Greece · Europe

Discover Athens with Rafeek

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece.

Seeing Athens without the story is only half the trip

The problem

Group tours run on someone else's clock, printed signs say too little, and searching for context on your phone pulls you out of the moment. Most travellers leave Athens with photos but no sense of what they actually saw.

How Rafeek fixes it

Rafeek is a personal audio guide in your pocket. Press play at each landmark in Athens, listen at your own pace, and keep your eyes on the place instead of a screen. Guides work offline, so no roaming or signal worries.

What you'll discover in Athens

33 landmarks with their own audio guide — tap any one to read what you'll hear.

Acropolis Museum

A state-of-the-art museum located at the foot of the Acropolis, housing over 4,000 artifacts from the Acropolis monuments. Its stunning modern design and glass floors revealing archaeological excavations below make it a must-see attraction.

Acropolis of Athens

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Acropolis is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens. It contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Propylaea.

Anafiotika

A picturesque, tiny neighborhood nestled on the northern slopes of the Acropolis hill, part of the larger Plaka district. It was built by workers from the island of Anafi in the 19th century, and its whitewashed, Cycladic-style houses create a tranquil, island-like atmosphere.

Ancient Agora of Athens

The Ancient Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, serving as the center of political, commercial, administrative, and social activity. The site includes the remarkably well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos, which has been reconstructed into a museum.

Areopagus Hill

Known as Mars Hill, this bare marble hill located northwest of the Acropolis was the site of the supreme court of ancient Athens. It is also famous as the location where the Apostle Paul is said to have delivered his sermon to the Athenians.

Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

Housed in a beautiful neoclassical mansion, this museum presents a panoramic view of Greek history and art from prehistory to the 20th century. Its diverse collection includes Byzantine icons, traditional costumes, and historical documents.

Byzantine and Christian Museum

One of Greece's most important museums, it houses a vast collection of over 25,000 artifacts from the 3rd century AD to the late medieval era. The exhibits include sculptures, icons, frescoes, and ceramics, illustrating the development of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.

Church of Panagia Kapnikarea

A beautiful 11th-century Byzantine church located in the middle of the bustling Ermou shopping street. It is one of the oldest churches in Athens and is dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary.

Daphni Monastery

A UNESCO World Heritage site located on the outskirts of Athens, this 11th-century Byzantine monastery is a masterpiece of Middle Byzantine architecture. It is renowned for its superb interior mosaics, which are considered some of the finest in the world.

Filopappou Hill

Also known as the Hill of the Muses, this green space to the southwest of the Acropolis offers some of the best vantage points for photographing the Parthenon. The hill is topped by the Philopappos Monument, a mausoleum dedicated to a Roman senator and benefactor of Athens.

Hadrian's Arch

A monumental gateway resembling a Roman triumphal arch, located near the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It was built in 131 AD to celebrate the arrival of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city.

Hadrian's Library

Built by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 132 AD, this complex was more than just a library, also containing music and lecture halls. The most prominent surviving feature is its western facade, made of Pentelic marble with Corinthian columns.

Hellenic Parliament Building

Located in Syntagma Square, this building was formerly the Old Royal Palace and has housed the Hellenic Parliament since 1934. In front of the building is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones, where a popular changing of the guard ceremony takes place hourly.

Kerameikos

The site of the ancient cemetery of Athens, which was in use for over a thousand years. It includes part of the Themistoclean Wall, the Dipylon Gate, and the Sacred Gate, as well as an archaeological museum displaying funerary artifacts.

Lycabettus Hill

The highest point in Athens, Lycabettus Hill offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the entire city, the Acropolis, and the Aegean Sea. Visitors can reach the summit, which features the Chapel of St. George, a theatre, and a restaurant, by foot or via a funicular railway.

Monastiraki Flea Market

A bustling and eclectic market area in the old town of Athens, famous for its mix of souvenir shops, antique stores, and clothing boutiques. The market is especially lively on Sundays when it expands with street vendors selling a wide variety of items.

Museum of Cycladic Art

This museum is dedicated to the study and promotion of ancient cultures of the Aegean and Cyprus, with a special emphasis on Cycladic art of the 3rd millennium BC. It houses one of the most important collections of Cycladic figurines and artifacts in the world.

National Archaeological Museum

One of the most important museums in the world, the National Archaeological Museum houses the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. Its collections span from prehistory to late antiquity, including iconic pieces like the Mask of Agamemnon.

National Garden

A large public park of 15.5 hectares located in the center of Athens, directly behind the Greek Parliament building. It is a quiet and green oasis, featuring ancient ruins, ponds with turtles, a small zoo, and a botanical museum.

National Historical Museum

Housed in the Old Parliament House, this museum is dedicated to the history of modern Greece from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the present. Its collection includes flags, weapons, and personal items of historical figures, particularly from the Greek War of Independence.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

A magnificent stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. Built in 161 AD, it has been beautifully restored and is used today as a primary venue for the Athens Festival, hosting world-class music and drama performances.

Panathenaic Stadium

Also known as Kallimarmaro, this is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble. It hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and remains a popular tourist attraction and venue for events.

Parthenon

The most famous surviving building of ancient Greece, the Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, and western civilization.

Plaka

Known as the 'Neighborhood of the Gods,' Plaka is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis. Its labyrinthine streets, neoclassical architecture, and numerous shops and tavernas make it a charming area to explore.

Pnyx

A hill in central Athens that was the official meeting place of the Athenian democratic assembly (ekklesia) in the 5th century BC. Visitors can stand on the stone platform where famous orators like Pericles and Demosthenes addressed the citizens.

Roman Agora

Located to the east of the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora was the central market of Athens during Roman times. The site's most prominent feature is the Tower of the Winds, an octagonal marble clocktower that functioned as a timepiece, sundial, and weathervane.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC)

A stunning modern cultural complex that houses the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera. Designed by Renzo Piano, it is set within a large landscaped park and features an artificial canal, offering a wide range of cultural, educational, and recreational activities.

Technopolis City of Athens

An industrial museum and a major cultural venue of the city of Athens, housed in the city's former gasworks. It hosts a wide range of events, including concerts, exhibitions, and festivals, in its unique industrial setting.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

A colossal ruined temple in the center of Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC but was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD.

Theatre of Dionysus

Located on the south slope of the Acropolis, this is considered to be the world's first theatre and the birthplace of Greek tragedy. The great plays of Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes were first performed here in the 5th century BC.

Varvakios Agora (Central Market)

The bustling and vibrant Central Municipal Athens Market is a historic marketplace offering an authentic slice of local life. It features separate halls for fresh meat and fish, as well as surrounding stalls selling fruits, vegetables, spices, and cheeses.

Vouliagmeni Lake

A natural wonder of the Athenian Riviera, this is a brackish lake fed by underground thermal springs. The lake's mineral-rich waters are known for their therapeutic properties, making it a unique natural spa.

Zappeion Hall

A grand neoclassical building located adjacent to the National Garden, used for public and private meetings and ceremonies. It played a significant role in the modern Olympic Games, serving as the first indoor Olympic fencing hall in 1896.

How Rafeek works in Athens

Download Rafeek

Get the app on iOS or Android and pick your destination.

Choose a guide

Browse the landmarks nearby and choose the ones you want.

Press play and walk

Listen as you go, at your own pace, online or offline.

About Athens

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU). The Municipality of Athens, which constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire urban area, had a population of 643,452 in 2021, within its official limits, and a land area of 38.96 square kilometres.