National Garden, Athens: Hours, Address, National Garden Reviews: 4/5
National Garden
National Garden
4
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
About
This beautiful oasis offers a soothing respite of greenery from the big city with many benches for picnicking, cafes, duck ponds and a small zoo.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Zappeion
How to get there
- Syntagma • 3 min walk
- Nomismatokopio • 6 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,458 within 3 miles

Victory Cafe
837
0.2 mi$ • Cafe • European • Healthy

Athena`s Cook
1,188
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • Greek • Vegetarian Friendly

V1935 Roof Garden
295
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Neapolitan

Avocado
2,465
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • Healthy

Dickie Dee
182
0.3 mi$ • Dessert • American • International

Tudor Hall
430
0.2 mi$$$$ • Mediterranean • European • Greek

2MAZI Restaurant
858
0.2 mi$$$$ • Mediterranean • European • Greek

V1935 Mediterranean Tastes
380
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Greek • Healthy • Vegetarian Friendly

Brigante
185
0.2 mi$ • Italian • Pizza • Mediterranean

GB Roof Garden
1,604
0.2 mi$$$$ • Mediterranean • European • Greek
Attractions
466 within 6 miles

Changing of the Guard Ceremony
190
0.1 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Angelos and Leto Katakouzenos Foundation
6
0.1 miHistory Museums

Plateia Syntagmatos
2,368
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Benaki Museum
1,528
0.2 miArt Museums

Syntagma Station
618
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology
423
0.3 miSpeciality Museums

Zappeion Conference & Exhibition Center
263
0.2 miConvention Centers

Statue De Pêcheur
1
0.1 miMonuments & Statues

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
1,267
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks

B. & M. Theocharakis Foundation
30
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
1,361 reviews
Excellent
500
Very good
535
Average
239
Poor
56
Terrible
31
mf4516
Milwaukee area, Wisconsin26 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Peaceful place to relax, while waiting for something. Occasional breeze, plenty of shade and birds. The zoo is a few historic cages with a couple of goats and some caged pigeons and medium-sized birds. It's free.
The turtle pond is gross, with so many turtles they're like flies or something. Walk by, say "oh, how cute! Wait ... Ewww!" And then find somewhere else to relax from the trauma.
The turtle pond is gross, with so many turtles they're like flies or something. Walk by, say "oh, how cute! Wait ... Ewww!" And then find somewhere else to relax from the trauma.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Thomas G
Amsterdam, The Netherlands964 contributions
Dec 2021
The national garden is a real oasis in the busy city of Athens. You can relax without hearing cars or other vehicles. It is in the city center and close to several other sights in the city. In the park itself the highlights are the Zappeion (great yellow building In the middle of the park), turtles and geese which you can see in the north of the park, although the exhibit is a bit small, the beautiful trees including trees with kind of oranges (do not taste as good as normal ones) and the historic site on the western side. It is a beautiful park and I will definitely recommend to visit!
Written January 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sherlock arting
Rome, GA137 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
The National Garden (formerly the Royal Garden) is a public park of 15.5 hectares (38 acres) in the center of the Greek capital, Athens. It is located between the districts of Kolonaki and Pangrati, directly behind the Greek Parliament building (The Old Palace) and continues to the South to the area where the Zappeion is located, across from the Panathenaiko or Kalimarmaro Olympic Stadium of the 1896 Olympic Games. The Garden also encloses some ancient ruins, tambourines and Corinthian capitals of columns, mosaics, and other features. On the Southeast side are the busts of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece, and of the Philhellene Jean-Gabriel Eynard. On the South side are the busts of the celebrated Greek poets Dionysios Solomos, author of the Greek National Hymn, and Aristotelis Valaoritis.
Written October 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Daisha
Pinole, CA23 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
I hate being down on Athens but come on Greece! The National Garden is one of the few examples where you can make Athens shine and you failed miserably! I'd more easily excuse the: raggedy looking park maintenance, tagged park benches, empty zoo exhibit enclosures with no explanation, exhibits that require water almost empty and others practically flooded, but when we were last in Athens pre--covid,we found the Parthenon (??!?!) similarly neglected (public bathrooms with broken toilets and rusty hardware), poor signage.
Even the other 'must see', The National Archeological Museum ', was closed on weekends and on weekdays closed at 2!.
For a country with so many treasures and tourist attractions it's as though you are trying to drive us all away...keep it up, this is the last time we will stop here before traveling onto a more functional Greek destination..
Even the other 'must see', The National Archeological Museum ', was closed on weekends and on weekdays closed at 2!.
For a country with so many treasures and tourist attractions it's as though you are trying to drive us all away...keep it up, this is the last time we will stop here before traveling onto a more functional Greek destination..
Written July 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
patra7
Athens, Greece29 contributions
Aug 2021
We tried to visit the National Garden last Saturday, 21 August 2021, only to find out that it was closed "as a precautionary measure, due to the risk of fire), i.e. due to the inability of local authorities to properly manage and protect it.
Only 2 of the 3 main gates had a paper notice alerting visitors about the closure.
We later found out that this has been the case throughout August 2021 (still a week later, as I'm writing this review).
Otherwise, the Garden offers a much welcome respite from the city's hustle and bustle (and heat!) but it is perennially badly managed if not outright neglected
Only 2 of the 3 main gates had a paper notice alerting visitors about the closure.
We later found out that this has been the case throughout August 2021 (still a week later, as I'm writing this review).
Otherwise, the Garden offers a much welcome respite from the city's hustle and bustle (and heat!) but it is perennially badly managed if not outright neglected
Written August 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
In-Yong H
London, UK657 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
It's a lovely (free!) park to rest your legs if you're feeling tired in the Athens sun. There's a pond with turtles and ducks and a small zoo which might keep some kids occupied for a while. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit it, but it's certainly worth popping into if you're in the neighbourbood.
Written August 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA13,096 contributions
Sep 2021
This very large public park is right in the center of town. It is very well used as so many people live and work around it. Not very well-maintained and very dusty in the summer. Insufficient shady areas, but still nice to have some green in this very concrete city.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
permia
Ireland37,690 contributions
Mar 2020
We enjoyed a grand stroll along the multitude of pleasant pathways. Lined with flora some of which still leafless it was a delightful afternoon.
In the centre is a fine lake with many ducks in residence. Further on is the remarkable Zappion Centre that is highly ornamented with many architectural design features.
There is no shortage of cafes and eateries and we had a delicious lunch in the busy one adjacent to the Zappion.
In the centre is a fine lake with many ducks in residence. Further on is the remarkable Zappion Centre that is highly ornamented with many architectural design features.
There is no shortage of cafes and eateries and we had a delicious lunch in the busy one adjacent to the Zappion.
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
pfefmeister
San Francisco, CA2,536 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Wonderful oasis, especially on a hot day. Rambling paths through well maintained landscapes, though you never really know where you’re at due to bad signing. It was difficult to find a bathroom and I was ready to duck behind a tree before happening on a hidden WC. At the southern end is the dramatic Hadrian’s Arch and the Olympieion. Worth a visit, don’t get lost!
Written May 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MargotPrist
Brussels, Belgium23 contributions
Jan 2022
The national garden is a beautiful garden with a lot trees so a lot of shade if you need some.
It's a nice place to get away from the burning sun in the summer.
It has a multiple little past to get lost in and you discover beautiful little hidden places within the garden.
It's a nice place to get away from the burning sun in the summer.
It has a multiple little past to get lost in and you discover beautiful little hidden places within the garden.
Written January 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
NathalieTermote
Koekelare, Belgium84 contributions
Hi! Is it allowed to picknick in the garden? Ofcourse we would take our trash back home with us :)
Andrew L
St. Albans, UK28 contributions
You might want to go somewhere nice instead
Irene Moussa
Cairo, Egypt1 contribution
hi is there a rental bicycle inside the garden for one or two hours ,and how much will it be thanks in advance
Vicar_of_Dibley
Toronto156 contributions
Hi I didn't notice one. we were on foot.
Jennifer M
Richmond, IN40 contributions
Hi,
I am planning to visit Athens and the National Garden and looking for a map of actual garden with possible key to the plants and statuary to down load. English preferably. I am interested in Botany. I cannot find one. Do yo know if they exist or do I have to take a tour from staff member? I find that local independent tourguides know little about the actual plants in the gardens.
Thanks
Llewellyn53
Melbourne, Australia3,991 contributions
Perhaps you could go to the website for J. & A. N. Diomedes Botanic Garden website to get assistance or try to enlist a botany student from the University as a guide for the National Garden
RCN
Singapore, Singapore1 contribution
Hi, does anyone know if the National Garden is open on Christmas and Boxing day ie 25th and 26th Dec?
HebaEssam -Δώρα
Athens, Greece527 contributions
It was open and the weather there was nice and lively. Just make sure you have a jacket on you because it's colder at that time of the year due to humidity. Seasonal greetings.
Has the garden been reopened? I know it was closed by police order June 14th and 15th
Fran S
218 contributions
Hi Seraphina, I was at the National Garden at the end of May, so I don't know whether it's been reopened (and also hadn't heard that it had been closed). Changing of the guard nearby is fun just in case, as is the nearby Metro stop's exhibit of artifacts.
Είναι κατάλληλω για μια σχολική εκδρομή;
PD3S
Amsterdam, The Netherlands13,019 contributions
Nee; het is een stadstuin
Sol0ke
Preston, UK
Hi, what time do the gardens open in the morning? I'd like to have an early morning walk through it in the summer. Kind regards
meredith54
athens132 contributions
Hi, it's open from 6 am and it's a nice place for day run. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions about National Garden
- National Garden is open:
- Sun - Sat 6:00 AM - 7:30 PM
- We recommend booking National Garden tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 73 National Garden tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience National Garden:
- Athens Scenic Bike Tour (From $37.50)
- City Sightseeing Athens, Piraeus & Beach Riviera Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours (From $21.43)
- Athens Electric Bike Tour (From $53.58)
- Ancient Athens for Kids 4-Hour Private Walking Tour (From $130.86)
- Athens, The Acropolis and Cape Sounion Full-Day Tour with Lunch (From $95.37)
- Hotels near National Garden:
- (0.13 mi) Amalia Hotel Athens
- (0.17 mi) InnAthens
- (0.21 mi) Hotel Grande Bretagne, A Luxury Collection Hotel
- (0.22 mi) Athens Capital Center Hotel - MGallery Collection
- (0.22 mi) King George, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens
- Restaurants near National Garden:
- (0.06 mi) Zappeiou Garden
- (0.14 mi) GC George Cafe
- (0.23 mi) Victory Cafe
- (0.19 mi) Brigante
- (0.21 mi) GB Roof Garden