Makryianni-Acropolis With the Family

Whether you’re going there to see the Parthenon or the New Acropolis Museum, Makriyianni can keep the entire family happy with plenty of things to do and see! 

Insights Greece - Makryianni-Acropolis With the Family

Any day of the week – but especially during the weekends, the Makryianni-Acropolis area is a bit of a hub and a wonderful place to go for a stroll with your kids. Unsurprisingly, because of the majestic beauty of the Parthenon overhead, and then there’s the pedestrian road of Dyionissiou Aeropagiotou with its neoclassical and modernist residences, greenery, and cobblestone pathways leading towards the historical hills of Filopappou and Pnyx. Jewellery-sellers, mimes, and musicians set up camp to entertain passersby in the hope of making an extra penny, and the hop-on hop-off Happy Train sets off from outside the New Acropolis Museum for a tour of the town. It’s busy, it’s buzzy and it’s scenic.

The New Acropolis Museum is in fact a good starting point if you’re looking for ways to breed a little bit of culture into your kids under the guise of fun. Little visitors are offered a bag with various museum-centered activities to engage them – a treasure hunt, colouring books, puzzles. The restaurant, which can be visited even by those who are not buying a museum ticket, is on a large outdoor terrace under the Acropolis and serves a good variety of Mediterranean dishes suited for all ages.

At the museum, you can also enjoy entering through the side entrance which has a metal ramp going all the way down that’s perfect for pushcarts or wheelchairs. Once on the museum level, there’s another side path across the way surrounded by more greenery that leads to the side exit.

From here you can head up the road to Kallisperi 2 where there is a playground. There are no swings and slides here, but the twirly-whirly rides are always entertaining for kids.  

Insights Greece - Makryianni-Acropolis With the Family

From there, head back up to Dyionissiou Aeropagitou for a scenic walk to Filopapou and Pnyx hills, where you can admire the view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill seemingly side by side and chill out on an ancient rock in the place where Democracy was devasted millennia ago.

If you return to Dyionissiou Aeropagitou and turn downwards you’ll find yourself walking around the Acropolis grounds on Apostolou Pavlou, where you’ll pass even more street musicians and a row of street sellers as well as several cafes where you can stop for coffee and ice cream. Here there is also a playground (Apostolou Pavlou 33) with plenty of rides to keep kids busy for a while.

Tip: From here you will also see a park-like entrance with an earth pathway, which if followed will lead you to Monastiraki – Plaka area. A little further down is the train station of Thisseio. 

Cover image by IN+SIGHTS GREECE ©

Visiting Athens’ Acropolis Museum

No trip to Athens is complete without a visit to the Acropolis Museum, which has been named one of the Top 10 museums in the world!  

The modern museum is an archaeological site, housing more than 3,000 ancient artefacts from the Athenian Acropolis.

Located in the historical area of Makriyianni, southeast of the Acropolis, the renowned Museum narrates the story of life on the Rock from prehistoric times until the end of Antiquity.  These findings cover a long period- from Mycenaean and Roman times through to the Early Christian periods of Athens.

Insights Greece - Visiting Athens' Acropolis Museum


Having opened its doors in June 2009, architect Bernard Tschumi’s new Acropolis Museum replaced the old Museum on the Rock of the Acropolis. The tailor made building with extensive use of glass ensures breathtaking views of the Acropolis, the surrounding historic hills and the modern city of Athens.

With the benefit of the changing natural light, visitors can discover the delicate surface variations of the sculptures and select the vantage point from which to observe the permanent exhibits.

The exhibits of the Acropolis Museum are presented over four levels. There is also a fifth floor with a wonderful restaurant/cafe boasting uninterrupted views of the Acropolis.

In 2019 the Museum also opened another permanent exhibit: the extensive archaeological excavation site that lies beneath the building. Here parts of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood have been brought to light. Among the ruins you will discover homes, shops, baths, mosaic floors, workshops and a stunning urban villa.

The Museum is ideal for people of all ages and includes activities, talks, guided tours as well as lots of spots to sit back and enjoy some quiet time.

While we all wait to visit again (some for the first time) we can enjoy a virtual tour of the Acropolis Museum right here- Acropolis Museum Virtual Tour.