Athens, Greece Travel Community

What time of the year is the best to visit Athens?

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nadellii

nadellii

Active member
According to the forum, many people recommend that I don’t visit Athens during August, because many of the locals have gone on vacation and the city is pretty empty. That being said… when is the best time to visit? I am definitely interested in seeing the acropolis and the museums, but I am wondering when the best time of year is to see the city life.
 
Personally, I think June is a good month to visit. Not too hot and it's quite busy without being overcrowded (maybe the touristy areas are still quite busy). To be honest my daughter went in the middle of winter (Dec/Jan) and she said there were more activities/gigs/things to do at that time than during summer. I personally don't like late Sep and Oct because there are lots of rains at that time.
 
March to September is best, except for August. August is the month everyone returns to their village for Panigiri. Many stores will be closed during this time, but if you do decide to go in August then you'll be okay if you stick to the touristy areas
 
I would suggest spring or fall. Much nicer weather, fewer crowds. I would also suggest visiting other neighborhoods besides the historic center, like Pangrati, take a stroll around Koukaki and even further to Nea Ionia.
 
nadellii said:
According to the forum, many people recommend that I don’t visit Athens during August, because many of the locals have gone on vacation and the city is pretty empty. That being said… when is the best time to visit? I am definitely interested in seeing the acropolis and the museums, but I am wondering when the best time of year is to see the city life.
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I have been to Athens during this time and I loved it. Just to offer a contrary opinion. The city does seem to shut down a but, but all the stuff I needed was open. Restaurants, the local beaches, some of the shops. There was less traffic and noise. You can easily see the acropolis, museums, and other historical sites. Those don't seem to close.
 
Look, August is a beautiful time to visit if you have no issues with the heat. It's usually very hot in August. On the upside however, it is relatively traffic- and crowd-free and ideal for long strolls and photo ops in the center. August is usually when most Greeks go on holiday. I personally love August in Athens. There's a certain magic to the quiet.
 
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The Greek Vibe said:
Look, August is a beautiful time to visit if you have no issues with the heat. It's usually very hot in August. On the upside however, it is relatively traffic- and crowd-free and ideal for long strolls and photo ops in the center. August is usually when most Greeks go on holiday. I personally love August in Athens. There's a certain magic to the quiet.
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I'm with you, I definitely don't like when the city is very very busy. There is a small downside because there aren't many locals, but usually tourists go to see the sites anyways and don't interact much with the locals.
 
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My favorite is mid-May through mid-June. Weather is great, but not too hot. Beaches and tourist locations are less crowded because kids are not out of school yet.
 
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