Athens Family Travel Tips: Heat, the Acropolis and Beaches

In July and August the daytime high in Athens reaches 34.3°C, and the Acropolis gate opens at 8 am, so the first of the Athens family travel tips is to take children up the hill before the heat arrives.

Metro stations carry lifts, the airport lies about 20 km east of the centre, and the Riviera beaches are a tram ride away. When you are still choosing where else to go with children, the Greece Tours homepage lists every region we cover, from the islands to the mainland sites.

What are the essential Athens family travel tips?

Seven habits carry the weight: go early, rest at midday, walk car-free paths and ride the metro. Eat late, cover up in the sun and book ahead. These Athens family travel tips each rest on a named source.

• Go early. The Ministry of Culture’s visitor page gives 8 am as the Acropolis opening hour. The site closes at 8 pm in summer and at 5 pm in winter. The last entrance is 30 minutes before closing, so plan the day around that time.
• Rest at midday. Wikipedia describes a hot-summer Mediterranean climate for Athens. Wikivoyage’s Greece guide says that in the height of summer, Greeks avoid heavy outdoor activity between 1 pm and 5 pm. Put a meal or an indoor stop in that window.
• Walk car-free paths. Wikipedia calls Dionysiou Areopagitou a pedestrianised street beside the south slope of the Acropolis. It runs from near the Arch of Hadrian to near Philopappos Hill. The Athens visitors bureau lists public restrooms on Areopagitou and Thrasilou Streets, at Syntagma Square and in the National Garden. Good Athens family travel tips on walking add proper shoes, because the bureau advises against high heels on the slippery marble.
• Ride the metro between sights. Wikipedia counts three metro lines and 66 stations. It lists works of art and displays of archaeological remains among the features of its stations. Wikivoyage’s Athens guide places a major metro stop on Syntagma Square, flanked by cafes and restaurants.
• Eat late. Athens family travel tips about meals follow the Greek clock. Wikivoyage’s Greece guide puts lunch at 2 pm to 3 pm and dinner at 9 pm to 11 pm. Places that cater to tourists open from noon. The bureau adds that restaurant kitchens stay open until well after midnight.
• Cover up in the sun. The World Health Organization’s fact sheet on ultraviolet radiation names children and adolescents as particularly vulnerable. It points to their skin and eye structure. It advises shade, a broad-brimmed hat and less time in the midday sun. It adds that shade and clothes protect better than sunscreen.
• Book ahead. The Ministry sells Acropolis tickets at the site and online through its official e-ticketing service. Family tours ask for the number of adults, children and infants at booking, so settle the group before you choose a slot.

Athens family travel tips start with the calendar. The Ministry’s page lists the Acropolis as closed on 1 January, 25 March and Labour Day. It is also closed on 25 December and 26 December. The bureau adds 6 January and 28 October to its list of public holidays. Check opening hours on those dates.

Athens family travel tips for spring need one more date. Greek Orthodox Easter and Holy Week can fall one or two weeks after the Catholic and Protestant dates. The Ministry closes the Acropolis on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday it opens from noon to 5 pm, and on Holy Saturday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

The clock belongs in any list of Athens family travel tips. The Athens visitors bureau says the city runs on Eastern European time, two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. It is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. A family that crosses those hours needs a free first afternoon.

Sunday needs a plan in Athens family travel tips too. The visitors bureau lists almost all shops as closed on Sundays. Buy sunscreen, snacks and spare clothes on another day. At 11 am on Sundays, the bureau says, the evzones appear in full traditional dress outside Parliament. For sights that match these tips, read our guide to Athens with kids.

How long a stay do Athens family travel tips suggest for a family?

Three days fit the classical sights at a child’s pace, and five days add rest. The visitors bureau advises staying for more than a day or two. Athens family travel tips only add slack for naps, meals and short walks.

The bureau’s 48-hour plan gives the order that suits children. Day one opens with an early-morning Acropolis visit, then the Acropolis Museum, then a stroll along Dionysiou Areopagitou. Wikipedia puts the museum 280 metres from the Parthenon, so a family can pair the two sights in one morning.

Athens family travel tips on distance come down to one choice: stay central. Wikipedia says the Athens urban area spreads over 50 km, from Agios Stefanos to Varkiza. The bureau puts Piraeus harbour about 10 kilometres from downtown. A base near the centre keeps every ride between sights short.

The bureau calls a weekend unrealistic for the Acropolis, the museums, a beach day and a flight home. It also warns against arriving around 15 August. The locals leave for the islands then, and a large number of bars and restaurants are shut.

Read the age band before you pick a day. One listing counts a child as age 6 to 17 and an infant as 5 or younger. Another counts a child as 5 to 12 and an infant as 4 or younger. Adults start at 18 on the first listing and at 13 on the second.

A five-year-old is an infant on the first listing and a child on the second. Infants still need to be added to the booking. Age bands are the part of Athens family travel tips that change from one tour to the next. Both listings show a 4.8 rating, from 221 and 67 reviews.

• Three days. Day one: the Acropolis in the early morning, the Acropolis Museum next, then the promenade. Day two: one booked tour that fits the child’s age band, then the Ancient Agora and the Kerameikos Cemetery, which the bureau says need separate tickets. Day three: a slow day with a metro ride, the guard change on Syntagma Square and a late lunch.
• Five days. Keep those three days. Add one day with nothing booked and one day outside the centre. The extra days give a family room to rest after the early starts.

Athens family travel tips for five days add buffer, not sights. A rest day absorbs a bad night, a hot afternoon or a closed gate.

Each day in these Athens family travel tips holds one booked sight and one open block. The open block absorbs queues, naps and a late lunch. The bureau lists the guard change outside Parliament every hour, on the hour, so day three needs no booking. For a route that spreads the sights over three days, see our 3-day Athens itinerary.

