Athens · onenicetrip

The reason we’re here

Thursday 28 October 2027

Ochi Day

Syntagma Square and Parliament, Athens

Greece’s national holiday remembers the ‘no’ given to Italy’s ultimatum on 28 October 1940. In Athens there is a service at the Metropolitan Cathedral, a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a student parade near Parliament, expected at about 11:00. The 2027 timetable will be announced closer to the date.

Every year on 28 October. Source ↗

The plan

Five days: the Acropolis, Ochi Day in the city centre and a day by the sea.

Where we sleep

4 nights

Base in Koukaki

Koukaki, Athens

Day 1 · Tue 26 Oct
Marble in the afternoon
We arrive in time for the columns of the temple of Zeus in the late light, then drift into the old lanes of Plaka for the evening.
- Temple of Olympian Zeus1 h
  Fifteen Corinthian columns still stand from a temple that took centuries to build and was finished under the Roman emperor Hadrian in the second century AD.
  What to see
  - The fifteen standing columns
  - The fallen column lying on the ground
  - The Acropolis seen across the site
  Time
  About an hour.
  Tip
  The closing time moves earlier through October, so go in the first half of the afternoon and check it on the Ministry of Culture ticket site.
  To eat
  A spanakopita, the spinach and feta pie, from any neighbourhood bakery.
- Plaka and Anafiotika2 h
  The old lanes on the north slope of the Acropolis, including Anafiotika, a corner of whitewashed houses built in the 1800s by workers from the island of Anafi.
  What to see
  - The whitewashed houses and steps of Anafiotika
  - Adrianou street and its neoclassical houses
  - The rock of the Acropolis above the rooftops
  Time
  Two hours of slow wandering.
  Tip
  Anafiotika is a residential corner, so keep your voice down and stay on the public paths. The steps are steep and slippery after rain.
  To eat
  Loukoumades, hot dough balls with honey, or a koulouri, the sesame bread ring sold from street carts.
Day 2 · Wed 27 Oct
Up the rock
The Acropolis first thing, with a timed ticket booked in advance, then the museum at its foot and the ancient market square below.
- The Acropolis3 h
  The sacred rock above the city, crowned by the Parthenon, which was built in the fifth century BC in the time of Pericles.
  What to see
  - The Parthenon
  - The porch of the Caryatids at the Erechtheion
  - The Propylaia gateway
  - The view over Athens to the sea
  Time
  Two to three hours.
  Tip
  Entry is by timed ticket, so book your slot on the official ticket site in advance. The marble is polished and slippery, so wear shoes with grip.
  To eat
  A tiropita, the cheese pie in filo, from a bakery before you climb.
- Acropolis Museum2 h
  A modern museum at the foot of the rock, built over the remains of an ancient neighbourhood that you can see through glass floors.
  What to see
  - The Parthenon Gallery on the top floor
  - The Caryatids
  - The excavation under the glass floors
  Time
  About two hours.
  Tip
  Keep the museum for after the climb. The Parthenon Gallery has glass walls and looks straight up at the temple.
  To eat
  A freddo espresso, the iced coffee Athens drinks long after summer ends.
- Ancient Agora1.5 h
  The public square of ancient Athens, where people traded, met and held court, now a park around one of the best-preserved Greek temples.
  What to see
  - The Temple of Hephaestus
  - The Stoa of Attalos, rebuilt in the 1950s, now a museum
  - The Byzantine church of the Holy Apostles
  Time
  An hour and a half.
  Tip
  Walk the path along the west edge for the best view of the temple columns with the Acropolis behind. Autumn closing time is early, so come straight after the museum.
  To eat
  A pita with souvlaki, grilled meat on a skewer, around Monastiraki.
Day 3 · Thu 28 Oct
Ochi Day
A national holiday. We watch the student parade by Parliament, walk through the National Garden and finish on Lycabettus Hill at sunset. Shops and banks are shut, while cafés stay open.
- Syntagma and ParliamentMorning
  On 28 October a student parade passes the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside Parliament, after a service at the cathedral and a wreath-laying.
  What to see
  - The student parade near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
  - The Evzones, the guards in traditional uniform
  - Greek flags on balconies along the route
  Time
  Be in place by about ten; the parade is expected around eleven.
  Tip
  Streets around the square close and Syntagma metro station may shut. Walk in, or use Monastiraki, Evangelismos or Akropoli stations, and follow police directions to the viewing areas.
  To eat
  A bougatsa, custard pie in filo, for an early breakfast: cafés stay open on the holiday.
- National Garden1 h
  A shady garden behind Parliament, laid out for Queen Amalia in the 1800s, with palm-lined paths, ponds and a quiet away from the holiday crowds.
  What to see
  - The duck pond
  - The palm and orange-tree paths
  - The Zappeion hall at the southern edge
  Time
  An hour of slow walking.
  Tip
  The gates close around sunset, which comes early in late October, so walk through before the climb up Lycabettus.
  To eat
  Roasted chestnuts from the street carts, a sign that autumn has arrived.
- Lycabettus Hill2 h
  A pine-covered hill 277 metres high, topped by the white chapel of St George, with views over the city and out to the sea.
  What to see
  - The chapel of St George
  - The Acropolis lit at dusk
  - The coast and the Saronic Gulf
  Time
  Two hours including the walk up.
  Tip
  A paved path climbs from Kolonaki in about half an hour, and a funicular is the alternative. Bring a layer, as the summit is windy after sunset.
  To eat
  A gyros pita, meat sliced from a spit, on the way down in Kolonaki.
Day 4 · Fri 29 Oct
Market and museum
A morning in the working central market, then the National Archaeological Museum with its Mycenaean gold and bronze statues.
- Athens Central Market1 h
  The covered meat and fish halls on Athinas Street are a working market where locals and cooks buy, with spice and nut shops in the streets around.
  What to see
  - The fish hall and its ice-heaped counters
  - The meat hall and its butchers
  - Spice and nut shops on Evripidou street
  Time
  An hour, in the morning.
  Tip
  It is busiest in the morning and winds down in the early afternoon, and it closes on Sundays and public holidays. Mind the wet floors and the carts.
  To eat
  Olives, feta and fresh bread from the stalls around the market.
- National Archaeological Museum2.5 h
  Greece’s largest archaeological museum holds the gold of Mycenae, marble figures from the Cyclades and some of the finest ancient bronzes ever found.
  What to see
  - The Mask of Agamemnon
  - The Antikythera Mechanism
  - The bronze god from Cape Artemision
  Time
  At least two hours.
  Tip
  Start with the Mycenaean gold, which draws the biggest crowd, then work back through the Cycladic rooms. Opening hours change with the season, so check namuseum.gr.
  To eat
  A koulouri and a Greek coffee at a kiosk near the museum.
Day 5 · Sat 30 Oct
To the end of Attica
A bus down the coast to the temple of Poseidon on its cliff, then back to Athens and home.
- Temple of Poseidon, SounionAfternoon
  A temple to the god of the sea stands on a cliff at the southern tip of Attica, built in the fifth century BC, with water on three sides.
  What to see
  - The Doric columns against the sea
  - The sunset over the Aegean
  - The coast and the islands
  Time
  Half a day, with the bus.
  Tip
  Buses leave from the KTEL Attikis station and take about 1.5 to 2 hours, so check the last return before you stay for sunset.
  To eat
  Grilled fresh fish at a seaside taverna near the cape.