The highlights and the lowlights of my “Ancient History Tour.” Athens, Greece edition, so let’s get to it.
For the record, I’ve also been to Athens, GA and it is a tad different than Greece. Just a tad.
Pros
Sites / Accessibility – Most ancient sites are walking distance to one another and there are free maps available throughout the city which is kind of awesome so walk it out baby.
I also booked a “Free Walking Tour” which is the concept where locals offer “free” tours and are compensated via tips. The tour I chose took me outside of the ancient sites area which covered the Temple of Olympian Zeus, National Garden and stadium.
“Off-season” prices for attractions are discounted so it’s not advised to buy attraction passes in advance which I would TYPICALLY recommend during peak season for any high-traffic touristy cities (I.E. London, Paris).
Libations / Foodie Tour – WINE. That’s it. Like…thats actually it. Price = on point = drink up, like they did in ancient times y’all.
After basking in the wine, as I did ;), you will be happy to know that the tap water is potable aka you can drink it. It’s not like Mexico where you will regret it. So, go on and hydrate!
FOOOOOOD – Holy moly. If you’re in Athens, you MUST check out Ergon House. During peak season, and especially if you are traveling with someone, you will need reservations. As a solo traveler, I got lucky the 1st time and got seated right away but waited almost an hour, the 2nd time, but it was 100% worth it. I ate ALL the food. It’s a restaurant and “deli” combo so it’s great for dinner and souvenirs. Another random restaurant find, which I was introduced to by another tourist (chef/foodie), is called Apollonia Lyra. It’s located near The Parthenon and serves up great seafood dishes and has traditional live music. Because I did not come to play, I also did an excellent foodie tour which I booked through TripAdvisor (Small Group Food Tour – Ask for Martha H.). We went to a farmers market and visited small boutique businesses for honey, olive oil and teas / spices.
People – Everyone was so kind and helpful. I even got to meet some amazing fellow tourists who I bonded with and plan to visit in the future (post-COVID-19 madness).
Cons
Traffic – As with any major city, there are definitely some cons with regards to traffic which was a total womp womp so, walk, if you are able.
Taxis are expensive so use sparingly. I used a taxi because the airport is 30+ miles from the city center (I stayed in Plaka – the ancient city) and I had to get to the city ASAP due to time constraints.
Weather / Wardrobe – You would think “it’s the mediterranean so the weather must be nice” and you, my dear would be WRONG. It gets so cold that there is actually snow on the local mountains so pack accordingly during December / January.
Another lady wardrobe pro-tip, the floors are mostly marble in the touristy areas so wear your heels with caution or be embarrassed…for reals. I walked like a baby giraffe to my hotel because it was “walking distance” from the restaurant but underestimated my alcohol consumption and walking abilities.
Shopping / Souvenirs – Some of us enjoy shopping during our travels and guilty as charged! BUT, beware in Athens. Those of you that know me, know that I am thrifty AF and tend to price haggle if it’ll save me a dollar but I easily learned to not do this in Athens. Oh man, did I learn that the hard way. As in, the sales guy was like “I met this ex-U.S. President so you can trust me, you American dumb dumb.” Uhhhh, I don’t care for G. Bush Jr. but okay I’ll pay 1/2 price! ::Insert death stare.: = It’s not worth it.
In sum
Overall, Athens was magical like the damn gods themselves. Greek mythology was always so influential in my life. From Athena’s wisdom to Ares tendency to pick fights ;), I had always been drawn to Greece so this trip was truly a full-circle moment and I loved every second of it. Highly recommended so just do it. See what I did there??! Cause like Nike’s logo has Greek influence…so if you don’t know, now you know.