Acropolis of Athens
Athens, Greece
Ακρόπολη Αθηνών
The Parthenon's hilltop sanctuary, with the Acropolis Museum at its foot.
Checked 6 October 2026
The rock above Athens holds the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its Caryatids, the Propylaia gateway and the little temple of Athena Nike, all built in the second half of the 5th century BC. Every ticket is for a one-hour entry slot and costs €30 at the government's Hellenic Heritage store (tickets.hh.gr); entry has been capped by the hour since 2023, so summer morning slots go first. From 1 November 2026 the site closes at 17:00, and on very hot summer days it can close from noon to 17:00.
About Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis is a limestone outcrop about 156 metres above sea level, steep on every side except the west. People lived on it from the Neolithic period. It was a Mycenaean citadel by the 13th century BC, and from the 8th century BC it was the sanctuary of Athena Polias, the city's patron goddess.
In 480 BC the Persians sacked the hill and burned its temples. A generation later Pericles began the building programme that gave us almost everything you see today: the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon was designed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, with sculpture overseen by Pheidias, and it once held a colossal gold-and-ivory statue of Athena.
The next 2,000 years were hard on the hill. The temples became churches and then a mosque, the Propylaia became a palace and later an Ottoman garrison, and in 1687 a Venetian shell set off gunpowder stored in the Parthenon and blew out its middle. In 1801–1802 Lord Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculpture, which is now in the British Museum in London. Restoration has been going on continuously since 1975, so you will see cranes and scaffolding.
To make sense of what you see, the Acropolis Museum at the foot of the hill is the essential second half of the visit. Its top-floor Parthenon Gallery hangs the surviving frieze and metopes at their real arrangement, with plaster casts filling the gaps where the London pieces belong, and the original Caryatids stand on the first floor.
What to see
The Parthenon
The Doric temple of Athena Parthenos, finished in 432 BC. Walk to a corner and sight along the steps and columns: nothing is quite straight, a deliberate correction so the building does not look like it sags. You cannot go inside; the interior has been roped off for decades.
Erechtheion and the Porch of the Maidens
The oddly shaped Ionic temple on the north side, built around older shrines. The six Caryatids holding up its south porch are copies; five originals are in the Acropolis Museum and the sixth is in London. An olive tree beside it marks the spot of Athena's mythical gift to the city.
Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike
The monumental gateway you climb through from the main entrance, with the small Ionic Nike temple perched on its bastion to the right. This is the main bottleneck of the visit: at peak times the marble steps here are shoulder to shoulder.
Views from the north and east edges
The plateau edge looks over Plaka, the Ancient Agora, Lycabettus Hill and on clear days the sea at Piraeus. The east end, behind the Parthenon, is usually the least crowded spot on the hill.
Theatre of Dionysus and the South Slope
Included in the same ticket. The stone theatre where the plays of the great Athenian dramatists were first staged, plus the Asklepieion sanctuary along the path. Enter from the south gate, or walk down after the top; you cannot re-enter the hill once you leave.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The Roman-era theatre on the south-west slope, still used for summer concerts. You see it from above on your way up from the main entrance; it is only open to the public during performances.
Acropolis Museum: Parthenon Gallery
Separate €20 ticket. The glass top floor is aligned with the Parthenon, which you can see through the windows, and displays the frieze around a full-size core. Photography is allowed except in the Archaic Gallery, where the sculptures still carry traces of paint.
Acropolis of Athens tickets: which to buy and where
Most visitors should buy the €30 timed ticket from tickets.hh.gr, the Ministry of Culture's own store. It covers the hill and both slopes and includes the official digital guide app. The rule that catches people out: you must arrive within your hour slot, and once you leave either the hill or the South Slope you cannot get back in on the same ticket.
The official ticket site
Hellenic Heritage (Ministry of Culture and Sports / ODAP)
The only official online seller for the Acropolis site. It is run by the Hellenic Organization of Cultural Resources Development (ODAP) and is linked from the ministry's Odysseus site page. The older address hhticket.gr belongs to the same system. The page footer names ODAP, Eleftheriou Venizelou 57, Athens, and the adult price shows as €30.00.
