Athens just DS12 and me

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DS and I are going to Athens for a week in July. We are aware of the heat and have booked a hotel with a rooftop pool.

I don’t want to drive so I was wondering if there are any easy to reach sights that he might enjoy. He likes history and museums.

The Acropolis but make sure you go first thing in the morning and take plenty of water as it gets very hot and there is no shelter. The Acropolis Museum is very good. You could also take the train to Corinth to see the Roman city. Local bus to the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion and then a swim on the way back.

ETA that you could go to Hadrian's library the evening you arrive as it won't take that long but you could then buy the multi site ticket that gets you into the Acropolis and Agora. Then the following morning get to the back entrance to the Acropolis rather than the main one ten minutes or so before it opens so that you can be amongst the first in.

The reconstruction of the Stoa in the Greek Agora is actually quite cool even in the afternoon.

There’s loads in the middle of Athens - the acropolis, both of the agora’s the archeological museum and the acropolis museum are well worth it too.
But it will be HOT in the middle of the day so I’d go first thing and then chill out in the afternoon.

Presumably you have booked Athens in order to see the notable historic sights – Parthenon, Acropolis? Obviously loads of museums as well – I mean you are in the cradle of one of the great ancient civilisations.

It will be so so hot in July though. I know you say you know about the heat – but I would think a tour if the Acropolis would not be much fun. I have only ever been to Athens en route to a coastal resort, a lot later in the year and even then it was too hot for me. Can you consider some time at the coast as well? or is that a non-starter?

We have a whole week because the direct flights are only once a week so I’m looking for things to do outside the main sites too.

It will be hot but we are used to heat from living in Spain. It shouldn’t be worse than Spain should it? Google said mid 30s… My idea is to sightsee in the morning and spend the afternoon by the pool. @clary we could go to the Athens coast for a day trip I think but I don’t want to travel too far from Athens on my own with him, usually DH does the driving on holiday but he isn’t coming. I did see boat trips from the harbour that look nice

A week in July based in Athens would be exhausting for me. I wouldn't even stay in Athens. When I visit,I stay in the port,Piraeus,and use public transport (which is great in Athens) to visit Athens daily. Being based in Piraeus also gives you the option to get a ferry to one of the nearby islands ( one of my favourites to visit is Aegina) Also Piraeus has it's own historical points of interest.

My other idea was Edinburgh but I’m worried about the weather, we had a week in Devon last August and it was chilly. I feel the cold!

You can get the tube down to Piraeus and get the ferry to Aegina for a few euros. Lovely island with pretty marina and beach.

So much to do in central Athens if DS likes history.

You can also get a coach tour to Mycenae which usually stops at a beach on the way back.

We could also potentially have some days on an island like Hydra but I’m worried it might be a bit dull for DS, although joyous for me I think!

Yes, you could literally do a day trip to Aegina (the hydrofoil is more expensive but also faster).

Or, if the only reason you're going to Athens as opposed to the islands is an easy flight, you could catch the ferry to any one of the nearby islands for a couple of nights.

No need to consider driving if you want to go to any of the suburban beaches- there are trams going all the way along the coast.

Personally, my favourite site is the Agora- it's very green, and you have the almost- completely intact temple of Hephaestus there.

Take the funicular up Lycabettus Hill to watch the sunset.

Think strategically if you want to visit the Acropolis- a collection of white marble antiquities on top of a completely unshaded white stone hill- in July 😬

We did five days in Athens with DS12 last year, although it was April not July.

We visited the Olympic stadium, Acropolis, Acropolis museum, temple of Zeus, watched the changing of the guards, and also went to the national gardens which are lovely for a walk around and nicely shaded, visited the museum of technology I think it was, in Plaka, and did a hop on hop off bus tour to the coast. The past is further so a bus/ car would be needed but everything else was very walkable. Very little was open on the Athens coast at that time of year so we just made it a round trip but I’m sure it’d be lovely in summer.

Even though it was only April it was still warm in the centre bus the bus was nice and cool and the national gardens were shaded. We’d love to go back again as there was so much we didn’t do like the funicular up the mountain. We stayed on plaka which was lovely, and a nice mix of touristy, high street and local shops and restaurants.