How do Athens family travel tips change in a hot summer?

In July and August, Athens family travel tips start with the clock. The climate table on Wikipedia puts the average daily high in downtown Athens at 34.3°C for both months. Plan the hill for the morning or the evening and rest indoors in between.

The same table gives Athens family travel tips a second number. A July night averages 24.2°C, so evenings stay warm. Record highs reach 42.8°C in July and 43.9°C in August. June already averages 31.6°C.

Athens family travel tips for summer treat heat as normal. The Wikipedia article on Athens links summer heat partly to the urban heat island effect. It reports that people call Athens the hottest city in mainland Europe. It also names Athens the first European city to appoint a chief heat officer.

Wikipedia adds that southern parts of the metropolitan area see smaller temperature swings. The Saronic Gulf moderates their climate. Keep that in mind when you pick where to sleep.

A news site reported a closure. The Ministry of Culture shut the Acropolis from 1 pm to 5 pm on two days of a July heatwave. The report calls such closures more common in recent summers.

A visitor information site for the Acropolis tells guests to check the Ministry of Culture site for last-minute closures. Athens family travel tips for July therefore include a plan B. Read the notice on the morning you go, and keep an indoor stop ready.

Athens family travel tips on shade stay simple: the hill gives little cover. The same report calls the Acropolis a hill with minimal shade. A family travel blog says there is a small number of benches, mostly in full sun. It adds that the hilltop has no café, kiosk or vending machine, so have the snack before you climb.

The evening is the second window, and Athens family travel tips treat it that way. A travel blog says the last one to two hours before closing bring low crowds and less heat in summer. It calls midday the worst time for both crowds and heat. A child who wakes late still has the last hours of the day.

Athens family travel tips keep the middle of the day for indoor time. The Athens article on Wikipedia notes that air pollution remains an issue, particularly during the hottest summer days. Lunch, a rest and one indoor stop fill the gap between the morning and evening visits.

One listing for a guided Acropolis visit lasts 2 hours and carries a 4.8 rating from 14,451 reviews. A short visit like that suits Athens family travel tips for a hot day. The listing marks free cancellation and asks for a booking at least 24 hours ahead.

The wider season has its own pace, from the hottest weeks to the cooler nights. Our guide to Athens in summer covers it beyond the Acropolis, so read it before you fix your dates.

What are the Athens family travel tips for the Acropolis?

Athens family travel tips for the hill come down to timing and gear. Enter in the first hours of the day and take the paved main-entrance path. Phone ahead if you need the lift, and leave the stroller at the cloakroom.

The Ministry of Culture lists the summer hours as 08:00 to 20:00, with the last entrance at 19:30. Athens family travel tips for the gate begin there. A family travel blog says the crowds build from about 9:30 to 10:00. It adds that the Acropolis is a popular shore excursion for ships that stop at Piraeus.

A Greek travel blog says the state limits entries per day and per hour. It says the morning slots from 9 to 11 fill first in the peak season from April to October. A second travel blog says an online ticket carries a time slot, so you skip the ticket line.

Wikipedia describes the Acropolis as a flat-topped rock, 150 m above sea level, with an area of about 3 hectares. Athens family travel tips for small legs start with the climb. A family travel blog says both entrance routes meet at the steps below the Propylaea.

Athens family travel tips for access begin with one fact. The Ministry of Culture says a lift serves visitors with mobility needs. It stands north of the main entrance. A 350 m route leads to its own entrance. The lift rises about 25 m to the plateau. A parent alone with two or more infants can use it too.

The Ministry asks lift users to phone the Chief Guard Office before arrival. It says the lift does not run in heavy weather or strong winds, and it calls the site partially accessible.

An EU accessibility centre page lists a lift payload of 1,300 kg. It also lists accessible routes of 500 m with a special paved surface. The routes connect the upper lift exit with the ancient Panathinaion Street in front of the Propylaea. The Ministry notes that the route toward the Propylaea has a steep gradient of more than 6%.

• Take the main entrance. A family travel blog times the paved path to the Propylaea at about 5 minutes without stops, against 15 to 20 minutes over irregular paths from the south entrance.
• Leave the stroller at the cloakroom. The Ministry says the baggage and stroller check-in sits north of the main entrance, outside the site, and takes no large luggage. A family blog says it lends backpack baby carriers with a sun shade against an ID document.
• Wear walking shoes. The Ministry recommends footwear suitable for walking and asks visitors to follow the marked routes.
• Use the restroom before you enter. The Ministry points to the permanent restrooms to the right of the main entrance, and the Acropolis ticket works for one entry only.
• Ask about water at the gate. The Ministry rules list consuming food or beverages as prohibited, while a travel blog says visitors can refill a bottle at one fountain and that nothing on the site sells water.

Athens family travel tips for tickets are short. A family travel blog says children under 18 enter free, whatever their nationality. EU nationals enter free up to age 25. You still collect the free ticket at the ticket office and show proof of age, such as a passport.

The Ministry lists five free-entry days a year, among them 6 March and 28 October. Its visitor page also points to a separate admission document for free and reduced entry.

Athens family travel tips on guided visits start with the length. One listing for a guided Acropolis visit lasts 2 to 4 hours. It has personal audio earsets and a 4.7 rating from 10,146 reviews. The listing says guests hear every detail clearly through them. It marks free cancellation and a booking window of at least 10 hours.

The same hill looks different through a child’s eyes. Our Acropolis with kids guide covers how to prepare children before the climb. Athens family travel tips here cover the gate and the paths.

Which museums and indoor stops belong in Athens family travel tips?

Four indoor stops suit children. They are the Hellenic Children’s Museum, the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Eugenides Foundation planetarium. Athens family travel tips for indoor days begin with age, because the first two stops publish age bands.

