Greece › Athens › Best Things to Do › Mount Lycabettus
Updated: November 10, 2022
By Santorini Dave
See Also
- Best Hotels in Athens
- Where to Stay in Athens
- Best Restaurants in Athens
- Best Things to Do in Athens
- Complete Athens Travel Guide
Best Athens Tours and Tickets:
• Athens Pass Combo Ticket (7 archaeological sites + Acropolis Museum. No tour.)Lycabettus Hill in Athens
Mount Lycabettus, also known as Lycabettus Hill, is located in the Kolonaki district of central Athens, just north and east of Syntagma Square. The most central and highest point in Athens, this limestone landform rises 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level, almost twice as high as the Acropolis. Visitors ascend Lycabettus primarily to enjoy the beautiful 360° views of the city, to watch the sunset, and to enjoy the views of the Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Agora and Panathenaic Olympic Stadium as they light up at night.
Aside from the incredible views at the top, other points of interest here include the 19th-century Church of St. George (Agios Georgios), which dates back to 1870 and contains some interesting frescoes; and a large open-air theater that hosts Greek and international concerts. Among the artists that have performed at the Lycabettus amphitheater are Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, BB King, Moby, Peter Gabriel, and Black Sabbath to name. The amphitheater has been closed since 2008, but plans to reopen soon, following some structural renovation. Also on the hill is a cafe offering snacks, coffee, breakfast, and lunch, and a popular fine-dining restaurant called Orizontes, which is open for dinner (reservations recommended).
How to Get to the Top of Mount Lycabettus
Visitors can walk, drive, taxi or take a cable car (teleferik) to the top of Mount Lycabettus. Unless you take the cable car, some steep-ish climbing will be involved. Note that the cable car has no views, as it travels through a steep tunnel.
- Cable Car: Located at the intersection of Aristippou and Plutarchiou Streets in Kolonaki. Fare us 10€ for a round trip ticket, 7€ for one way; there is a discount for children aged 3-10, and children under 3 ride free. The cable car runs every half hour from 8:30am to around 2am. Ask on the way up when the last car will be heading down if you’re planning a late night at the restaurant. The ride takes about a 3 minutes.
- On Foot: Walking up the hill can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on your starting point, pace, and number of stops along the way. The entire perimeter of the hill is dotted with trail access points; the most popular path from Athens’ tourist center is from Plutarchiou St: at the end of street’s vehicle access at Spefsippou Street, climb several blocks of pedestrian-only stairway and turn left at the cable car station at the top; here you will find the entrance of the path up the hill. Also convenient to the tourist center are access points leading through the trees along the south and west sides of the hill on Melina Mercouri and Ilia Rogkakou Streets. The closest metro stations to the southern trailheads are Evangelismos and Megaro Moussikis, each about half a kilometer away.
- By Car: Traveling north on Ilia Rogkakou Street, just after it turns into Sarantapichou, follow the “Theater” signs to Mount Lycabettus Road. Take this up (continuing to follow the “Theater” signs) to the large parking area near the amphitheater. From here, ascend the staircases and paved pathway to the top. To catch a ride up the hill, use Uber or download an app called Beat; Beat is similar to Uber, but it’s government regulated and most taxis in Greece are registered with this company, making it a better option.
Read More
About Santorini Dave
I'm Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a short article on tips for visiting Santorini with kids. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, and Greece, offering recommendations for top hotels, neighborhoods, and family-friendly hotels worldwide. I can be contacted at dave@santorinidave.com.