The cradle of ancient Greece: the Acropolis and Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, the Plaka quarter, Monastiraki market and the changing of the guard on Syntagma Square. For history, myths and Mediterranean food; day trips go to the Cape Sounion sunset, Delphi and the islands of Aegina and Hydra, and you can carry on to Santorini or Mykonos by ferry or plane. There are no direct flights — connect via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Beijing. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa; the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar (VFS Global) handles Greek visas on Greece's behalf.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 15h☀ Best months: April, May, June, September
#Acropolis#ancient Greece#museums#islands#Mediterranean food#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: April, May, June, September, October.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Acropolis and the Parthenon
Culture€30 (all year); non-EU children under 5 freeApril–October 8:00–19:00; November–March 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
The 5th-century BC Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its Caryatid maidens and the Temple of Athena Nike — among the very first World Heritage Sites. Tickets are timed (a 1-hour window) and capped at 20,000 visitors a day; in summer they sell out 5–7 days ahead, so buy early on hhticket.gr. It closes at midday in heatwaves, so go in at 8:00. The marble is slippery — wear shoes with good grip.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goGreece has no embassy in Mongolia — the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar takes Greek visa applications through VFS Global, so there is no need to go to Beijing.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy (VFS Global)
If Greece is your main destination, the German Embassy in Ulaanbaatar issues the visa on Greece's behalf. VFS Global takes the applications on the embassy premises, and you book the appointment online. The fee is €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a 100,000₮ VFS service fee.
Tip: Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel — for a summer trip, book your slot in spring.
A decision usually comes within 15 days, up to 45 if extra checks are needed. Attach medical insurance of at least €30,000 valid across Schengen, a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter. On first entry to Schengen the EES system records your fingerprints and face.
Acropolis tickets are timed and sell out days ahead in summer. Buy only on the official hhticket.gr — look-alike sites add a mark-up. In summer pick the first morning slot: sites sometimes close at midday during heatwaves.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityFlights land at Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH), east of the city.+
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Metro line 3 (blue)
The metro runs straight from the airport to Syntagma and Monastiraki. The airport metro ticket is €9 (reduced €4.50), or €16 return, valid for 30 days. Within its 90-minute validity it also works on other city transport. You can tap a bank card at the gates.
Tip: Staying 3+ days? The €20 3-day tourist ticket includes a return airport trip.
Express bus X95 runs to Syntagma and X96 to Piraeus port around the clock; tickets are €5.50. Take only official yellow taxis from the rank outside — there is a fixed day and night fare to the city, so confirm it with the driver before you get in.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: it works as soon as you land in Istanbul, Frankfurt or Athens. Pick a Europe-wide plan and it works in your connecting city too.
Tip: Download Athens in Google Maps and Greek in Google Translate for offline use.
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Greek prepaid SIM
Buy a SIM at a Cosmote, Vodafone or Nova store with your passport — registration is required by law. SIMs are also sold in the airport arrivals hall, but city stores have more plans. Cosmote has the widest coverage on the islands.
🚇Getting aroundThe historic centre (Plaka, Monastiraki, the Acropolis) is compact — you will walk most of it. The metro has three clean, easy lines.+
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Tickets
A single ticket is €1.20, valid 90 minutes on metro, buses and trams. A 24-hour ticket is €4.10 and a 5-day ticket €8.20; these are not valid on the airport metro or express buses. You can tap a bank card. Validate tickets on the blue readers — inspection fines are high.
Line 1 (green) runs from Monastiraki and Thissio to Piraeus port, line 2 (red) serves Syntagma and Akropoli station, and line 3 goes to the airport. From Syntagma the tram runs to beaches such as Glyfada and Vouliagmeni — an easy escape from the city heat with children.
Ferries to Aegina, Hydra, Santorini and Mykonos leave from Piraeus, some from Rafina; book ahead on Ferryhopper, and expect timetable changes on windy days. Flying is faster for Santorini and Mykonos. Reach Delphi and Sounion by KTEL bus or on a tour.
Most places take cards and phone payments; small tavernas, markets and island cafés need cash. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs; independent ATMs such as Euronet charge high fees. Tipping is optional — leave a little if you were happy.
Tip: If the ATM offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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Climate resilience fee
Greece charges a fee per room, per night. April–October: 1–2-star hotels €2, 3-star €5, 4-star €10, 5-star €15, short-term rentals (Airbnb) €8. November–March: €0.50, €1.50, €3, €4, and €2 for rentals. It is usually collected separately at the property.
Cruise passengers landing on Santorini or Mykonos pay €20 per person from June to September and €12 in April–May and October, added to the fare (less at other ports). Non-EU visitors get a Tax Free form in the shop and reclaim VAT at the airport where they leave the EU.
🍜FoodGreek food is simple and fresh: olive oil, vegetables, grilled meat and seafood.+
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What to eat
Souvlaki, gyros (grilled meat wrapped in pita), moussaka, Greek salad (horiatiki), spanakopita (spinach pie) and fresh fish. Children love gyros, souvlaki skewers, yoghurt with honey and loukoumades (honey doughnut balls).
Tip: Plaka's picture-menu restaurants are pricey — Petralona, Koukaki and Psyrri are cheaper and better.
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Meal times and coffee
Greeks eat dinner late, and tavernas stay full until midnight. In summer heat they drink iced coffee — freddo espresso or frappé. Food is usually shared — order several small plates (meze).
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Markets and groceries
The Varvakios central market on Athinas Street has meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, with cheese and olive shops nearby. Buy cheap groceries at AB Vasilopoulos, Sklavenitis and Lidl. Athens tap water is safe to drink.
