Neighbourhood guide

Kolonaki: three museums, café squares and the funicular up Lycabettus

Kolonaki is the upmarket quarter on the slopes of Lycabettus Hill, about 10 minutes on foot from Syntagma, with the Benaki, Cycladic and Byzantine museums on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue and a funicular to the summit. Come for museums, cafés and shopping; it is pricey and hilly, and its main square is a building site for the future Line 4 metro station.

Last checked October 21, 2026

How far it is

  • Syntagmaabout 10′On foot
  • Acropolis Museumabout 24′On foot
  • The airportabout 39′Metro Line 3 from Evangelismos
The neoclassical mansion wing of the Museum of Cycladic Art in central Athens, with exhibition banners and Greek flags at the entrance.
Context image: Joyofmuseums / Wikimedia Commons · source · CC BY-SA 4.0

In this guide

  • Where to stay in Kolonaki

    Stay in Kolonaki for three museums and the café streets on your doorstep, with Syntagma Square about 10 minutes away on foot.

    St George Lycabettus · COCO-MAT Hotel Athens · A room near Evangelismos metro

  • Where to eat in Kolonaki

    Eating in Kolonaki starts with coffee: This is Athens calls it the capital of the city's café culture, with café tables along Skoufa, Kapsali and Milioni.

    Désiré · Benaki Museum café-restaurant · Cycladic Café · Ilissia café-restaurant · Orizontes Lycabettus · Friday street market

  • Things to do in Kolonaki

    Kolonaki's sights are the Benaki, Cycladic and Byzantine museums on or just off Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, and Lycabettus Hill above them.

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture · Museum of Cycladic Art · Byzantine and Christian Museum · Lycabettus funicular · Lycabettus Hill · Dexameni Square

  • Parking in Kolonaki

    Parking in Kolonaki means a garage such as Polis Park on Rizari Street, open 24/7 at €2 an hour, or a white street bay for three hours at most.

    Polis Park Rizari · Megaron Athens Concert Hall car park · Ipsilantou 20 garage · Controlled parking zones 2 and 3 (City of Athens)

  • Getting to Kolonaki

    Kolonaki's metro station is Evangelismos on Line 3, 2 minutes from Syntagma, and Syntagma Square is about 10 minutes away on foot.

    Evangelismos, Metro Line 3 · Syntagma, Metro Lines 2 and 3 · X95 airport bus · Taxi from the airport · On foot

Map of Kolonaki

Loading the map…Every place on the map is also listed with its address on this page.

This area
1KolonakiThis area
Neighbouring areas
SYSyntagmaArea guideMOMonastirakiArea guide
Map of KolonakiColoured dots are the places listed in each section; grey labels are neighbouring areas.

Your line: Metro Line 3

KerameikosSyntagmaEvangelismosMegaro MoussikisEthniki Amyna

Evangelismos, on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, is 2 minutes from Syntagma on Metro Line 3. Airport trains stop here every 36 minutes and take 39 minutes to the airport.

One walk, about an hour

About 1.6 km, 20 to 25 minutes on foot and uphill at the end, from Evangelismos metro past three museums and Kolonaki Square to the Lycabettus funicular on Aristippou Street. Allow longer for any museum visit.

One walk, about an hour — Kolonaki1Byzantine and Christian Museum2Museum of Cycladic Art3Benaki Museum4Kolonaki Square5Dexameni Square6Lycabettus funicular
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
  1. Byzantine and Christian Museum Housed in the Villa Ilissia, the winter residence built from 1840 for the Duchess of Plaisance; closed on Tuesdays.
  2. Museum of Cycladic Art About 3,000 Cycladic, ancient Greek and Cypriot objects; during building works the entrance is the Stathatos Mansion on Vasilissis Sofias.
  3. Benaki Museum Greek culture from prehistory to the 20th century in a neoclassical mansion, free on Thursdays from 18:00.
  4. Kolonaki Square The café heart of the district, now largely a building site for the future Line 4 metro station.
  5. Dexameni Square A shaded square over Hadrian's reservoir, where writers such as Kazantzakis met in the 1930s.
  6. Lycabettus funicular The lower station on Aristippou Street: ride up to the 277 m summit and walk down through the pines.

When it comes alive

  • MorningSome lifeEspresso stops around the square; the Byzantine and Christian Museum opens at 08:30, the Benaki and the Cycladic at 10:00.
  • MiddayBusyShoppers and café crowds around the square and on Skoufa, Kapsali and Milioni streets.
  • EveningBusyAfter-work drinks and dinner; on Thursdays the Benaki stays open until midnight and is free from 18:00.
  • LateSome lifeBars stay busy after dinner. Check STASY’s current Line 3 timetable before planning a late airport journey.

Three to see

  • Benaki Museum of Greek Culture Greek art and objects from prehistory to the 20th century: €12, closed on Tuesdays, open until midnight on Thursdays.
  • Museum of Cycladic Art About 3,000 Cycladic, ancient Greek and ancient Cypriot artefacts: €12, free under 18, closed on Tuesdays.
  • Lycabettus Hill At 277 m, the highest point in central Athens; take the funicular up and walk down through the pines.

Food and markets

Is it for you?

Good for

Museum days, café life and shopping, a short walk to Syntagma, and the funicular up Lycabettus.

Not for

Budget stays, ancient sites on the doorstep or easy walking: streets and stairs climb toward Lycabettus, and Kolonaki Square is a metro building site.

Sources

Last reviewed October 21, 2026