Athens family travel tips need a first stop built for children. The Hellenic Children’s Museum is that stop. The museum’s own site names its audience as children up to 12 years old and their adult companions. A playspace is made for ages 0 to 3.

Children use the exhibits with their hands. The city tourism site lists a kitchen where children make biscuits, a food market, a pet care clinic and bubbles. It also lists a geometry exhibit. The museum’s site adds that children can assemble objects, play role games and take home what they make.

The tourism page also gives practical details. Activities run in Greek, but staff speak English. The museum is wheelchair accessible and sits on the ground floor of the Athens Conservatory in Pangrati. Athens family travel tips still need one check. The tourism page sends visitors to the museum’s website for opening hours.

Athens family travel tips for the Acropolis Museum begin with the floor. Wikipedia’s article says parts of the floor are glass, so visitors see the excavations below. More than 4,250 objects stand across 14,000 square metres. The Parthenon marbles are shown on the top level.

The museum’s family trails page lists three trails by age. Spot the Animals is for ages 3 to 5, and the goddess Iris leads children to animals. Counting 1 to 10 is for ages 5 to 8. An Invitation to the Olympian Gods is for ages 8 to 10.

Ask at the Information Desk before the visit starts. The museum’s page names that desk as the place for the Spot the Animals booklet. The booklet comes in Greek and English. These Athens family travel tips turn a quiet gallery into a game of finding animals for a four-year-old.

Booking fits into Athens family travel tips as a timing question. One listing for the Acropolis Museum holds a 4.4 rating from 3,472 reviews. It states skip-the-line entry and wheelchair access. A combined listing sells an Acropolis time slot with a museum ticket for any day. It needs a booking at least 1 hour 30 minutes ahead.

Athens family travel tips for a big museum come down to one rule. Pick one gallery for the children and leave the rest. The Greek archaeological museums portal calls the National Archaeological Museum the largest museum in Greece. It counts more than 11,000 exhibits in a neoclassical building. It lists a ramp, a lift, a cafe and educational programs.

Hours come from the same portal. From 1 April to 31 October the museum opens 08:00 to 20:00, Wednesday to Monday. From 1 November to 31 March it opens 08:30 to 15:30. On Tuesday it opens at 13:00 in both seasons. Closed days include 1 January, 25 March, Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December.

The Eugenides Foundation planetarium stands on Syngrou Avenue in Palaio Faliro. Wikipedia gives its dome a diameter of 25 metres. The city tourism site says the programme closes for the whole month of August. It adds that showtimes vary by screening.

A Greek newspaper names Magic Globe, an adventure that follows a young girl, as a show for younger children. The Athens planetarium page explains how a visit works.

Athens family travel tips for a wet day follow the opening hours. The National Archaeological Museum opens at 08:00 on a summer morning, so a wet day can start there. On Tuesday it opens at 13:00, so spend that morning at a stop with other hours.

Lock the Acropolis slot first and keep the museum ticket for the day that needs a roof. The Athens museums guide sorts the remaining museums by district.

Where do Athens family travel tips send children to run?

Five open spaces let children run: the National Garden, the Zappeion, Pedion tou Areos, Philopappos Hill and Stavros Niarchos Park. Athens family travel tips for open space match each park to one feature. The features are a playground, ducks, a stage, pine paths and an artificial hill.

Wikipedia’s article on the National Garden says the park covers 15.5 hectares in the centre of Athens. Queen Amalia commissioned it, and a German agronomist designed it. It opened to the public in the early twentieth century. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.

The same article lists a Children’s Library and playground, a duck pond, a Botanical Museum and a small cafe. A Greek travel site adds a wooden playground where children can climb, slide and explore. For a toddler, these Athens family travel tips pick the garden, because the playground and the ducks sit together.

The main entrance is on Leoforos Amalias, and three other gates give access. A longer guide to the National Garden covers its history and what to see along the paths.

The Zappeion stands next to the garden. Wikipedia says it served as the main fencing hall of the Summer Olympics held in Athens in the nineteenth century. Today it hosts meetings and ceremonies, and statues stand in its gardens. Athens family travel tips treat it as a statue stop beside the garden.

Pedion tou Areos means Field of Ares. Wikipedia says it covers 27.7 hectares, nearly twice the size of the National Garden. It lies about 1 km north-east of Omonoia Square. It holds a playground and the open theatre Aliki, which stages plays, events and concerts. Marble busts show 21 heroes of the Greek Revolution.

Philopappos Hill lies south-west of the Acropolis, on Mouseion Hill. A two-storey monument stands on top. Wikipedia says the hill was once called Muses Hill.

A travel guide puts the summit at 147 metres. It describes Aleppo pines, cypress trees and a large number of paths. Athens family travel tips for this hill pick a gentle path, since the guide names no single route up.

Stavros Niarchos Park lies in Kallithea, in southern Athens. Wikipedia’s article on the cultural center gives the park 210,000 square metres. It adds that the complex includes an artificial hill. A Greek travel site says the park has tailored play areas. Athens family travel tips for this park point to those play areas.

Athens family travel tips can include animals too. The Athens donkey sanctuary page covers the visit step by step. The sanctuary at Koropi sits in the countryside and hosts visits for children and adults. An animal-welfare charity’s page says visitors learn each donkey’s history and walk the donkeys. The page states walks, not rides.

Match the park to the child. A toddler needs the playground at the National Garden, and a six-year-old can climb a path on Philopappos Hill. These Athens family travel tips end with one rule. The National Garden is open from sunrise to sunset, so end the garden visit before dusk.

Which Athens family travel tips help when you move around with a stroller or small children?

Athens family travel tips for a stroller start with the metro. The Athens tourism guide calls Akropoli station fully accessible. A transport information site says all metro stations have elevators on every level and platform.

