Athens in March: mild days, carnival kites and a hosted city break

Athens in March is walking weather. Afternoons average about 16°C, the crowds are thinner than in summer, and poppies flower around the ancient monuments. That is when Spice Escapes runs Ancient Athens, a hosted small-group break for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, most of whom book on their own. It starts with dinner together.

Most years March also brings the end of carnival and Clean Monday, when many Athenians fly kites on the hill opposite the Acropolis. Here are the averages and what to pack, the quieter sights, the festivals, and the hosted days, where every guided outing is optional.

Afternoons around 16°C, and a jacket after dark

Long-term averages from Greece's national weather service, published by the World Meteorological Organization, give March a daytime high of about 16°C, a night-time low of about 7°C and about ten days with some rain. They are a guide to packing, never a promise.

By July the average high is about 33°C, roughly double, and Spice's own notes call July and August extremely popular despite the heat. In March you can walk all day without wilting.

The holiday's packing list follows from that:

• a sweater or light jacket for evenings and cool mornings
• comfortable shoes to walk in
• a mac or umbrella, just in case

Fewer people at the famous sights, and poppies between the stones

This is Athens, the city's official guide, says many consider spring the best time to visit: fewer crowds at the world-famous attractions, and poppies and daisies around the monuments from early March.

One of its March suggestions is a stroll along Dionysiou Areopagitou, the pedestrian avenue joining the Temple of Olympian Zeus to the Acropolis. The hotel on Ancient Athens, the Acropolis Select or similar, is a short walk from the Acropolis pedestrian walkway and about five minutes on foot from the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and Plaka.

Carnival, Clean Monday kites and Independence Day

Greek carnival, apokries, runs for about three weeks before Lent and peaks on its last weekend, the guide says, with a parade of costumes in Keramikos by day and Plaka full of confetti by night.

Lent opens with Clean Monday, a public holiday when many Athenians take kites and a meat-free picnic up Philopappou Hill: salads, dips, octopus, calamari and lagana, a sesame-crusted flatbread. It moves with Orthodox Easter and mostly falls in March. Carnival's liveliest weekend comes just before it, so compare both with the dates on the holiday page.

Greek Independence Day comes late in the month, with marching bands, flag-waving crowds and a traditional plate of bakaliaro-skordalia, battered salt cod with garlic sauce.

Ancient Athens: dinner with the group first, then the city your way

Ancient Athens is 4 nights, 10 Mar 2027 – 14 Mar 2027, from £579, with Jackie Whyte as host. There is a transfer from the airport to the hotel, and that evening the group walks to a local restaurant to get to know each other. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty.

Next day you can explore independently or join the optional tour with a licensed guide: the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and its museum, Syntagma Square, the Parliament and the National Gardens. Later the itinerary offers an optional food tour and an optional afternoon trip to the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, with the chance of a sunset. The last full day is yours.

Every Spice holiday carries a single supplement or a cost for a room to yourself, and the single supplement guide explains it. New to group travel? Start with our notes for first-time solo travellers. If that week suits you, see the dates and book online on the Ancient Athens page.

Seville or Lisbon, if that week will not work

Surprising Seville is the Spanish choice for early spring: 4 nights, 4 Mar 2027 – 8 Mar 2027, from £549, hosted by Jackie Whyte. A 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket is included, and the hotel is minutes from the cathedral.

A Taste of Lisbon comes later in the spring: 3 nights, 15 Apr 2027 – 18 Apr 2027, from £639, hosted by Pam Harte. The suggested days are Alfama and Tram 28, then Belém and pastéis de nata, with the evenings your own.

See more hosted city breaks, everything in Greece, our guide to short breaks for solo travellers over 50, or every over-50s solo holiday.

Questions people ask

Is March a good time to visit Athens?

Yes, if you want to see the city on foot in comfort rather than lie on a beach. Average highs sit around 16°C, and the official city guide reports fewer crowds in spring.

How much does it rain in Athens in March?

The long-term average is about ten days with some rain across the month. Pack a mac or umbrella, and treat that as a guide rather than a forecast.

What is Clean Monday, and will I see it?

It is the first day of Greek Lent, a public holiday of meat-free picnics and kites, many flown on Philopappou Hill. It moves with Orthodox Easter, so whether you catch it depends on the year.

Will everyone else already know each other?

Most people on Spice holidays book on their own. The first evening is dinner together at a local restaurant, so the group has met before the sightseeing starts.

Athens before the heat: book online, or ask first

If a few mild days among the ancient sites, with company from the first evening, sound right, see the dates and book online on the Ancient Athens page, which has live prices and a Book button. Availability right now: 16 places left.

Jackie Whyte hosts the holiday. For questions before booking, about the pace, the room or the optional trips, ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page, or send one for Jackie through our contact page.