💡 The Short Version: Plaka and Anafiotika are free, with no ticket and no queue; the shops, cafés and museums set their own hours. Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, from Filomousson Square down to Monastiraki. Anafiotika is a village of whitewashed houses on the slope above it, founded by workmen from the island of Anafi, with its edges marked by the churches of Agios Georgios tou Vrahou and Agios Simeon. Allow about two hours: the Benizelos Mansion, Agios Nikolaos Ragavas, Anafiotika and the Monument of Lysicrates. The official guide warns of crowds. Or book a tour: the night walking tour through Plaka, Anafiotika and Monastirakiad is from €18 (GetYourGuide).
How the walk goes
Plaka has no gate or hours. The official Athens guide says the best way to see it is to wander the lanes, chasing glimpses of the Acropolis between neoclassical buildings, Byzantine churches, cafés and souvenir shops. This order links the sights in about two hours.
A lane in Plaka below the Acropolis. Photo: JFKennedy, Wikimedia Commons.
- Monastiraki Square. Metro Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3). Plaka runs from here up to Filomousson Square, roughly where Kidathinaion and Adrianou Streets cross.
- The Benizelos Mansion, 96 Adrianou Street. The oldest surviving house in Athens, a restored 18th-century residence with austere stone walls on the ground floor and an arched portico around an inner courtyard, in the Byzantine and post-Byzantine tradition. The rooms open on the courtyard, and the storerooms and an olive or grape press are at the back.
- Agios Nikolaos Ragavas, 1 Prytaniou Street. A small domed church at the corner of Prytaniou Street and the steps of Epiharmou, with the Acropolis rising behind it. It belonged to the Ragavas family, a Byzantine house, and its small bell, kept in a secret crypt when bells were confiscated, rang in 1833 and again on 12 October 1944 after the German withdrawal.
- Anafiotika. Climb above Plaka to the whitewashed houses. The quarter was founded by workmen from the island of Anafi, and its lanes are lined with clay and tin planters of flowers and herbs. The lane narrows into a path, with a makeshift sign towards the Acropolis along Theorias, a stone-paved walk around the rock. Go back towards Agios Georgios for a view over to Lycabettus.
- The Monument of Lysicrates, 3 Epimenidou Street. A podium topped by a solid tower with embedded Corinthian columns, on the edge of Plaka below the Acropolis cliff and almost at right angles to Hadrian’s Arch. In ancient times the street was lined with monuments put up by the sponsors of the drama festivals at the Theatre of Dionysus. The square’s cafés are shaded.
- The Pikionis paths. Dimitris Pikionis laid the network of paths around Philopappos Hill, Dionysiou Areopagitou and the Acropolis in the 1960s from the material of demolished buildings, pottery fragments, stone and brick. They are not ancient. Best views in Athens covers the hills they lead to.
A lane in Anafiotika under the Acropolis rock. Photo: Zde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Plaka’s smaller museums, named in the official guide, are the Museum of Greek Folk Art, the Museum of Greek Folk Instruments, which has free entry, and the private Frissiras and Canellopoulos museums. Each sets its own hours.
The Monument of Lysicrates with the Acropolis behind. Photo: George E. Koronaios, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours worth paying for
Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Night walking tour with a local guide
From €18 · 2 hours · 258 reviews
Athens: Night Walking Tour with Local Guidead is a two-hour night walk in English through the historic centre, past the Cathedral and Anafiotika, and through Monastiraki, Plaka and Psyrri, with basic historical information. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Practical information
- Where: at the foot of the Acropolis, between Monastiraki and Syntagma. Metro Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3) for the north end, Acropolis (line 2) for the south.
- Cost: nothing for the streets. The Benizelos Mansion, the museums and the cafés set their own.
- Next to it: the Acropolis above, the Acropolis Museum to the south, the Ancient Agora to the west, and the Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library in Monastiraki.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: expecting an attraction with opening hours. Anafiotika is a residential quarter, and the official guide warns that Plaka is crowded.
Where to eat is in where to eat in Athens, and Monastiraki’s flea market starts at the bottom of Plaka. What to book before you go to Athens has the closed days for every sight. The hotels under the hill are in hotels near the Acropolis and where to stay in Athens. The Holy Flame goes first to Agioi Anargyroi church on Erechtheos Street in Plaka: see Easter in Athens in 2027. The food walks that start round Monastiraki are compared in Athens food tours.
Common questions
Is Plaka free to visit?
Yes. Plaka and Anafiotika are streets and lanes with no ticket. The museums, shops and cafés in them set their own prices and hours.
Where is Anafiotika?
On the slope of the Acropolis above Plaka. Its edges are marked by two 17th-century churches: Agios Georgios tou Vrahou on the east and Agios Simeon on the west. The Peripatos path around the Acropolis' north slope leads east to a guardhouse in the area of Anafiotika.
Why does Anafiotika look like a Greek island?
It was founded by workmen from the island of Anafi, and its whitewashed houses, narrow lanes and yards of planters follow a Cycladic village.
How long does Plaka take?
Allow two hours for a walk from Monastiraki through Plaka to Anafiotika and the Monument of Lysicrates, with stops.
What is the oldest house in Athens?
The Benizelos Mansion at 96 Adrianou Street in Plaka, a restored 18th-century residence, according to the city's official tourism guide.
Which Metro station is nearest to Plaka?
Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3) for the north end, and Acropolis (line 2) for the south end. Syntagma (lines 2 and 3) is also near.
