Athens goes late all year and the islands take over from June to September. Clubs do not fill before one.
Where to go out
Greek nightlife starts late and runs to dawn. People eat at about 22:00, move to bars after 23:00, and clubs open at midnight but do not fill before 01:00. The peak is 02:00 to 05:00, and weekend clubs stay open until 06:00 or later. It is long and unhurried, built around tables, ouzo or cocktails and a late dinner rather than quick rounds.
Greece is two seasons. From mid-October to mid-May the nightlife is in Athens: Gazi for big clubs, Psyrri and Monastiraki for bars, Koukaki for cocktails. From late May to September the big clubs move to the Athens Riviera and the party shifts to the islands. Mykonos is the expensive one, Ios the cheaper and younger one, Santorini is about sunsets and caldera bars, and Malia and Hersonissos carry Crete's club scene.
Visitors get the prices and the venue wrong. A beer is about €8 in Mykonos town and €4–7 in an Athens bar, and cover charges widen the gap. The other trap is bouzoukia: the big live-music halls on Syngrou Avenue sell tables by the bottle, not a cover charge, so a walk-in can face a bill in the hundreds. Ask the price before you sit down.
Nothing starts before one, and locals rarely get home before four.
From June to September the party moves to Mykonos, Ios, Santorini and Crete.
Athens is cheap to move around in: a 90-minute transport ticket costs €1.20 and a souvlaki pita about €3–4.
Rebetiko and bouzouki in Psyrri, and bouzoukia halls for Greek pop at a booked table.
Gazi and Monastiraki clubs, and Reworks in Thessaloniki every September.
Shared tables and bottles suit groups, and venues recommend reservations for four or more.
Not for you if you want a cheap island party. Mykonos charges well above Athens prices, and beach-club sunbeds run from tens of euros to well over €100.
Greece's largest carnival, running from 17 January to Clean Monday. The final weekend brings parades and the burning of the carnival king. About 200 km west of Athens, roughly two and a half hours by road.
The date differs from Western Easter: 12 April in 2026, 2 May in 2027. Midnight on Holy Saturday brings candles, church bells and fireworks, followed by long meals.
A march and events in the centre of Athens every June, held since 2005.
Music, theatre, dance and opera at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus below the Acropolis and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, about two hours from Athens by road.
The 15 August holiday brings village festivals with live music, dancing and food, often past midnight. Tinos is the main pilgrimage island, and ferries and rooms fill.
Five days of electronic music, 16 to 20 September in 2026. Thessaloniki is about 50 minutes from Athens by air.
Friday: Psyrri and Monastiraki bars, then Gazi clubs after 01:00. Saturday: Koukaki cocktails and a late dinner. The Athens nightlife guide covers doors and the weekend metro.
Two nights in Athens, then a summer night at an open-air club in Alimos, Glyfada or Varkiza. Go between late May and September.
Two nights in Athens, then about 25 minutes by air or a ferry to Mykonos. Book big clubs and beach tables weeks ahead in July and August.
Three nights in Rome, then about two and a half hours by air to Athens, where nights start later still. See the Italy nightlife guide.
Two nights in Athens, then ferries from Piraeus to Ios for two nights and Santorini for one, finishing with two nights on Crete at Malia or Chania. June to September only.
Live rebetiko and bouzouki in small bars, with meze and souvlaki open late. Drinks run about €6–10 and most places have no cover.
From late May, open-air clubs in Alimos, Glyfada and Varkiza replace the Gazi clubs. Entry is about €12–30, and a taxi back from the farther clubs can cost €25–40.
Large halls with live Greek pop and bouzouki orchestras, roughly 00:30 to 05:00. Tables are sold by the bottle, so agree the price first.
Cocktails with Acropolis views for about €12–16, with some bars open to 03:00.
Bars on the water in Mykonos town, crowded in July and August. Book sunset seats at least 48 hours ahead.
Old port warehouses turned into clubs and bouzoukia venues, with the Valaoritou bars nearby and a student crowd around Kamara.
