowds get worse.
We visited mid-May. May 13th – 15th 2026. The highs were 79-82°F and the lows were 58-59°F, so make sure you dress accordingly.
Acropolis Ticket Information
I bought our tickets online ahead of time:
- 2 tickets = 91 euros ($106.71)
- Timed entry for 8:00 AM
One thing to note: tickets for May didn’t even become available until April 22nd, so don’t panic if you’re planning far in advance and don’t see them yet.
📍Theorias 49, Athens 105 58, Greece: We entered here because it’s where the Rick Steves Acropolis Audio Tour starts. Don’t forget to pack headphones!
You can skip the ticket line if you purchased online.
Also, for anyone wondering: I brought small snacks into the Acropolis with no issues. They didn’t check our bags when we entered.
What’s Included at the Acropolis
Odeon of Herodes Atticus: A Roman-era theater still used today for concerts.
Propylaea: The monumental entrance to the Acropolis.
And to show you what crowds are like, check these next 2 pics. and remember. This isn’t peak season.
Even arriving right at opening, it was already busy. We were basically part of the first wave entering at 8 AM.
The Parthenon: The crown jewel of the Acropolis and symbol of classical Athens.
Yes, there is still scaffolding on the front of the Parthenon – the most photographed spot at the Acropolis.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice some pieces that appear much whiter than the surrounding stone. These are newer replacement pieces that haven’t yet weathered and developed the warm golden color that comes with centuries of exposure.
Fun fact: every single stone of the Parthenon has been meticulously cataloged. Archaeologists have documented each piece’s size, shape, dimensions, original location, and even where fallen fragments were discovered around the site. The restoration process is essentially a giant three-dimensional puzzle, with experts carefully determining where thousands of fragments belong before putting them back in place.
Even more impressive? The Parthenon was originally built in just 15 years, between 447 and 432 BC. The modern restoration effort has been underway for decades and has already taken several times longer than the original construction, showing just how complex it is to preserve a 2,500-year-old masterpiece.
Erechtheum: Known for the Caryatids, the elegant maidens serving as columns.
Views of the City
Theater of Dionysus: The birthplace of Greek drama, located on the southern slope.
Your Acropolis ticket includes access to:
- The Parthenon
- Erechtheion
- Temple of Athena Nike
- Theater of Dionysus
- Additional surrounding archaeological areas
Don’t Accidentally Skip Parts of the Site Like We Did
We genuinely thought we had seen everything included with the Acropolis ticket… but somehow missed things like whole southern slope, including the Theater of Dionysus.
What confused me was that during the audio tour, Rick Steves says something along he lines of: “Look over the cliff and you can see the Theater of Dionysus. It’s included with your ticket, so make sure to check it out later.”
For some reason, my brain interpreted that as a completely separate site, that your ticket gave you a bonus entry into. I could not tell you how to get here, without exiting and re-entering at anothe entrance lol
So after we finished the main Acropolis area, we came back down, didn’t see signs directing us toward those locations, and ended up exiting altogether. We came down the hill and headed towards the theatre.
We went up to a completely different entrance, at the bottom, where the theatre was located. We went to show our Acropolis ticket, thinking this would gain us entry, only to realize it’s literally the same thing we just came from. And our ticket was timed out bc it was no longer 8am.
Looking back, it was definitely user error on our part, but apparently we weren’t the only confused tourists. After wandering around in circles trying to figure out whether there was more to see “down there,” we had other visitors asking us if we knew where the paths led.
The pathways/signage weren’t always super obvious. Meanwhile, the ticket worker was looking at us like we were stupid Americans hahah
So learn from our mistake:
Make sure you fully understand the layout before exiting the site.
Also, I would give yourself MORE time than the commonly recommended 1.5–2 hours. We made it from our 8am start time to our 10a museum time, but we apparently skipped half of the Acropolis hahaha. So 2 hours might feel rushed.
Acropolis Museum
After the Acropolis, we headed to the Acropolis Museum for our 10:00 AM reservation.
