Have you already booked your tickets for Athens?
If so, it’s time to start planning your first day in this amazing city.
Our suggestion? A day filled with art, culture, and history – and what better way to experience all of that than by visiting Athens’ incredible museums!
Trust us, you won’t want to miss out… So, let’s dive in and explore the top must-visit museums during your time in Athens!
Quick Navigation
- The Acropolis Museum
- The National Archaeological Museum
- The Benaki Museum
- The Museum of Cycladic Art
- The Byzantine and Christian Museum
- The National Gallery
The Acropolis Museum
Located near the Acropolis, it is consistently rated as one of the best museums in the world. It is devoted to the Parthenon and the surrounding temples. Visitors can see the sculptures from the Parthenon, the pediments (east and west), the metopes and the frieze.
Start your journey from the Parthenon Gallery, which is on the top floor and move your way down to have a more coherent view of the ancient story and artefacts.
While at the Parthenon Gallery, take a moment to gaze at the Acropolis and be mesmerised by the view of the ancient city through the glass panelling.
Directions: Take the metro to the Acropolis station (Line 2).
The National Archaeological Museum
Welcome to the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important in the world. With more than 20,000 exhibits, it provides a panorama of Greek civilisation from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity.
Visitors can see the famous Mask of Agamemnon, the Kore and Kouros, Epinetra of Aphrodite and the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek analogue computer which was found after 2000 years under the sea.
Directions: Take the metro to Omonia station (Line 1 or Line 2).
The Benaki Museum
This is a private museum that houses a collection of Greek Greek history and culture from 3000 BC to the 20th century. The museum has several buildings dedicated to different Greek history and art periods.
Visitors can see exhibits of ancient Greek art, Byzantine art, Islamic art, and modern Greek art. The highlights that are to be noticed encompass the various works of art by the painter and sculptor El Greco, Lord Byron’s desk, the entrance hall of a seventeenth-century Egyptian palace, and a third-century AD portrait by an unknown Egyptian artist.
Directions: Take the metro to Syntagma station (Line 2) or Evagelismos station (Line 3)
The Museum of Cycladic Art
This museum is dedicated to the art and culture of the Cycladic Islands in the Aegean Sea. It houses a collection of ancient Cycladic art 3rd millennium BC, including sculptures, pottery, and jewellery.
Visitors can see the famous Cycladic figurines, which are some of the earliest examples of abstract art. The museum’s temporary exhibitions focus on both archaeology and modern and contemporary art.
Directions: Take the metro to Syntagma station (Line 2) or Evangelismos station (Line 3).
The Byzantine and Christian Museum
This museum is dedicated to the art and culture of the Byzantine Empire and the early Christian period. The museum houses a collection of Byzantine art, including icons, mosaics, and frescoes.
Visitors can also see exhibits Early Christian, Byzantine and Medieval religious artefacts.
Directions: Take the metro to Evangelismos station (Line 3).
The National Gallery
This museum’s building is a work of art, a neoclassical mansion that once belonged to the wealthy Greek diplomat Alexandros Soutzos.
It is another must-visit museum in Athens, showcasing Greek art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The collection includes works from notable Greek artists such as Nikiphoros Lytras, Nikos Engonopoulos, and Konstantinos Parthenis, as well as international artists like Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh.
Directions: Take the metro to the Evangelismos station (Line 3) and walk for about 10 minutes towards Michalakopoulou Avenue.
