Capycation
Watercolour illustration of Athens
Athens

Athens holidays

Ancient sites and a dense, everyday capital share the same walkable centre, with the Greek islands within easy reach by ferry.

Prices on this page are shown from the UK. Change market

29°C SeptemberBest May, Jun, Sep, Oct2–4 nightsRecent nonstop return fare from London Heathrow

Check flights on Aviasales

At a glance

  • history and archaeology
  • food and taverna culture
  • island-hopping stopovers

Trip cost

4 nights in Athens≈ €545–€740 pp
Return flight
≈€172
Stay
≈€448
Food & local
≈€120

Includes the return fare from London Heathrow. An estimate, not a quote — each booking happens separately with its supplier. How we work this out.

Prices shown on this page are indicative estimates in euros, not quotes. Every booking happens separately with its own supplier, at that supplier's own live price. How we work this out.

Stays

Stays in Athens

From €53/night · Typical €92 · 228 stays · 4-night stay assumed

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View all 228 stays
Map

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No 5-star stays found for these dates. Check the full list.

Plus 225 more places to stay.

Self-catering

Prefer a place of your own? Browse holiday homes and apartments in Athens on Holidu.

Browse holiday homes on Holidu

Getting to Athens

  • AirportAthens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)
  • Transfer optionsMetro, train, bus, taxi

Athens International Airport is 33 km southeast of the city centre. Metro Line 3 runs directly to Syntagma, with express buses, the suburban railway and taxis also serving the airport.

Flexible-date fares from London Heathrow

October from €172 return cheapest

Typical €262 · Direct · 6 nights

Sat 10 Oct

Aegean Airlines

See October flights
See all 12 departure dates in October
  • Sat 10 Oct6 nights€172, direct

November from €184 return

Direct · 4 nights

Fri 27 Nov

Aegean Airlines

See November flights
See all 2 departure dates in November

Indicative, per traveller. You book with Aviasales.

Areas of Athens

A few places people base themselves, and who each tends to suit.

  • PlakaBest for first-time visitors who want to be inside the old town's lanes, steps from the Acropolis, and don't mind paying a premium for it.
  • MonastirakiSuited to travellers who want markets, ancient ruins and transport links on the same square, with more noise and foot traffic than Plaka.
  • KoukakiGood for visitors wanting a quieter, more residential base with easy walking access to the Acropolis Museum and the main sites.
  • KolonakiWorks for travellers wanting upscale shopping and dining, on the smarter, quieter slopes of Lycabettus Hill.
  • PangratiA practical choice for a longer stay, with everyday neighbourhood life and a strong local food scene away from the tourist core.

Athens weather by month

Athens is warmest in July, when daily highs average 36°C, and coolest in January at 14°C. December is the wettest month at about 101 mm, July the driest at 9 mm. Taking warmth and rainfall together, May, June, September, October score best for a trip.

Best overall
May · June · September · October
Hottest
July · 36°C
Wettest
December · 101mm
How these figures are worked out

Monthly averages — multi-year historical data, not a standard 30-year climate normal or a forecast. Gold months are the best weather fit: each month scores on how close its average daily high sits to about 27 °C, with heavy rainfall counting against it, and months far outside that range are not ranked at all.

How we work this out

What each season is like

Spring
March to May warms from around 12°C to 21°C on average, with rainfall dropping through the season — a comfortable stretch for walking the ancient sites before summer's heat and crowds arrive.
Summer
June to August is hot and dry, averaging 27–30°C with July the driest month of the year, the busiest and most expensive season, when midday heat makes the Acropolis and other exposed sites uncomfortable.
Autumn
September and October stay warm and largely dry, cooling gradually from around 25°C to 20°C, a reliable season for pairing the city with a following island trip before rain returns heavily in November.
Winter
December to February is mild by northern European standards but the wettest stretch of the year, averaging 10–12°C with the heaviest rain in December, and some island ferry routes reduced or suspended.

What’s on in Athens

See all events in Athens on Wanderistan

Compare Greece destinations

Still deciding? Other Greece destinations, with the same weather and typical-stay data behind them.

DestinationAugTypical stay
Chania31°C3–7 nights
Heraklion32°C2–4 nights
Mykonos29°C3–5 nights
Santorini30°C3–5 nights
Thessaloniki33°C2–4 nights

Good to know about Athens

Why go

  • The Acropolis, the ancient Agora and a cluster of major museums sit within walking distance of each other in the historic centre.
  • A taverna, mezze and wine-bar culture that runs late and stays affordable by Western European standards.
  • Piraeus, the gateway to the Greek islands, is a single Metro Line 3 ride from Syntagma Square, about 20 minutes according to the official Athens guide, and the overground Line 1 also runs there, meeting Line 3 at Monastiraki, so an island add-on starts with a short metro trip rather than a separate transfer.

Worth knowing

  • The Acropolis and other major ruins offer little shade, and the ancient sites are at their most uncomfortable in the middle of a summer day.
  • Traffic, noise and visible wear are heavier in central Athens than in more orderly Western European capitals.
  • Many island ferry connections thin out or stop entirely outside the warmer months, so pairing Athens with an island trip is easiest in spring through autumn.
  • The Acropolis is a real climb rather than a stroll: the rock stands about 150 metres above sea level, and the official Athens guide describes it as a much harder climb than Lycabettus, a hill twice its height.

Authoritative pages worth checking before you go to Athens.