The National Archeological Museum is by far one of the “must see” attractions of the city. Several of the treasures are still in boxes in the basement due to limited space but yet there is so much to see. The Egyptian collection is also excellent, claimed to be the best outside Egypt. You will need at least a few hours there.

How to get there: It is an easy 20 min walk from Aspa In Athens. There are different routes to take to get there. The easiest way is to take Leoforos Alexandras towards Patision str. Then turn left onto Patision. The museum is right there. If you do not mind traffic and noise and you want to get straight to the museum this is likely the best way to take.

We recommend another route that requires 2-3 min of extra walking. That is, reach Mavromichali str and walk on it for less than a km, turn onto Eresou str and at the end of the street continue onto Tositsa str. At the end of Tositsa you will see the back side of the museum. We prefer this route for a couple of reasons (i) one gets the opportunity to visit the neighborhood of Exarchia and get a flavor of it at daylight and (ii) you walk through streets such as Mavromichali that still holds the vibe of “old Athens” although nowadays is not as quite as 20 years ago.

National Archeological Museum checked! Now what? So your history journey is over. Are you tired? Need a break? Here are some ideas:

• Ama Lachei on 69 Kallidromiou str. Very popular meze restaurant 10 min walking distance from the museum. The terrace is wonderful and if you are there in early afternoon you have a good chance to beat the night crowds.
• Alexandra restaurant, 21 Zonara str very close to Aspa in Athens. This is a greek/Mediterranean restaurant in a very pleasant setting. If you feel tired after the museum visit you can get the bus from Leoforos Alexandras to Panathinea stop. This restaurant is right behind Panathinea park.

Depending on your mood, and the weather you may like to take a rest after the meal or continue exploring the city.

Get more ideas from our other recommendations.