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About the Acropolis
Greece’s identity and its rich culture can be largely attributed to its deep and fascinating history. This can be seen through multiple archeological sites and museums in the country, with one of the most outstanding ones being the Acropolis of Athens, one of the foremost tourist destinations of South-Eastern Europe.
Every year an enormous number of tourists from all around the world visit this symbol of Ancient Greek civilization, to walk around the grounds of this impressive, unique sight that brings them a step closer to ancient Greece.
A small introduction to The Acropolis of Athens
- The Acropolis was initially built for defensive purposes due to its perfectly located position for strategic military defense. The site as the years passed by gained religious significance and temples were added to the area.
- Acropolis famous structures are: the Parthenon, the Propylaea gate, the Erechtheion temple and the Temple of Athena Nike.
- Most of the monuments were built during the golden age of Pericles in the 5th century B.C.
- The word “Acro-polis” means city by the edge.
A more detailed look..
The Athenian Acropolis due to its diversity and precision holds a unique testimony to the Ancient Greece religions and history. Here are some of the most famous monuments to visit in the Acropolis of Athens.
Parthenon
The Parthenon was a Greek temple built in the 5th Century for a Greek goddess, Athena Parthenos, the patron of Athens and the center of religious life in the powerful Greek City-State of Athens. It is a double peripteral Doric temple with unique architectural features and a symbol of power, wealth and the initial culture of Athens. Its construction took nine years for the main structure of the temple to be completed, however, the exterior decorations and designs continued for the next six years. Parthenon is considered to represent architectural perfection and one of the greatest human achievements, as it was constructed entirely of Pendeli marble.
Erechtheum
The Erechtheum or in other words Erectheion is a well preserved Greek temple in the Acropolis complex. It was constructed in the Golden Age of the city in order to protect the wooden cult statue of Athena. Its name was derived from the legendary Greek King Erectheus and was a home for many cults including these of Athena and Poseidon. It was also the location of the famous myth of Athena’s and Poseidon’s competition for the city’s affections where Athena won by providing an olive tree. The Erectheion is considered to be a distinctive building whose large columns depict women and its statues are globally known as Karyatides, named by Karyes women in Lakonia. The Erectheion today acquires five out of the original six statues which are on display in the Acropolis Museum whereas the remaining one is placed in the British Museum as part of the Elgin Marbles.
The Temple of Athena Nike
The Temple of Athena Nike was designed by the architect Kallikrates and was built around 421BC and is the smallest temple at the Acropolis in Athens placed in the southwest corner at the edge of a high cliff. It stands on the grounds of earlier temples that were dedicated to Athena Nike. Its spot was highly vulnerable for a possible attack but appropriate defenses were put in place. The east side pictured a gathering of gods around the enthroned Zeus while on the other sides there were presentations of war scenes between Greeks and Persians. Due to its elegant and district structure is sometimes called the pearl of Acropolis since it was designed with great care and thought. The structure of the temple is a lonic amphiprostyle structure with four monolithic columns on both sides.
Propylaia
Propylaia’s was designed by the architect Mnesikles and was erected between 437-431 BC, and its completion never took place due to the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. It’s initial purpose was to stand as a monumental entrance to the Acropolis rock. Its name derives from a reference by Pausanias , a traveler, to the paintings that existed in the place depicting subjects from Athens mythical historical past. From then, it is given to entranceways usually to temples where they acted as a symbolic separation between the secular and religious part of a city. It’s a building of the Doric order with few Ionian columns which support the roof. They were proved to be difficult to designed as they wanted to make a long-lasting impression to visitors.
The Acropolis of Athens is true to be one of the most famous attractions for tourists all around the world and draws millions of visits every year. It is considered to be the most visited monument in the world from antiquity as it is an important symbol of Athens and a famous landmark. We understand that planning your visit in Acropolis might be hard due to the load of the necessary information needed. This is why we wanted to make it as easy as possible for you. On this page, you will find all the information needed that you will be able to utilize for an enjoyable and memorable visit to the Acropolis of Athens.
What do you need to visit Acropolis?
Before your visit to the Acropolis you should check the timings as between seasons they might vary. After that you should make sure that you have purchased a ticket for the monument. This can be done either physically with the opportunity cost of waiting in long queues or purchasing our skip the line tickets through our website which saves you time by skipping the queues.
What to wear on your visit to Acropolis
It is true that the stones in the Acropolis are very slippery so it would be recommended to wear shoes with a good grip if available and comfortable clothes as there is a minor hike. If not then avoid stepping on the shiny marble stones and instead follow the rough looking areas.
How to get to the Acropolis?
By Bus
- From the airport you can take Bus X95 to Syntagma square which is 1.5km away from the Acropolis.
- From Monastiraki stop you can take Bus numbers 035 which will be 14mins away or 106 in Makryianni which will be 10mins away.
- You can also take Bus 230 to Akropole which is then 8mins walk to the monument.
By Metro
- If you take the red line #M2 you will arrive at the closest subway station Acropoli which is then a 3mins walk to the Acropolis of Athens, South Entrance.