Side Story: For months leading up to our trip, Matt’s dad would say “But be careful. If it rains there, it’s so slippery!” “Did I tell you guys how dangerous that marble can be when wet?”
Well. It drizzled slightly while we were up on the hill of the Acropolis. When we arrived at the Museum, Matt goes “oh no. My dad’s worst nightmare is coming true. It’s raining. And it’s slippery.” He wasn’t joking!
Museum Ticket Information
- 2 tickets = 65 euros ($76.22)
- Timed entry at 10:00 AM
You can either buy tickets ahead of time or purchase them there. Unlike the Acropolis, museum entry isn’t nearly as strict or stressful timing-wise. It’s located within walking distance of the Acropolis.
Don’t skip the museum. Even if you aren’t super into ancient artifacts, the building itself is incredibly well done. Just, make sure you don’t wear a skirt hahah
Helpful Tip: The top floor of the museum is designed as an exact layout replica of the Parthenon itself.
They’ve taken preserved pieces and sculptures from the original structure and arranged them in the same positioning and orientation as they would have appeared on the real Parthenon, up the hill above.
That context made everything way more interesting and easier to visualize.
The museum also offers its own audio tours through QR codes posted throughout the exhibits. Since Rick Steves doesn’t have a museum tour, we used the museum’s shorter one-hour option. There are also longer 1.5-hour and 2-hour versions available.
Do the sculptures below look familiar? These are the famous Caryatids – the maidens that once supported the roof of the Erechtheion with their heads.
What we saw earlier at the Acropolis were actually replicas. To protect the originals from weathering and pollution, the real Caryatids were moved into the museum for preservation. Interestingly, only five are here in Athens today. The sixth Caryatid is on display in London, where it was removed in the early 1800s and remains a subject of ongoing debate and requests for its return.
My Honest Museum Take
I’m really glad we went.
But I’ll also admit: after a while, my attention span for ancient artifacts started fading a little.
I think Matt appreciated this more than me. Which is cool, bc it’s fun to have different interests and different parts of your trip for each person to look forward to.
But like. It’s the Acropolis. If you’re in Athens, you NEED to go.
I’ll add. Us booking the early slots…MAJOR MOVE. Leaving both sites, the crowds, and lines for the ticket booth, coming in were insane.
Other things to see:
Other things to do after visiting the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum could include a few additional stops around Athens, depending on your time and energy.
One great option is Areopagus Hill – an easy, free climb right next to the Acropolis with some of the best sunset views in the city. It’s quick, simple, and one of the most iconic photo spots overlooking the Parthenon.
Another nearby site is the Temple of Olympian Zeus. From the outside, it looks impressive with its massive remaining columns, but we didn’t feel it was worth paying to go inside. The view we got the day before during the Rick Steves walking tour (from just outside the fence) felt like enough.
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is also a major option if you’re really into artifacts and ancient history. It’s supposed to be incredible, but it can feel overwhelming if you’re not deeply interested in museum-style viewing, so we ended up skipping it.
The Panathenaic Stadium is another possibility, though it’s a bit farther out from the main historic center. It’s the site of the first modern Olympic Games and entirely made of marble, but we didn’t make it there on this trip.
We also visited Hadrian’s Library the day before as part of the Rick Steves walking tour, so we didn’t feel the need to go back again.
One place we would have loved to see is Mount Olympus – the legendary home of the Greek gods. It’s tied to Greek mythology as the dwelling place of Zeus and the Olympian gods, and it’s a stunning natural landmark. It’s the highest mountain in Greece at about 9,570 ft. However, it’s about a 5-6 hour drive one way from Athens, so it didn’t realistically fit into our itinerary this time.
Another spot we were sad to miss bc of time, was Ancient Olympia – the birthplace of the original Olympic Games dating back to 776 BC. This historic site is where athletes once competed in honor of Zeus, and visitors today can still walk through the ancient stadium, ruins, and temples where the games first began. Standing on the original starting line is said to be an unforgettable experience for history and sports lovers alike. Unfortunately, we decided to skip it during this trip since it’s about a 3.5–4.5 hour drive from Athens, making it a bit too far for our itinerary, but it’s definitely high on our list for a future Greece adventure.
