BestTime
Quick answer
We analysed 192 Athens bars and clubs. Saturday is the busiest night, peaking at 11 PM, and Thursday is the busiest weeknight. Monday is the quietest night.
- Sat
- the big night out, busiest around 11 PM
- Thursday
- liveliest weeknight
- 192
- bars and clubs compared
When Athens nightlife gets busy, night by night. BestTime forecasts.
Night by night
Busyness is shown as a % of the venue's own weekly peak (100%), and the peak hour shows when the average venue is closest to its own peak.
| Night | Average busyness (% of weekly peak, 6 PM to 4 AM) | Peak hour | Share of venues lively (70%+ of their peak) | Share of venues whose busiest night it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 20% | 8 PM and 9 PM (35%) | 14% | 3% |
| Tuesday | 25% | 8 PM to 10 PM (40%) | 18% | 3% |
| Wednesday | 25% | 8 PM to 10 PM (40%) | 14% | 3% |
| Thursday | 30% | 9 PM and 10 PM (45%) | 21% | 2% |
| Friday | 40% | 10 PM and 11 PM (65%) | 60% | 13% |
| Saturday | 50% | 11 PM (85%) | 88% | 72% |
| Sunday | 30% | 8 PM to 10 PM (45%) | 29% | 5% |
Saturday is the one big night. By 9 PM the average venue is at 70%, it reaches 85% at 11 PM, then falls to 65% at midnight and 45% at 1 AM on Saturday night. 88% of venues are lively, and 72% have Saturday as their busiest night of the week.
Friday builds the same way but tops out lower and earlier, at 10 PM and 11 PM (65%). By 1 AM on Friday night it is at 30%. Only 13% of venues have Friday as their busiest night.
Weeknights are short. Monday to Wednesday peak between 8 PM and 10 PM and fade quickly: on Tuesday the average venue is at 20% by midnight. Sunday starts early, at 35% already at 6 PM.
Neighborhoods
Monastiraki
Monastiraki has 17 venues in our set, among the rooftop bars and the Psyrri strip. Saturday is the busiest night, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are equally quiet. Friday and Saturday both peak at 10 PM. 94% of venues are lively on a Saturday and 88% have it as their busiest night.
360 Cocktail Bar, a rooftop bar with views of the Acropolis, has its busiest hour on Monday at 9 PM. Attic Urban Rooftop and The James Joyce Irish Pub both peak on Saturday at 10 PM.
The James Joyce Irish Pub:
Quietest: Monday 12 PM (5%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
TAF (The Art Foundation):
Quietest: Monday 10 AM (5%)Busiest: Saturday 9 PM (100%)
Syntagma
Syntagma's 31 venues sit in a dense cocktail-bar cluster around Kolokotroni Street. Saturday is the busiest night, and Monday and Wednesday are equally quiet. Friday peaks at 10 PM and 11 PM, Saturday at 11 PM. The area is strongly weekend-led: only 6% of venues are lively on a Thursday, against 90% on Saturday.
The Clumsies, known for its appearances on the World's 50 Best Bars list, peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Noel, a Christmas-themed bar on Kolokotroni Street, peaks on Saturday at 10 PM. Kuko's The Bar peaks on Saturday at 11 PM.
The Clumsies:
Quietest: Monday 1 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Noel:
Quietest: Wednesday 12 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
Gazi
Gazi has 10 venues, in the bar and club district around Technopolis. Saturday is the busiest night, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are equally quiet. Gazi runs late: from Wednesday to Saturday it peaks at 11 PM. Every venue is lively on a Saturday, and 90% on a Friday.
Bios, a cultural venue with a bar and club on Pireos Street, peaks on Saturday at 10 PM. Intrepid Fox peaks on Saturday at 11 PM and is at 75% at 11 PM on a Friday.
Bios:
Quietest: Monday 12 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
Intrepid Fox:
Quietest: Monday 12 AM (5%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Exarchia
Exarchia's 20 venues are in the city's alternative, student neighbourhood. Saturday is the busiest night and Monday the quietest. Friday and Saturday both peak at 11 PM. Friday matters here: 20% of venues have it as their busiest night, and 70% are lively on a Friday.
Red Lotus, Cafe-Bar Frau, Cusco Cafe and ROCKWOOD all peak on Saturday at 11 PM. Cusco Cafe is at 75% at 11 PM on a Friday.
Cusco Cafe:
Quietest: Monday 9 AM (5%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Koukaki
Koukaki has 8 venues, a local bar scene south of the Acropolis. Friday and Saturday are equally busy, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are equally quiet. Friday peaks at 10 PM, Saturday at 10 PM and 11 PM. Every venue is lively on a Friday, and 38% are lively on a Tuesday.
Bel Ray, a café-bar on Falirou Street, and Teras Athens both peak on Saturday at 10 PM. Strange Brew Taproom & Bottleshop, a craft beer taproom on the same street, also peaks on Saturday at 10 PM.
Strange Brew Taproom & Bottleshop:
Quietest: Sunday 12 AM (15%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
Chalandri
Chalandri, a northern suburb bar hub, has 9 venues. Saturday is the busiest night and Monday the quietest. Friday peaks at 10 PM and 11 PM, Saturday at 11 PM. Every venue is lively on a Saturday, but none on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
SIXTEEN BAR, Butterfly All Day Bar and The Local Pub all peak on Saturday at 10 PM. The Local Pub is at 90% at 11 PM on a Friday.
