A One Day Athens Itinerary for Solo Female Travellers

Are you a solo female traveller headed to Athens, Greece? You’re probably looking for a combination of sightseeing around the ancient Greek ruins such as Acropolis and Parthenon combined with a bit of socializing and maybe a little yoga near the Acropolis and good eats in the gorgeous city of Athens. Having an in depth, well balanced and inspiring time is easy and these adventures are totally worth packing into a day or two. I’ll break down exactly how I was able to enjoy Athens thoroughly, make new friends, see sights not highlighted on most day tours and get around with ease.

Transportation Tips for Athens, Greece

If you’re travelling solo in Athens, it is smart to get an understanding of the Metro system. First, if you’re staying for two or more days, make sure to get at least a five trip pass during your first visit to a Metro Station. At any of the metro stations in Athens, you will find the ticket vending machines which offer guided transactions in multiple languages, including English! These machines offer many ticket purchasing options for the Athens Metro and I bought five trips, however I also had friends in town who gave me a few rides, so consider how long you’re staying and how much you’ll rely on the metro system.

Athens Metro System has three lines which cover the majority of the city, including the airport. Tickets from the airport into central Athens cost 10 Euros and single trips within Athens cost one Euro and fifty cents each (June 2019). By purchasing multiple metro trips in bulk, you’ll definitely save time by avoiding the queue each trip! Keep in mind that the Metro service stops around midnight, so if you’re planning a late night, be prepared to use an alternative.

Taxis in Athens are relatively affordable compared to many European cities. My friend took a taxi from the coast near Kallithea to downtown Athens to meet me for lunch and it cost her approximately 15 Euros. She would have otherwise taken the bus but she was running late. The bus system is fairly reliable and the ones I took were clean, timely & spacious. I have heard they don’t always run on schedule though, so make sure you leave ample time for travel is you use the Athens Bus system. Uber also operates in Athens so you have many options for getting around.

If you’re moving around town on foot, you’ll definitely have a lot to stop and look at. There are excavation sites on virtually every block of the city of Athens and shops chalk full of affordable souvenirs, leather goods, fashion trends and other locally made products. Just be sure to bring a reusable water bottle with you to stay hydrated. Especially in the summer, Athens is very hot and very humid. If you burn easily and plan on doing a lot of walking, be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen.

Nikos’ Free Walking Tour of Athens

A walking tour of Athens, Greece with Nikos should definitely be on your itinerary. In the course of a few hours, he showed us tombs in the Metro station, shared the history of Syntagma Square in Athens, revealed an underground network of rivers, walked us through some great shopping centers, quizzed us on our art and Greek Mythology knowledge while showing us various public buildings, including the old library, a university research center, an original castle and more. After breezing through the city of Athens with Nikos’ great sense of hospitality and humour, he took us to a charming historic village, built in the likeness of villages in the Greek islands, just below the Acropolis where we enjoyed sweeping views of the city skyline.

After descending from this final village destination, he gave the group recommendations on where to eat, including at his favorite local bistro, Yiasemi. For more information on where to eat in Athens, especially if you’re into vegan or vegetarian restaurants, click through to my blog article on the best vegetarian spots in Athens.

I was privileged with enough time and freedom as a solo traveller to join Nikos and one other solo traveller for a group lunch at Yiasemi. He is a wonderful guy, truly, with a kind heart and a tremendous amount of passion for Greek history which makes him the best guide for a walking tour in Athens. I highly suggest you take a few early hours of your day to tour with him. You can find him on here on Facebook! On a side note, make sure to bring some snacks and water along! 

How to Spend the Afternoon near Acropolis in Athens

Athens has a high concentration of places to see and things to do in one big city! After the walking tour through Athens with Nikos, I planned on attending a kundalini yoga class at waja Yoga Center. The great thing about travelling solo and doing things like group tours is that there is a high chance of making new friends along the way and that’s exactly what I did!

My new friend and I attended yoga class near Acropolis Metro Station together and were both really glad we did. It was the perfect way to retreat from the busy city of Athens and rejuvenate over an hour of movement and breath. Swaha Yoga Center is a bright and clean studio with friendly staff and a comfortable ambience. After practice, they even let us log onto their wifi to determine our next steps!

Practicing yoga near Acropolis is perfect for travellers because of the convenient location to the major sightseeing destinations in Athens. It took us under 10 minutes to walk there from the end of Nikos Walking Tour and less than five to arrive to the Acropolis Museum which is a total must see.

