Begin your walk up the sacred hill, imagining it as more than a climb — it’s a journey back 2,500 years, to the Golden Age of Athens. Follow the path once used by ancient Athenians during the Panathenaic Festival, a grand procession in honor of Athena, the city’s patron goddess.

Look around at the slopes scattered with shrines, caves, and theaters that tell the story of daily life and worship in Classical Greece. Make your first major stop at the Theatre of Dionysus, the birthplace of Greek drama. Built in the 6th century BCE, it could seat up to 17,000 spectators. This is where plays by Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes were first performed. The front rows — made of marble — were reserved for priests and dignitaries.

Continue up the hill and find the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, built in 161 AD by a wealthy Roman benefactor in memory of his wife. Unlike the Theatre of Dionysus, this was used for musical performances and is still active today during the Athens Festival.