Acropolis and Slopes, timed entry
€30 adult; €15 reduced; free for eligible visitors (a €0 ticket is still needed)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- One entry in your chosen hour to the hill (Parthenon, Erechtheion, Propylaia, Nike temple) and the North and South Slopes, plus the official digital guide app. Single entry: no re-entry after leaving
- Best for
- Almost everyone. It skips the ticket-office queue, but everyone still queues at the turnstiles at the start of each hour
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Acropolis Museum general admission
€20 adult; €10 reduced (desk only); free for EU citizens under 25
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- All galleries plus the excavation under the building. Booked for a date and time online. Reduced and free tickets are issued only at the museum desk, on showing ID
- Best for
- Everyone combining the hill with the museum; the online ticket skips the desk queue but not the bag scan
Acropolis Museum (official) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Acropolis and Parthenon tickets with audio guide
from €39
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- Timed Acropolis entry plus Headout's own app-based audio guide; free cancellation
- Best for
- Only if the official store is sold out for your slot. The official €30 ticket already includes a digital guide
Headout · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Skip-the-line ticket and guided tour
€72
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- Entry ticket plus a 1 hr 30 min English-language guided walk, max 24, run by Athens Walking Tours; meets at Dionysiou Areopagitou 3; free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
- Best for
- First-timers who want context and a booked slot in one purchase
Tiqets · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Acropolis and Acropolis Museum guided walking tour
€110 adult with both tickets; €47 if you bring your own tickets
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- About 4 hours: guided visit of the hill, then the museum; group max 24 (average 18); English
- Best for
- Visitors who want both sites explained in one morning. EU under-25s and non-EU under-18s save by booking the tour-only option and getting free tickets themselves
Athens Walking Tours · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- Go to tickets.hh.gr (from the ministry's Odysseus page or by typing the address), open Acropolis of Athens Tickets and choose 'Visit the Acropolis of Athens'.
- Pick the date and one-hour slot. Add reduced or free tickets for those who qualify: they still need a timed ticket, and an ID or passport proving age and nationality is checked at the gate.
- Pay and keep the e-ticket on your phone or printed. You can change the slot up to 2 hours before entry (at most twice per ticket) under Manage Tickets; tickets cannot be refunded.
- Book the Acropolis Museum separately on etickets.theacropolismuseum.gr if you are paying full price. Anyone eligible for a reduced or free museum ticket must collect it at the museum desk with ID.
Look-alike sites
Searching for 'Acropolis tickets' brings up paid adverts for resellers with official-sounding names and domains ending .org or .com, some of which copy the ministry's wording. Visitors on the TripAdvisor Athens forum report paying €70–€109 for tickets whose face value printed on the ticket was €20–€60, including charges for children who enter free. The small print at the bottom of such sites says they are not affiliated with the government and that the price exceeds face value. Some sell 'multi' or 'combo' tickets that are really an Acropolis ticket with other sites as paid add-ons. The official Acropolis store is on hh.gr (tickets.hh.gr, formerly hhticket.gr), and the price shown is €30 for an adult. The Acropolis Museum has its own warning about a copy of its site ending in .org: its real address ends in .gr (theacropolismuseum.gr).
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Acropolis of Athens
There are almost no labels or signs on the hill, so a guide or the free official digital guide app (included with the €30 ticket) makes a real difference. A group tour is worth it if you want the myths and the building story told on the spot, especially with children. The local operators' early-access tours book the 8:00 slot for you, which matters in summer. If you are on a budget, the app plus the Acropolis Museum afterwards covers most of what a guide would say.
Small-group early-morning guided tour
First Access Acropolis Tour
Athens Walking ToursMeets at the main entrance for the first entry slot and heads straight for the Parthenon before the cruise groups arrive. Max 24, average 18; English; not wheelchair accessible; free cancellation up to 24 hours.
€72 with ticket; €34 if you bring your own ticket
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Small-group guided tour (max 10)
Acropolis and Parthenon Exclusive Small-Group Tour
Athens Walking ToursSame route as the standard tour but capped at 10 guests, so you can hear the guide in the crowd at the Propylaia. Meets on Dionysiou Areopagitou; also runs in German, Italian and Spanish versions.
from €89 with ticket
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Small-group guided tour, hill and museum
Acropolis and Acropolis Museum Guided Walking Tour
Athens Walking ToursCovers the hill first, then the museum's Parthenon Gallery, so you see the sculptures right after their building. Long on your feet; max 24.