By this time in the day, I’d had time for a slow breakfast, completed a three hour walking tour of Athens, had a vegetarian lunch at a great Greek bistro which is also loved by locals, enjoyed a traditional Greek-style baklava for dessert, made a new friend, enjoyed a brief meditation in a park under a tree and attended a community yoga class. 

The Acropolis Museum in Athens

Visiting the Acropolis Museum of Athens in the afternoon is the perfect time. While it was still hot outside, I was able to step into an exquisitely executed modern museum with panoramic views of the city, including excellent views of the Acropolis site itself and enjoy the air conditioning! Even in the lightest and most natural of fibers, the heat and humidity of Athens in the summer really brings one to a heightened sense of gratitude for the invention of air conditioning.

I know you probably feel what I’m saying, but this section is not really about air conditioning! It’s about the Acropolis Museum! This museum actually made me feel as if I had just stepped into my 6th grade Art History textbook as I was surrounded by pottery, stone carvings and one very cool underground excavation site reminding me of all the fascination I experienced as a child with the culture and stories of Ancient Greece. Near the museum cafeteria, there was even a Lego diagram of the Acropolis Site which included both ancient structural examples of the site and elements of popular culture which have been influenced by the location somehow, like a Lego Elton John concert in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. 

The Acropolis Museum is a great way to spend a couple hours absorbing the history of Athens before the sunsets. For more information on prices and hours of operations, visit the Acropolis Museum website.

The Best Rooftop Terrace for an Amazing Athens Sunset

After spending the day on the ground level of Athens, or below, I suggest finding yourself at the top of the town at Thea Terrace on the top floor of Central Hotel in Athens. Here you’ll find two options for amazing views of the city: one on the dinner service side of Thea Terrace and another on the more casual drinks only side. Thea Terrace Bar has a Certificate of Excellence on Trip Advisor with a four and a half star rating from users.

I went to Thea Terrace for a couple glasses of sparkling wine with new travelling acquaintances I’d met online and was completely delighted by the service, views and general atmosphere. It was the perfect spot for a relaxing sunset view over the Acropolis alongside some cool views of various urban rooftops. We drank, made jokes, shared stories and carried on to dinner at another location.

If you’re travelling alone and want to socialize a bit, I suggest checking out what people on Couchsurfing are doing or what people on Solo Travel Facebook groups are up to. Announce your arrival to the city on either and shout out a meetup idea – you are bound to find other enthusiastic individuals looking for a bit of fun in an international crowd!

The Ultimate Casual Greek Dining Spot in Athens

So I don’t use the word ultimate very often, but when I do I am serious about it! The kitchen at Mavro Provato completely surprised me with its culinary prowess along with it’s speedy delivery of an outstanding family style meal, shared between 10 people.

I think we must have ordered 20 dishes and all of them came out in excellent execution in a very timely manner. From roasted beetroot to grilled haloumi to fava bean dip to an exquisite preparation of veal to juicy lamb and mushrooms to sarikopita and more, every single bite of every single dish was just perfect.

Mavro Provato is truly the quintessential culinary black sheep, providing outstanding dishes at affordable prices in an atmosphere which welcomes everyone. It comes with my highest recommendations for people of any dietary preference – just be sure to make a reservation as this place gets packed. 

Click here to visit Mavro Provato or check out their menu yourself!

The Best Beach and Temple Ruins Just Outside of Athens

If you’re looking to get out of the city environment for a full or half day, taking a trip down to Sounion is a wonderful way of absorbing some coastal goodness while still enjoying the cultural history of the region.

The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion is a great destination, especially when paired with a stop at the Grecotel Cape Sounio Beach bar and lounge. Approximately an hour and forty five minutes drive from the city of Athens, the Temple of Poseidon offers outstanding Mediterranean views and great inspiration via it’s mythological history.

After hiking up the Temple grounds and back down, you can take a five minute drive back down the hill and park in a dirt lot surrounded with shrubs. Below this parking lot is a wonderful little beach retreat, mostly hidden from the general public but definitely worth a stop. I stopped here with a small group and each of us found it to be the perfect place to wind down, grab some fresh juice or beverage of choice and take a dip in the Mediterranean waters which were the perfect temperature match to the hot summer day in the Athen’s coastal region.

In all, a trip to Sounion by car can take up to four hours, depending on traffic. This is not including the time it takes to tour the Temple and chill at the beach bar. Because the heat of the day extends well into the evening, leaving from Athens to Sounion by 2pm at the latest will still afford you ample time to enjoy the destination.

For more information on all the ways you can travel to and from Sounion to Athens, check out this recently updated article from Bunch of Backpackers.