Today's Athens offers far more than antiquity treasures and instant ways to the Greek Islands - though we wouldn't rule those out just yet. Here, we list out the top ten things to do in Athens if you are planning to look for the best holiday tour packages.
1. Acropolis
The Acropolis, the greatest symbol of ancient Greece's splendor, stands magnificently in the center of Athens. In the 5th century BC of Pericles’ reign, the hilltop was designated a holy sanctuary.
You can easily ascend the marble steps on the west side, just as pilgrims millennia ago did, to discover yourself dwarfed by the gorgeous Parthenon's towering columns. You can also attend a play or concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to round out your experience. Contact a reliable holiday tour travel agency and add this beautiful spot to your itinerary.
2. Acropolis Museum
Natural light streams into the contemporary Acropolis Museum's broad-looking galleries, exposing the beautiful antiquities that have been lifted from the hill and deposited here for safekeeping.
The top-floor glass atrium houses the 161-meter-long frieze from around the top of the Parthenon, which is installed at eye level so visitors can experience and enjoy all of the details of this marble masterpiece and explore a truer sense of its scale. Enjoy your holiday tours by adding the most unique things in Greece.
3. Ancient Agora
Wander in the footsteps of Socrates and his philosophical and political partners at the Agora, the civic heart of ancient Athens and the cradle of democracy.
The Agora Museum exhibits unique items from ancient daily life in the magnificent Stoa of Attalos, an architectural precedent for shopping arcades that will look stunning throughout modern Athens. The Temple of Hephaistos is awesome, a treat to the eyes, and wonderfully kept; check how many of Hercules' labors you can spot on the frieze.
4. National Archaeological Museum
The world's greatest and largest collection of Greek antiquities is housed in Athens' premier museum. From the Neolithic Era (6800 BC) to the Cycladic, Mycenaean, and Classical periods, many valuable things have been found.
As you walk through the galleries, you can see some priceless sculptures from Western art history, such as the bronze figure of a bearded god and the disputed hammered gold death mask of Agamemnon. Other delights await, including Santorini frescoes upstairs.
5. Olympian Zeus Temple
Do you know? The largest temple in Greece took 7 centuries to complete its construction. More accurately, what was once Greece's greatest temple is now just a few of its gigantic columns, while the rest were dismantled and used in other structures. How interesting is that? You shouldn’t miss this spot in your holiday tour packages.
The temple was nominally dedicated to Zeus, but it was unofficially dedicated to the Roman emperor Hadrian, who finished the structure and made a statue of himself. You can take note of Hadrian's Arch and congratulate him on his accomplishment. On the other side of this site, adventurers can explore a Pan refuge.
6. Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
If you are planning only one museum in your holiday packages from Qatar or wherever you are, make it this one. This exquisite collection spans Greek history from antiquity to the mid-twentieth century. It is housed in a grand neoclassical home and shows both high art and ordinary folk artifacts, all of which are attractive.
The Benaki collection, as a type of counterweight to the pristine classicism revered elsewhere in the city's ancient sites, shows the tale of how Greece absorbed foreign influences and concepts to build its uniquely syncretic culture.
7. Kerameikos
The Street of Tombs, where classical VIPs were interred, is spotted amid the ancient necropolis of the city. Several of the best tomb markers are copies; the originals can be seen in the small but fascinating on-site museum. While the gates no longer stand and the arriving route is now a paved city street, it's still a beautiful place to linger and envision the activity.
8. Filopappou Hill
The fabled battleground of Theseus and the Amazons is one of Athens's most beautiful and interesting parks, with modest ruins linked by gorgeous stone roads that are minor architectural marvels in and of themselves.
Plan your best holiday packages from Dubai or wherever you are, around sundown one evening to watch the Acropolis' lights turn on and gleam gold against the blue sky. The Hill of the Pnyx, to the north, has equally wonderful sights and is virtually deserted.
9. Cultural Centre of the StavrosNiarchos Foundation
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, established by Renzo Piano, houses both the Greek National Opera and the main branch of the National Library.
We can promise that watching and exploring a performance here will be a highlight of your tour of Athens. You can also have some free options to do and explore, such as meandering through the gorgeous Stavros Niarchos Park. The gently sloping gardens, made to exhibit Mediterranean vegetation, are the best spot to relax and enjoy the vistas and pleasant sea breezes.
10. Coffee culture
Athenians spend their special moments sipping coffee and talking for hours under the shade of orange trees. By day, the green central neighborhoods of Exarhia and Pangrati are teeming with inhabitants flowing out of kafeneions (Greek cafes) and into the streets, gently drinking coffee, playing backgammon on marble table tops, and philosophizing. Don’t miss out on the best moments with your loved ones at the right spots that treat your heart in the most pleasant way. Enjoy the best and affordable Greece tour packages from UAE or wherever you are with a reliable holiday tour travel agency.
