Athens With Kids: Where To Stay, Eat & Best Things To Do

We visited Athens in June 2025, and before we arrived, I honestly wasn’t expecting much. But after spending 3 days there — wow, Athens is seriously underrated as a family-friendly European city. Despite the summer heat and crowds, we rated it as one of our favourite cities in Europe and would happily return to explore more of the Athens Riviera and Lake Vouliagmeni.

What surprised us most is that Athens feels far more relaxed and walkable than many other major European cities. The food is incredible, the history is everywhere, and there are constantly little laneways, rooftop restaurants and hidden squares that make wandering around with kids feel fun rather than exhausting.

We’ve outlined the activities we enjoyed over the 3 days, along with practical things parents should know before visiting Athens with kids

Looking for more family-friendly tours and activities in Athens? Browse our Athens activities link below & we also have more details about the activities we enjoyed further down in this post!

Philopappos Hill

Philopappos Hill, also known as the Hill of the Muses, is a prominent hill located southwest of the Acropolis in Athens. We visited the day after we arrived and walked up at 6 am, thanks to jet lag, which is the best time to see views of the Acropolis and the city. It will take you about 10 mins to walk up – recommend good walking shoes as the path is quite slippery. Going at sunset is also recommended.

Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis & Parthenon of Athens is a must-see, and often the reason why people visit Athens – it gets over 20k visitors during the summer! Because it’s so busy, it’s manic to visit, and there are so many people doing tours at the same time. You can only see it on a tour, so it’s best to book in advance. Our tip is to book the last session of the day when the weather is cooler, and then have dinner at one of the restaurants at the base. We also found that the walk up the hill is very slippery, so bring good walking shoes and plenty of water (the tap water in Athens is safe to drink!). Bring a refillable bottle, as bottled water is small.

Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum dedicated to the finds from the Acropolis of Athens. It’s best visited before the Acropolis because it adds context, and the museum is beautifully done. Don’t throw away your tickets because you will need them to see the ruins at the basement level. You want at least an hour to visit the museum – or longer if kids can sustain it.

Little Kook

Little Kook is a whimsical café in Athens that feels like you’ve stepped into your favourite Disney movie. We visited when they had a Snow White theme. I believe they change the theme each year. The cafe is not cheap, though – so you’re paying for the fantastical ambience; however, the cafe food is creatively themed and also offers yummy gelato. You can walk through the cafe without dining, but the wait staff don’t look impressed when you’re not there to dine!

Museum of Illusions Athens

The Museum of Illusions Athens is a great place to visit to escape the summer heat. It has over 70 activities for both parents and kids to enjoy. We attended an 11 am session, and it was busy but not crowded, so it might be best to visit outside of weekends and early in the morning, as I imagine it’s a local favourite for families. We paid 40 euros for a family of four, and booked in advance with Klook. Use our code FOOTLOOSE10KLOOK for 10% off.

National Garden

The National Garden of Athens is a lush oasis situated in the heart of the city, spanning 15.5 hectares. It’s lovely to walk through the park, which features a small zoo, a playground, ancient ruins, and a huge pond of turtles! It’s also across the road from the Panathenaic Stadium, which I don’t recommend you buy tickets to visit, as you get a good view from outside. We recommend you visit the park to escape the heat, as it’s quite shaded – and to see free ancient ruins!

Ancient Agora of Athens

The Ancient Agora of Athens was the heart of ancient Athenian public life. Established in the 6th century BC, it served as a central hub for commerce, politics, and social interaction. You can buy tickets to visit inside the gates, but to be honest, you can see just as much if you walk around the outside of the gates, and it’s easy to take photos as well. There are so many cats living inside! It’s at the bottom of the hill from the Acropolis (check the map for the right gate).

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens is one of the world’s premier archaeological museums, housing an extensive collection of artifacts from ancient Greece. It’s huge – you probably need at least 2 hours to see it all because it has 11,000 artefacts! Be mindful that you don’t let the kids mimic the statues or touch them. I was unaware that mimicking is disrespectful, and the guards politely told the kids off. I recommend you visit if you have older kids – mine were a tad bored after 20 minutes. They said everything looked the same, but innocent, because they don’t appreciate Greek or Egyptian history at such a young age. You can buy tickets in advance through Klook Travel Use code FOOTLOOSE10KLOOK for 10% off.

We’d strongly recommend staying in Psyrri, Plaka or Monastiraki if visiting Athens with kids. These areas give you the easiest access to the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, restaurants, cafés and shopping without constantly needing transport.

We stayed at Athenian Residences in Psyrri, and honestly, we think the location is one of the biggest reasons families would love staying here. The apartments are spacious, they have options for larger families, and there’s a small plunge pool in the courtyard which became a lifesaver in the afternoon heat. You’re also literally surrounded by restaurants and cafés, and only around 300m from the Ancient Agora and Little Kook café.

If you’re looking for somewhere near the airport for an early flight or late arrival, we’d also recommend Dina’s House. We stayed one night before an early flight and honestly found it far easier and cheaper than staying at an airport hotel. Dina is incredibly welcoming, the house is spotless and modern, and it’s only around 10 minutes by taxi from Athens Airport

Below is a list of our recommended restaurants and cafes across Athens that are family-friendly and also offer gluten-free options.

Atlantikos is a seafood restaurant situated in the vibrant Psirri neighbourhood of Athens. It’s small but vibrant and quite cheap compared to other places around the area. The service is fantastic, and all the ingredients are fresh – great if you love seafood, which is pretty much the whole menu!

Lyra Restaurant, situated at Lisiou 12 in Athens’ Plaka district, is a great place for dinner. They have the yummiest muscles and can enjoy live Greek music daily, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

Lithos Tavern is a renowned Greek restaurant situated in the vibrant Psiri district of Athens. The restaurant offers gluten-free options and is located near Monastiraki Metro station and Athenian Residences

We ate a lot of gelato in Athens (yes, I did let the kids have a morning & afternoon serving as a way to motivate them to walk from activity to activity)! Our favourite place is Gelato Caramelo, which is close to the Acropolis. They seemed to have the most variety, natural ingredients, and outstanding service! Highly recommend you add this to your gelato stop!

A short walk from Monastiraki Square is a great juice bar called Tamara Juice Bar that makes the freshest-squeezed juice! I was actually surprised by how GOOD freshly squeezed juice is in Athens. Highly recommend if you’re after a fresh drink, stop while walking around Monastriakai.

360 Cocktail Bar is a vibrant rooftop venue situated above Monastiraki Square with epic views of the Acropolis. It’s not a cheap place but great for a drink stop with their extensive selection of cocktails.

Map of Athens