The Athens Urban Transport Organisation, known as OASA, publishes a page for passengers who need lifts and ramps. It was written for wheelchair users. A parent with a stroller meets the same steps and gaps, so these Athens family travel tips use its facts.

• Wait at the front or the back of the platform. OASA says the first and last carriages carry a ramp over the gap.
• Use the elevator, not the stairs. OASA calls each metro elevator fully accessible and tells riders to use the alarm bell if one has a problem.
• On line 1, ask a guard for the movable ramp at Agios Nikolaos, Omonoia and Monastiraki. OASA lists a big gap between platform and train there.
• Check the bus before you board. OASA says all trolleybuses have a kneeling system, almost all buses have one, and a large number of buses carry ramps.
• Go to a tram stop with a second adult. OASA advises a helper, because the sidewalks at the tram station ramps are not adapted.

Athens family travel tips on foot begin at Akropoli station. The Athens tourism guide calls Makrigianni Street a pedestrian area with light paving. It climbs about 3 metres over 70 metres. After another 70 metres the route reaches Dionysiou Areopagitou Street.

The same guide gives Dionysiou Areopagitou Street a length of 700 metres, a rise of 11 metres and stone paving. The Wikipedia article on Athens says the street has been pedestrianised. A parent pushes the stroller on stone, with no traffic beside it.

Walking on leads down to Thissio station. The guide gives that stretch 800 metres and a descent of 31 metres on mild stone paving. It adds that Thissio has only one elevator and a big gap between train and platform. Plan the ride home with that in mind.

The Wikipedia article on the Athens Tram says the line runs from Syntagma Square to Palaio Faliro on the coast. There it splits in two. If a parked car blocks a bus ramp or a stop, OASA runs a helpline. Staff answer from 06:30 to 21:30 on weekdays and from 07:30 to 21:30 at weekends.

A family travel blog says the centre of Athens is not huge. It adds that walking with young children is not always possible. Athens family travel tips for a toddler pair each walk with a ride back.

Athens family travel tips for tired legs include a sightseeing bus. The listing with the highest number of reviews, 6,367, runs 4 bus lines over 2 days. It sets the child band at 5 to 14 years and the infant band at 0 to 4.

A second listing sells a hop-on hop-off pass in 24, 48 or 72-hour options. Its child band is 6 to 12 and its infant band is 0 to 5. A third listing, an open-top bus, sets the child band at 4 to 12.

All three listings carry a wheelchair accessible label and free cancellation. Check the age band before you build a day around it. For the full list of lines and stations, read the Athens metro guide. More Athens family travel tips for a newborn sit on the Athens with a baby page.

Which Athens family travel tips make the airport transfer easy for a family?

Athens family travel tips for the airport come down to four routes. They are metro line 3, the suburban train, the X95 bus, and a taxi or private car. A transport information site places Athens International Airport, code ATH, about 20 km east of the centre.

Metro line 3 is the rail route into town, and Athens family travel tips for it begin with the timetable. A through train to the airport leaves every 36 minutes, according to the article on that line. Line 3 trains that end at Doukissis Plakentias do not go on to the airport. Read the destination before boarding.

The transport information site puts the ride from the airport to Syntagma at 40 minutes. The Wikipedia article says the direct service between Piraeus and the airport takes up to 59 minutes. It also states that the airport trains have greater luggage space.

The station sits next to the terminal. The same site says a passageway with a moving walkway links the two, a walk of 3 to 5 minutes. Athens family travel tips for arrival day include the elevator, because arriving passengers take it up to the station level. Follow the signs to Trains.

The suburban railway uses the same station. The Wikipedia article on the Piraeus to airport line gives a journey time of 1 hour and 5 minutes. It lists 20 pairs of trains a day, with one train every two hours. A family with a flight to catch needs these Athens family travel tips on timing.

Athens family travel tips for a late flight include the X95 bus. The transport information site lists it as one of four 24-hour express lines. On the way from Syntagma it stops at the Nomismatokopio, Ethniki Amyna, Megaro Moussikis and Evangelismos metro stations.

Buses set passengers down at the departures level. Wikipedia places the departure point on the arrivals level, between exits 4 and 5. The transport information site adds a ticket booth there, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

The same site describes the airport as one main and one satellite terminal, with signs and English-speaking staff to help. Taxis wait at exit 3 of the arrivals level, according to the Wikipedia article on the airport.

Child seats are the catch. For small children, Athens family travel tips about taxis come down to the seat. A family travel blog says a seat is not easy to arrange on arrival. It advises a pre-booked transfer that supplies one.

One private-transfer listing sets the trip at 45 minutes for a private group. It offers pickup and free cancellation, and it asks for booking ten hours before the start. The passenger band runs from age 0 to 99, so a baby counts as a passenger.

Ask the operator to confirm a child seat in writing before you pay. Good Athens family travel tips on transfers end with that question. If train and car both look right, the airport to city centre page lists each route.

Which tours and treasure hunts do Athens family travel tips recommend?

Athens family travel tips point to four GetYourGuide listings made for children. They are a private Acropolis tour, a small-group myth tour, a smartphone treasure hunt and a family food walk. All four carry the free cancellation label.

The private Acropolis tour sets the private group at up to 4 people, says its listing. Athens family travel tips for a family of five start with that limit. The listing promises a guide who keeps parents and children engaged. It shows 4.8 stars from 59 reviews.

The small-group myth tour builds the visit on Greek myths and interactive stories for kids and adults together. Its listing offers skip-the-line entry, a choice of tickets or no tickets, and a private option. The rating is 4 stars from 35 reviews.