€110 with both tickets; €47 tour only
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Ticket plus group guided tour
Acropolis of Athens: Skip The Line Ticket + Guided Tour
Tiqets (tour run by Athens Walking Tours)The same local operator's standard tour, sold through a platform. Useful if you already use the Tiqets app; group max 24; free cancellation up to 24 hours.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Acropolis of Athens deals and discounts
The official €30 ticket is the best buy for adults, and it includes the digital guide that resellers charge extra for. The real savings are the free categories (EU under 25, non-EU under 18) and the free days. The official store no longer sells a combined ticket for the Athens sites.
Free for EU citizens under 25 and everyone under 18
EU citizens up to 25 and non-EU visitors up to 18 enter free on showing a passport or national ID. You still have to book a €0 timed ticket on tickets.hh.gr, and in summer free slots can run out like paid ones. Visitors with disabilities and their escort are also among the free categories, with a disability certificate.
Free days
Entry is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March (for example 28 October, 1 and 15 November, 6 and 20 December 2026). You still need a €0 timed ticket, and those days are very busy.
Reduced €15 ticket
Half price for the categories on the Ministry of Culture's list, with proof at the gate; the official site lists the €15 price but not the categories, so check them on the ministry's free and reduced admission page linked from the Odysseus site. Press reports on the 2025 reform said EU citizens over 65 lose the reduction from June to the end of September.
No combined Athens ticket on the official store
The official store sells each site separately (Acropolis €30, Ancient Agora €20). The old multi-site ticket for the Acropolis, Agora, Kerameikos, Olympieion and other Athens sites is not offered there; Greek press reported in 2024 that the unified tickets would be abolished from April 2025, and travel guides confirm it is gone. A reseller 'combo' is not an official pass.
Acropolis Museum free days and reductions
The museum is free on 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October, and for EU citizens under 25. Non-EU visitors under 25 pay €10 instead of €20 at the desk with a passport; non-EU children up to 5 are free.
Best time to visit Acropolis of Athens
Time of day: the 8:00 slot (be at the gate a little before) or the last two hours before closing. Organised tours and cruise groups crowd the hill from mid-morning to early afternoon; in 2023 the ministry said half of all visitors arrived before noon. When the hourly caps were announced in 2023, the 8:00–9:00 hour was given the largest quota (3,000, then 2,000 the next hour), so it is busy at the gate but clears fast once you are up.
Within your slot: the crush happens at the top of the hour, when everyone with that slot arrives at once. Arriving 20–30 minutes into your hour usually means a short queue. Do not book the very last slot: the ticket store and hh.gr give last entry as 20 minutes before closing (the older Odysseus page says 30), and the guards start clearing the hill soon after.
Season: April–May and October have bearable heat and longer opening hours than winter. June–August is hot and busiest. In heatwaves the ministry has closed the site from 12:00 to 17:00, sometimes announced only the day before. From 1 November to 31 March the site closes at 17:00, but it is quieter, and the first and third Sundays are free.
Closed: 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December. Hours are usually shorter around Orthodox Good Friday and Holy Saturday: check the official site that week.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Start at the south entrance
The South Slope gate on Dionysiou Areopagitou at Thrasyllou street is three minutes from Akropoli metro and the museum, and its queue is usually much shorter than at the main west gate, where tour coaches unload. You walk up past the Theatre of Dionysus and join the main path below the Propylaia.
From TripAdvisor Athens forum, 2024–2025; realgreekexperiences.com summer guide, 2026
Wear shoes with real grip
Centuries of feet have polished the marble and limestone paths, especially around the Propylaia steps, and they are slippery when dry and worse when wet. Wear trainers or walking sandals with a rubber sole, not flip-flops or smooth leather soles.
