Athens and Greece in general, with its various islands (more than 3,000 Islands) was a destination for travelers since ancient times. And with the improved infrastructure and services in the city over the past decade, tourism has served as a "heavy industry" for Greece. Greece now occupies the third place among the Mediterranean countries in the number of tourists after Spain and Italy.
Hosting the Olympic Games in 2004, helped to increase the tourist traffic as the Greek government with the help of the European Union funded major infrastructure projects such as the Athens international Airport, expansion of the Athens Metro system and the new highway (Attiki Odos).
Income from tourism in Greece, is about 20% of GDP, with more than 700 thousand of Greeks work in the tourism industry to service from 18 to 20 million tourists per year (twice the population), and more recently new types of tourism haves flourished, including agricultural, religious, medical and alternative tourism such as conferences, seminars and meetings.
Tourist attractions in Athens
- Parthenon, Acropolis
- Ancient Agora
- Syntagma Square (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier/Hellenic Parliament)
- National Garden
- Mount Lycabettus (“Likavitos”)
- Panathenaic Stadium
- Hadrian’s Arch
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon
- Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Museums in Athens
- The New Acropolis Museum
Opened in 2009, as a substitute for the old museum "of the same name." The museum has proved to be a place of great attraction; nearly one million people visited it during the summer period from June to October 2009. There are a number of small museums owned by the private sector, which focuses on the Greek culture and the arts.
- National Archaeological Museum
National Archaeological Museum: located at the center of the capital, it is one of the largest archaeological museums in the country and one of the most important museums internationally, as it contains a wide range of artifacts covering the period of more than 5,000 years, from the late Neolithic period until Romanian Greece.
- Byzantine Museum
- Museum of Cycladic Art
Shopping Centers
- The Mall
- Golden Hall
- Attica Department Store
- McArthurglen
- Ermou Street (in Syntagma)
- Kolonaki Area
- Monastiraki
- Plaka
- Factory Outlet (near Airport)
- Kifissia Area
- Glyfada Area
Zoo
Attica Park – Zoological Park
Ports
Flisvos Marina (Palaio Faliro Area)
Tourist Islands
Santorini, Mykonos, Zakynthos, Corfu, Paros, Spetses, Naxos, Rhodes, Crete, Syros, Evia, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Elafonisos
Travel Agencies
- MidEast Travel (Tel: 0030 211 211 88 88)
- Unique Travel (Tel.: 0030 210 922 00 36 / 0030 210 581 00 37)
- G.O. Tours (Tel.: 0030 210 921 95 55-9)
Other Tourist Cities
- Delphi
- Meteora
- Nafplio
- Limni Plastira
- Arachova (preferably in winter)
- Ioannina (Metsovo)
- Kavala
- Kastoria
- Epidavros
- Karpenisi (preferably in winter)
- Volos / Pilio Mountain
- Halkidiki
- Kalamata (Costa Navarino Resort)
- Thessaloniki
Entertainment and Theaters
Athens is home to more than 148 theaters, a matchless number in the world; the most famous festivals is the Athens Festival, in the period from May to October each year, held in “Harodio” theater, one of the most famous theaters of Romanian Greek, and the unique “Ibadavro" theater which is just three hours from the capital.
Athens also contain music venues, such as the Palace of music (opposite the US embassy), which attracts artists from all over the world. The Dome of the Athens Planetarium is one of the largest digital and best equipped halls in the world and is located in Singro Street.