10 Things to Do in Athens in Winter

There are tons of things to see and do in Athens from the moment you land at the airport to the moment you return home eager to continue living in this paradise that has a history stretching back 3000 years.

I have taken it upon myself to research what activities you can fully enjoy if you are in Athens during the winter and I advise you to read on to find out more about each and every one of them. Remember that the best way to experience a new place is to do it under the traditions that define the season you have chosen for your trip.

If you're in Athens in winter, you can't miss out on some of the best winter dishes. You should appreciate the fact that this Greek culinary universe has many heavy ingredients such as marinated meats or the use of olives as a base for the preparation. Moussaka is the national dish of Greece and is often a staple of the winter diet because of its high protein content, which helps your energy reserves to cope with the dropping temperatures and this protein intake will help you to walk around the city without feeling so exhausted.

Greek tavernas are a great place to experience the true taste of Athens' winter food and you'll see people gathering around to enjoy a gyro or a delicious fakes.

It's also a good idea to opt for a Greek food tour if you want to see the most iconic and traditional establishments in the city's less crowded neighbourhoods.

If your trip to Athens during the winter coincides with the dates of Carnival, then you can't hesitate in the festivities of Apokries. This is the Greek version of the festival that marks the beginning of Lent before Easter in the Greek Orthodox Church.

This festival is characterised by all sorts of extravagant floats representing cultural elements of Ancient Greece and the mythology behind its religious customs. There is also a lot of Byzantine influence in the aesthetics of this Greek carnival and, if you go to this celebration, you will notice that the participants are often dressed in colourful clothes for the whole weekend of its duration.

The Moschato parade is one of the most important events of this weekend of festivities and is held in the Moschato neighbourhood on the coast near the port of Piraeus. There are also confetti battles and all sorts of other celebrations in the bars and streets of the old neighbourhoods near the Acropolis, i.e. districts 1 and 2 of Athens. An excellent excuse to enjoy the festive atmosphere after your visit to the Acropolis of Athens.

If you are already in Plaka or any other neighbourhood in the 1st and 2nd districts of Athens you can try to get the best deals on authentic Greek jewellery, as winter is a low sales season for these traders and many shops have discounts and sales to entice the shopper.

My advice is to go to the Monastiraki neighbourhood as well, as it will allow you to get jewellery in a more comfortable and quiet space. This area is very close to the Agora of Athens, an area full of Ancient Greek monuments that you can't miss and which, in the winter season, will guarantee you an almost tourist-free tour.

Many of Athens' tour buses run through this area of the city's districts 1, 2 and 3. Don't hesitate and take advantage of them if you get tired of walking and want to get to another tourist epicentre of the city quickly.

The neighbourhood of Plaka is one of the tourist epicentres of Athens, both for its proximity to the Acropolis and for its architectural style, which makes it look like a village frozen in time in the middle of a city as cosmopolitan as the Greek capital.

It is an area of narrow, cobbled streets with cafes and tavernas on almost every corner. The Anafiotika section of the city is where the charm of this community is most evident and winter is the best time of year to visit this area of Athens whose narrow streets look like little urban labyrinths.

Among the best things to do in the Plaka neighbourhood of Athens I can highlight the climb up to the Acropolis, which will always be in the background in this section of the city centre and without a doubt a guided tour of Athens is an excellent option to discover the secrets hidden in this area of the city.

Although the Mediterranean climate of southern Greece allows winters to remain fairly mild, it can still feel cold in a windy city like Athens. Therefore, I recommend that you take advantage of the season to visit a Hammam, which is a typical Ottoman sauna.

If you visit one during your visit to Athens you can enjoy a long steam session which will be followed by a full body scrub and a series of massages that will allow you to relax and leave refreshed to enjoy the rest of your sightseeing itinerary.

At the end, you'll be offered all sorts of teas associated with Greek gastronomy and really this is an experience that will be available in every corner of the city, as most neighbourhoods have at least one Hammam of excellent quality.

Shopping is an essential part of any trip. At the same time, Greece is a destination characterised by the quality of its gastronomic offer and the way in which these flavours captivate people who discover them for the first time.

It is therefore a recommended plan for your winter visit to Athens to take a stroll through the streets around the Central Market, where you will find all kinds of gastronomic souvenirs that will allow you to continue savouring Greece once you are back home.

