Acropolis of Athens

What it is and what you see

The Acropolis is the walled rock that dominates Athens, about 150 m above sea level. Up top are the buildings that Pericles ordered built in the 5th century BC: the Propylaia, the monumental entrance; the small temple of Athena Nike, on the bastion to the right; the Erechtheion, with the porch of the caryatids, and the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Parthenos. The caryatids you see are copies: five of the originals are in the Acropolis Museum, at the foot of the rock.

From the esplanade you see the whole city, Lycabettus, the sea towards Piraeus and Filopappou Hill. You will see scaffolding and cranes: the restoration of the monuments has been going on for decades and is part of the visit.

Ticket, price and time slot

The ticket is bought with a date and time at hhticket.gr, the Ministry of Culture's official ticketing portal. General admission costs €30 since April 2025, when the ministry raised the price from €20 to €30. EU citizens under 25 and non-EU citizens under 18 get in free, with ID proving it, as well as other categories the portal details. Even if admission is free, you have to get a ticket with a time slot.

The slot sets your entry time, not your exit time: once inside you can stay as long as you like until closing. In high season the first hours sell out days ahead, so buy as soon as you have a date. The ministry also sells a personalised visit, in small groups and at a much higher price, from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 20:00 to 22:00, outside the general hours.

Opening hours

In summer it opens at 8:00 and closes at 20:00. In winter closing moves to mid-afternoon, and the official pages don't agree on the exact time: check the timetable for your day on hhticket.gr. It closes on Orthodox Easter Sunday and on 1 May. In extreme heat the ministry may close the site during the middle hours of the day; this is announced the day before.

How to get there and where to enter

Go on foot or by metro. Akropoli station, on line 2, leaves you next to the pedestrian street Dionysiou Areopagitou, which skirts the rock to the south. From Monastiraki or Thiseio you can also walk up in 15 or 20 minutes. There is no visitor parking: leave the car at the hotel.

There are two accesses. The main entrance is on the west, going up Rovertou Galli Street and the path that leaves Dionysiou Areopagitou; the other is the south slope one, near the Acropolis Museum, which means a longer climb but passes the Theatre of Dionysus. Both end at the Propylaia, the only way onto the esplanade, and that is where the queues form.

How long and how to organise yourself

Allow two to three hours with the slopes. If you only go up to the esplanade, an hour and a half is enough. Best to start first thing or in the last slot of the afternoon: at midday in summer the marble reflects the sun and there is no shade anywhere on the route. Bring water, a hat and shoes with grip: the polished marble of the steps is slippery.

A good way to organise the day is to go up early, go down to the Acropolis Museum when the heat bites and have lunch in Plaka or Koukaki. If you are staying nearby, the Herodion Hotel is a few steps from the south slope.

Accessibility and with children

The rock has a lift for people with reduced mobility on the north face, but it doesn't always work: in November 2026 the ministry warned that it was out of service and asked people to call the guards' office an hour before arriving. Find out before you go. With a pushchair it is awkward: there are steps and loose stone. A baby carrier is better.

With children, the short climb and the view from the top work well; the problem is the heat and the wait at the Propylaia. From six or seven years old they enjoy it more if they have first seen the museum or you tell them the story of Athena and Poseidon.