Grilled pork in pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, about €3–4. Stands in Psyrri and around Monastiraki serve late, and many are cash only.
Meat shaved from a vertical spit into pita with fries. The other late standby, and cash is safest.
Fried dough balls with honey and cinnamon, sold at dessert shops into the evening.
A custard or cheese pastry, Thessaloniki's breakfast after a night out, from bakeries that open early.
A sesame bread ring from street carts and bakeries from early morning, the cheapest dawn snack.
Gazi, Psyrri and Monastiraki are casual. Kolonaki, Syntagma lounges and Riviera clubs expect smart casual, and shorts or flip-flops may be refused where entry is above about €15.
Beach clubs and big clubs run minimum spends and deposits in July and August. Book weeks ahead for the best tables.
Tables are sold by the bottle, usually for four guests, at prices in the low hundreds of euros. Ask the price before you sit down.
Tipping is a courtesy. Round up in bars and leave a few euros for table service.
Cards work in most bars and clubs, but many late-night food spots and kiosks are cash only.
Touts on Adrianou Street in Plaka push free shots to passers-by. Say no and keep walking.
Illegal drugs, cannabis included, carry severe penalties: the UK government warns of long jail sentences and heavy fines. Police also arrest people for rowdy or indecent behaviour, especially when heavy drinking is involved.
| Club entry, Athens (Gazi, Monastiraki) | €10–20 (big Gazi rooms and Riviera clubs up to about €30) |
| Club entry, big Mykonos clubs | about €35–75 |
| Beer in a bar | Athens about €4–7, Mykonos town about €8 |
| Cocktail | Athens €10–14, Mykonos about €14–20 |
| Transport ticket, 90 minutes | €1.20 |
| Taxi across central Athens after 01:00 | about €8–14 |
| Souvlaki pita | about €3–4 |
Psyrri bars with no cover, three beers or an ouzo, a souvlaki pita and the metro.
Cocktails in Koukaki or Monastiraki, a Gazi club entry, a souvlaki and a taxi.
A Riviera club with bottle service or a bouzoukia table. On Mykonos a big night starts around €150 once cover, drinks and a transfer are counted.
Athens metro lines 2 and 3 run until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, and the metro closes around midnight on other nights. The tram to the Riviera runs until about 01:00. After that, use metered taxis or FreeNow and Uber, which dispatch licensed taxis. A cross-city ride after 01:00 costs about €8–14. On Mykonos taxis are scarce and waits can be long, so use the Fabrika night bus where you can.
The legal drinking age is 18, and bars and nightclubs may not admit or serve anyone under 18. Carry ID or your passport; police may not accept a copy.
Cards work in most bars and clubs. Many late-night food spots and kiosks are cash only.
Bars and most Gazi clubs sell at the door. Mykonos and Riviera clubs, and festivals such as Reworks, sell online, and tables are booked directly with the venue.
Drinking in squares and from kiosks is common in Athens, but police arrest people for rowdy behaviour. Beach bars on the islands serve on the sand.
Athens is generally safe. Exarchia is fine on main streets, but avoid protest nights around 17 November and 6 December. Watch drinks, because spiking happens.
Banned indoors, including nightclubs and sheltered terraces open on fewer than two sides. Fines apply to smokers and venues, but enforcement varies.
English is widely spoken in nightlife areas. Yamas is cheers, and efharisto means thank you.
Yes, with the right season. Athens works all year and the islands run from June to September. Greece nightlife starts late, and clubs fill after 01:00.
Weekend clubs usually stay open until 06:00 or 07:00. Bars close between 02:00 and 04:00, and bouzoukia halls run to about 05:00.
About €30 for a cheap night in Athens, €65 for a normal one with a club, and €150 or more on Mykonos. A beer is about €4–7 in Athens and about €8 in Mykonos town.
18. Bars and nightclubs may not admit or serve anyone under 18.
Athens for year-round nights, Thessaloniki for a student scene, and Mykonos or Ios for summer parties. Mykonos is the expensive one.
From June to September, with July and August the peak. June and September are cheaper and easier to book.
