At the outset, let me mention that both cities, Athens and Rome, are worth visiting. They offer ancient ruins, historical monuments, culinary delights, lively nightlife, and a great vibe in most of the tourist areas. That said, Rome does trump Athens in many ways. It has a certain wow factor, that makes it my choice if you are figuring whether to visit Athens vs Rome for your first visit.
Let me delve a bit deeper into what each city offers, best things to do in Athens and Rome, and where to go next from each city. That will help you decide between Rome or Athens, whichever city is best suited for your next trip.
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Athens: The Birthplace of Democracy
The Greek capital has been a powerhouse since ancient times and is one of the oldest cities in the world. This is where democracy took shape. The ideas floated by Greek philosophers – Plato, Aristotle and Socrates – influenced Western civilisation in profound ways.
The city is made for a history lover and offers some of the most famous Greek landmarks. It is incredible to see many of the ancient ruins in Athens that were built 3000 years ago. The Acropolis looms over the city centre and is the most visited attraction in all of Greece. But there are plenty of other landmarks in Athens, a must on any Greece itinerary.
Athens Sightseeing
The major sights of Athens are concentrated in a much smaller central area as compared to Romme, so walking everywhere during your visit makes it easier to explore.
Acropolis
The Acropolis site is best associated with the image of Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Settlements at the site of the Acropolis of Athens can be traced back to the 4th Century BCE. The Acropolis is a must-visit even if you are spending only a day in Athens.
Apart from the Parthenon, the other notable monuments here are the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. You will also come upon a magnificent open-air theatre on the southwest slope of the Acropolis – Odeon of Herodes Atticus.
Acropolis Museum
You can visit this museum either before or after visiting the Acropolis. The 3-storey museum not only contains all the artefacts from Acropolis site but also has a plethora of information about Greek history, and mythology.
Ancient Agora
The Ancient Agora is an impressive site at the foothill of the Acropolis site. In Ancient Greece, this used to be the center of the city of Athens and served as a gathering place for the city folks.
The Temple of Zeus
The Olympieion or the Temple of Olympian Zeus was the largest temple in Athens. While only 16 of the original 104 columns of the temple are still standing, this landmark is one of the most common associated with Athens.
Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro is a multi-purpose stadium in Athens, Greece. The stadium was built in the 4th century BC and restored for the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
More attractions in Athens
Apart from these above 5 sites, there are other notable attractions, especially for someone who loves history and ancient ruins. If you have 3-4 days in Athens, you can visit the National Archaeological Museum, Roman Agora, Kerameikos Ancient Cemetery, Syntagma Square, and Lycabettus hill.
Shopping, Dining and Night Life in Athens
Do make time to wander around the neighbourhoods of Monastiraki and Plaka. Monastiraki is a lively area in old part of Athens with important archeological sites, a flea market selling everything from souvenir T-shirts to handmade soaps, and plenty of tavernas and cafes. The hillside Plaka has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewelry, clothes and local ceramics. Clustered around the slopes of the Acropolis, it is fun to wander around the labyrinthine streets here and enjoy Greek cuisine at any of the restaurants / cafes. You will find plenty of shopping, dining and bar options in both these neighbourhoods.
The Greek capital comes to life in the night, with a plethora of vibrant nightlife spots scattered throughout the bustling city center and upscale suburbs. Kolonaki is arguably one of the best neighborhoods for nightlife in Athens. The central Syntagma offers options for all tastes, from chic wine bars to sophisticated pubs, and so is Monastiraki. The idyllic Athens Riviera is lined with upscale seaside bars and clubs.
Trips from Athens
Most travelers to Athens use it as a jumping point to visit one of the many famous islands of Greece. There are plenty of day trips possible from Athens as well, further into the mainland like Delphi or to the Peloponnese region. Athens is also is close to some small islands like Aegina or Hydra which are popular as day trips or weekend getaways with the locals.
Rome: The Eternal City
The Eternal City has a wow factor that is difficult to duplicate. Rome is full of architectural and artistic delights. The city has plenty of notable attractions, museums, and lovely piazzas. If that doesn’t amaze you, the food certainly will. A Rome itinerary will also include the world famous sites of Vatican City. So you do get more variety of attractions which makes Rome a better candidate over Athens for sightseeing.
Rome Sightseeing
Colosseum
Colosseum is the top attraction in all of Italy, so it is a must on any Italy itinerary. This oval amphitheater is the largest ever built, holding up to 80,000 spectators. It dates to the year 72 AD, and was the setting for gladiator combat and major public events.
