Our Gay Athens Guide

Athens is an ideal travel destination for the LGBT+ community, with a vibrant nightlife and welcoming environment. Our Gay Athens guide covers everything from bars and clubs to drag shows and saunas. Despite Greece’s conservative stance towards the LGBT+ community, Athens has seen significant growth in its LGBTQI+ scene in recent years. Furthermore, don’t miss out on the gay saunas in Athens, which cater to various age groups.

©Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty Images

Getting to Athens

Athens International Airport is 17 miles (27 km) from the city center. You can take the Athens metro (Line 3—Blue Line) every 30 minutes from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm for €5-10. Alternatively, the X95 bus runs every 15 minutes to Syntagma Square for €6. Taxis to the city cost €40-60. Piraeus port connects Athens to the Aegean Sea islands.

Getting around Athens

Athens has many famous sights in or near the central areas of Plaka, Monastiraki, and Psiri, which are within walking distance of each other.

The Metro is a safe and inexpensive way to get around Athens. A single ticket costs €1.40, and a day pass for both Metro and buses costs €4.50. The Red Line (Line 2) runs from Anthoupoli to Aghios Dimitrios. In contrast, the Blue Line (Line 3) runs from Egaleo to the northeastern suburbs and airport.

The leading bus network, run by Ethel (Greek = ΕΘΕΛ), has 300 routes spanning the city. There is also an electric bus network with 48 tram stations.

Taxis in Athens are great value for money, but they can be challenging to hail during rush hour.

For more information, please read our related article about transportation in Athens.

©visitgreece.com

Things to do in Athens

Athens has a rich history and is home to numerous temples, monuments, and sites steeped in legend. Some of the best activities to do while visiting Athens include:

Exploring the Parthenon and the Erechtheion
Digging deeper into history at the Acropolis Museum
Visiting the site of the first modern Olympic Games at the Panathenaic Stadium
Watching the changing of the guards at the Greek Parliament
Wandering the ancient streets of Plaka
Shopping in the markets of Monastiraki
Touring the Temple of Zeus and Arch of Hadrian

Note: We recommend reading our related article if you’d like to learn more about the city’s top attractions.

When to visit

Athens has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine. Summers are hot, with an average temperature of 22-32°C, and occasionally reach 40°C. Winter temperatures range from 7-15°C, with some rain and occasional snow. May and June have milder temperatures and are the best months to visit. But August can be unbearably hot, and it has fewer tourists.

Where to stay in Athens

Athens, the capital of Greece, is not the most gay-friendly place compared to the islands of Mykonos or Lesbos. However, it has become the center of gay life throughout the year. The city now has a high concentration of gay bars, primarily situated in the gay district located in the bustling nightlife of Gazi, along with the Monastiraki area. To book the best rooms, hotels, and more, visit Booking.com or Misterb&b. Athens also hosts an annual gay pride event in June, which is growing in popularity yearly.

We’ve partnered with misterb&b, a booking platform for LGBT+-friendly homestays. They have hosts in over 200 countries with 1 million listings. Home-sharing is a great way to explore the local gay scene with the help of a local. Mister B&B is our top choice for this.

The Gay Scene in Athens

Although homosexuality has been a crucial part of Greek culture, Greeks tend to be secretive about their sexuality, possibly because of modern Orthodoxy. Consequently, the gay scene in Athens is mainly hidden, with some gay bars situated in poorly lit alleys and others with gates that require screening for entry. In Greece, homosexuality is entirely legal, and Athens is more accepting of it than other parts of the country. However, attitudes towards homosexuality are not always as progressive as in other parts of Europe. Despite being hidden, the gay Athens is thriving. You may need to search for it, but our gay travel guide can help.

Gazi district in Gay Athens is where you will find the most Gay restaurants, bars, and clubs.

©athensguide.com/gazi/

LGBT+ Hotspots in Athens

Athens’ Gazi neighborhood has a lively LGBT+ clubbing scene with options like underground trance clubs, bear bars, saunas, and drag shows. During summer, the nearby coves of Limanakia are popular with nudists and gay men. The streets around Kerameikos metro station in Gazi are bustling with activity every weekend, offering clubbing and dining options. Platia Agias Irinis and Protogynous Street are also popular spots for the queer community.