Athens family travel tips for a restless child start with a task. The treasure hunt covers Plaka and the Acropolis, and children solve riddles on a smartphone. The listing adds a Greek donut stop and the myths. It has a private option and shows 4.6 stars from 33 reviews.

Wikipedia’s article on Plaka calls it the old neighborhood that wraps around the northern and eastern sides of the Acropolis. The article adds that people call it the Neighborhood of the Gods. That nickname gives children a first story before the hunt even starts.

A tourism website for the city lists another hunt on the Acropolis hill. It lasts 3 hours, and children solve a missing-professor mystery through riddles and puzzles. The same website suggests a kid-friendly tour of the Ancient Agora.

A game host asks questions that teach Athenian democracy and the sites of the hill, says that website. Riddles need reading, so pick a hunt for children who read, or bring a parent to read the clues aloud.

One travel blog describes a role game on a family tour. The guide gave each child the role of a Greek god. The son became Poseidon and the daughter became Athena.

Another travel blog reports a guide who adapted a myth tour to one child and added activities between the tales. Athens family travel tips can borrow both ideas: ask the guide for roles and activities when you book.

Athens family travel tips for a hungry afternoon include the family food walk. Its listing covers 15 or more Greek foods and marks the tour wheelchair accessible. The rating is 4.9 stars from 26 reviews.

Athens family travel tips on age bands start with the listing text. The four listings name families in their own words. Their wording reads: you and your kids, kids and adults, the whole family, and kids and families. Read the age line on each booking page before you pay.

Compare the four formats side by side.

• Private Acropolis tour: 2 hours, book at least 10 hours ahead
• Small-group myth tour: 2 hours, book at least 10 hours ahead
• Smartphone treasure hunt: 2 hours, book at least 10 hours ahead
• Family food walk: 3.5 hours, book at least 2 hours ahead

The Athens mythology tour page covers the standard guided walk. Read it to compare that walk with these family listings.

Which Greek myths fit the ruins in Athens family travel tips?

Four stories fit the ruins: the contest of Athena and Poseidon, the birth of Athena, her statue and Theseus. Each has a place to stand, and Athens family travel tips turn each into a two-line story.

Athens family travel tips begin with the contest, the founding myth of the city. Wikipedia’s article on Athena says each god offered the Athenians one gift, and Cecrops, the king, judged them. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a salt spring rose. Athena offered the first olive tree and won.

Wikipedia adds a second version from the poet Vergil, in which Poseidon gave the first horse instead. Either way, Athena won. The olive tree brought wood, oil and food, and it became a symbol of Athenian prosperity.

Tell the contest at the Erechtheion. Wikipedia’s article on the temple says the north porch ceiling is pierced, supposedly by a thunderbolt of Poseidon. Dents below were thought to be trident marks. In the ancient layout, the sacred olive tree of Athena grew in a walled precinct at the west end.

Athens family travel tips for the Erechtheion add a counting game. Ask children to count the six sculpted maidens on the Porch of the Maidens. The same article lists a crypt under the north porch with a pit for snakes.

Athena was born from the forehead of her father Zeus, says Wikipedia. The east pediment of the Parthenon showed the birth. Only the corner figures survive today. The horses of Helios fill one corner and the horses of Selene fill the other. Athens family travel tips for the pediments turn into a search game.

Her statue stood in the main room of the Parthenon. Wikipedia’s article on the statue cites Pliny the Elder for a height of about 11.5 metres. In its right hand it held a statue of Nike, 2 metres high. Her sacred snake lay at her left foot.

The helmet carried a sphinx in the centre with a winged horse on each side, says the same article. The statue was lost at an unknown date. Athens family travel tips about size start with this goddess.

Theseus gives children a hero. In one version on Wikipedia, Athens sent seven boys and seven girls to Crete at nine-year intervals. The Minotaur, half man and half bull, lived in the Labyrinth. Theseus took the place of one of the youths.

Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to find his way out of the Labyrinth. He promised his father a white sail if he won. Athens family travel tips can end the story there and ask which sail the ship flew home.

Wikipedia quotes Plutarch on the voyage back. Theseus danced with the young Athenians on Delos, and the dance copied the twists of the Labyrinth. Children can copy twisting steps on the walk between sites.

The Temple of Hephaestus stands on the north-west side of the Agora of Athens. Wikipedia’s article on the temple says four corner metopes on its north and south sides show the deeds of Theseus. People once called it the Theseion by mistake. Wikipedia credits Theseus with a palace on the Acropolis.

Use this list as a pocket map for the day.

• Contest of Athena and Poseidon: the Erechtheion north porch and the west pediment of the Parthenon
• Birth of Athena: the east pediment of the Parthenon
• Giant statue of Athena: the main room of the Parthenon
• Theseus and the Minotaur: the Temple of Hephaestus

Tell each story in two lines at its place and finish with one question, such as which gift won. For more places with a myth behind them, read about Greek mythology sites in Athens.

Which Athens family travel tips make eating out with children easier?

Athens family travel tips for meals start with the clock. A Greece travel site gives lunch as 12:00 to 17:00 and dinner as 18:00 to 23:00. A family with young children can sit down at the early end of both windows.

The same site puts the average lunch at 14:00 and the average dinner at 21:00. Restaurants receive their highest number of customers between 20:00 and 22:00. It calls dinner without a booking on a Friday or Saturday night risky in a city like Athens. An early table is one of the easiest Athens family travel tips to follow.

Athens family travel tips for sit-down meals centre on the taverna. Wikipedia describes it as a small Greek restaurant that serves Greek cuisine. The travel site names it the standard eatery across the country. Its menu includes tzatziki, saganaki, salads, meat and oven-cooked dishes.