Roman Forum & The Palatine
Roman Forum was the legal, political and social center in the time of Ancient Rome. The Palatine was the home of the elite of both the Republic and the Empire as sumptuous palaces were built here overlooking the city.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is the best-preserved ancient building in Rome. Hadrian built it in AD 119-128 as a temple to the 12 most critical classical deities. It has the largest dome ever built before modern times.
Trevi Fountain
This baroque-style fountain is arguably the most famous fountain the world.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
This is the spiritual centre of the Catholic Church and the residence of the Pope. A trip to Vatican City is on most Italy itineraries.
Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel
The Vatican Museum has innumerable treasures, a massive art collection and artefacts. The lovely frescoes painted by Michelangelo have made Sistine Chapel as the most visited attraction in Vatican City.
Piazza Navona
Rome has countless squares, but one of the most remarkable one is Piazza Navona. The entire square is lined with outdoor cafés and restaurants, and is a popular meeting place.
Castel San’Angelo
The Castle of the Holy Angel was a mausoleum built for Emperor Hadrian. It now serves as a museum.
Villa Borghese
This beautiful park, at one time, belonged to a wealthy cardinal, but now serves as a public park. The cardinal’s amazing art collection is now displayed in the Galleria Borghese.
More attractions in Rome
Rome has plenty of other attractions and it is not possible to cover all of them in one trip! Depending on the number of days you have, you can visit Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Spanish Steps, Archbasilica di San Giovanni, Via Appia Antica (Roman Appian Way), Piazza del Popolo, Palazzo Colonna, Baths of Caracalla, to name a few. You can easily spend a week in Rome exploring the myriad attractions. The variety on offer is also much more than Athens.
Shopping, Dining and Night Life in Rome
Rome offers plenty of shopping options from street vendors to high street to luxury malls. It is one of the best places to buy an Italian souvenir. Rome’s most coveted shopping areas are formed by Via dei Condotti, Via Borgognona, Via Frattina and by the adjacent Spanish Steps. You will find high fashion and haute couture here.
As for Italian food dishes, that’s certainly a reason to visit Rome over Athens. The city is dotted with trattorias serving classic dishes with minimum fuss. There are so many great places for pizza by the slice it’s crazy. And does any city gives you so many options for delicious gelato?
Italy has a lot of chic cities with great dining and nightlife options, and Rome is certainly the biggest and the most chaotic of them. Being vast, the nightlife in Rome revolves around certain neighbourhoods. Crowds in their thirties and forties tend to stay more around the historic center. And people in their twenties tend to start around Trastevere generally, and finish up at one of the clubs in the trendy districts of Testaccio or Ostiense.
Trips from Rome
Rome offers a wide variety of day trips and the extensive train network within Italy makes it easy to reach most of them. The infrastructure and the variety of trips you can take to explore beyond The Eternal City make Rome a better destination to visit as compared to Athens.
Consider a visit to Castelli Romani for volcanic lakes, dazzling castles, good hiking options, and fantastic wine. You can plan a trip to Cerveteri’s archaeological sites, museums, and the Necropolis of Banditaccia. Or to Tivoli for the art and architecture. You can also take fast trains to reach Naples, Florence, Venice, Orvieto, Tuscia, Assisi, Pisa…the choices are endless for a short trip. Not to mention Pompeii, Amalfi coast, Tuscany beyond the cities.
Rome over Athens is my verdict for a first trip
In my opinion, you should visit both Rome and Athens, at least once in your lifetime. That said, if you had to choose one city, that would be definitely Rome over Athens for me. The variety of historical monuments, art and architecture, the incredible Italian food and cafe options, the beautiful neighbourhoods to explore, and the easy connectivity to plenty of other amazing spots all over Italy is hugely in favour of Rome. Rome is vast, chaotic, and has too many points of interest to cover in any one trip. And it also gets more touristy and crowded because of its iconic monuments like the Colosseum and proximity to the Vatican City. So prior planning is helpful to make your first trip to Rome a success.
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Have you visited either Rome or Athens? What is your favourite city between the two of them?
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I’ve never been to Athens or Rome so this was a great post for me to read!! There’s a part of me that thinks I would enjoy Athens more, but I’m putting them both on the list!
Both are worth visitng for sure.
I’ve visited Rome several times, and was very impressed. Athens is on my bucket list and I hope to visit it in the next couple of years. It will be very interesting to compare and see which city I prefer!
Athens in absolute terms is amazing. Hope you get to visit soon.
I’ve never been to Athens, but it’s definitely on my list of places to see. I don’t know that I could give an accurate answer until I visit both. I agree with you that Rome has many amazing attractions and food. How does the food compare in Athens? The coffee looks delicious!!
The coffee and drinks are great iin Athens, but The Italian food is something else. That said, do visit Athens.