Athens in September 2024: Your Local’s Guide
Athens in September may not sound like the most common time to visit the Greek capital but it is actually a great time to travel. In fact, September, and October are among the best times to visit the Greek capital.
This is particularly true if you are combining city exploration with a visit to some Greek islands. At this time of year, the summer crowds start to disperse, the temperatures become a little cooler and more bearable, and the prices of hotels, flights, and excursions drop.
Since August is such a peak time for people to travel to Greece, the prices can be as much as 40-50% higher during this month than during September. That is not a marginal difference! For many reasons, Athens in September is a much better choice.
Visiting Athens in September
Athens Weather in September
Athens, Attica, and Southern Greece see much milder weather conditions than the majority of Europe. As a result, a pleasant city break in the Greek capital can be enjoyed virtually any time of year.
Athens’ weather in September sees temperatures that range between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius. This is warm enough to visit Athens beaches and enjoy the coastal riviera beach towns of Voula, Vouliagmeni, Vari, and Glyfada.
Yet it is not overbearingly hot that walking around outside for extended periods of time becomes unpleasant. Considering the fact that the Greek summer months of July and August see daily temperatures that soar as high as 35-40 degrees celsius, visiting Athens in September may be preferable for many.
On average, Greece sees around 250 days of sunshine. The rainfall in September is at a minimum (an average of 6mm of rainfall across the month). You are unlikely to experience any showers or rainfall but if you do, these are usually brief before the sky clears up again.
Events in Athens in September
Events and festivals in Greece take place throughout the year and it feels like there is something exciting going on here every single month. September is no different.
The Athens coffee festival 2022 takes place between the 24th and 26th of September in the Gazi/Technopolis region of the city. It celebrates Greece’s favorite commodity: coffee!
You can not only try Greek coffee and learn about how it’s made here, but you can also sample coffees from across the globe. The focus of this year’s festival is on making coffee production more green and eco-friendly.
All of this coffee is paired with performances from local musicians and entertainers. Other theatrical, cultural, and musical events do take place in Athens in September.
Check local listings such as Why Athens for the latest schedules to review what is going on and whether anything exciting is taking place during your trip. Usually, the Epidaurus festival runs between May and October.
However, in 2022, it was cut shorter than usual (perhaps due to the pandemic) and ended on the 20th of August. In September 2023, hopefully, the festival schedule will return to normal.
The festival provides travellers with the opportunity to catch Greek dances, tragedies, and theatrical performances in fantastic, historic settings. For instance, performances are held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the slopes of the Acropolis, and at the Ancient Epidaurus theatre.
Check the local theatre and concert listings
One pretty awesome thing about watching live bands and shows in Athens is that sometimes the venues are spectacular historic sites. For instance, between May and late September, events are often hosted in the ancient Panathenaic stadium ¨Kallimarmaro¨ close to Pagrati.
World-famous musicians and bands such as Scorpion have been known to perform to crowds here. Finally, if you are interested in opera, ballet performances, or musicals, you may want to check what events are taking place at the Greek National Opera.
In September 2022, you can catch a performance of “THE FLYACHTOOOOOOOOOO”. This musical fairytale is perfect for families with small children visiting Greece.
It tells the story of a fisherman from Paxos island who catches a magical fish and becomes rich and famous. Most performances are in Greek, although they are often so emotive that you don’t need to speak the language to understand what is going on.
There are fewer tourists in Athens in September
The majority of Greeks have their summer vacations in August. A lot of people may have as many as three or four weeks off work.
So, instead of staying in a hot, humid city, they head out to the islands or to their families’ villages. In their place come droves of tourists.
In some parts of Athens in August, you hear more British and American accents than you do Greek! By September, the crowds start to taper off. The Greeks return and you have a more ¨authentic¨ feel for what life in Athens is like.
Visit the islands close to Athens
Spending two or three days in Athens is a great precursor to a wider Greece itinerary. From here, you can venture onwards to islands close to Athens, or those farther afield in the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, etc.
The ¨season¨ on most Greek islands, particularly those in the Saronic and the Cyclades, does not end until late Autumn. Most local restaurants and businesses remain open until the end of October.
Conditions in September are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and enjoying the beaches. Athens and Piraeus offer excellent public transport links – by ferry and by plane, to most islands.
Again, the arrival of September means a significant reduction in crowds. Getting ferries out of Athens in July and August can be nightmarish.
Tickets often sell out, especially on popular routes like Athens to Santorini or Athens to Crete. This means having to book in advance and having little flexibility to change your schedule if you wish.
