Best Time to Visit Athens, Greece
Introduction
Most people tend to agree that the best time to visit Athens is spring and autumn. That doesn’t mean you can’t visit other times, though. There’s always something to see and do in Athens! Athens has certain rhythms when it comes to visiting tourists. The summer months are busiest, and the winter months are much quieter. That doesn’t necessarily mean the summer is the best time to visit Athens, though. It can be boiling, especially in August in Athens! That said, because many Athenians leave for the islands in August, visiting the city can be a more peaceful month. There are a lot of factors involved in choosing when to visit Athens!
Athens in December – January- February
Christmas is a lot lower key compared to the UK or USA. The absence of German-style Christmas Markets may not make Athens a prime destination in December. Athens neither doesn’t go full into New Year celebration mode on a scale seen in London, but there is a certain majesty in seeing the fireworks display near the Acropolis. You can expect a quieter city with mixed, unpredictable weather for the rest of the month. This is the best time to visit Athens for accommodation in terms of value for money. Any good hotels near the Acropolis will be cheaper at this time of year compared to later. The archaeological spaces of Ancient Athens have shorter opening hours. Don’t bet on the weather being consistently good – anything can happen!
Athens in March – April – May – June
These months would be a perfect period to visit Athens, apart from one period: Easter. Easter is a big thing in Greece; people often take a week off to spend time with families. As such, airfares may be higher, and businesses may be closed. On the positive side, you would get to experience a Greek Easter! (Read our article Easter in Greece) Our advice here would be to find out when the Greek Orthodox Easter is for the year you plan to visit and try to avoid it if you can. (Unless you specifically want to travel to Greece just for that). In terms of weather, this period is the best time to visit Athens. While sometimes it can be occasional chilly (15 degrees) or rainy days, you are most likely to enjoy comfortably warm weather. At this time, the cruise ships also start to arrive in Athens, bumping up the number of visitors considerably.
Athens in July – August – September
July is starting to be peak season for Athens and Greece in general. You can expect tourist numbers to be much higher this time of year. Prices for flights and accommodation will also start reaching their peak. Reserving accommodation in Athens ahead of time is strongly recommended. I don’t consider this the best time to visit Athens due to the heat in the city. August is a great month to spend in Athens. While the number of tourists remains reasonably high, most Athenians take a two-week vacation this month. It feels like the city virtually empties. But it is boiling. September is the best time for the summer. You can expect many events, a wonderful creative vibe, full moon concerts at the Herodion, and great weather.
Athens in October-November
October narrowly misses out on being the best time to visit Athens because the weather starts to become less predictable. Sure, there can be some lovely warm days, but those rain clouds begin to drift in over the mountains from time to time. Around this time of year, the archaeological spaces go on to ‘’inter-opening hours.” Many of them will close at 15.00.
