Mount Lykabettos
Mount Lykabettos is the highest hill in Athens and provides some of the best views of the city, with a funicular cable car the easiest way to get to the top.
The highest hill in Athens at 277 meters (908 feet), Mount Lykabettos dominates the city almost as much as the Acropolis, of which there is an excellent view from the top.
Lykabettos was once well outside the city boundaries, because, as recently as the 19th century, Athens was merely a small cluster of houses around the Acropolis. It’s hard to imagine that today, as you gaze out from the hilltop and see the modern metropolis sprawling before you, all the way to Piraeus on the coast.
Some of the offshore islands in the Saronic Gulf can also be seen, including Salamis and, on a clear day, even Aegina. To the north you can see Mount Parnes.
Climbing Mount
Lykabettos
It's a stiff climb to get to the top of this chalk outcrop,
but a very pleasant one through pine-scented woods, often filled with
butterflies and birds, and even a few wild tortoises. There are several routes
up, plenty of benches on which to take a breather, a café half-way up, and a
restaurant at the very top, naturally with wonderful views, day and night.
Church of Agios
Georgios
Here, too, is the small, whitewashed 19th-century chapel of Agios Georgios (St George), whose feast is celebrated on 23 April, so be sure to go to the top of Mount Lykabettos if you’re in Athens on that date.
Our Pick of the Athens Guides
Mount Lykabettos Funicular
It’s also possible to take a funicular to the top and back, and currently this operates every day of the year from 9am-3am, reflecting the popularity of the hill at night. The address for the funicular station is Aristippou 1.
Mount Lykabettos is the perfect place for a late-night coffee or brandy, with the illuminated city spread out at your feet.
A few other Athens pages
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.
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.
Athens Car Rental
Athens car rental options include almost all of the major international car hire firms such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Europcar.
Pictures of Athens
Pictures of Athens from the Greece Travel Secrets website
A Walk around Kolonáki
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.
Best Cocktail Bars in Athens
Two of the best cocktail bars in Athens, MoMix Kerameikos and The Clumsies, are making creative cocktails using that most Greek of Greek spirits, Metaxa.
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.
Monastiraki and Around
Around Monastiraki is the flea market, Athens cathedral, Kerameikos Cemetery, the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art and the Psirri and Gazi nightlife districts.
Athens: Travel Information and Advice about Athens, Greece
Athens is a top vacation destination. The Greece Travel Secrets Athens guide has information on hotels, museums, Athens airport and all the best things to do.
Athens in the Rain
Athens in the rain isn’t something you’re likely to experience but here are suggestions for things to do in the rain in Athens including museums and shopping
Greek Architecture
This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.
Food Tours in Athens
Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes.
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.
Athens Weather and the Best Time to Visit
The Greece Travel Secrets website looks at the Athens weather, the chance of rain, the climate in summer and winter and the best time to visit Athens.
Monastiraki Flea Market
Greece Travel Secrets visits the Monastiraki Flea Market, followed by Sunday lunch at Sigalas on Monastiraki Square
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.
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.
Athens Culinary Tours
Athens culinary tours are among the food walking tours offered by an unusual company, Culinary Backstreets.
Athens Airport Car Rental
Athens Airport car rentals include Alamo/National Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt, all with offices at the airport.
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.
A Drive around Attica
This drive around Attica offers visitors high hills, beach resorts, small villages and classical sites like Marathon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.
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.
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.
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
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.
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