Athens: the pre‑ or post‑cruise stay that deserves more than one night

Getting to Athens without the 3 a.m. drama 

Our Jet2 flight left Birmingham at 7.15 a.m., so it was either:

Get up at a ridiculous hour and drive to the airport half asleep, or

Be sensible and stay at the airport the night before

Anyone that knows me, knows I was always going to choose the overnight stay, so we checked into the Novotel Birmingham Airport.

We also used Jet2’s twilight check‑in, which I would absolutely recommend if you have an early flight. We dropped our cases off the evening before, then simply wandered over to the terminal in the morning with just hand luggage. I popped Apple AirTags into our bags as well, so I could see exactly where they were all night and that they were on the plane in the morning.

Is that essential? No. Did it make me disproportionately happy at 6 a.m.? Absolutely. When you are travelling early, those small things make everything feel much calmer.

Staying in the historic heart of Athens 

In Athens, we stayed at Hotel Plaka, a three star hotel right in the historic centre, and it turned out to be a brilliant choice.

Our room had a little balcony and, if I leaned slightly to the left, I could see the Acropolis. The hotel’s rooftop terrace has panoramic views, and seeing the Parthenon lit up at night was one of those “wow, we are really here” moments.

From the hotel, we could walk to the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, several museums, Plaka and Monastiraki very easily. It genuinely felt as if we were right in the middle of everything.

Hotel Plaka is also next door to The Dolli at Acropolis, one of Athens’ very special luxury hotels. I am not pretending they are the same,  they are not, but we were in the same fantastic area, with an amazing view and lovely staff, at a very different price point. Exactly the kind of thing I like to know when I am helping someone choose a hotel.

Planning ahead (and why I am glad we did) 

One thing I would absolutely recommend for Athens is being just a little bit organised.

We did not simply arrive and decide each morning what we felt like doing. We booked our key attractions before we travelled, which meant we could get on with enjoying ourselves instead of spending half the day in queues.

We also bought a 72‑hour City Sightseeing hop‑on hop‑off ticket. There are a few bus companies in Athens, but I specifically chose City Sightseeing because, from past experience, I have found them to be the better option.

Yes, Athens is very walkable – and we did walk a lot – but the bus was still really helpful. The commentary gave us some background as we went along, it helped us get our bearings, and on hotter or more tiring days it was lovely to sit down, listen and let the bus do the work.

The Acropolis Museum: please do not skip it 

We booked the Acropolis Museum for the morning, including an audio tour, and I absolutely loved it.

The museum is modern, bright and beautifully laid out. Even though it was busy, it never felt as if we were just being swept along in a crowd. The galleries bring together finds from the Acropolis and surrounding area, and the Parthenon Gallery is a real highlight.

If I could give one piece of Acropolis advice while it is fresh in my mind, it would be this: do not just go straight up the hill. Visit the museum as well.

In the afternoon, we joined a small‑group guided tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon. Doing it this way round worked perfectly. We had already seen the artefacts and heard the stories in the museum, so when we were standing on the Acropolis everything felt much more familiar. Having a guide there to explain what we were looking at and why it mattered made a huge difference too.

So much more than the Acropolis 

Of course, the Acropolis and Parthenon are the obvious stars, and they absolutely live up to the hype.

But Athens does not stop there.

During our stay we also visited the National Historical Museum inside the old Parliament House, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos. Every day seemed to reveal another layer of history.

By the time we left, I felt as though we had seen a lot, but I also knew we had only scratched the surface.

One of my favourite experiences: Cape Sounion 

One afternoon we joined a sunset trip to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the whole stay.

This is where giving yourself a bit more time really pays off. It is not just about ticking off the big central sights; it is about having time to do something a little different.

Standing at Cape Sounion, watching the sun go down behind the Temple of Poseidon and the sea, felt very special and showed us a completely different side to the Athens area.

And then there is the food… 

Greek food is wonderful.

Travelling with Connor meant we were not spending every evening on long, leisurely dinners, but we still ate very well. He even tried a gyros… minus the salad.

That, for me, is one of the joys of travelling. Your city break does not have to look like anyone else’s to be brilliant. You do not need a list of “must‑visit” restaurants to have a good time. You just need to find what works for you, enjoy it, and be open to trying the odd new thing along the way.

What about the graffiti? 

Athens does get comments about its graffiti.

Yes, you see a lot of it. Some of it is just tagging, but a surprising amount is genuinely impressive street art. I spent plenty of time looking at the colours and designs and thinking how creative it all was.

If you only go looking for things you do not like, you will probably find them. But you will also miss a lot of what makes Athens interesting.

This is a city where ancient history and everyday life sit side by side. One minute you are walking down a normal street, the next you are standing in front of something that has been there for thousands of years. I loved that contrast.

City break, cruise add‑on… or both 

Now that I am back, I genuinely see Athens in two ways:

A brilliant city break destination in its own right 

A perfect place to add two or three nights before or after a cruise

If you are booking a cruise from Piraeus, I would seriously think about adding extra nights in Athens rather than treating it as “just” a stopover. And if you are not cruising at all, I would still say Athens is well worth a few days.

Book your key attractions in advance, especially the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Consider a hop‑on hop‑off bus to help you get your bearings. Choose your hotel location carefully so you are close to the historic centre. And, if you can, give yourself time for something beyond the obvious, like Cape Sounion.

Most importantly, do not rush it.

Athens is one of those cities that rewards you for slowing down a little. The more time you give it, the more it draws you in.

If your next cruise does start or finish in Athens – or you are simply thinking about a city break with a bit of history, food and sunshine – I would love to help you make the most of it.