Hydra, Spetses, Poros, and some of the smaller Cyclades like Amorgos and Kea are nice places to visit from Athens in September. The weather is warm enough to enjoy the beaches, and yet, mild enough that you can hike and explore ¨the great outdoors¨ without it being unbearable.
Al Fresco Cinema Experiences
A charming thing happens in Athens when the weather is good: movies are played in open-air cinemas across the city. You can find a number of these al fresco theatres scattered around the city.
Some of them sit against impressive ancient backdrops such as the Acropolis, or the cobbled promenades of Apostolou Pavlou. Aegli (4 Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Zappeion) is Athens’ oldest outdoor cinema.
It first opened its doors in 1904 and has been delighting locals and travellers ever since. Aegli sits in the gardens next to Zappeion surrounded by flower gardens and verdant greenery. A selection of Greek street food snacks like souvlaki and gyros are sold as you watch Greek and international movies.
Equally fabulous is Cine Thision. It opened in historic Thissio, central Athens in 1935. It is conveniently located close to many of the city´s main tourist attractions such as the Ancient Agora, and Monastiraki market.
As such, this is a great place to watch a movie after a long day spent exploring. Cine Thision is widely regarded as being one of the very best open-air cinemas in the world.
Getting a ticket to see movies at these places is easier in September than in busy July and August. Not to mention, this is the final month of the year that a lot of these theatres operate.
Athens in September Highlights
Visiting Athens in September means that most Athens museums and archaeological sites maintain their later summer opening hours. There are some things that you simply should not miss during your first visit to Athens.
These activities are detailed below. If your schedule permits, and you have a little longer than just a few days to spend in Athens, you should also carve the time into your agenda to visit the offbeat Athenian neighborhoods that are like little towns in themselves.
For instance, check out the politically-motivated and thought-provoking street art in Exarchia and Metaxourgeio. Ride the subway out to upscale Kiffisia and take a walking tour of tree-lined streets lined with grand neoclassical houses, then, receive a lesson in multiculturalism in Kypseli.
Things to do in Athens in September
- Admire the sunset over the Acropolis from Athenian rooftop bars
- Hang out in the quirky coffee bars and art galleries of Koukaki
- Climb to the top of Mount Lycabettus and revel in the view
- Discover the ¨secret¨ Cycladic style village of Anafiotika
- Take an Athens food tour in Psiri
- Swim in the healing waters of Vouliagmeni lake
- Check out the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Hadrian’s Gate, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Watch vendors haggle with locals at Athens Central Market
- Walk around Filopappou Hill, Socrates´ prison, and the Pnyx
Day Trips from Athens in September
Even if your time in Greece is limited and you will spend the entirety of your time in and around Athens, there is plenty to do in the area. There are many Athens day trips that you can do in a day. Some of the most notable are detailed below.
- Visit the ruins of Ancient Delphi
- Sail around the Saronic islands
- Enjoy the various urban hikes around Athens
- Hike up Mount Parnitha
- Visit Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon
- Head from Athens to Meteora monasteries for the day
A breezier transit through the airport
Passing through Athens Eleftherios Venizelos airport in July and August is a nightmare that practically makes you want to tear your hair out. The arrival and departure terminals are overbearingly crowded and everything takes much longer – getting through security, waiting at baggage claim, etc.
This isn’t just on account of people travelling to Athens. It is also due to people at the airport transiting in the Greek capital and heading on to farther Greek destinations like Corfu or the Sporades.
Transiting through Athens airport in July/August can add as much as an extra hour to the process of landing here. Sometimes, the buses and trains from Athens airport to the city centre, or Athens airport to Piraeus are completely full.
Go shopping in Athens
Shopping in Athens is great at any time of year. The city is a good place to treat yourself to a little retail therapy whether you are looking for apparel items or quintessentially Greek souvenirs.
Ermou is a one-and-a-half-kilometer-long street in central Athens that connects Syntagma Square with Monastiraki. You can find an abundance of clothing stores here.
Ermou shops range from those exhibiting the works of local, independent Greek designers, to well-known high street brands. If you are looking for more elegant boutiques and high-end stores, head to Kolonaki or Kifissia. These districts are known as being the Athenian answer to Beverly Hills.
One great thing about shopping in Athens in September? Sales! Many stores sell off their old summer stock at this time, ready to make way for Autumn styles.
Final Thoughts
Do you have any additional questions about heading to Athens in September? Don’t hesitate to contact me.
I’ve been living in Athens since 2017 and it is safe to say I know the city pretty well. If you are visiting Greece for the first time, you may also enjoy this guide on planning a trip to Greece. Safe travels!
Geia sou! Melissa xo