- The blue line from Monastiraki #M3, is a 12mins walk.
- Finally, the green line to Thissio is a 14mins walk.
By Private Transfer
- If you wish to arrive at the Acropolis without waiting for public transports and lose time from your visit to the monument you can arrange a private transfer that will pick you up from a place of your choice and will transfer you to the closest entry of the Acropolis.
Information before your visit to Acropolis
Facilities
- Café
- Museum shop
- Restrooms
- Elevator for people with disabilities and accompanies
Accessibility
- People with disabilities are able to visit Acropolis partially. In order to find more information please visit the accessibility passage here.
- There is an elevator located close to the main entrance for people in wheelchairs or diminished abilities. However, the elevator is not always functioning, we advise that they first contact each other in advance.
Nearby
- Filopappou Hill: A climb up to the hill of the Muses which will allow you to experience a beautiful panoramic view of ancient Athens.
- Acropolis Museum: a perfect combination to experience the findings from the Acropolis of Athens.
- National Archeological Museum: a history stop to view some of the most important artifacts of ancient Greece.
Best times to visit Acropolis
Visiting Athens is automatically connected to the tourist’s mind to the period of summer which is mid-June to mid-September. This is a high season for the tourism industry in Greece due to the sunny weather which means that visitors are able to enjoy the city’s nightlife and the sunny weather. However, visiting Acropolis during peak season normally means that the plane tickets, accommodation and guided tours prices will be higher. If you are on a limited budget, or you want to enjoy Athens and visit Acropolis in more quiet streets, with a more pleasant weather, the right period for you is April to mid-June or end of September or even in the winter period.
Acropolis visiting hours
The Athens Acropolis is open every-day from 8:00 AM to sunset 8:00 PM every day of the week with the last entry being 7:30 PM. However, the times might vary from winter to summer as the closing time follows the sunset.
When is the Acropolis closed?
- 1 January
- 25 March
- 1 May
- Easter Sunday
- 25-26 December
When is the Acropolis ticket free?
- 6 March (Memory of Melina Mercouri)
- 18 April (International Monument Day)
- 18 May (International Museum Day)
- The last weekend of September (European Days of Cultural Heritage)
- October 28th
- Every first Sunday of the month, from November 1st to March 31st annually
Avoid the crowds?
Want to be hassle-free and have an engaging experience in your visit to Acropolis? Tourists that wish to avoid large queues and crowds in any season the ideal time to visit the Acropolis of Athens would be during the early hours in the morning or late evenings. Even in high season as well these times to visit are the best as temperatures are lower and there is less heat which makes the visit more pleasant. The busiest time to visit Acropolis is 11AM to 2PM. In the late evening is a good time to visit the attraction as you can try and catch the sunset with a clear view of Athens and enjoy the unique colors of the Acropolis that can only been seen in that time of the day.
The Location of Acropolis
The most impressive and comprehensive ancient Greek architectural complex that is still in existence today is the Acropolis of Athens. It is located on a hill rising in the Athens basin that is ordinary in height (156 meters). The Acropolis offers magnificent views of Athens and its surroundings. The south slope of the Acropolis is the most popular entrance of the monument, where visitors can start their journey, as it can be seen in the map below.
The main temple, the northern, and the southern porches are its three primary proportions, making it an exceptional example of Ionic architecture. A small walk around the Acropolis are many places where visitors can go to rest and enjoy some beverages and food.
Find on Map
Planning to visit Acropolis? Then you should know how to get there and the location of the site. The address of the Acropolis is Athens 105 58, Greece. However, it is recommended for visitors to start their journey to this globally renowned site from the South slope of the Acropolis, as it can be seen in the map on the right.
The Map of Acropolis
The Acropolis of Athens has many important monuments that all visitors should see that each one represents a different part of our history. The Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon, and the Erechtheion are some of the locations on the Acropolis. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Theater of Dionysus are two structures on the slopes that can be found on the south side of the Acropolis.
In order to enter the Acropolis of Athens you have to purchase a ticket. There are many options, either buying the ticket on the spot in the monument which will be a rigorous process, or purchasing online the skip the line ticket which provides to visitors many benefits which will be mentioned below. Your choice will depend on what you want to achieve on the trip.
Purchasing the skip the line ticket means that visitors secure the tickets for Acropolis before visiting the attraction which gives them the opportunity to skip all queues that are likely to exist, especially in peak hours. The skip the line tickets allow visitors to dramatically reduce their waiting time when they arrive at Acropolis and at the same time let them gain more time to spend exploring the monument. A big differentiation point from our competitors that should be underlined is that from every ticket purchased online we will donate one euro at the end of each year for the restoration of a Greek archeological site chosen. Through this way we are able to preserve our history and keep our ancient roots alive.
Finally, it is important to know to avoid crowds that there are two entrances for the Acropolis of Athens as the main entrance is more packed. The main one is Rovertou Galli and the side entrance is on Dionysiou Areopagitou close to the Acropolis Museum. However, in the side entrance visitors are not able to purchase a ticket so here is also where skip the line tickets are proved to be useful again.