Book Athens hotels

It’s OK to admit you snoozed your way through history class. From Aristotle to the Roman and Ottoman Empires, it’s all Greek to you. Allow us to school you—you’re headed to the capital city of Greece. To further your future reign as master of history, you’ll need to get yourself to the birthplace of modern civilisation, STAT.

Let’s start with the basics: Book flights to Athens from lastminute.com.au, and for extra credit check out our Athens accommodation while you’re at it. Top marks all around!

Things to Do in Athens

Pop Quiz: What’s the difference between a Doric and Corinthian column? Find out at the Acropolis where the Parthenon, the largest temple in Athens, showcases examples of classic Doric architecture. To see the flashier Corinthian style, search for Hadrian’s Library on the north side. Don’t worry, it’s not all facts and figures. This high-up spot overlooks the whole city and provides the most photo-worthy views. Send some snaps to your old professors and prove you can still learn a thing or two.

Become an expert at the many museums of the historic neighbourhood of Plaka. Take in more ruins amongst charming neoclassical homes, shops and cafes in the Monastiraki and Thissio districts that also skirt the Acropolis.

You can head to school, literally, in the Kolonaki neighbourhood, home to several universities. Here you’ll also find trendy boutiques and upscale cafes.

Another pop quiz! To hang with the intelligentsia, should you head to:

A) Exarcheia, home to artistic anarchists, bookshops and organic markets;

B) Psyri, housing live music and some of the most charming hotels in Athens; or

C) Syntagma, the central hub, where you’ll find the most luxurious accommodation in Athens?

(Hint: the answer is in the question. Ahem, bookstores, ahem.)

If you just can’t get enough of really old pretty stuff—who can?—join an Epidaurus & Mycenae Small-Group Tour across the Saronic Strait. These two villages are kind of a big deal. The former is the site of Apollo’s son, Asklepios the healer, and the latter was once Agamemnon’s stomping grounds. Wave at the islands of Egina and Agistri as you float by!

Getting to & Around Athens

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH) gets an A+ for efficiency and quality. Bone up on the history of the city at the on-site museum before heading out in search of Athens hotels. Pick up a transportation map to study your options. Choose from metro, suburban train, express bus, taxi or private car hire, any of which will take you right to cosy, upscale or modest Greece hotels.

The Athens Metro is head of its class. Greece is so full of artefacts, even its metro stations have them on display. Line 3 will take you from the airport right to the centre, while Lines 1 and 2 reach most parts of the city. For busy sightseeing days, buy a 24-hour ticket, which you can ride until midnight weeknights and 2 a.m. on the weekend.

Popular Events

You’d think that hosting the first modern Olympic Games would put Athens in the “one and done” category and guarantee that this fine city be exempt from ever having to host another world-changing event ever again.

Nope. Just like the time you hosted one family brunch and got locked into a monthly affair, Athens is constantly throwing parties—from a rock fest to flower power expos—and they’re fabulous.

You might be planning an itinerary of visiting sleepy ruins and stuffing your face with dolmas, but in the hometown of long-distance running, you better hustle with the crowds to the sidelines of the Athens Classic Marathon (each October). Heck, get a number and join the race, ya speedster.

Planning a trip during January or February? That’s coming up sooner than you think! Book places to stay in Athens around the International Comics Festival in January. Artists from all over the globe gather to show off their action-packed graphics and compelling storylines. This event can get pretty nerdy, so bring your favourite read and embrace your inner fangirl or boy.

If an Athens excursion is on your February calendar, prepare yourself for Dionyssia—the Athens Wine Festival. It’s only right to sample the blessed local harvest of your host city. Swirl and sip fine wines and eat your fill of best food in Athens. We’ve heard that Moschofilero and seafood make a perfect pairing. You’ll have to let us know what you think!

Party Zone

Once you’ve aced the sightseeing test, it’s time to reward yourself with a study break. Ancient ruins are all well and good, but Athens also takes pride in its nightlife. The Greek people get top marks for their vibrant social skills, and Athens is abuzz until long after midnight. Clubs that feature traditional and new Greek music are called bouzoukia and are the heart and soul of the scene after dark. You’ll find multiple choices along Syggrou Avenue and in the Gazi area. Put your party hat on and prove it also pays to have a good time.

Weekend Getaway

If you’ve got just one day in Athens, well, Zeus be with you. If you are hoping for a relaxing weekend in the Greek capital, putter around the neighbourhood of Anafiotika—the winding alleyways and whitewashed buildings will make you feel like you’re on the islands. Grab your sunnies and a good book and you can tune out the big city.

Anafiotika is located on the north side of Acropolis hill, near the Agora and the heart of Plaka, so you can easily explore sprawling archaeological digs, visit the busy city centre, shop till you drop something hot, and return to a peaceful hideaway in the hills #intoit. Hey, if the neighbourhood was good enough for Otto of Greece’s palace, it’s good enough for a weekend retreat.

Who needs a drab classroom when Athens holidays can show you the heart of where modern civilisation all began? Answer: not you! Let lastminute.com.au excuse this absence—you’ve got better places to be.