Athens is a city of shopping, as much as it is a city of beautiful antiquities and intense nightlife. Plenty of shops, especially downtown, will cater to all tastes and budgets. It is a city ideal both for window and real shopping. Discounts and special offers across shops of every type are quite common. From fashion stores to hair salons, there's something here for everyone. Be sure to check our full listing of shops here.
Sales The official sales periods are mid-January to mid-February and mid-July until the end of August.
Credit cards Use of credit cards in Greece is common and they will be accepted in most shops downtown. However, smaller shops, such as periptera (kiosks) or souvlatzidika (small establishments which serve the local delicacy of souvlaki) will only accept cash.
Where to shop Downtown is the place to be, whether you are looking for brand names or small vintage shops and second-hand stores. Plaka, the foremost tourist area, is the standard place to buy memorabilia. Nearby, Monastiraki is home to a famous Athenian flea market. Visitors will lose themselves in a huge variety of shops that appeal to aficionados of records, jewellery, clothes, shoes and all things vintage. This is an area in which bargaining is tolerated by the playful and friendly shop owners. Between Monastiraki sq. and Omonia sq, one comes across the Athens’ Central Market, a good place to buy some local herbs. Ermou str. is by far the most celebrated shopping street: a pedestrian street with large windows, and a great variety of goodies, from clothes and jewellery to shoes and gifts. But when it comes to expensive brand shopping, Kolonaki is the perfect place to be. Luxury clothing, very high prices and impeccably dressed customers are the norm here.
Opening Hours Except for the tourist hotspots, like Plaka, most shops are closed on Sun and National Holidays, with the exception of flower shops, patisseries, liquor stores and the like. Official business opening hours are 09:00-21:00 on weekdays (09:00-20:00 on Sat). However, many smaller businesses keep the older working hours (closed after 15:00 on Mon, Wed, Sat and between 14:30 and 17:30 on Tue, Thu, Fri).