From Ministry of Culture Odysseus site page, 2026; kidslovegreece.com, 2026
Bring water and a hat; no food
There is almost no shade on the plateau. The ministry's site rules ban food and drinks on the site; visitors commonly carry a bottle of water for the heat, but keep it in your bag near the monuments and follow the guards, and the toilets inside have been closed for renovation, so use the ones beside the main entrance before going in.
From Ministry of Culture Odysseus site page, 2026
Leave big bags and strollers at the hotel
Small backpacks and handbags are fine. Large luggage is not accepted at the cloakroom outside the main entrance, and strollers cannot go up the hill. Bring a baby carrier instead.
From Ministry of Culture Odysseus site page, 2026; kidslovegreece.com, 2026
Do the hill first, then the museum
Go up early before the heat, then spend the hot middle of the day in the air-conditioned Acropolis Museum 300 metres away. The museum is open until 22:00 on Fridays all year (but only until 17:00 on Mondays), and its ground-floor café and shop need no ticket.
From Acropolis Museum visitor information, 2026
Check the news in a heatwave
When temperatures climb towards 40°C, the ministry has closed the Acropolis from 12:00 to 17:00, often announced the day before or that morning. If you hold a midday slot, use your two free changes on tickets.hh.gr to move to early morning or evening.
From ProtoThema English, July 2024; UNN, July 2025; tickets.hh.gr terms, 2026
Plan the South Slope before you leave
Your ticket allows one entry. If you exit through the main gate you cannot come back for the Theatre of Dionysus. Either start at the south entrance, or walk down to the South Slope through the inside path from the Beulé Gate before you leave.
From Ministry of Culture Odysseus site page, 2026
Have a passport for every child
Free and reduced tickets are checked at the gate, and kids' and young adults' ages and nationality must be shown on a passport or national ID. A photo of the passport on your phone has been accepted at the museum desk, but bring the real thing for the hill.
From TripAdvisor Athens forum, 2025; kidslovegreece.com, 2026
Get the view from Areopagus or Filopappou for free
For the classic photo of the Parthenon, climb the bare rock of the Areopagus just below the main entrance or walk up Filopappou Hill opposite. Both are free and open, and Filopappou is quieter at sunset.
From davestravelpages.com Athens guide, 2026 (Areopagus)
How to get to Acropolis of Athens
- Metro: line 2 (red) to Akropoli. The south entrance is about 3 minutes' walk; the main west entrance is about 12 minutes along the pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou street. From lines 1 and 3, get off at Monastiraki and walk up through Plaka or the Ancient Agora, about 15–20 minutes uphill.
- Bus and trolley: Makrigianni stop (by the Acropolis Museum) on many routes, including buses 24, 40, 57, 106, 230 and trolleys 1, 5, 15. Bus 230 also stops at 'Acropolis'.
- From the airport: metro line 3 to Syntagma, change to line 2 for one stop to Akropoli. Allow about an hour.
- By car or taxi: there is no visitor parking at the gate. Taxis can drop you at the start of Dionysiou Areopagitou or near the coach park by the main entrance.
Scams and problems to watch for
Look-alike ticket sites
Sponsored search results with official-sounding names sell Acropolis tickets for two to three times the €30 face value, and sometimes charge for children who enter free. The giveaway is a .org or .com domain, no clear price per ticket before checkout, and a line in the footer saying the site is not affiliated with the government. Buy on tickets.hh.gr.
Fake 'combo' or 'multi-site' tickets
Some resellers advertise an Acropolis 'multi ticket' although the official store no longer sells a combined ticket. What you get is a single Acropolis entry, and the other sites are paid add-ons at more than their official prices.
Fake Acropolis Museum website
The museum has warned about a copy of its website on a similar domain ending in .org that takes payment for tickets it does not issue. Real museum e-tickets are sold only on theacropolismuseum.gr (etickets.theacropolismuseum.gr).
Pickpockets on the metro and in the crowds
The crowded metro between Monastiraki and the centre and the crush at the Propylaia steps are where a bag is easiest to open unnoticed. Wear a backpack on your front in the queue and keep your phone in a zipped pocket between photos.
Paying for a 'ticket' that is really free
Free entry for EU under-25s and non-EU under-18s is not always shown by resellers, who sell these visitors full-price tickets. On the official store these tickets cost €0.