We couldn’t really “find” the Ancient Agora. We walked around for a while with no real direction and no signs. The one address we had for ticket entry, we found the gate for, but it was closed. Lots of walking and not a lot to see in the hot sun. So eventually we gave up and headed to lunch instead.
Lunch: Kalimeres
We found a cute little spot called Kalimeres where Matt grabbed (not his first of the trip) a Freddo Espresso – basically the local drink of Greece and an iced espresso. I ordered a Freddo Cappuccino. I like mine with almond milk and medium sugar, or “metrio.” Whenever we go, Matt always researches the “local drink” ahead of time, and we make sure to make it our whole personality.
I got an acai bowl (dare I say it came close to the perfection that is an Oola Bowl!?) while Matt ordered avocado toast. I’m not a big foodie. I wish I was. But I’m more of an atmosphere/vibed girlie. And this place checked out.
Exploring Downtown Athens
Guys. It’s cute. Like so cute.
After lunch, we wandered through a fish and meat market (Central Municipal Athens Market), and I’ve honestly never seen anything like it before. The energy, the smell, the hanging meats, the FRESH seafood everywhere – it felt so local and authentic. No one tried to sell me anything, bc they could take one look at me and tell I wasn’t a local shopping for dinner hahah
Hotel Rooftop Pool
Eventually we made our way back to the Electra Palace, changed into swimsuits, and headed up to the rooftop pool to cool off and relax for a bit before dinner.
Dinner: Elysium Athens Rooftop
Dinner reservations were at 6 PM at Elysium Athens Rooftop inside the Elia Ermou Hotel.
This is where I had what might be the best appetizer of my life:
Goat cheese with fig jam, pistachios from Aegina Island, and carob honey syrup.
As someone who is lactose intolerant, Greece was surprisingly easy on my stomach. Most of the cheeses served are goat cheese or feta, which never seemed to bother me.
Matt ordered the grilled vegetables with manouri cheese and dill oil to start, then traditional beef meatballs (“Soutzoukakia”) with cumin and smoked eggplant purée for his main. I went with the fresh Cretan pasta “Skioufihta” with briam vegetables, feta cheese, and oregano.
I had a glass of white then a glass of Merlot while Matt ordered an “Aegean Whisper Sour” made with Grace Gin, masticha liqueur, fresh lime, basil, and fig leaf soda.
My outfit was a flowy skirt, white bodysuit, and brown chunky Reef sandals.
I can’t stress enough how much I love my grippy triangular Cakes as a bra alternative. You can click here to see a picture showing the comparison between coverage on one side vs the other. A great option when you don’t want bra straps showing.
Shops and Dessert
After dinner, we slowly walked back toward the hotel, shopping along the way. Matt bought me the sweetest little pair of gold hoop earrings. One of my favorite souvenirs is when he picks out a small piece of jewelry for me on vacation. (Guess who realized one was missing 2 days later?! Thank you amazon for letting me buy lookalikes at a FRACTION of the cost.)
Stopped for gelato for Matt for dessert.
Sunset
We timed sunset perfectly back at the hotel. From both our little fire escape balcony and the rooftop pool, we watched the lights switch on across the Acropolis while the sky turned shades of orange, yellow, and pink.
The Day’s Highlights:
I really enjoyed our rooftop dinner. My meal was the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and the vibes were amazing. I also couldn’t get over the sunset views from our hotel. That one photo is at the top of this trip. Matt’s fav was the Acropolis, but also really enjoyed the views.
Would We Go Back to Athens?
It’s the question everyone asks after a trip, and 9 out of 10 times, Matt and I have the same answer: No. Not because we didn’t love it, but because there is so much of this beautiful world to explore that we’d rather experience somewhere new.
That said, I WOULD like to visit Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. I’d love to walk the ancient track, stand where athletes competed nearly 3,000 years ago, and experience the history of where the Olympic Games began. We were kind of close to here, but not close enough to fit it into our itinerary.
Next up:
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