A fish taverna, called a psarotaverna, builds its menu on fresh fish and seafood and sits mainly on the seafront. Wikipedia adds a fact for curious children. Excavations at the Agora of Athens in the early 1970s found the earliest evidence of a Greek restaurant. The finds include plates, mixing bowls, spits for broiling meat and a variety of jugs.

The tourism site of Athens tells parents to choose mezedes, which are small plates for sharing, at a family-friendly taverna. It names courgette and feta fritters and grilled saganaki cheese as dishes for a fussy eater. Sharing sits at the core of Athens family travel tips for the table.

A travel site adds that Greeks put dishes in the middle of the table to share. A waiter does not hand over the bill until asked. After that request, a waiter can bring a dessert you did not order. The travel site lists yogurt with jam, halvas or fresh fruit.

In Athens family travel tips for ordering, the menu matters. A travel site says a menu for children is rare in a Greek restaurant. It names keftedakia, which are small fried meatballs, as a plate children enjoy. French fries, calamari and cheese dishes such as tiropita are on the same list.

Lunch on a museum day is simpler. The tourism site of Athens says a large number of museum cafes carry a menu for children.

Athens family travel tips for street lunches start with souvlaki. Wikipedia describes small pieces of meat, or meat with vegetables, grilled on a skewer. It is eaten straight off the skewer while hot. It can come inside a rolled pita. Around Athens the skewer alone is called kalamaki, and the word souvlaki covers any pita wrap.

Cooking on skewers dates to the Bronze Age in Greek culture, Wikipedia says. Souvlaki trays turned up at Mycenae and Pylos. Children who like facts get a good one with lunch. Our Athens street food guide goes further down the street.

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie. Wikipedia lists chopped spinach, feta, onion, egg and seasoning wrapped in phyllo. A version without cheese and eggs is eaten during religious fasts.

A bakery is the answer in Athens family travel tips for breakfast. The tourism site of Athens names tyropita, a cheese pie, with chocolate milk. It calls the pair a staple for generations of young Greeks and sends parents to a downtown bakery.

Wikipedia calls bougatsa a Greek breakfast food, sweet or savoury, or a snack at mid-morning or midday. The cream version has a semolina custard filling. It arrives hot in small pieces, dusted with icing sugar or cinnamon. Shops that sell only bougatsa are called bougatsadika. Bougatsa is the other breakfast stop among Athens family travel tips.

Athens family travel tips for dessert end with loukoumades, which are deep-fried dough balls soaked in syrup or honey. Wikipedia calls them a popular street food in Greece, served with any mix of honey, cinnamon, walnuts and chocolate sauce.

The same article says evidence points to enkrides as their origin. That was a dough fried in oil and eaten with honey in Ancient Greece. For more sweet stops, read Greek sweets in Athens.

Which Athens family travel tips cover food tours and cooking classes for children?

Athens family travel tips for food tours start with the age line of each listing. One street food walk lists children aged 3 to 12. A second food tour lists ages 5 to 12. A cooking class lists youth aged 6 to 17.

Each listing sets its own age categories. Check your youngest child against the line in every listing, because the three below differ. All three show a 4.9 rating and free cancellation, from 4,200, 3,671 and 1,310 reviews in that order.

One listing is a guided street food walk of 3 hours, held in English. Its booking form has a child category for ages 3 to 12. An infant category covers ages 2 and younger, who must still be added to the booking.

The tastings on that walk include street food, desserts, and beer or wine. The listing carries a wheelchair accessible label and asks for a booking at least 1 hour ahead. At 3 hours, it is the shortest of the three. Athens family travel tips for a first tour start with the shortest one.

A second listing is a guided food tour of 4 hours in English, with a private option. Its booking form has a child category for ages 5 to 12. An infant category covers ages 4 and younger.

The route explores Varvakios Agora, the central market, and visits food stores for local wine and olive oil. Tastings include pastries from local bakeries, mezze, souvlaki pita and gyros. The tour includes a meal at one of the downtown tavernas. Wikipedia describes meze as small dishes served as appetizers, similar to tapas.

A third listing is a cooking class of 4 hours, taught in English and Greek. It starts with a market visit. The group eats the food it prepared, with wine, at the end.

The booking form lists adults from age 18. It adds a youth category for ages 6 to 17 and a category for ages 5 and younger. Athens family travel tips for cooking classes add one deadline: book at least 10 hours ahead.

• Street food walk, 3 hours: children walk between the stops, taste street food and eat dessert.
• Food tour with a meal, 4 hours: children taste pastries, mezze, souvlaki pita and gyros, then sit down in a taverna.
• Cooking class with a market visit, 4 hours: children from age 6 visit the market, cook, and eat what the group made.

By the age lines alone, the street food walk starts at age 3 as a child. The food tour starts at age 5 and the class at age 6. These Athens family travel tips for tours end with one rule: match the youngest child to the line, then book.

For the stops and tastings of a walk, read our Athens food tour page. The Athens cooking class page covers the lesson and the market.

Which Riviera beaches do Athens family travel tips recommend for children?

The Riviera has four family stops: the Glyfada seafront, the Vouliagmeni beaches, Varkiza and Lake Vouliagmeni. Athens family travel tips for the coast begin with the tram, which runs along the seaside from Piraeus to Voula.

Glyfada lies 16 km from the Acropolis, according to the official visitor guide of Athens. Public beaches line the seafront, with marinas and cafes between them. Free umbrellas stand on certain beaches there. The guide rates the third beach as the one with better sand and cleaner water.

The Wikipedia article on Glyfada says a tram line runs along the seaside next to Poseidonos Avenue. The visitor guide says trams and buses reach the beaches from downtown Athens. Glyfada is the first beach in these Athens family travel tips because both routes serve it.

The guide names two activities for children away from the sand. An adventure park in a central square has zip-lines, climbing pyramids, scooter ramps and picnic tables. A sea turtle rescue centre lets children visit injured turtles that are recovering.

