A Walk around Kolonaki

This walk around the Kolonaki neighbourhood of Athens starts and ends in Syntagma Square and takes you to several museums, Kolonaki Square and Mount Lykabettos.

The Kolonaki Neighbourhood in Athens, GreeceThe Kolonaki Neighbourhood in Athens

Start/end point: Syntagma Square

Distance: 3 kms (1.9 miles)

Time: 90 minutes without stops, 2–3 hours with stops, or all day if you also visit any of the museums.

Walk Around Kolonaki: Directions

From Syntagma Square walk up Vasilissis Sofias, the main road to the left of the imposing National Parliament Building. If you're here on the hour you might want to watch the Changing of the Guard, which takes place at the top end of Syntagma Square every hour, on the hour, every day of the year.

The Benaki Museum in Athens, GreeceThe Benaki Museum
Photo by Dimboukas

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

At the fifth junction on your left, along Vasilissis Sofias, on the corner with Koumbari, stands the Benaki Museum. The museum houses the art collection of a wealthy Greek merchant, Antoine Benaki. See our full page about the Benaki Museum.

Our Pick of the Athens Guides

Lonely-Planet-Pocket-Athens.png

To Kolonaki Square

Turn left by the museum, up Koumbari to Kolonáki Square. Kolonáki is one of the most fashionable districts of Athens, the kind of place where well-to-do Greek ladies walk their dogs. Kolonáki Square is surrounded by designer stores, cafés, and smart gift shops.

Mount Lykabettos as seen from the Acropolis in Athens, GreeceMount Lykabettos as seen from the Acropolis

To Mount Lykabettos

Cross the square and leave it at the far right corner along the main road, Patriarchou Ioakim. Cross two junctions; at the third, at the first set of traffic lights, turn left up Plutarchou. This steep street leads towards Mount Lykabettos, visible at the top.

At the end of Plutarchou you may appreciate taking the funicular to the top of Mount Lykabettos. Enjoy the views over Athens: on a clear day you can see as far as the island of Aegina. See our full page all about Mount Lykabettos.

To the Byzantine and Christian Museum

Take the zigzag path to the left, going down again through the lightly wooded slopes of the hill. If you ignore minor paths to left and right, you emerge on Aristippou, about 100m down from the funicular station. Head straight down Loukianou, another steep stepped Kolonáki Street, back down to Vasilissis Sofias, to emerge almost opposite the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

Syntagma Square
Photo credit: puthoOr photOgraphy on Visualhunt

Back to Syntagma Square

Turning left here and crossing the road would take you to the War Museum and, a little further on, the National Gallery. If you have had enough walking for one day, turn right to go back down Vasilissis Sofias and return to Syntagma Square.

Some other Athens pages

  • Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.

    Syntagma Square

    Syntagma Square or Constitution Square is the main square in Athens and has a metro station, the Greek Parliament building, hotels, cafes, and a post office.

  • The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.

    Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum

    The Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum is housed in a beautiful villa with an underground wing and lovely gardens too.

  • Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.

    Best Time to Visit Athens

    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Athens with a month-by-month account of the weather, hotel prices and any special events that are happening.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.

    Athens Olympic Stadium

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the original Athens Olympic Stadium, built for the 1896 Olympic Games and open to the public for jogging and photography.

  • Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.

    Ten Best Museums in Athens

    Greece Travel Secrets lists the ten best museums in Athens, with the top two being the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum.

  • The Athens Agora or ancient market is a must-see site and one of the best things to do in Athens with its restored arcade building, the Stoa, and its museum.

    Athens Agora

    The Athens Agora or ancient market is a must-see site and one of the best things to do in Athens with its restored arcade building, the Stoa, and its museum.

  • There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.

    Athens to Santorini

    There are lots of flights from Athens to Santorini as well as a ferry service from Piraeus, with flights to Santorini leaving from Athens International Airport.

  • Greece Travel Secrets gives its choice of the best hotels in Athens from budget and moderate options through to 5-star luxury choices.

    The Best Hotels in Athens

    Greece Travel Secrets gives its choice of the best hotels in Athens from budget and moderate options through to 5-star luxury choices.

  • The Athens Museum of Cycladic Art houses a remarkable collection of Cycladic figurines and other items and is one of the best museums in Athens.

    Athens Museum of Cycladic Art

    The Athens Museum of Cycladic Art houses a remarkable collection of Cycladic figurines and other items and is one of the best museums in Athens.

  • There's all kinds of entertainment in Athens whether you're interested in theatre, dance, classical music, jazz, Greek music, rock music, disco, opera or movies.

    Entertainment in Athens

    There's all kinds of entertainment in Athens whether you're interested in theatre, dance, classical music, jazz, Greek music, rock music, disco, opera or movies.

  • The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.

