We arrived in Athens around 8pm on Thursday evening and took the metro straight to Monastiraki Station, which is right in the heart of the city. From there it was only about a three minute walk to our hotel, Attalos Hotel, so it was a really easy start to the trip.

Our room was at the front of the hotel and we had a small balcony with views of the Acropolis of Athens, which looked especially beautiful lit up at night. Over the next few days we also spent some time on the hotel’s rooftop terrace, which quickly became one of our favourite spots. The views of the Acropolis were amazing and the drinks were reasonable for such a central location. We were very happy sitting on a comfy outdoor sofa with a drink enjoying the view.

After settling into the hotel, we headed straight out to explore the nearby neighbourhood of Psiri, which was only about a two minute walk away. The area was buzzing with life, with narrow streets full of tavernas, small restaurants and lively local bars.

It also turned out to be very reasonable price wise. We stopped for dinner and shared a Greek burger and some Souvlaki with a bit of wine, and the whole meal only came to about €25.

The next day, Friday, was a free museum day in Athens. We started early at the Acropolis of Athens to try and beat the crowds. Wandering around while it was still relatively quiet felt pretty special being around so much history.

Afterwards we visited the nearby Acropolis Museum, which was also free that day. There were loads of fascinating exhibits, and a short video that helped bring the ruins we’d just walked among to life.

From there we wandered down to the Temple of Hephaestus. Compared with the Acropolis it was much quieter and relaxing to walk around.

Late in the morning we found a bar with a terrace overlooking the Acropolis and sat in the sunshine for a couple of drinks.

In the afternoon we relaxed at the hotel for a few hours before heading out again later to walk up Mount Lycabettus, the hill that rises above the centre of the city. I probably wouldn’t recommend the climb if you’re feeling unfit, it definitely tested us! There is a funicular, but we’re never ones to take the easy option. At the top there’s a bar with incredible views stretching right across Athens and out to the sea. Watching the light fade over the city with a drink in our hand was a lovely way to end the day.

We walked back down and headed into the Plaka area for dinner, where we found a small family run restaurant- (Paul name) that we really enjoyed.

The following morning we spent some time wandering through the city markets, browsing the stalls, picking up our customary magnet and exploring the streets at a slower pace. Later we caught the train out toward the coast near Lake Vouliagmeni. We thought the lake itself was a little underwhelming, but the coastline nearby was beautiful.

We found a spot overlooking the sea and treated ourselves to a very expensive glass of wine which at least came with a lovely view and we watched the sun set.

For our last day, which also happened to be Paul’s birthday, we decided we wanted an island experience. Hydra had been recommended, but it felt like it might be a bit rushed, so we went for the closer island of Aegina instead. We took the super fast ferry from Port of Piraeus, which got us there in just 40 minutes. Everything was really straightforward , we booked our tickets online in advance, and getting from Monastiraki Station to the port via the metro was simple.

Aegina had such a lovely, relaxed vibe. We wandered through the little narrow streets, and admired the charming houses. We had a long relaxing lunch and drinks with a sea view enjoying the sunshine and the calm island atmosphere. There were plenty of other things we could have done on the island, exploring temples, visiting pistachio farms, or renting a scooter but we were happy with a relaxing birthday.

We took the ferry back to the port and then the metro out to the airport. It was easy and stress free.

We really loved Athens, it never felt overwhelming, had a great mix of history and lively streets, and the food was amazing. Definitely a city we’d recommend.