Wikipedia puts Vouliagmeni 18 km south of the centre, and EU Blue Flags mark its beaches. The article places sandy and pebble beaches between rocky shores on two peninsulas, Megalo and Mikro Kavouri. Vouliagmeni takes second place among Athens family travel tips on this coast.

The visitor guide describes the central municipal beach in Vouliagmeni, which charges an entry fee. It holds sunloungers, grassy strips for picnics and ballgames, a playground, cafes and an inflatable aqua park. It names free swimming at rocky piers and coves. Athens family travel tips for a small child include checking the ground before the first step in.

Varkiza has coarse sand with pebbles along the shore, a Greek travel site reports. The same site calls the seabed shallow and the beach ideal for families with young children. Athens family travel tips for young children can start at Varkiza for that reason. Wikipedia adds that the beach has won the Blue Flag in past years.

Varkiza has two parts. The organised part offers sunbeds, straw umbrellas, beach bars and snack spots, and it charges an entrance fee. The other part has no organisation and stays very crowded in summer, the site says. Bus line 122 stops at Varkiza, which the site places 20.7 km from Syntagma Square.

Wikipedia calls Lake Vouliagmeni a small brackish lake; underground currents from Mount Hymettus feed it. A spa has operated there since the late nineteenth century. Wikipedia says the water never drops below 18 degrees Celsius. The visitor guide describes a constant 24 degrees Celsius and says the lake is open all year.

The guide calls the lake a flooded limestone cave edged by lawns and sunbeds. Tiny black fish nudge the toes of waders, it says. The lake is a fourth stop in these Athens family travel tips, because the water keeps one temperature all year.

Athens family travel tips for a guided swim can use one listing. It combines a bakery stop, a lake swim and a taverna lunch. It lasts 5 hours 30 minutes and runs as a small group with pickup. The booking form sells one ticket type for ages 99 and younger. Its rating is 5 stars from 174 reviews.

On the tram ride, give the children one fact per stop:

• Glyfada: the area stretches from the foot of Mount Hymettus to the Saronic Gulf, Wikipedia says.
• Vouliagmeni: the name means sunken, and the suburb is named after the lake, Wikipedia says.
• Varkiza: Wikipedia describes it as a fishing village that joined the municipality of Vari.
• Lake Vouliagmeni: it hosts the only existing population of one sea anemone species, and the state has declared it a natural monument.

Wikipedia lists the routes from central Athens. Tram line T6 runs from Syntagma towards Pikrodafni, and tram line T7 runs from Piraeus towards Voula. Buses A1 and A2 also go to Voula, and bus 122 goes towards Saronida. Build your Athens family travel tips for each beach around one of those lines.

To compare more coves before you choose, read the Athens Riviera beaches guide. The Lake Vouliagmeni guide covers the spa side of the lake.

Which day trips do Athens family travel tips list for children?

Four day trips leave Athens in the listings: Cape Sounion, the Corinth Canal, Mycenae and a Saronic island cruise. They differ in length and in the age that counts as a child. Athens family travel tips begin with those two numbers.

Wikipedia places Cape Sounion at the southern tip of the Attica peninsula, 69.5 km from Athens. The Temple of Poseidon stands on the headland, almost 60 m above the sea. Fifteen of its 34 original columns still stand. Wikipedia calls the sunset over the Aegean a sought-after sight.

• Cape Sounion sunset trip: 5 hours 30 minutes; the child ticket covers ages 3 to 12.
• Corinth Canal with ancient Corinth: 6 hours; the child ticket covers ages 4 to 15.
• Mycenae with Epidaurus and Nafplio: 11 hours; the child ticket covers ages 5 to 15.
• Saronic cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina: 12 hours; the child ticket covers ages 4 to 11.

Athens family travel tips for Sounion can lean on review counts. The listing has 10,360 reviews at a 4.7 rating, the highest count of the trips here. The stop at the temple lasts two hours, and the route follows the Riviera. Read the Cape Sounion trip guide for the visit itself.

The Saronic Islands lie just off the mainland, and ferries serve them from Piraeus, Wikipedia says. Aegina is 27 km from Athens. A hydrofoil from Piraeus takes forty minutes to reach Aegina, while the standard ferry needs an hour. A single-island outing fits the Aegina day trip guide. Athens family travel tips for island days start with the crossing.

Wikipedia says Hydra bans cars and motorcycles, and steep stone streets climb from its harbour. On slopes like that, a baby carrier keeps your hands free. The cruise listing visits Hydra, Poros and Aegina, serves a buffet lunch and has a spacious deck. It mentions exploring Hydra by saddled donkey.

That listing shows 4.1 stars across 5,418 reviews, and pickup is available. Infants are ages 0 to 3 on its ticket form. In these Athens family travel tips the cruise is the long day of the four.

Wikipedia states that the Corinth Canal is 6.4 km long and has no locks. At sea level it is 24.6 m wide. Its rock walls rise 90 m above sea level. A road, a railway and a motorway cross it about 45 m up. Ships pass one convoy at a time, about 40 a day.

One listing pairs the canal with the ruins of ancient Corinth and offers a virtual reality and audio guide. It has pickup and 4.6 stars from 1,501 reviews. Athens family travel tips for a day of ruins and engineering fit this listing.

Mycenae lies about 120 km south-west of Athens, Wikipedia states. UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage List together with Tiryns. Its notable architecture, Wikipedia says, includes the Treasury of Atreus and the Lion Gate. Athens family travel tips for Mycenae can use those two names as landmarks.

One listing joins Mycenae, the theatre at Epidaurus and Nafplio on a coach tour. It lists the Corinth Canal as a sight. It offers pickup, an optional audio guide and a virtual reality device. Its rating is 4.5 from 3,662 reviews. Infants are ages 0 to 4 on its ticket form.

