This guide was originally published in 2023 and last updated in March 2026.
I’ve been visiting Open House Athens events since 2017. I have a loose way of organizing which places I want to visit and in which order. My goal is to see as many buildings as possible in one day, with the least amount of queueing. The inspiration for putting my strategy in writing was a lady I met at last year’s Open House Athens. She was behind me in the queue for the Italian Embassy and holding the Open House map. The map had many notes on it and even information on which buses to take. I found it interesting because that’s the level of organizing I do too. Mentally.
What Is Open House Athens?
Open House Athens is part of the wider Open House Worldwide initiative, which promotes architecture and urban design by opening significant buildings to the public for a limited time.
The concept began in London in 1992 and has since spread to dozens of cities around the world. During these events, visitors have the rare opportunity to explore buildings that are usually closed to the public, including private residences, offices, embassies, museums, and historic landmarks.
Open House Athens has been held annually since 2014 and has quickly become one of the city’s most popular cultural events, attracting thousands of visitors each year who are eager to discover Athens through its architecture.
Start Planning your visit to Open House Athens
First things first. Start with a map. A few days before the event, the official Open House map with all participating buildings becomes available. In the past I mostly kept a mental list of the places I wanted to visit, but recently I started creating my own Google Map with the buildings that interest me the most.Open House Athens also provides a map on their website. Creating my own map allous me to narrow down the buildings that interest me and see how far they are from each other. This brings us to our next planning step.
Plan Your Route and Visiting Hours
Once you have your map, the next step is to add the visiting hours for each building. This helps you determine the order you’re going to visit those places. I have preferences of course, but I try to choose buildings that don’t share the same viewing hours. I want to get to each building early to be in the first group.I focus on buildings that are close to each other. This minimizes travel time and increases my chances of seeing more places during the day.
Decide How You’ll Move Around the City
Transportation is another important part of planning your Open House Athens route. Personally, I usually move around on foot or by metro. On rare occasions, I might use a bus. But the buildings I choose to visit are in downtown Athens. If you plan to use buses, the OASA Telematics app is very helpful. Some bus stops have screens with arrival times, but many don’t, so the app can save you time while navigating the city.
Arrive Early for Popular Buildings
Some Open House Athens locations attract large crowds, especially buildings that are rarely open to the public. If you want to visit one of those popular spots, it’s best to arrive 20–30 minutes before opening time. That’s what I did last year when I visited the Italian Embassy. That’s exactly what I did last year when I visited the Italian Embassy. Even though I arrived about 20 minutes early on the second day of the event, there were already around fifteen people waiting in line.
Choose a Theme or Area
To make the most of your day, it helps to focus on either:
a specific type of building, or
buildings located in the same neighborhood.
For example, I often visit hotels, since they provide great material for my blog about hotels in Athens. I also try to prioritize places that are usually difficult to access.
My Strategy for Visiting More Buildings in One Day
After several years of attending Open House Athens, I’ve developed a simple approach that helps me see more buildings while avoiding long queues:
- Start with a map and shortlist your favorite buildings
- Prioritize places that are close to each other
- Check visiting hours carefully
- Arrive 20–30 minutes before opening for popular buildings
- Use the metro or walk whenever possible
This strategy usually allows me to visit four to five buildings in one day. If you plan to visit Open House Athens with kids, then do check out my tips!
Buildings I’ve Visited During Open House Athens
One of the reasons I keep returning to Open House Athens is the variety of buildings that participate each year. The selection changes annually, so every edition offers new places to discover.
Over the years, I’ve explored a mix of historic buildings, hotels, embassies, and cultural institutions across Athens. Some of the most memorable visits include the Italian Embassy, the Onassis Library, and Hotel Grande Bretagne. I’ve written more about several of these buildings in a separate post featuring historic buildings in Athens I visited during Open House, where you can see photos and learn more about their history.
To keep track of the locations I want to visit this year (2026) — I’ve also created a Google map with Open House buildings around Athens.
Let me know in the comments, which buildings are you visiting this year?
