Honeymoon in Greece – Our First Day in Athens

This is going to be the first post in a series because I have so much to share about Greece that there’s no way I could fit it all into one blog post. I don’t want to skim over the moments that made this trip so special or leave out the little details that made us fall in love with this country.

First, Greece has always been on my bucket list because if you know anything about me, I absolutely love history and visit historical sites while I am on vacation. I don’t like traveling much to places where the only things you can do is enjoy a beach or a pool with tropical drinks. For me vacation has to be an equal balance of things to do, sites to see, and leisure and water play at our own pace. Since we were booking for our honeymoon, there was no doubt in my mind that Greece was the right place because duh…Athens and Santorini…win-win.

Greece has been at the top of my travel bucket list for as long as I can remember. If you know me, you know I’m a history buff. One of my favorite parts of traveling is exploring historical sites and learning about the places I’m visiting. While I can appreciate a beautiful beach, I’m not the type of traveler who wants to spend an entire vacation lounging by the pool. For me, the perfect vacation is all about balance. I need a destination with rich history, incredible architecture, local culture, amazing food, breathtaking scenery, and enough time to slow down and enjoy the beach or the water at our own pace. So when it came time to plan our honeymoon in June, there wasn’t much debate. Greece checked every single box. A few days wandering through the ancient streets of Athens, followed by the iconic whitewashed villages and stunning sunsets of Santorini? It felt like the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation.

My First Impression

The trip over was about 13 hours from Norfolk to Athens. We landed around 12:00 p.m. local time, collected our luggage, and hopped into a taxi for the ride to our hotel. One thing I hadn’t realized before visiting was just how expansive Athens really is. The drive from the airport took about 40 minutes, giving us our first glimpse of the city.

The first thing that caught my eye wasn’t the buildings, it was the landscape. The rolling mountains in the distance were a soft, sage color that looked almost surreal in the afternoon sunlight. Tall cypress trees dotted the hillsides, and for a moment, everything felt exactly as I’d imagined Greece would. Then the city itself came into view. Athens wasn’t what I expected…but not in a bad way.

I had pictured a city where ancient ruins and charming stone streets were around every corner. Instead, I was welcomed by a bustling metropolitan city filled with apartment buildings, busy streets, cafés, motorcycles weaving through traffic, and people everywhere. Another thing that surprised me was the amount of graffiti covering many of the buildings. It wasn’t something I’d associated with Greece, so it immediately stood out.

At first, it contrasted with the picture I’d created in my head. Looking around, I realized that was exactly what made Athens so fascinating. It’s not a city preserved in the past but a city that has grown around its history. Ancient temples stand alongside modern apartment buildings. Thousands of years of civilization coexist with everyday life, and somehow, it all works together.

Where we stayed

One piece of travel advice I’ll give over and over again is this: if you’re traveling to Greece – or Europe in general, book a boutique hotel whenever you can!

Of course, there are exceptions, but we’ve found that boutique hotels offer an experience that large hotel chains can’t replicate. From the warm welcome at check-in to the local recommendations, unique architecture, and thoughtful details, they make you feel like you’re staying in the destination rather than just visiting it. For our honeymoon, we stayed at Ava Hotel & Suites, tucked away in the Historic Centre of Athens in the charming Plaka neighborhood. Honestly, I don’t think we could have chosen a better location.

Our hotel sat at the foot of the Acropolis, just a short walk from some of Greece’s most iconic landmarks, including the Acropolis Museum, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, and countless other reminders of ancient Greek civilization. Every time we stepped outside, history surrounded us.

The view from our room was just as incredible. Looking to the left, we could see Hadrian’s Arch standing proudly against the skyline. To the right, the Acropolis rose above the city, perched on its hill exactly as you’d imagine after seeing it in history books and postcards. Waking up each morning with that view felt almost surreal, and it was the perfect reminder that we were spending our honeymoon in one of the most historically significant cities in the world.

If you’re planning a trip to Athens, you MUST stay in the Plaka neighborhood. Being able to walk almost everywhere and having world-famous landmarks right outside our door made our experience that much more enjoyable.

WHAT TO DO ON YOUR FIRST DAY

One of the biggest pieces of advice I’d give anyone traveling overseas is don’t let jet lag win on your first day. As tempting as it is to crash after a long flight, getting out and exploring is the quickest way to adjust to the local time and your sleep schedule sets the tone for the rest of your trip.