The winter season is a particularly good time to visit the market and buy canned or well-preserved ingredients without the crowds.

Mount Philopapos is a relatively high hill that is close to the Acropolis and the other tourist attractions that make Athens a place like no other. The mountain offers panoramic views of the central section of Athens and on a clear day you have the opportunity to view the shores of Piraeus.

To climb to the top you will have to follow a short hiking route, but this physical activity is certainly worthwhile if you are guaranteed a panoramic view of the city on a snowy day. Which is very likely to happen considering that snowy mornings have become more and more frequent in Athens' winters in recent decades.

Greece's mainland is full of villages that can give you a truer and more authentic picture of how rural life works in this picturesque country. For example, the communities near the Tatoi Forest are a good idea if you're looking for villages that are very close to the built-up area of Athens.

If you want to go a little further afield you can head to Mount Parnassus, one of the highest mountains in all of Greece that offers plenty of winter entertainment alternatives, such as mountain hiking and even ski slopes.

Mount Giona is another accessible destination that can form part of the best tours and excursions from Athens when thinking of a winter entertainment activity. So it's up to you to decide if you're really interested in seeing the mountainous side of Greece or if you decide to go for a trip to the nearby islands, which will definitely be free of tourists and which will also offer you a very beautiful panorama to admire.

Athens is the third most populous capital city in the European Union, at least if you take into account the number of people living in its metropolitan area. It is also one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world and is specifically an epicentre of modernity and freedom within the Balkan Peninsula region.

For these reasons, it is logical that the nightlife scene is very active throughout the year and winter in particular is a busy time for partying in Athens, as beach plans mutate into activities that offer protection from the low temperatures of the season. Some of the most recommended options to experience the Athenian party are the following:

• Psyri: stands out among other alternatives for its bohemian identity and for being one of the epicentres of urban art in Europe.
• Gazi: has the best nightclubs in Athens and is very close to the tourist area of Monastiraki.
• Exarcheia: this is the district of the more anarchist thinkers and revolutionaries, who to this day resist the gentrification that has taken place in the other areas of the city. If you're looking for a more authentic kind of party, this is the place for you.

Having an evening of bar-hopping in some of the areas I've mentioned is one of the best things to see and do in Athens at night... Let the party begin!

Piraeus or Piraeus is a port city that forms part of the Athens metropolitan area. This area connects the capital to most of the nearby islands that are accessible by a short ferry ride or for a longer trip, as larger Athens cruise ships usually depart from the port terminals in this neighbourhood.

Winter is a perfect time to enjoy this area as the tourist crowds drop dramatically and if you visit, you'll have the opportunity to see how the Greek elite live, as many of the luxury boats dock in this port due to its proximity to the rest of Athens.

The harbours of Mikrolimana and Zea Marina are must-see stops in the area, as is the quiet but beautiful Kastella neighbourhood.

Temperatures in Athens in winter may be classified as cold by Mediterranean standards, but they are definitely warm by the standards expected in other corners of the European Union: minimums usually hover between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius throughout the season, while maximums can rise to 15 degrees Celsius by midday on a sunny day.

However, you should not be surprised by an abrupt drop in temperature that brings with it a little snowfall in the Greek capital. This is an increasingly common phenomenon in the far south of the Balkan Peninsula.

As I mentioned, Athens' tourist numbers in winter could not be more favourable. Although there are clearly still visitors, as this is one of the most important destinations globally, it is a minimal percentage compared to the amount of tourists that flock to this country during the summer season.

The winters in Athens favour the tourist's pocket by the fact that all entertainment and accommodation services lower their prices with the intention to advertise itself as a cheap destination in the European tourism alternatives.

From food to transport, accommodation and also commercial consumption, all these activities will be cheaper than what you would have to spend in summer staying the same amount of days in the Greek capital.

Athens is a walkable city and many of your plans will be in environments that require physical movement. It is therefore advisable to wear comfortable clothing, and don't forget to pack coats to cope with the cold, especially if snowfall is expected during your trip.

It is also essential that you wear comfortable shoes and opt for versatile clothing that can be worn for a daytime sightseeing activity and a more refined dinner in an enclosed restaurant.