    Best Views in Athens

    The best views in Athens include views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis from the top of some of the city’s several hills and from hotels and restaurants.

  • Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.

    Easter in Athens

    Easter in Athens is, like everywhere in Greece, the biggest religious celebration of the year and this page tells you what to expect over the Easter weekend.

  • Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.

    Piraeus

    Piraeus is the port of Athens from where many ferries to the Greek islands depart, and it also has an Archaeological Museum and the Hellenic Maritime Museum.

  • Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square

    Monastiraki Flea Market

    Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square

  • A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.

    A History of Athens

    A History of Athens from the first people to live on the Acropolis through the Golden Age of Pericles and Alexander the Great to the military junta.

  • The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.

    Cape Sounion and the East Coast

    The beach resorts of Athens are easily reached from the city and also close are Cape Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, ancient Marathon and Rafina's port.

  • If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.

    Where to Eat in Athens and Piraeus

    If you're wondering where to eat in Athens and Piraeus we have a few suggestions including some favorites around the Acropolis, Omonia Square, and Syntagma.

  • The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.

    Athens National Historical Museum

    The Athens National Historical Museum is in the former Greek Parliament building and houses an archive of historical artefacts and documents.

  • The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.

    Changing of the Guard in Athens

    The Changing of the Guard in Athens takes place outside the Parliament building at the top of Syntagma Square and is a must-see for visitors.

  • Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.

    Athens International Airport

    Athens International Airport is east of Athens city centre with its own Metro train station, buses to Athens and Piraeus, taxis and car rental offices.

  • Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website

    Pictures of Athens

    Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website

  • Athens' Benaki Museum is one of the city’s top museums with an outstanding collection, especially of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, in a beautiful mansion.

    Athens’Benaki Museum

    Athens' Benaki Museum is one of the city’s top museums with an outstanding collection, especially of Greek and Egyptian artefacts, in a beautiful mansion.

  • The Pnyx hill near the Acropolis is one of Athens' true hidden gems, a place to wander freely away from the crowds and discover ancient places and mysteries.

    The Pnyx

    The Pnyx hill near the Acropolis is one of Athens' true hidden gems, a place to wander freely away from the crowds and discover ancient places and mysteries.

  • If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.

    Athens Events and Public Holidays

    If visiting Athens it helps to know when major events and public holidays take place, as some shops and attractions may be closed, but to be there at times like Easter can make for a magical trip.

  • This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..

    Artistic Athens

    This extract of Artistic Athens in the Lonely Planet book Culture Trails takes visitors on a journey through the artistic side of Athens..

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. A Day Trip to Mount Parnassos

    Busy schedules don’t always allow for extended getaways, but Mount Parnassos and its enchanting landscapes are perfect for a refreshing day trip.

    Read More

  2. 3 Museums Showcasing Athens’ Industrial Heritage

    Step beyond the well-trodden paths of Athens’ iconic landmarks and explore a different side of the Greek capital by visiting three lesser-known industrial museums.

    Read More

  3. Greece’s November 20 Strike to Disrupt Ferry Services and Public Transport

    A 24-hour nationwide strike is set to disrupt transportation in Athens and travel across Greece on Wednesday, November 20, as public transport and ferry employees join a general strike organized by Gr…

    Read More

  4. Museum of Modern Greek Culture

    A New Cultural Jewel in Plaka

    Read More

  5. Zakynthos: Greek Draft Law Plans Ticket Requirement for Navagio Beach

    Visitors to Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach) on the island of Zakynthos will be required to purchase tickets for entrance once it reopens to the public, according to a new draft law proposed by the Gre…

    Read More

  6. Musicians Ex Machina Breathe New Life into Greece’s Mountain Villages

    A band of motorcycle-riding musicians is sending a powerful, melodic message from Greece's remote mountain villages that are at risk of being left deserted.

    Read More

  7. Thessaloniki Bites: 6 Fresh Culinary Gems to Savor Around the Film Festival

    With the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival in full swing, we take a look at the city’s newest cafes, bars, and restaurants, along with some exciting culinary developments in the city.

    Read More

  8. Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3 Extend Weekend Service Hours Until 2 AM

    Beginning November 1, Lines 2 and 3 of the Athens Metro will extend their Friday and Saturday night service until 2 o’clock in the morning.

    Read More

  9. History of Thessaloniki

    Alexander-the-Great-statue-Thessaloniki.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets outlines the history of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, from its origins through Roman times and the Ottoman period through to today.

    Read More

  10. Gastronomos Awards 2024: Celebrating the Best Artisans of Cycladic Gastronomy

    The highly anticipated list of award-winning producers was presented in the capital of the Cyclades, Syros, by Gastronomos, Greece’s top culinary magazine, published by the newspaper Kathimerini.

    Read More