Is Athens Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Athens, the capital of Greece, is generally safe for solo female travelers. The city has emergent crime rates that are no higher than an average European city. The public transportation is reliable and it's easy to travel around. Most of the locals are pleasant and helpful. However, like any other city, there are neighborhoods to avoid during night-time, pickpocketing and bag-snatching can occur. Therefore, it is advisable to be cautious, especially in crowded places and take the usual precautions that you would in any other city.

Safety rating

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How safe is Athens?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Moderate

Athens is moderately safe to traverse at night. Major tourist sites and populated areas like Plaka, Syntagma Square, and Monastiraki remain well-lit and busy into the evening hours, reducing the risk of encountering undesirable situations. However, areas such as Omonoia, Exarchia, and Metaxourgeio can be a bit riskier, being known for occasional petty crime. As a solo female traveler, it is always better to practice vigilance at night.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in Athens generally is safe and reliable. The metro, buses and trams are used by thousands of locals and tourists daily without incident. You should be aware of pickpockets, particularly in crowded places or during peak hours. Also, it is best to avoid less crowded vehicles late at night. However, the chances of experiencing serious issues are quite low.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Low

Street harassment in Athens is relatively low compared to other major cities worldwide. Greek people are generally respectful and warm to tourists, including solo female travelers. Nevertheless, like any city, occasional unwanted attention can occur, but it's usually limited to non-aggressive stares or comments. It's advisable to follow general safety precautions to avoid potential uncomfortable situations.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Low

Athens has a relatively low risk of petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching. Popular tourist sites and crowded locales are more likely places for these petty crimes, but exercising basic caution like keeping personal belongings close and being aware of the surroundings can minimize the risk. In general, the city is safe, and locals are friendly and helpful, but like all tourist destinations, it's key to stay vigilant.

Is Athens worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 45 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.7/5

Safety

4.3/5

Food

4.8/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5

Solo travel

I felt very safe in Athens, even at night. The food was excellent. O Thanasus was one of my favorite restaurants. Their food was fresh, very good and at a great price. Everything in Athens was very affordable. I stayed in an apartment at Kolokotroni 44. This was walking distance from all the popular sites and the metro.

Posted: November 9, 2024Experienced: March, 2024
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Solo travel

Walk up and down as many streets as possible in Plaka. Enjoy the many cafes and eateries. Take in the sights. And smile at the friendly locals and fellow travellers. Have a wonderful time in this beautiful and historical city!

Posted: September 16, 2024
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Solo travel

I live in Athens now and have been for the last months. I visited the acropolis and it was so nice. It was free entry bc I’m 22 which was really good. The people are nice and the food are great. They have a lot of different rooftop bars also around monastiraki. I would recommend MS rooftop, hyper, A for Athens and 360 rooftop bar.

Posted: September 6, 2024
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Anjelika

Anjelika

United States

Solo travel

I went solo to Athens but met amazing friends while there. People are friendly and welcoming and generally feels safe. I stayed in an Airbnb in the city and was able to find grocery, a gym, the metro, bars, and bookstores all within walking distance. I met up with some other solo travelers to explore the city and go on some historic guided tours. Overall my experience was life changing and I would highly recommend Athens to everyone.

Posted: July 24, 2024Experienced: October, 2022
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Solo travel

One of my favourite places to live or just visit. I've been coming to Athena for over ten years. Folks here know how to live - even in the middle of a financial crisis. Greek society still values human relationships over digital ones and the ancient Plateia culture of taking it easy and discussing things and ideas thoroughly over coffee or ouzo. The city has a beautiful harmony of modern and ancient elegance, with the opinions of the public openly and artfully graffiti'd on the walls, and a dusting of authentic mediterranean grit. After millennia, it consistently remains a fascinating centre of life. While it's assumed travellers will be seeing the Acropolis (best time to go is right at opening, before the busses arrive)and its Agora and Museum, also not to be missed is the Benaki Museum, which fills you in on the rich and colourful history of Greek life in between the ancient and modern day.