Two Meteora listings run 14 hours each, the longest days among the listings here. One sets the child ticket at ages 4 to 17 and the other at ages 4 to 12. Athens family travel tips for any long trip read the ticket line first, because the age bands differ by seller.

One Meteora listing departs at 8:00 and the other at 9 am. They hold 4.7 stars from 4,098 and 6,378 reviews. All seven listings above show free cancellation, which helps when a day with children changes plans. Put that line on your own list of Athens family travel tips.

Which Athens family travel tips cover safety, health and packing?

Athens family travel tips on safety come down to four steps. Save 112 and 166 in the phone, and split valuables between bags. Protect every child from the sun and learn where the nearest pharmacy is.

Athens family travel tips begin with the phone. The Wikipedia article on 112 says the number reaches the ambulance, fire and police services. It adds that a GSM phone can dial it even when the screen is locked.

The same article lists the other Greek numbers. Police is 100, an ambulance is 166, the fire service is 199 and the coast guard is 108.

The UK government travel advice for Greece says to call 112 if an accident happens or if you become lost. A child can wander off in a crowd, so teach older children the number before the flight.

The same advice asks visitors to set the phone to allow emergency alerts. Alerts from the Greek government reach a phone according to its location, so keep it with you.

Athens family travel tips about theft start with an official warning. The UK advice says thefts of passports, wallets and handbags are common on the metro and in crowded tourist places. It names central Athens in particular. For the wider picture, read the page on is Athens safe.

The same page tells visitors not to carry all valuables in one place. It also asks for a copy of the passport photo page, kept somewhere safe. Two adults can each carry one card and part of the cash.

Athens family travel tips on health start at the pharmacy. The UK health page for Greece says pharmacies stock a good supply of medicines. Strict rules cover certain medicines, including antibiotics. The Wikipedia article on pharmacy lists the green cross as a sign widely used on pharmacies in Europe.

Agia Sofia is the largest hospital for children in Greece, according to the Wikipedia article on it. The article gives 750 beds and an age range of up to 16 years, and its infobox lists emergency services.

A health insurance card is part of Athens family travel tips for UK visitors. The UK health page says a GHIC or EHIC card is needed for state healthcare. It adds that the card does not replace travel insurance.

The CDC page on travelling with children calls diarrhoea a common illness for children abroad. It can lead to dehydration, and plenty of fluids are the treatment named. The page asks for medical attention if a child looks dehydrated or has a fever or bloody stools.

Athens family travel tips on sun protection rest on one statement from the World Health Organization. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation because of their skin and eye structure. Sunburn in childhood raises the risk of skin cancer in later life.

The WHO recommends limiting time in the midday sun, seeking shade and wearing protective clothing. The CDC page for Greece names 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the hottest time of day.

Water needs a plan too. The Athens water utility states on its page that its sources lie in areas free from agricultural and industrial activity. It calls the water excellent in quality.

The Wikipedia article on water supply in Greece says Athens draws on five sources. The farthest lies almost 200 km away. For small children, the CDC lists bottled, canned or hot drinks as safer choices.

These Athens family travel tips on packing give each item a source.

• Broad-brimmed hat and wraparound sunglasses: the WHO names both, with sunglasses that give 99 to 100% UV-A and UV-B protection.
• Broad-spectrum sunscreen: the WHO says to put it on skin that clothes do not cover, and the CDC names an SPF of at least 15.
• Refillable water bottle: the CDC tells visitors outdoors in Greece to eat and drink regularly and to limit hard activity in the heat of the day.
• Hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol: the CDC gives it as the backup when soap and water are not at hand.
• Basic first-aid kit and bug spray: the CDC lists both, with sunscreen, as protective items for outdoor plans in Greece. Its page on children says to wash an animal bite with soap and water.
• Prescription medicines in the original container: the UK health page asks for a doctor letter that states the quantity needed for the stay.

The page of Athens travel tips adds the city-wide advice for a first visit.

What do parents ask about Athens family travel tips?

Six questions come up about Athens family travel tips. Under-18s enter the Acropolis free, and Wikipedia gives the metro 1,353,000 riders a day. April and October run cooler than July, and strollers stay at the cloakroom.

Listings sort children into age bands, and the bands differ between listings. One theatre listing runs 75 minutes in English. It sets child at ages 6 to 12 and infant at age 5 and younger.

The same listing shows a free cancellation label and 4.7 stars from 3,397 reviews. Athens family travel tips for booking start with reading the age bands on each page.

Is Athens good for toddlers?

Athens family travel tips for toddlers start with the CDC. It says illness is harder to spot in children who cannot talk yet. It asks parents to see their child health professional one month before travel.

Do children need a ticket for the Acropolis?

A family travel site states that children under 18 enter free, whatever the nationality. The free ticket still comes from the ticket office against proof of age. The Ministry of Culture lists ticket sales on site and online.

Is the metro safe with children?

The Wikipedia article on the Athens Metro gives its three lines a daily ridership of 1,353,000. Hold each small child by the hand near the platform edge, and keep bags zipped.

Which month suits a family?

Wikipedia gives average highs of 21.1°C in April, 29.6°C in September and 24.4°C in October. Late spring averages 26.5°C and July 34.3°C. Athens family travel tips on timing point to April and October for long walks on open ruins.

Do restaurants offer menus for children?

The city tourism portal reports that a large number of restaurants around Athens cater to families with little ones. Ask at the table for a child portion of a plain dish. The CDC suggests bringing snacks from home on short trips.

Can a stroller reach the Acropolis?

Not onto the site. For Athens family travel tips on strollers, a travel site states that the cloakroom keeps them at the gate. A baby carrier is the plan for a small child.