Knowing this ahead of time, I booked a Greek Food Walking Tour through Viator for 2:00 p.m. on the day we arrived. Looking back, I don’t think we could have planned a better introduction to Athens. After dropping our bags at the hotel (our room wasn’t quite ready yet), we freshened up and made our way to Monastiraki Square, where we met our guide and the rest of our small group. I love taking food tours whenever we travel because not only do you get to sample the best of the local foods, but they’re a chance to learn the history, discover places you probably wouldn’t find on your own, and get comfortable exploring a new city.

Not only did we discover some of the best local restaurants and hidden gems around Plaka, but because the tour was entirely on foot, it also gave us a chance to get comfortable navigating the city. By the end of the afternoon, we already knew our way around several neighborhoods, making the rest of our stay feel much more relaxed.

The food was, without exaggeration, incredible. Before we even started eating, our guide shared the fascinating history of Greek cuisine and how many of today’s traditional dishes have been influenced by centuries of trade, agriculture, and regional customs. Our first stop was for warm, flaky spanakopita, followed by one of my absolute favorite treats from the entire trip, Loukoumades. These are little golden dough bites that are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and drizzled with warm honey and cinnamon. I am very much a donut person and this hit the sweet spot without giving you a toothache.

Of course, no food tour in Athens would be complete without a gyro. Our guide took us to Savvas, which she confidently called one of the best gyros in the city and after eating there, I completely understood why. In fact, we loved it so much that we went back a second time later in the trip, once for their walk-up window and again for dinner on their rooftop terrace with an incredible view of the Acropolis.

Between food stops, we wandered through local markets overflowing with colorful spices, barrels of olives, bottles of fresh olive oil, roasted pistachios, and seafood so fresh it looked like it had just come off the fishing boats that morning. f you’re visiting Athens for the first time, I genuinely believe this should be one of the first things on your itinerary. I’d give this tour a 10 out of 10 without hesitation.

After the tour, we made our way back through the winding streets of Plaka to finally settle into our room before heading back out for the evening. As tempting as it was to collapse into bed after such a long travel day, we knew that a nap would completely throw off our sleep schedule. Instead, we each took a cold shower which was a lifesaver after walking around in the summer heat and headed back out to enjoy our first evening in Athens. Here’s a short video of a walk in the Plaka below:

We found a cozy outdoor restaurant tucked among the narrow streets of Plaka, where we enjoyed our first real Greek dinner. One thing I immediately fell in love with was the way meals are treated as an experience rather than just another part of the day. Every evening, the streets of Plaka filled with people dining outdoors, soaking up the warm weather and enjoying each other’s company. The neighborhood came alive with the sounds of laughter, conversation, music, and the gentle clinking of wine glasses. There was no rush to finish a meal or move on to the next thing. Meals stretched on for hours because people were fully present, enjoying the food and the atmosphere. After experiencing it for ourselves, it was easy to understand why dinner in Greece can last three or even four hours.

A special treat

Before heading back for the night, we stopped for ice cream just a few doors down from our hotel and carried it upstairs to our balcony. As we sat there taking in the view, we realized there was a live concert taking place near Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The sound of traditional Greek music carried through the evening air while the Acropolis stood illuminated atop the hill.

We simply sat there, listening to the music, eating our ice cream, and taking it all in. There was nothing left to do except soak in the moment. It felt like Greece was giving us one final gift before we called it a night.

We were only one day into our honeymoon, yet Greece had already captured my heart. It was our very first day in Greece, and somehow it already felt like we’d found exactly the place we’d been dreaming about. If this was only our first day, I couldn’t wait to see what the rest of Greece had in store.

The journey continues

I hope you enjoyed following along with our very first day in Greece! 

If you’re planning your own trip to Greece, I hope this guide gave you a little inspiration as you begin creating your itinerary. I know how overwhelming it can feel trying to decide where to stay, which restaurants are worth visiting, and which tours and experiences are truly worth adding to your trip.

If you have questions about the hotels we stayed at, restaurants we loved, transportation, or any of the tours and experiences we booked, feel free to reach out! I’m happy to share our recommendations and help make planning your Greek getaway a little easier. I’ll also be sharing links to the tours, activities, and experiences we personally enjoyed so you can easily explore the options when planning your own adventure.

Stay tuned as we continue sharing the rest of our journey!