Police, ambulance and fire all answer on 112 — free, 24 hours, across the EU, even from a phone without a SIM. An English-speaking tourist police line exists too (see the list above). The emergency department is called 'Epigonta'.
Gangs work metro line 1, the airport metro, Monastiraki, Syntagma and the Acropolis gates. Don't leave your phone on the table and keep your bag in front. Decline if a stranger invites you to a bar — it is a known overpriced-drinks scam. Stay away from protests on Syntagma.
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Heat and the Mongolian Embassy
Summer heatwaves are common — carry a hat and water, spend midday in museums and walk outside in the morning and evening. Mongolia has no embassy in Greece; if you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Sofia (Bulgaria), which covers Greece.
Orthodox churches and monasteries may refuse entry with bare shoulders or knees — carry a light scarf. On the Acropolis, high heels, touching or taking marble are forbidden; flying drones or climbing monuments brings fines.
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Gestures
Showing an open palm towards someone (the 'moutza') is an insult — wave with your palm turned away. Greeks say 'ne' for yes, so don't mix it up; 'no' is 'ohi', often with a backward tilt of the head.
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Everyday contact
Say 'Kalimera' (morning) or 'Kalispera' (evening) entering a shop or taverna and 'Efharisto' when leaving. Greeks are warm hosts; tavernas sometimes bring a free dessert or liqueur. You usually ask for the bill.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
OASA Telematics shows live bus and trolleybus arrivals; Google Maps covers the metro and tram well. Book official yellow taxis in FreeNow or Uber (in Athens Uber only books taxis). Buy ferry tickets in Ferryhopper.
Buy site tickets only on hhticket.gr and Acropolis Museum tickets on the museum's own site. Google Translate's camera mode translates Greek menus and signs on the spot.
From Syntagma take metro line 3 or the X95 bus to the airport; the metro ticket is €9, the bus €5.50. Be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight: the EES exit check, Tax Free validation and security can be slow. If you connect via Frankfurt, you exit Schengen there.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods in your hand luggage and validate them before check-in.
A modern museum at the foot of the Acropolis: an excavated ancient neighbourhood under glass floors and, on the top floor, the Parthenon frieze in a glass gallery facing the temple itself, plus the original Caryatids. A cool place before or after the Acropolis in the heat; the terrace café looks out at the Parthenon.
Culture€20; reduced €10Summer 8:00–20:00, winter 8:00–16:30 (Tuesdays from 10:00)
The market and meeting place of ancient Athens, where Socrates argued and democracy took shape. It holds the Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best-preserved Greek temples, and a museum inside the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos. Shady trees and a calm view up to the Acropolis.
CityFree24 hours; shops and tavernas usually 10:00–23:00
The oldest neighbourhood, on the slopes of the Acropolis: narrow lanes, flower-hung balconies, tavernas and souvenir shops. Anafiotika above it, with whitewashed houses, feels like a Cycladic island village — a taste of Santorini if you have no time to go. People live here, so keep your voice down.
ShoppingFree (souvlaki €4–6)Shops daily; the flea market is busiest on Sunday mornings
A bustling square where the Acropolis appears as soon as you leave the metro. Ifestou Street sells leather sandals, antiques and souvenirs; Mitropoleos Street has souvlaki and gyros. Rooftop bars around the square watch the Acropolis light up at sunset. Many pickpockets — keep your bag in front.
CityFreeOn the hour; full ceremony with band on Sundays at 11:00
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament, Evzone guards in kilts (fustanella) and pompom shoes change every hour with a slow, unique march. The 11:00 Sunday ceremony is the grandest. The National Garden next door has a playground and a small zoo.
The world's richest collection of ancient Greek art: the gold Mask of Agamemnon, the bronze Artemision god and the Antikythera mechanism, the world's oldest 'computer'. Allow at least 2–3 hours. North of the centre, a walk from Omonia.
NatureFree on foot; funicular return about €13Funicular daily from 9:00 until late at night
At 277 m, the highest point in the city: the Acropolis, all of Athens, the port of Piraeus and the sea below you. Walk up from Kolonaki in about 45 minutes or ride the 3-minute funicular through a tunnel. Best at sunset — there is a small chapel and café at the top.
Panathenaic Stadium and the Temple of Olympian Zeus
KidsStadium €12 (reduced €6, audio guide included); Temple of Zeus separately €20Stadium March–October 8:00–19:00, November–February 8:00–17:00
The only stadium built entirely of white marble — the first modern Olympics were held here in 1896. Children can run the track and pose on the winners' podium; there is a museum of Olympic torches. Ten minutes' walk away stand the giant columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and Hadrian's Arch.
Nature€20; reduced €10Daily from 9:30 until sunset
The 5th-century BC Temple of Poseidon on a clifftop cape over the Aegean, with Lord Byron's name carved on a column. About 1.5 hours from Athens along the coast road by KTEL bus or tour. Go for sunset and stop for a swim at Varkiza or Lagonisi on the way.
Culture€20 (site and museum)Usually 8:00–20:00 in summer, 8:30–15:30 in winter
The 'navel of the world' in antiquity — Apollo's oracle on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. A theatre, stadium, the Temple of Apollo and a museum with the bronze Charioteer. About 2.5 hours from Athens by KTEL bus (from Liosion station) or on a tour; it takes a full day.
BeachPiraeus–Aegina ferry about €10–20 one way (fast boats cost more)Several ferries a day; check the timetable ahead
Aegina is 40–75 minutes from Piraeus — pistachios, the Temple of Aphaea and calm beaches; car-free Hydra with its donkeys is 1.5–2 hours away. An easy island day for families. Santorini and Mykonos are far (5–8 hours by ferry), so give them at least 2–3 nights; Santorini charges cruise passengers a €20 fee from June to September.
