RunCity

Athens on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 11 of Athens's best-known sights, including Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion, Temple of Olympian Zeus and more. It is about 5.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Athens leaderboard.

  • 11Stops
  • about 5.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 55 minRunning
Play Athens in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Athens
Photo: Andrew Parlette · CC BY 4.0

This route circles the Acropolis from the Panathenaic Stadium to the top of Lycabettus Hill, about 5.5 km with two good climbs. It starts at the all-marble stadium of the first modern Olympics and passes the Zappeion at the edge of the National Garden, the tall columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Arch of Hadrian. The small round Monument of Lysicrates stands in the Plaka, just below the path up to the Acropolis.

The bonus stop is Areopagus Hill, a bare rock next to the Acropolis entrance with a free view of the Parthenon, best at sunset. From there the route drops to Monastiraki Square, the Metropolitan Cathedral and Syntagma Square, where the Evzones guard changes in front of Parliament every hour. The last stop is the white chapel on Lycabettus; a funicular from Kolonaki saves most of the climb. In summer, start early: the midday heat on the hills is serious, and the Acropolis is busiest from late morning.

Coming from a cruise ship

Ships dock in Piraeus. Metro line 1 runs from Piraeus station to Monastiraki, a stop on this route, in about 25 minutes; the terminals furthest from the station have a free port shuttle to the gate. From Monastiraki, walk up to the Acropolis and Areopagus, then the Plaka, the Olympian Zeus temple and the stadium; leave Lycabettus for a longer call.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Panathenaic Stadium

    Panathenaic Stadium Photo

    The all-marble stadium of the first modern Olympics.

    Photo: Mister No · CC BY 3.0

  2. Zappeion

    Zappeion

    The round columned hall at the edge of the National Garden.

    Photo: DaftRose · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Temple of Olympian Zeus

    Temple of Olympian Zeus Photo

    The tall surviving columns against the sky.

    Photo: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0

  4. Arch of Hadrian

    Arch of Hadrian

    The Roman gate that once marked the edge of old Athens.

    Photo: George E. Koronaios · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Monument of Lysicrates

    Monument of Lysicrates

    The small round monument in the Plaka.

    Photo: C messier · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Acropolis

    Acropolis Photo

    The Parthenon on its rock, from the path below.

    Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0

  7. Areopagus Hill

    Areopagus Hill Bonus

    The rocky outcrop with a free view of the Parthenon at sunset.

    Photo: O.Mustafin · CC0

  8. Monastiraki Square

    Monastiraki Square Photo

    The square with the mosque and the Acropolis above it.

    Photo: George E. Koronaios · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Metropolitan Cathedral

    Metropolitan Cathedral

    The grey stone cathedral beside the little old Byzantine church.

    Photo: C messier · CC BY-SA 4.0

  10. Syntagma Square

    Syntagma Square Photo

    The Parliament steps where the guards change.

    Photo: C messier · CC BY-SA 4.0

  11. Lycabettus Hill chapel

    Lycabettus Hill chapel Photo

    The white chapel on the summit with all of Athens below.

    Photo: Apaleutos25 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Athens in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Athens on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 11 stops on this route add up to about 5.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Athens is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Athens?

    Open Athens in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Athens leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Panathenaic Stadium and finishing at Lycabettus Hill chapel. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Can you walk into Athens from the cruise port?

    Ships dock in Piraeus. Metro line 1 runs from Piraeus station to Monastiraki, a stop on this route, in about 25 minutes; the terminals furthest from the station have a free port shuttle to the gate. From Monastiraki, walk up to the Acropolis and Areopagus, then the Plaka, the Olympian Zeus temple and the stadium; leave Lycabettus for a longer call.

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