The Local Pub:
Quietest: Sunday 1 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 10 PM (100%)
Lively on a weeknight
These venues get closest to their own peak late on Monday to Thursday. The number is each venue's highest value between 9 PM and 2 AM on those four nights, averaged.
360 Cocktail Bar leads with 90%. Its busiest hour of the whole week is Monday at 9 PM.
Quietest: Wednesday 1 AM (15%)Busiest: Monday 9 PM (100%)
My Lollipop Lounge Bar reaches 85%. It peaks on Friday at 11 PM, when it is at 100%.
Quietest: Sunday 8 AM (15%)Busiest: Friday 11 PM (100%)
Beans & Hops reaches 80%, and its busiest hour is Wednesday at 9 PM. TEN DROPS reaches 75% and peaks on Tuesday at 10 PM. Aloustines Bar - Beers also reaches 75%, and Attic Urban Rooftop 70%.
Beans & Hops:
Quietest: Monday 1 AM (10%)Busiest: Wednesday 9 PM (100%)
TEN DROPS:
Quietest: Sunday 12 AM (15%)Busiest: Tuesday 10 PM (100%)
Busiest at 11 PM on a Friday
Five venues are at 100% at 11 PM on a Friday: Briki, Ipitou The Bar, Snatch, Addictiva Athens Bar and Galaxy Bar.
Briki peaks on Friday at 10 PM and is at 90% at 11 PM on Saturday.
Quietest: Tuesday 3 AM (5%)Busiest: Friday 10 PM (100%)
Ipitou The Bar is at 100% at 11 PM on both Friday and Saturday.
Quietest: Monday 5 PM (5%)Busiest: Friday 11 PM (100%)
Galaxy Bar peaks on Friday at 10 PM. Snatch and Addictiva Athens Bar peak on Friday at 11 PM.
Clubs
We analysed 6 venues listed as clubs. They peak at 11 PM on most nights, with the Thursday and Friday peak at 11 PM and 12 AM. Saturday averages 40%, with 83% of them lively. Friday averages 30%, with 50% lively. Tuesday and Wednesday are equally quiet, both averaging 15%. 67% have their busiest night on Saturday.
Dirty Blonde peaks on Saturday at 1 AM. It is at 95% at 11 PM on Saturday but 45% at the same hour on Friday.
Quietest: Monday 5 AM (10%)Busiest: Saturday 1 AM (100%)
Skyfall peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Sodade2 peaks on Saturday at 2 AM.
Skyfall:
Quietest: Wednesday 2 AM (5%)Busiest: Saturday 11 PM (100%)
Tips
- Do not wait for midnight. On Saturday the average venue is already at 70% at 9 PM and past its peak by 12 AM.
- For an earlier Saturday, arrive at 8 PM, when the average venue is at 50%.
- On a weeknight, go early. Monday to Wednesday fade to 20% or less by midnight.
- For a late night, start in Monastiraki, which peaks at 10 PM on Saturday, and end in Gazi or Exarchia, which peak at 11 PM.
- In Koukaki, Friday works as well as Saturday: every venue there is lively on a Friday.
- For Dirty Blonde, go after midnight on Saturday. It peaks at 1 AM on Saturday night.
How we measured
These numbers are BestTime forecasts, built from anonymized, aggregated phone location data combined with real-world signals such as weather, events and holidays. Busyness is a percentage of each venue's own busiest hour of the week (100%), not a head count or a capacity figure. Nights run from 6 AM to 5 AM, so 1 AM on Saturday morning counts as Friday night. The forecasts describe a typical week and do not cover seasons, holidays, special events or door queues. Read more about how the forecasts work.
Next steps
- Find busy bars tonight in the free Athens bar guide.
- Check when clubs fill up in the free Athens nightclub guide.
- Learn how to see if a bar or club is busy before you go.
- Planning a day of sightseeing too? Read the Best Time to Visit the Acropolis (2026): Least Busy Days & Hours.
- Browse all busy times guides.
Questions
What day to go out in Athens?
Saturday. It averages 50% of each venue's own weekly peak, peaks at 11 PM (85%), and 72% of venues have it as their busiest night. Thursday is the busiest weeknight.
What time do bars get busy in Athens?
On Saturday the average venue peaks at 11 PM (85%). On Friday the peak is at 10 PM and 11 PM (65%). From Monday to Thursday and on Sunday it peaks between 8 PM and 10 PM.
What is the best weeknight to go out in Athens?
Thursday. It averages 30%, peaks at 9 PM and 10 PM (45%), and 21% of venues are lively.
When do clubs get busy in Athens?
Venues listed as clubs peak at 11 PM on Saturday, when 83% of them are lively. On Friday they peak at 11 PM and 12 AM, with 50% lively.
Is Athens nightlife busy on a Tuesday?
Not very. Tuesday averages 25% and peaks from 8 PM to 10 PM at 40%. Only 18% of venues are lively, and 3% have Tuesday as their busiest night.
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