Accessibility
The Acropolis is only partly accessible. An outdoor lift on the north face, reached by a 350 m step-free path (the Peripatos) from a separate entrance just north of the main gate, rises about 25 metres to the plateau beside the Erechtheion. From there, marked paths run along the north side of the Parthenon and towards the Propylaia, the latter with a gradient over 6%. Wheelchair users are always accompanied by trained staff. You must call the Chief Guard's Office (+30 213 131 7762) about an hour before arriving, and the lift does not run in bad weather or strong wind. Tickets for disabled visitors are validated only at the main entrance, not the south one. Parents alone with two or more infants may also use the lift. The South Slope is wheelchair-accessible with an attendant from the Thrasyllou street entrance as far as the Theatre of Dionysus. Visitors with a disability certificate and one escort enter free. The Acropolis Museum is fully accessible, with ramps, lifts to every floor, accessible toilets, free wheelchair loan and a Braille guide.
Combine it with
Acropolis Museum
300 metres from the south entrance, with the original sculptures from the hill and the Parthenon frieze. €20 (separate ticket). Until 31 October open 9:00–20:00 (Mondays to 17:00, Fridays to 22:00); in winter Monday–Thursday to 17:00, Fridays to 22:00, weekends to 20:00.
Ancient Agora
The marketplace and civic heart of ancient Athens below the north-west slope, with the almost complete Temple of Hephaistos and the rebuilt Stoa of Attalos museum. €20 at tickets.hh.gr; walk down from the main Acropolis gate.
Areopagus Hill
The bare rock just below the Acropolis main entrance, free and open, with a close-up view of the Propylaia and over the Agora. The rock is polished and slippery, so take the metal stairs.
Filopappou Hill
The pine-covered hill opposite the Acropolis, reached by paved paths from Dionysiou Areopagitou. Free, and the best place to see the whole hill with the Parthenon at sunset.
Plaka and Anafiotika
The old town on the north-east slopes, and above it the tiny whitewashed island-style lanes of Anafiotika. Good for lunch after the hill; the North Slope path (Peripatos) passes right above it.
Questions people ask about visiting Acropolis of Athens
How much is the Acropolis ticket in 2026?
€30 for adults all year, with a €15 reduced ticket for eligible categories (October 2026). EU citizens under 25 and non-EU visitors under 18 enter free but still need a timed €0 ticket. The price went up from €20 on 1 April 2025, when the separate winter price was also dropped.
Where do I buy official Acropolis tickets?
On tickets.hh.gr, the Hellenic Heritage store run by the Ministry of Culture and ODAP (it replaced hhticket.gr), or at the ticket offices on site. An adult ticket shows €30.00 there. Sites charging more are resellers, even if their name sounds official.
How far in advance should I book the Acropolis?
For June–September, book the 8:00 or late-afternoon slots several days to a few weeks ahead, as these go first. Entry is capped by the hour (the 2023 announcement set 20,000 a day and 3,000 in the first hour). Outside summer, a day or two ahead is usually enough, though booking online still saves the ticket-office queue.
Can you skip the line at the Acropolis?
Partly. A pre-booked timed ticket skips the ticket-office queue, but everyone, including tour groups, queues at the turnstiles, and the queue is worst at the start of each hour. Enter from the south entrance and arrive 20–30 minutes into your slot for the shortest wait.
Is the Acropolis Museum included in the Acropolis ticket?
No. The museum is run separately and costs €20 (€10 reduced at the desk) on etickets.theacropolismuseum.gr. Allow about two hours. It is 300 metres from the Acropolis south entrance.
When is the Acropolis free?
On 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. You still need a €0 timed ticket, and those days are crowded.
Does the Acropolis close in the heat?
Yes, on the worst days. During heatwaves in 2024 and 2025 the ministry closed the site from 12:00 to 17:00, usually announcing it the day before. With a midday summer slot, watch the Greek news and use the free slot change on tickets.hh.gr (up to 2 hours before entry).
More sights in Greece
Ancient Olympia
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- From
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- Time needed
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Delphi
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- From
- €20 site and museum
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Knossos
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Before you go
The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.