Passport to Adventure: Explore Athens with Miranda

Hi, my name is Miranda and I am a 28 year old traveler from Southern California.

Hi Miranda, please share about your YouTube channel and how it all started...
It all started back in 2019. I was going on an extended backpacking trip and wanted a way to document my travels. I enjoy watching travel vlogs, so I decided to document my trip on Youtube. I fell in love with travel vlogging though, so I didn’t stop after that trip. I continue to make travel vlogs any time I travel.

Miranda, what are the most exciting places you‘ve visited?
Every place I visit is exciting to me, but there are some places that stand out. Oftentimes this is because the destination was full of epic adventures, and therefore felt very exciting. One of these destinations for me is Myanmar. I’ll never forget riding scooters through ancient cities, visiting floating villages, or the magic of the Shwedagon Pagoda at blue hour.

Please tell us about your favorite trip!
My favorite trip has to be the backpacking trip I took back in 2019 that started my Youtube channel. I spent a few months traveling and got to see so many different places. I started in Europe and ended in Southeast Asia. I visited over ten countries during this time, so I got to experience so much! I crossed off bucket list experiences on this trip such as Oktoberfest in Munich Germany, and the Lantern Festival (Yi Peng and Loy Krathong) in Thailand. It was a fun and eye opening trip.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN ATHENS

Athens is an amazing city full of so much history. There is so much to do and so many sites to see. We included a mix of historic sites, modern locations, and great food into our itinerary. We had such a great time exploring Athens, which is why I recommend many of these locations for first time visitors.

01. The Acropolis. This is probably the most famous site in Athens, and one you don’t want to miss! We downloaded the Rick Steves podcast and gave ourselves a DIY tour of The Acropolis. We enjoyed learning about the history behind everything we were looking at. I recommend this because it is a free alternative to paying for a tour.

02. The Ancient Agora: This was the center of Ancient Athens. It had a market, a meeting hall, and so much more. This was another favorite location of ours, and another one not to be missed. Once again we downloaded the Rick Steves podcast which really enhanced the experience. Without it, we wouldn’t have appreciated the Agora nearly as much.

03. Hadrien’s Library: Athen’s biggest library.
04. Kosta Souvlaki: Our favorite souvlaki!
05. Panathenaic Stadium: The first Olympic Stadium!
06. The Temple of Zues: This is one of the ancient wonders of the world!
07. Anafiotika neighborhood: A neighborhood in Athens.
08. Pittaki Street: A fun and quirky street in Athens.
09. Ice Cream: We stopped for ice cream, and you may want to as well if you are there in the summer because Greece can get very hot.
10. A is for Athens Rooftop Bar: This bar has incredible views over Athens! You get to see the main square and The Acropolis. I honestly think this may be the best view in Athens. They have interesting drinks too. Jan got a drink with edible sunscreen!

Athens Street Food Tour

Greece has one of the best cuisines in the world in my opinion. There are so many different dishes to try, and everything we ate was delicious. Souvlaki is a must try when you are there. We tried a lot of different souvlaki, but the best was from a small shop called Kosta Souvlaki in Athens. Other dishes I loved included moussaka, saganaki, pasticcio, and Greek salad. Greece has great desserts as well. My favorite was a dish called loukoumades. Some compare this dish to an American donuthole, but the loukoumades are covered with honey and other decadent toppings.

I made a video about street food in Athens if you would like to see more – GREEK FOOD: Athens Street Food Tour.

Miranda, what could we see in the near future on your YouTube channel?
My next destination will be Fiji! I am so excited to visit Fiji, it looks like paradise!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article. I truly believe travel helps break down barriers, and connects people from different walks of life.

Quick links | Miranda Mullens Let yourself be inspired for new adventures! Follow Miranda on the social media! Instagram: passportoadventure_ | YouTube: @passportoadventure