Piraeus

The defining monument of Western civilisation — the Parthenon crowns a limestone outcrop 156 metres above Athens, visible from across the city and across the millennia. Built between 447 and 432 BC, the Doric temple's proportions have never been surpassed. The combined €30 ticket covers all major Athens archaeological sites and is valid for five days.

The finest museum in Greece — purpose-built at the foot of the Acropolis to house the sculptures and artefacts found on and around the sacred rock. The top-floor Parthenon Gallery is a glass-encased walkway around the original frieze, with the actual Acropolis dramatically visible through the glass floor beneath your feet.

The ancient marketplace where Athenian democracy was born and Socrates walked — a vast open site beneath the Acropolis where the institutions of Western civic life were first invented. The Temple of Hephaestus (449 BC) is one of the best-preserved ancient temples in the world and far less visited than the Parthenon above.

Athens' oldest and most atmospheric neighbourhood — neoclassical houses tumbling down the northern slopes of the Acropolis along ancient streets lined with Byzantine churches and Ottoman-era buildings. The Tower of the Winds, a 1st-century BC meteorological station, is one of the most extraordinary small monuments in the ancient world.

The most dramatically located taverna in Athens — perched on the slopes of the Acropolis in Plaka with a terrace looking directly up at the Parthenon. Outstanding Greek grilled fish and mezze including exceptional lamb chops, shrimp saganaki, and a wine list of excellent Greek bottles.

A legendary, almost secret basement taverna beneath the old Athens central market — one of those rare places with no menu, no sign, and no concessions to tourism. The owner announces what is available (usually fish soup, revithia chickpea soup, and grilled fish), and it is extraordinary. Cash only, no reservations. Closes at 4pm.

The finest seafood restaurant right in Piraeus marina — if you prefer not to make the journey to Athens, the harbour area of Mikrolimano has some of the best fish tavernas in Greece. Fresh sea bass, red mullet, and grilled octopus at their finest, with yachts bobbing in the harbour and a completely different atmosphere from the tourist city.

A rooftop restaurant with the single finest close-up view of the Parthenon of any dining room in Athens — the illuminated temple at night from this terrace is worth every euro. Elevated Greek cuisine using the finest regional ingredients, from Metsovo cheese to Cretan olive oil.

A rooftop café-bar in the heart of the Monastiraki flea market with sweeping Acropolis views and live rebetiko music at weekends — rebetiko being the soulful urban blues of Greece. The saganaki and cold mezes with a glass of ouzo on the terrace is the definitive Athens afternoon.

Consistently ranked among the world's 50 best bars — an extraordinary cocktail destination in a beautiful multi-room venue in central Athens. The all-day format means outstanding coffee and food during the day and masterclass-level cocktails from early evening. The Papou, based on Greek tsipouro spirit, is unmissable.

A local Piraeus bar on the seafront promenade — cold Mythos beer, excellent mezze, and the authentic hum of a Greek neighbourhood bar that has nothing to prove to tourists. A good option if you want to end the day with a drink near the ship and experience real Piraeus life.

Athens' best traditional Greek kafeneion — serving ellinikos kafes (Greek coffee) the proper way, boiled in a briki copper pot and served with a glass of cold water and a small sweet. A piece of living Athens culture dating back decades, tucked into the streets below the Acropolis.

A stunning multi-level Greek food emporium inside a restored neoclassical mansion — the finest curated collection of premium Greek produce in Athens, including Cretan extra-virgin olive oil, PDO cheeses, mountain thyme honey, and premium Kalamata olives. The café serves outstanding Greek coffee, pastries, and mezze-style snacks.

Athens' finest beach area, 40 minutes south by taxi on the Athenian Riviera. The extraordinary Vouliagmeni thermal lake — fed by underground hot springs, warm year-round, and inhabited by small blind fish that nibble dead skin — is unlike anything else in Greece. The beach itself is organised, clean, and backed by pine trees.

A beautiful free pine-fringed beach on the Athenian Riviera — calm, shallow water ideal for swimming, a relaxed local atmosphere, and none of the paid beach club crowds of Vouliagmeni. 35 minutes from Piraeus by taxi and completely free to use, with natural shade from the surrounding pine forest.

A guided Acropolis and museum tour that covers the Parthenon, Erechtheion, and Acropolis Museum with skip-the-line entry and an expert guide who brings the ancient city to life. The Athens metro runs from Piraeus to Monastiraki in 25 minutes (€1.40) if you prefer to self-guide — the combined sites ticket at €30 is excellent value.

A clifftop Doric temple to the god of the sea at the very tip of the Attic peninsula, with staggering 360-degree views across the Aegean towards the Cyclades islands. Lord Byron carved his name in the marble. The drive south from Athens along the coast is spectacular. Visit at sunset for an experience you will never forget.

A guided food tour combining the extraordinary Varvakios central meat and fish market, the Monastiraki flea market, a family-run mezedopoleion (small-plates taverna), and a street-food walk through the Psiri neighbourhood. The best way to understand modern Athens beyond the ancient ruins — and Greece's extraordinary food culture.