Whether you are visiting Athens for a week or you only have one day in Athens between a flight and a ferry, I’m sure the ancient Acropolis of Athens is the first item on your to-do list. Here’s my guide for the Acropolis of Athens: a brief history, tips, hours, and tickets, all you need to know for your first visit to the Acropolis and its museum.
A History of the Acropolis in Athens
Literally, ‘Acropolis‘ means the city on the highest point. The Ancient Acropolis of Athens, a high hill in the center of Athens was inhabited as far as the 4th millennium BC. However, extensive building started only in the Age of famous Pericles in the 5th century BC. Many other Greek cities were also built around such an Acropolis. It was the safest place and a refuge in times of war. The work started by Pericles made the Acropolis of Athens the one we all think about when we hear ‘Acropolis‘.
The main buildings on the Acropolis are the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the small Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaia which was the gate into the complex.
Explore the Acropolis of Athens
The Parthenon was the perfect building and became the blueprint for many classic buildings inspired by it throughout the centuries. Inside the temple stood the statue of Athena Parthenos – Athena the Virgin, made by Phidias.
The Erechtheion was a religious complex on the site where, according to myth, Poseidon and Athena had a contest to be the patron of Athens.
Legend says Poseidon hit the rock first with his trident, and a spring appeared on that spot. Then, the Goddess Athena touched the ground with her spear, and an olive tree grew there. So, Athena won the contest and became the patron of the city.
The Erechtheion’s most famous features are the Caryatids, six female statues supporting the southwestern corner of the building. The Caryatids we see now are exact replicas of the originals. Five of the original statues are hosted in the Acropolis Museum, while the sixth is in a London museum.
Another reason to climb on the Acropolis is the 360 degrees view of the busy city of Athens.
Below the Acropolis of Athens
Before climbing the final part to the gate of the Acropolis, you’ll come across the Odeum of Pericles, the Theater of Dionysus Eleuthereus, and the Odeum of Herodes Atticus.
Planning your visit to the Acropolis
When to visit the Acropolis
When planning your visit to the Acropolis of Athens, remember that it can get really hot out there during the summer. Spring is the best time for a visit to Athens and to the Acropolis in particular, but the weather is pleasant through autumn and winter too.
Also, keep in mind that the Acropolis is the most popular place in Athens, and it will get crowded in the middle of the day. Try to start early to fully enjoy your day at the Acropolis. One and a half to two hours are enough time to explore the Acropolis of Athens. If you plan to visit the Acropolis Museum too, you’ll probably need to double that time.
Other tips to visiting Athens Acropolis
Bring water, a hat, as well as sunscreen on a sunny day. There is almost no shade on the Acropolis slopes. Also, wear sturdy shoes, the climb is pretty steep, and the ancient rocks have become slippery.
Opening hours for the Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis is open daily, from 8:30 to 15:00 in the winter season (November to March) and 8:00 to 19:30 from April to October. On Mondays, the site opens later, at 11 am.
Acropolis of Athens tickets
There are two types of tickets for the Acropolis of Athens entrance. The single-use tickets are 10 € and allow for a single visit to the Athens Acropolis and the Slopes. You can also buy 30 € combined tickets, which allows you to enter 6 other sites in Athens, besides the Acropolis, for 5 days starting from the first entrance. The sites included in this combined ticket are:
- The Ancient Agora
- The Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Olympieion
- Kerameikos
- Aristotle’s School
If you’re in Athens for a few days and you’re interested in history, the combined ticket is your best option. You can buy tickets online here. Please note that the online tickets don’t include skip-the-line access, and you will still have to wait if there’s a line at the entrance.
Guided tours of the Acropolis
A good option is to visit the Acropolis for the first time with a guided tour. Here are two good options:
- Acropolis Small Group Guided Tour with entrance ticket included
- Athens Acropolis and The Acropolis Museum Tour with entrance tickets
The Athens Acropolis Museum
The Athens Museum of Acropolis is located about 300 meters from the Acropolis. The main entrance is on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. It’s a modern museum hosting finds from all buildings on the Acropolis plateau, as well as its slopes.
There is an x-ray check at the entrance, and you should avoid coming in with luggage. An entrance ticket is 5 € from November to March and 10 € from April to October. Find out all about the opening hours, tickets, and exhibitions on the Athens Acropolis Museum website.
Where to stay in Athens
The Acropolis is easy to get to by metro, no matter where you’re staying in Athens. However, the most convenient place to stay is close to the Acropolis and the Plaka.
We stayed at Airotel Parthenon. It’s just a few hundred meters from the entrance to the Acropolis. At the same time, it’s close to everything else you might be interested in. The furnishings were a little dated but, other than that, the place was clean, and our room had an amazing terrace to have a last drink before going to sleep.
Another option I looked at was the Plaka Hotel in the same neighborhood. Some of the rooms here have a view of the Acropolis, which must be spectacular at night. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any available rooms when I was in Athens.
Find out more about discovering Athens on foot by clicking on the link. If you’re interested in other destinations in Greece, find out more about the things to do in Thessaloniki.
Disclosure
Some of the above may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. However, I only recommend companies, activities, or products that I use myself. Thank you for your support in keeping my blog live!
Like it? Pin it!
I love Athens – I went a few years ago with a bunch of friends from Uni and it was absolutely amazing, can’t wait to go back! Feel like i’ve just been on a mini adventure though reading this post, thanks for sharing x
Glad to bring back good memories 🙂 I’d like to go back for a few days too 🙂
Excellent guide. The Acropolis was amazing to visit. But it was so crowded. We made the mistake of visiting midday. Lesson learned.
Thank you so much, John! We spent a beautiful morning there, but it did get a little crowded after the first hour.
This was a really interesting read. And the photos are beautiful. 🙂
Thank you, Belinda!
A terrific guide! My wife and I are scheduled to be in Athens in June and this is great info for us!
I’m glad I could help, John. I’ll get back with more things to do in Athens soon.
Athens is definitely on the bucket list for me and my partner. Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for sharing 🙂 I have not been to Athens before it looks a lovely place to visit 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
It is a great place to visit for the history and also for the food 🙂
Oh I LOVE Greece. The Acropolis was so fun to visit. Great post!
I loved it too. Thanks for stopping by, Jen.
I’ve never been to Athens, although it has always been a place on my ‘must visit’ list. Odeon of Herodes Atticus looks incredible – like one of those sites that you just HAVE TO see at least once in your life!
It is a beautiful place. I’d love to see a concert there, I guess it would be an amazing experience.
Such a nice area, on the hills. Ancient monuments are always
inspiring..
Athens is on my bucket list of places to visit – I love Greece! The views from the Acropolis look amazing; as does the architecture of the place.
Thanks for all the info…Great post!
Aimsy xoxo
It is an amazing place. Thank you for stopping by!
Great post! Greece looks like such an interesting place to visit.
It is that and the islands are incredible. I guess you could spend a lifetime exploring the Greek islands and never get bored 🏖
The architecture of Athens is one of the reason that I am dying to visit, everything is so pretty and I would love to learn more about the history of the place. Thanks for sharing x
The Acropolis is an amazing place, I can’t imagine how they built such places so many years ago! I hope you’ll get to visit soon. 🙂
I learned about this architecture when I was in college so it was fun to be reminded about it! I’m planning to visit Greece this summer but I haven’t narrowed down the details yet so thank you for sharing some information to consider.
You should include Athens, it’s well worth a visit on it’s own and it’s a great hub for visiting some of the islands.
Okay I will keep that in mind, thanks!
Incredible place! Lovely post!
Thank you 😊