©Soundclub Mag

Bars and Restaurants in the Gay Athens

Greeks tend to go out late in Athens, so the real partying and drinking begins after midnight. While waiting for the clubs to open and the crowds to gather, there are several places where you can pre-game before the night ahead. Rooster is a gay-friendly café open all day and has tables on the bustling Agias Irinis square. Alternatively, you can enjoy a meal and drinks at Myrovolos, a laid-back bar and restaurant in Metaxourgio that is particularly popular with women. During the summer, tables are placed outside the square, providing a delightful urban setting for an evening out. The mixed grill is a favorite dish to share with friends. Beaver is a cozy café and bar in Gazi managed by a women’s collective. The space has a casual, DIY feel and attracts an alternative crowd. It can get quite loud after hours.

©gaytravel4u

LGBT+ Nightclubs in Athens

Athens has a diverse clubbing scene. At midnight, head to the Athens clubs. Sodade2 is the staple gay club with two stages playing pop and trance music. BEqueer is an alternative club with daring drag shows. Shamone is another famous club with drag shows and comedy. The crowd is mature at Shamone, and there’s an outdoor lounge in summer.

The S-Cape is a good option for mainstream music, while Noiz has a diverse DJ roster, and Enodia Bar plays Greek music. Gazi is the place for LGBT+ clubs, such as Big Bar, Koukles, and Knuckle. Bizzar Club is a newcomer that plays Greek pop with an oriental twist. Cantina Social in Psirri is a hidden gem that is gay-friendly.

©Instagram/alexander_sauna

Saunas in Gay Athens

Athens has two gay saunas and a traditional hammam. Alexander Sauna is situated in the gay club area of Gazi. It is a four-story cruising playground with plenty of public places, private cabins, and a large darkroom. Flex Sauna, located in Monastiraki, has more of a gym-jock vibe, spans four stories of playrooms, and has a rooftop lounge. Ira Baths is a discreet cruising spot initially established as a Turkish hammam. It’s open only during the daytime, and the crowd is primarily men over 30.

©graymalin.com

Gay beaches

If you drive 30 minutes from the center of Athens, you’ll reach Limanakia, which is one of the most well-known gay beaches in Greece. During the warm summer months, this nudist sanctuary attracts a lot of locals and tourists with its rugged shoreline and crystal-clear waters. Additionally, there are many LGBTQ+-friendly establishments in the vicinity where you can grab food and drinks.

LGBTQI+ Points of Interest in Athens

Athens offers several other fascinating LGBTQI+ points of interest beyond cocktail bars, cafes, and nightclubs. The Athens Museum of Queer Arts is a hybrid institution that examines and promotes sexuality and gender through research and arts. It hosts various events and has a rich archive of artwork, zines, interviews, films, and photographs of Greek LGBTQI+ movements.

The Onassis Cultural Center Athens is another famous cultural foundation in Athens. It hosts artistic events of all genres, including performances, shows, concerts, and exhibitions, that aim to spark bold discussions that shape and shake society.

The Gay Tours of Athens

Are you looking for a tour that covers all popular LGBTQ+ destinations in Athens? Check out Alternative Athens’ Gay and Lesbian Athens Nightlife Tour. Gaily Tours and Excursions also offer LGBTQ+-friendly tours of Athens’ cultural and historical monuments. Choose from a historical tour, an outing around Gazi, or a city exploration at night. Furthermore, you can also check out local gay guides like Stavros, who will organize your personalized gay Athens tour.

LGBTQI+ Festivals in Athens

Few regular LGBTQI+ festivals occur in Athens, but the ones that do are worth attending. The LGBTQI+ scene in Athens is growing fast, and we expect more festivals to come. Here are our top picks for LGBTQI+ festivals in Athens.

Athens Pride

Athens Pride is a week-long LGBTQI+ event held in June. It includes exhibitions, concerts, workshops, discussions, and a colorful parade at Syntagma Square. The festival attracts thousands of people to celebrate diversity around the Hellenic Parliament. For more information, visit the official website.

The Queer Archive Festival

The Queer Archive Festival by the Onassis Foundation celebrates diversity and supports inclusivity with actions. It features multimedia experiences, film screenings, block parties, art exhibitions, dance performances, and theatrical plays. Discover the events, venues, and dates on their website.

Safety Considerations for gay visitors to Athens

Greece has made progress in becoming more LGBTQ+ friendly. Civil unions for same-sex couples were legalized in 2015, and anti-discrimination laws were introduced in 2005. However, small towns and villages may still be conservative towards LGBTQ+ travelers.

Note that Greece’s economic crisis may affect travel plans, so checking your travel insurance before making arrangements is essential.