What it's like
Monastiraki is a bohemian district between Plaka and Thissio. It has long been the city's hub of commerce and craftsmanship, where many layers of history meet in a few streets of small shops and workshops.
A visit is mostly wandering. Shops sell antiques, cookware, souvenirs, arts and crafts, and funky clothing, and the streets next to Plaka are a short walk from the older quarter. Expect crowds in the busiest hours.
Good to know
- Plaka next door is very popular with tourists, so expect crowds in the surrounding streets.
- Peak traffic hours can be smoggy on main roads in Athens, which sits in a basin ringed by mountains.
Monastiraki
Monastiraki is a bohemian district between Plaka and Thissio, full of small shops selling antiques, cookware, souvenirs, arts and crafts, and funky clothing. It is the commercial and craft heart of old Athens.
Tours that go here
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Plaka
Plaka is the old neighborhood of Athens, climbing the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. Its streets are pedestrian, lined with shops, cafes and restaurants.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is the ancient citadel above central Athens, with the Parthenon at its heart. You climb the rock on foot to reach the ruins and the views over the city.
Ancient Agora of Athens
The Ancient Agora was the civic heart of classical Athens, a marketplace that also held assembly and residential remains. You walk its open grounds among ruined stoas, temples and foundations.
National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum holds Greek antiquities from prehistory to late antiquity, gathered from sites across the country. It sits in Exarcheia, a short trip from the center of Athens.
The same kind of day, elsewhere
Shopping
