Athens & Meteora Greece: Hostel Reviews, Things to Do & See

Starting off my four month long backpacking trip with my friend Mackenzie is Athens, Greece!

This is the first place I went and I fell in love. There were so many emotions going on when I stepped off that plane. Jet lagged, exhausted, scared af but running on adrenaline. It took so long to get to the hostel. My friend and I kept falling asleep & head bobbin all the way there on the subway. Finally made it to my first hostel after many, many hours of traveling and wrote in my journal.

Wow. I'm in Greece. I'm really living out my biggest dream - backpacking. Everything seems possible at this moment. Every hardship seems worth it now. I feel like I can breathe. I feel free.

The first hostel I stayed at in Athens was Athens Hawks Hostel. Located at 25 Menandrau, Athens, Greece. This hostel felt like it was in a sketchy area. BUT I would give the hostel itself a very good review. I met my first two travel friends there (shout out to Kash and Heather I love you!!!) and had an amazing experience. There is a rooftop bar with a view of the Parthenon and you get a free welcome shot. It was a VIBE. The staff is friendly and the rooms are clean. Great bathrooms - I was impressed. Also, you can get breakfast here for 4 euros.

What to do and see in Athens, Greece: First up is the Acropolis! Make sure to go at the earliest time possible - 7:55 am before it gets really busy. And bring a snack because everything doesn't open until 8 am. You can also go to Aeropagus Hill/ Mars Hill for a beautiful view of it all! I would go here at sunset - nothing beats this view. Another stop is to go see Plaka. It's streets full of shops and dining. It's beautiful. I stopped at a few shops to buy some jewelry and at a nail salon. It had fish that ate the dead skin off of your feet. It was such a wild experience!

Another thing to do is to head to the Monestaries in Meteora, Kalambaka, Greece. It's a day trip from Athens and believe me, it will take the whole day with the train so I would go for the half day tour. You can get tickets off of Viator that takes you on the train to & from Athens and gives you a driving tour while you are there. When visiting, each monastery costs a few euros. Please note that these are a special spiritual place and there is a dress code that's enforced. Men must wear long pants and women, long skirts. Sleeveless shirts are not allowed. If you forget, you are able to purchase some there. Our tour stopped at a local restaurant as well and we got to have a taste of the local cuisine. We actually signed up for this this last minute but I am so glad we did! I mean look at these views! pictured below

The next hostel I used after coming back from the Greek Islands was called Athens Backpackers located at 12 Makri Street, 11742 Athens, Athens, Greece. This hostel was very clean and the staff was also friendly. They also provided a free breakfast. I liked this hostel a little more because it was a lot closer to everything. You walk straight out of this and there's Plaka. Not too far is Acropolis. All in all, I think 3 days in Athens was the perfect amount of time.