Housed in a neo-classical mansion, this museum showcases the private collection of Antonios Benakis (1873-1954). The son of a wealthy Greek from Egypt, Benakis' collection shows the development of Greek art, from its origins in the Stone Age up until modern times. Ceramics, paintings, sculpture, jewellery and costumes are all on show, and arranged in chronological order. The museum shop offers a number of copies of the various items on display throughout the museum.

Housed in a late 19th-century building, the National Archaeological Museum recently underwent extensive renovations, and reopened in the summer of 2004. A world-famous museum, it houses one of the world's best collection of ancient and classical Greek artefacts. Among the highlights are the Mycenaen Collection, a literal treasure trove of intricately crafted gold work from the 16th to 11th centuries BC, and the Bronze Collection, which features the magnificent bronze statue of Poseidon, dated from 460 BC.

The Acropolis, an ancient fortified town, dates back to the late Bronze Age. As Greece's best known landmark, it should be one of the first stops on any visit to Athens. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has excellent relics of the Greek Classical age, like the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon and the Erectheion. For an entry fee of 12 Euros you can visit the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Agora, the Kerameikos, the theatre of Dionysus and the Roman Agora.

Easily the most famous of all the monuments in the Acropolis is the Parthenon. Built between 447 and 438 BC, the Parthenon was dedicated to Athenas Parthenon, the patron goddess of Athens. Originally including friezes, mesotes and pediments, these were all stolen at the beginning of the 19th century by the British, and are now exhibited in the British Museum. Other monuments on Acropolis Hill include the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaea, a massive gateway to the complex.

The Ancient Agora, with its splendid green cover, gives a beautiful view of the Acropolis. One of the best ancient Greek temples, the Temple of Hephaestus, is preserved here along with the Attalos Stoa, the museum of the Agora – an ancient building that has been reconstructed.

Lying in a valley under the Acropolis, the Agora was the heart of ancient Athens. This is where Plato and Socrates taught and espoused their philosophies thousands of years ago. Indeed, throughout the city's history, the site has been continually occupied, and it was first used as a residential and burial ground as early as 3000 BC Some of the major monuments in the Agora include the Temple of Hephaistos, the most prominent and probably best preserved of the Agora monuments, the Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, the Temple of Apollo Patroos and the Monument of the Eponymous Heroes.

The Theatre of Dionysus (Théatro Dionysou) is a stone auditorium situated on the southern slopes of the Acropolis Hill. Built in the fourth century BC, it was home to the original tragedies of Sophocles and Euripedes, and the comedies of Aristophanes. The theatre held about 17,000 spectators, and is definitely one of the more popular of Athens' ancient sites.