✨ Athens Before the Aegean: How We Spent 3 Days Before Boarding Our Virgin Voyages Cruise

Aug 31, 2025

📅 Dates: August 7–10, 2025

🏨 Hotel: Electra Metropolis, Downtown Athens

✈️ Trip Type: Pre-cruise city stay

🎯 Purpose: Culture, cuisine, and a smooth transition to vacation mode!

🛬 Arrival in Athens

After a long-haul flight from Dallas (we left on Aug 6 on an overnight flight), we touched down in Athens, excited to kick off our European adventure. We chose to arrive a few days before our cruise to allow time to explore the city without feeling rushed—and we’re so glad we did.

💡 #TravelMore Tip: I highly recommend arriving a couple of days before your cruise. Actually, I insist. This allows for any travel delays or flight cancellations (which has happened to us before), so you won’t risk missing your cruise departure.

We checked into Electra Metropolis, located in the heart of downtown Athens. This hotel is a gem - luxury, location, and one of the best rooftop views of the Acropolis you can get.

Pro Tip: Make a dinner reservation at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Metropolis Roof Garden for sunset - you won’t regret it.

They also offer a great rooftop pool, though I’ll admit, as soon as it opened, it was packed. Maybe during off-season you’ll have more luck, but don’t count on finding a lounger or even space for a solo photo op.

rooftop pool at Electra Metropolis Hotel Athens

Breakfast at Electra is included with every stay, and it was a fantastic buffet with tons of options, especially those Greek staples. I stuck to my usual: Greek yogurt, fruit, and pastries. Will went with his classic combo: eggs, bacon, sausage, and bread. OJ, coffee, and even mimosas flowed freely.

man eating breakfast overlooking the acropolis

📆 Day 2: History + Hidden Gems

We dove right into the culture with an All-Inclusive combo tour plus tickets:

Acropolis Tour: A true bucket-list moment—and totally worth the hype.
Acropolis Museum Tour: Air-conditioned, curated, and a perfect complement to the ruins tour.
Book this exact tour here: https://www.viator.com/tours/Athens/Athens-All-Included-Acropolis-and-Museum-In-a-Cultural-Guided-Walking-Tour/d496-51192P6?pid=P00011640&uid=U00231212&mcid=58086&currency=USD

I booked this combo tour on Viator (link above) and we had a fabulous guide. It was a long day, so here are my top tips:

Wear walkable/hiking shoes with good grooves. The marble is ancient and slick! I saw several people fall; it was comical… unless it happens to you.
Walking sticks are a great idea for added stability. We had a few 70-year-olds in our group and they made it up just fine with sticks and good shoes.
I’m 43 and in good shape, and I still had to take it slow. Our guide made sure we took shade breaks along the way.
And influencers in heels? 😅 I don’t know how they did it… maybe youth, maybe barefoot on the way back down, ha!

Bathroom tip: Not many options on the walk up or during the tour. Use the restroom at the museum entrance beforehand, or grab a large water bottle from a local restaurant; they’ll usually let you use the bathroom with a small purchase (1€ each).

🍽️ Food Tour with a Local (Estia)

That evening, we booked a 4-hour small group food tour with a local guide named Eva. This was our first time doing something like this, and it was amazing.

We joined another couple from Chicago who were on a year-long trip celebrating their retirement! Eva led us through:

Baklava
Loukoumades (Greek donuts)
Honey + Tastings
Fish market walk-through
Final dinner in Plaka

If you’ve never done a walking food tour, I highly recommend!

Book this tour with Eva here: https://www.viator.com/tours/Athens/Athens-Food-Tour-AM-PM/d496-487988P2?pid=P00011640&uid=U00231212&mcid=58086&currency=USD

📆 Day 3: Wandering + Rooftop Vibes

We originally planned a boat day, but it was canceled due to weather. Instead, we wandered around Plaka and had a full day of shopping, eating, and taking it slow.

🛍️ Highlights:

Ta Giouvetsakia: Delicious local gyros that totally hit the spot.
Byzantino: Cute little spot for a drink and some people-watching.
Gelato: From a tiny shop tucked away in Plaka. Worth it - even after all that food.
Ami restaurant and local bar/restaurant Tazzo - we visited twice and an easy spot that is open late if you are in the area. n

That evening, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset dinner at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant—the perfect ending to a day of wandering. (pics earlier)

📆 Day 4: Farewell Frappe + Cruise Day

On our last morning, we walked to the Hellenic Parliament and watched the Changing of the Guard. It was unexpectedly moving and such a unique moment to close our Athens stay.

Then we grabbed our bags and headed to the port to board our Virgin Voyages cruise out of Piraeus.

🚖 Getting Around Athens

Getting around was a breeze. I used Uber Taxi to get from the airport and also to the port. It was easy and efficient and you can reserve in advance on the Uber app. Just a heads-up: because the charges hit my bank account instead of a credit card, I incurred small foreign transaction fees - use a travel-friendly credit card if you can.