{"id":32028,"date":"2019-01-11T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=32028&#038;preview=true&#038;preview_id=32028"},"modified":"2025-06-04T14:30:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T04:30:42","slug":"athens-travel-guide-crowd-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/athens-travel-guide-crowd-free\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ways to get off the tourist track in Athens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"\/greece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpil=\"url\">Athens<\/a> was the last stop on my first ever summer tour of Europe, and it was the only city that felt truly ancient. I literally tripped over ruins on my way to other ruins, stumbled across archaeological sites while walking to cafes, and bumped into historic monuments just outside some of the city\u2019s most popular gyros stands.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I would honestly say, breaking free of the crowds and getting lost in the history of this city can genuinely change your life, if you\u2019re lucky enough to find a quiet day. But that\u2019s the rub \u2014 I\u2019ve never found a truly quiet day in Athens. I\u2019ve been back twice now and, even in the quieter (and much cooler) months of September and October, I faced enormous crowds on my trek up the Acropolis, long queues throughout the Ancient Agora and particularly bustling groups at the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Of course, the attention is well deserved, as this city\u2019s most popular sites are also some of the world\u2019s most historically important.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/greece\/athens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>EXPLORE OUR RANGE OF SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES IN ATHENS NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Luckily enough, Athens, the seat of human civilization for centuries, contains more than enough historic splendour to cater for its millions of annual visitors. My advice is this: knock out the perennial favourites \u2014 Parthenon, Erectheion, Theatre of Dionysus, Ancient Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus \u2014 in one hectic, sweaty day, then head for these unmissable and off-the-incredibly-beaten-path sites.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Kerameikos Cemetery<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32031\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32031\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32031\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1208457091-e1546836092135.jpg\" alt=\"An ancient cemetery in Athens, Greece\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1208457091-e1546836092135.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1208457091-e1546836092135-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1208457091-e1546836092135-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1208457091-e1546836092135-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kerameikos Cemetery is definitely worth a visit. Photo by Nejdet Duzen.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s more than a little morbid, but the Kerameikos Cemetery was one of my favourite sites in Athens. A train to Monastiraki Metro and a 10-minute walk up Ermou in 35 degree heat brought me to the cemetery gates, where I was shocked to find no other tourists. I wandered through narrow, winding paths alone, weaving through gravestones and historic tombs, some of which dated back to 2700BC. I was especially struck by a section that contained dozens of clustered, cylindrical grave markers, a stark reminder of just how crowded the city was beneath my feet, too. The cemetery also has a small but fascinating museum charting the history of the Kerameikos area, known throughout the ages for its unparalleled pottery and ceramics.<\/p>\n<p>Tip: Once done communing with the dead, grab a cool beer from the hip Gazi College, another 10 minutes up the road.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/greece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpil=\"url\"><strong>INTERESTED IN A FAMILY ADVENTURE? OUR 8-DAY GREECE FAMILY HOLIDAY MIGHT BE JUST WHAT YOU&#8217;RE LOOKING FOR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Souvlaki from O Kostas <\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32037\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32037\" class=\"wp-image-32037 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Adv-Cruising-GREECE-Day6-Santorini-18-e1546837590475.jpg\" alt=\"A lamb gyros in Greece.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Adv-Cruising-GREECE-Day6-Santorini-18-e1546837590475.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Adv-Cruising-GREECE-Day6-Santorini-18-e1546837590475-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Adv-Cruising-GREECE-Day6-Santorini-18-e1546837590475-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Adv-Cruising-GREECE-Day6-Santorini-18-e1546837590475-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32037\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A lamb gyros (not from O Kostas, but still delicious!). Photo by Stew Miles.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Though you might prefer to avoid crowds while travelling, you seek them out when it comes to food. There is no shortage of quality meat wrap vendors in Athens but where can you find the best\u2014the actual best\u2014in the Greek capital? This was maybe my biggest challenge in Athens, and the search consumed my thoughts at every lunch and dinner and also sometimes breakfast. Definitively, the best souvlaki (that is, chunks of pork grilled on a skewer) I found was at O Kostas, a hole in the wall establishment about 5 minutes west of Syntagma. According to local travel website, Why Athens, O Kostas has been operating here for 65 years, and is currently run by the original Kostas\u2019s grandson\u2026 Kostas junior. Their time-honoured souvlakis contain incredibly fresh tomatoes, a healthy helping of parsley, tzatziki and paprika, all wrapped up with tender chunks of perfectly seasoned pork.<\/p>\n<p>O Kostas should be at the top of your to-do list in Athens, right alongside the Parthenon. No, seriously.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/TRIPS\/ZMZG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>WANT TO GO BEYOND THE SOUVLAKI? CHECK OUT OUR 9-DAY GREECE REAL FOOD ADVENTURE NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. National Archaeological Museum<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32033\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32033\" class=\"wp-image-32033 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233143443-e1546836419850.jpg\" alt=\"National Archaeological Museum, Athens\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233143443-e1546836419850.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233143443-e1546836419850-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233143443-e1546836419850-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233143443-e1546836419850-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32033\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can easily while away a whole day at the National Archaeological Museum. Photo by Tatsiana Hendzel.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Of course, with a city covered in historical sites and structures, many people don\u2019t bother visiting the excellent National Archaeological Museum. And that\u2019s exactly why I did. Not only for its glorious air-conditioning, but for the mind-boggling breadth of its collection. The museum boasts 11,000 exhibits showcasing artefacts from all over Greece, some dating back to the country\u2019s origins in 6000BC. For such a mammoth collection, I found the layout completely intuitive, with exhibits ordered chronologically, era to era. On my whistle-stop tour through basically all of Greek history, I was completely blown away by the haunting funeral mask of King Agamemnon, the historic face of the Artemision Bronze (the bearded man with no eyes used frequently in official Hellenic branding), and the Dipylon inscription \u2014 a vase found at the aforementioned Kerameikos Cemetery displaying the earliest known inscription of the Greek alphabet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpil=\"url\"><strong>SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID\u2019S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS &amp; MORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Panathenaic Stadium &amp; National Garden<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32032\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32032\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1210456516-e1546836339472.jpg\" alt=\"Panathenaic Stadium, Athens\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1210456516-e1546836339472.