We arrived in Athens, Greece after an 8 hour flight, a 2 hour lay over, and a 2.5 hour flight. Athens was 7 hours behind us, and we took an Uber for an hour from the airport, so we had been traveling for 19.5 hours when we arrived in Athens. We were so tired when we arrived after not being able to sleep on the small seated plane, that we decided to take a nap. After our “nap”, we woke up, and it was the next morning! 🤪 What we thought would be 2 days in Athens, quickly became only 1 day of sightseeing.

I’m SO glad we arrived early for the cruise as jet lag is REAL.

We still were able to spend one full day in Athens, and I’m so grateful for that. It was incredible!

The Acropolis was unbelievable. I’ve seen pictures so many times, but it was incredible to see it in person. It’s so much more breathtaking than it looks in the pictures. Be sure to skip the long lines and buy your tickets online. Also be sure to book early enough as they used timed entry tickets. They only let visitors in on the hour. Our tickets were for 1 pm. We arrived at 12:30, so we had to get in line and wait to be admitted at 1 pm. If we hadn’t purchased our tickets online, we would have had to wait in a different VERY long line to buy tickets, and it’s possible the tickets would have been for 2 pm or later, so it’s REALLY helpful to buy them online.

Be sure to wear good walking shoes. The roads are cobblestone or marble and are either very uneven or very slippery.

After the Acropolis, we spent the rest of the day exploring Athens. We found the people very friendly and helpful. The small cafes built on hills were absolutely charming. The coffee was very good. The Olympic Stadium was a must see!

Athens was beautiful! If you are taking a cruise from Athens, arrive early and give yourself some extra time to explore. We wish we had more time, and we hope to be able to go back someday!

10 things I wish I had known before taking a European Cruise