Athens sightseeing tickets: the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the Ancient Agora

When is the Acropolis open?

The official Acropolis page lists these hours:

• Winter (1 November to 31 March): every day, 08:00 to 17:00.
• Summer: from 1 April to 31 August, 08:00 to 20:00. Closing time then moves earlier through September and October.
• Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, and 25 and 26 December.
• Free entry on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. In winter, it's also free on the first and third Sunday of each month.

The official page says last admission is 20 minutes before closing, which in winter means 16:40. Aim to arrive earlier so you aren't turned away at the end of the day.

What do I need to know before entering the Acropolis?

• Your entry slot is fixed. The official ticket site sells timed slots, and an Acropolis ticket works only from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after the time you chose. It suggests getting to the entrance 30 minutes early.
• One entry only. The ticket covers the Acropolis and its slopes, but you can use it once. If you leave the Acropolis or the South Slope, you can't go back in on the same ticket.
• Bags: You can take small backpacks and handbags in. The cloakroom, outside the site north of the main entrance, doesn't take large luggage.
• No food or drink on the site. No smoking or pets either, apart from assistance dogs. Wear shoes you can walk in comfortably.
• Toilets: The ones inside the site are being renovated. Use the toilets by the main entrance before you go in.
• Lift notice: On 5 November 2026, the Ministry of Culture posted that the lift for visitors with reduced mobility was out of order. It asked visitors who need it to call the Chief Guards Office (+30 213 131 7762) an hour before arriving. Check the official page for updates before you go.
• Getting there: Take metro line 2 to Akropoli station, or lines 1 and 3 to Monastiraki.

You can book this ticket. It includes entry to the Acropolis site and slopes, plus a digital guide. At checkout, you can pick a Plaka audio guide or an audio guide app. At the time of checking, the ticket was non-refundable and couldn't be rescheduled. Check your voucher for the entry time and any instructions.

Mismatch to watch: At the time of checking, the opening hours box on the Tiqets page showed the Acropolis opening at 09:00, and staying open until 22:00 on Fridays and 20:00 at weekends. Those look like the Acropolis Museum's hours. The official winter hours for the Acropolis are 08:00 to 17:00 every day. Don't plan a Friday evening visit to the site. Go by the official hours.

When is the Acropolis Museum open?

The museum's official visitor page lists these winter hours (1 November to 31 March):

• Monday to Thursday: 09:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30.
• Friday: 09:00 to 22:00, last entry 21:30.
• Saturday and Sunday: 09:00 to 20:00, last entry 19:30.
• The excavation beneath the museum: every day 09:00 to 17:00 in winter, last entry 16:30.
• Closed on 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May, and 25 and 26 December. On 24 and 31 December, it opens from 09:00 to 15:00.
• Staff start clearing the galleries 15 minutes before closing.
• Free admission days: 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October.

What do I need to know before entering the Acropolis Museum?

• The museum ticket is separate from the Acropolis ticket. It's valid only for the date on it, and you can use it once.
• Reduced and free tickets are sold only at the museum's ticket desk. You have to show proof that you qualify. EU citizens under 25, for example, get in free. If that applies to you, don't buy a full-price ticket online.
• There's an X-ray security check at the entrance. Leave backpacks and bulky bags in the cloakroom on the ground floor.
• No photos or video in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery on the first floor. Elsewhere, you can take personal photos, but without flash or tripods.
• Getting there: Take metro line 2 to Akropoli. The museum is at Dionysiou Areopagitou 15.

You can book skip-the-line entry with an audio guide. The ticket page says you go through the security check first, then skip the ticket line and scan the ticket on your phone. The ticket includes the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, the excavation beneath the museum, a map and the museum's official audio guide in English and Greek. Headphones aren't included. At the time of checking, it was non-refundable and couldn't be rescheduled.

Mismatch to watch: At the time of checking, the Tiqets page listed the museum's free entry days as the first and third Sundays from November to March, plus 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. The museum's official page lists only 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October. The winter free Sundays apply to state archaeological sites such as the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, not to the museum. Go by the museum's official page.

When is the Ancient Agora open?

The official Ancient Agora page lists the same seasonal hours as the Acropolis:

• Winter (1 November to 31 March): every day, 08:00 to 17:00. Last admission is 20 minutes before closing.
• Every Tuesday, the Museum of the Stoa of Attalos inside the site opens at 10:00.
• Closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday, and 25 and 26 December.
• Entry is free on the same days as the Acropolis, including the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
• The entrance is at Adrianou 24. The nearest metro stations are Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3) and Thiseio (line 1).

You can book entry with a digital guide. It covers the Ancient Agora, including the Temple of Hephaestus, the Stoa of Attalos, the Tholos and the Bouleuterion. The digital guide comes with your confirmation email. At the time of checking, it was non-refundable and couldn't be rescheduled. The ticket page also says some visitors can get free entry at the ticket booth with ID, but that free tickets for your slot aren't guaranteed. If you think you qualify, check the official rules before you buy.

The official ticket site also sells a 5-day combined ticket. It covers the Acropolis and its slopes, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian's Library, the Olympieion, Kerameikos and Aristotle's Lyceum. It's worth comparing if you plan to see several of these sites.

A simple way to group these sights

Before you go

• Book your Acropolis slot early, and plan to be at the entrance 30 minutes before it.
• Remember the Acropolis ticket is single entry. Don't leave the site until you've seen everything you want, including the South Slope.
• Pack light. Large luggage isn't accepted at the Acropolis cloakroom, and the museum asks you to check backpacks.
• If you're an EU citizen under 25, or you otherwise qualify for a reduced or free ticket, buy it at the desk with your documents instead of paying full price online.
• If you need the Acropolis lift, call ahead and check the official notice. It was out of order on 5 November 2026.
• Read each ticket's cancellation terms before you pay. At the time of checking, all three Tiqets tickets in this guide were non-refundable.
• Check the official pages the day before. Hours can change for holidays, weather and works.

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