Posted: July 15, 2024
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Finn

Finn

Czech Republic

Group travel

I visited Athens with my friends this summer and it was one of my favorite trips ever! Even though the public transport wasn't the most reliable the great food balanced it out. I didn't feel more unsafe than in other countries I've visited so far. Actually, people everywhere we're so nice and helpful, even when they couldn't help us out. 100% will visit again (mainly for the museums and food :)

Posted: July 14, 2024
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Emma

Emma

United Kingdom

Solo travel

Vibrant city. Only able to stay for 2 nights and wish had more. Got very early morning bus to airport to save money on taxi - would recommend. Safe city, lovely food. Stayed in City Circus hostel, no frills and a bit noisy but as expected for hostel of price range.

Posted: June 25, 2024
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Amber

Amber

United States

Couple travel

We felt overwhelming and unexpectedly safe in Athens, particularly around the Acropolis area. I love Greek food, but my partner had never had it before and fell in love with it. We ate dinner at Arcadia Restaurant and spent the rest of the evening walking around and enjoying the shops in this area.

Posted: June 15, 2024
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Erica-Elly

Erica-Elly

Estonia

Solo travel

I travelled to Athens because I found good-priced flight tickets and had the opportunity to work and study long-distance ✈️☀️🤓 I loved the food, city and beaches🌸 Would defo come back and visit the islands ☝️🏻

Posted: June 15, 2024
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Diana

Diana

Switzerland

Group travel

To my surprise, I felt very unsafe. I loved the city, but people were very reactive and I have the impression there is no consideration for women. We were 3 women and constantly having men swearing at us. I felt all the time as suddenly a fight against us could start.

Posted: June 12, 2024Experienced: April, 2024
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Is Athens safe for women?

Safety index

2.9 /5

Based on 19 local experiences

Crime index

2.8 /5

Based on 19 local experiences

Athens is not the ideal place for locals, but there are many areas that are actually safe and even safer for tourists. You just need to be careful of the location you’ll choose and your transportation and you’ll have a great time here.

Posted: December 3, 2024
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It is safe to walk alone during the day. Ensure that you are cautious after dark hours. For after dark hours, it is very safe to walk on the main shopping street called Ermou street, in Monastiraki area, Thiseio area, and outside the Parliament The area of the city centre called Omonoia is not so safe to be there night time. Be aware of the pickpockets, particularly in the train/metro/buses.

Posted: November 29, 2024
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Meet locals in Athens

Vicky

Vicky

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Hi my name is Vicky and I love to travel and meeting new people and learn about different cultures

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Emma

Emma

About Me

I'm dying to explore new countries and learn about cultures. My favorite is mountain climbing next to waterfalls and swimming in the sea at sunset :)) My goal is to see the northern lights up close🤪

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Stay with locals in Athens

Emma

Emma

Athens

Can host for:

6 days

About me

I'm dying to explore new countries and learn about cultures. My favorite is mountain climbing next to waterfalls and swimming in the sea at sunset :)) My goal is to see the northern lights up close🤪

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Vicky

Vicky

Athens

Can host for:

3 days

About me

Hi my name is Vicky and I love to travel and meeting new people and learn about different cultures

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Upcoming visitors to Athens

Ana

Ana

About Me

I'm Ana, a Portuguese lady living in Iceland for the past years. I'm on a travel journey as a digital nomad for 6 months. I'll be working remotely, so having access to good Internet on weekdays is important. Destinations in Europe: Sept to Dec Destinations outside Europe: Jan to Feb Looking forward to meeting like-minded women who love traveling, living life, building meaningful connections, create good memories 😊 if you wanna connect and plan something together somewhere send me a line 😁 All the best and safe travels!

Speaking

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Tiffany

Tiffany

About Me

I have lived in Oregon all of my life. I really enjoy the variety of activities this state has to offer. I also enjoy traveling to see new places and learn about their culture.

Speaking

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Safety in Greece