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1210456516-e1546836339472-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1210456516-e1546836339472-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1210456516-e1546836339472-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32032\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Live out your dreams of winning Gold here. Photo by Nejdet Duzen.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Site of the first modern Olympics in 1896, the only white marble stadium in the world and just a block away from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, I had picked this for one of the city\u2019s busier spots. I was completely wrong. Entrance cost me a measly 5 euros and it allowed me to walk freely throughout the stadium and even to run the 100 metres on its track. Not another soul was around, leaving me free to live out my Olympic fantasies in peace.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/adventures\/greek-island-tours-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RELATED:\u00a0WHY I\u2019M SO GLAD I CHOSE A GROUP TOUR OF GREECE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32034\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32034\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233319039-e1546836524821.jpg\" alt=\"Palm trees and flowers in the National Garden, Athens\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233319039-e1546836524821.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233319039-e1546836524821-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233319039-e1546836524821-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1233319039-e1546836524821-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32034\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Find some shade in Athens\u2018 National Garden. Photo by vivooo.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The nearby National Garden also took me by surprise. Its lush green foliage was an oasis on yet another 35 degree day, and I flocked there to take cover on one of its shady benches. The paths were quiet, the birds were singing, and I even found a turtle pond \u2014 what more could you ask for?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Central Municipal Athens Market<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32030\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32030\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32030\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_755540137-e1546835999109.jpg\" alt=\"Trays of olives at the market\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_755540137-e1546835999109.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_755540137-e1546835999109-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_755540137-e1546835999109-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_755540137-e1546835999109-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32030\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The market is the perfect spot to stock up on olives! Photo by PosiNote.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As with many of my favourite Athenian sites, I stumbled across the central market by chance. Here, I wasn\u2019t jostled about by tourists and selfie sticks but by locals buying everything from fresh seafood, meat and produce to coffee pots and vintage musical instruments. Don\u2019t let the dry, bureaucratic name turn you off \u2014 this market is exciting and an essential slice of Athenian life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-title single-post-title\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"\/adventures\/best-markets-in-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RELATED: 6 MARKETS IN THE WORLD THAT EVERYONE SHOULD EXPERIENCE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. A day trip to Mycenae<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_32035\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32035\" class=\"wp-image-32035 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1275148990-e1546836648743.jpg\" alt=\"The ruins in Mycenae.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1275148990-e1546836648743.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1275148990-e1546836648743-425x239.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1275148990-e1546836648743-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_1275148990-e1546836648743-585x329.jpg 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-32035\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The ruins in Mycenae are surprisingly almost free of tourists. Photo by Artem Kniaz.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If a little bit of crowding and an hour and a half on a bus doesn\u2019t bother you, I can\u2019t recommend a day trip to Mycenae enough. One of Ancient Greece\u2019s most important cities, Mycenae was where war was declared on the Trojans, where King Agamemnon called home and was a major location in The Iliad. The entrance to Mycenae led me through the foreboding Lion Gate, after which I was free to wander through the ruins at my own leisure, poking my head into crumbling homes, grain stores and religious sites. After wearing myself out in the ruins, I entered the adjoining museum, which provides incredibly detailed information about how the city operated in its heyday. If you\u2019re travelling in the hotter months, as I did, make sure you bring plenty of water, food, and sunscreen, and utilise the air conditioning in the museum frequently. Mycenae sits completely exposed atop a hill in the Greek wilderness \u2014 there\u2019s a distinct lack of amenities here.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to get to the heart of Athens, minus the crowds? Experience this incredible city on a small group adventure with Intrepid. <a href=\"\/greece\/athens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browse our range of trips here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Feature photo by\u00a0Milan Gonda via Shutterstock.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s tricky to find a *truly* crowd-free spot in Athens, but this guide makes things a little easier. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16031,"featured_media":32038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455,1313],"tags":[46,63],"class_list":["post-32028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-guides","tag-europe","tag-greece","ipf_region-greece"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Athens Travel Guide: 6 Ways to Avoid the Crowds | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It&#039;s hard to find a truly crowd-free spot, but this Athens travel guide will make things easier (including where to find the best souvlaki in Greece).\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/athens-travel-guide-crowd-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 ways to get off the tourist track in Athens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Athens was the last stop on my first ever summer tour of Europe, and it was the only city that felt truly ancient. I literally tripped over ruins on my way to other ruins, stumbled across archaeological sites while walking to cafes, and bumped into historic monuments just outside some of the city\u2019s most popular gyros stands.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/athens-travel-guide-crowd-free\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-10T21:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-04T04:30:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_773174275-e1546837709561.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta 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