Athens: Acropolis opening hours / 2014 summer

Acropolis opening hours from April 1st 2014 till the end of high season will be:

- Every day 8am - 8pm.

( ***except days around Easter and four other dates, different opening times apply - plz. read at the end of the post*** ).

That's the first time for years that the site opens till 8pm so early in the season. Tourism numbers are definitely on the rise.

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WHEN TO VISIT

If you are already in the city, please do plan your visit accordingly:

- Best time to visit is first thing, early in the morning, at 07.40am to get first tickets. Waiting time is appx. 5 - 6 minutes so early in the morning. Gates open at 8am.

- Biggest crowds arrive sometime between 09.30am and midday. It gets crowded than and queues form. Waiting time may exceed 30 - 45 minutes easily.

- Next best choice to visit is after 3pm. For June, July, August make it *after 5pm - 6pm* when the heat is less.

- Last admission 30 minutes before closing time.

- You need at least 60 - 90 minutes to visit the site properly. So, please, pan accordingly.

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ADMISSION - DISCOUNTS

- Normal admission is 12 euros.

- Your Acropolis ticket is a combo ticket and includes visits to other sites too: Ancient Agora, Agora Museum, Kerameikos, Kerameikos Museum, Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionussus and Southern slope, Roman Agora, Hadrian's Library.

- Kids under 18 enter for free, proper ID needed,

- Seniors ( o.65 ) from EU and EFTA are offered a 50% discount, proper ID needed,

- Disabled visitors enter for free,

- People accompanying disabled visitors that have vision related issues or kinetic issues enter for free,

- Students from EU universities enter for free, student card and ISIC needed,

- Students from non EU or EFTA universities are offered a 50% discount, student card and ISIC needed,

- ICOM, ICOMOS members enter for free, ICOM / ICOMOS card needed,

- You can purchase the Acropolis ticket either on Acropolis site main ticket booth or at any of the included sites ticket booth.

- Acropolis Museum is a separate venue, down the hill and needs a separate ticket. Normal admission for Acropolis Museum is just 5 euros.

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Easter opening times:

Fr Apr 18th 2014: midday - 5pm

Sa Apr 19th 2014: 8pm - 3pm

Su Apr 20th 2014: closed

Mo Apr 21st 2014: closed

Tu Apr 22nd 2014: back to normal opening hours, 8 - 8.

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Other exceptions:

May 1st 2014: closed

June 9th 2014: 8am - 3pm

August 15th 2014: 8am - 3pm

October 31st: 8am - 3pm.

I wish Santa brings me a permanent edit button to fix my grammar mistakes. Anyway. . .

"- You need at least 60 - 90 minutes to visit the site properly. So, please, plan accordingly."

EU: European Union

EFTA: EU + Norway, Liechthenstein, Switzerland, Iceland.

ISIC: International student identity card

ICOM / ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites

Thanks for the info,

I'm glad the tourism in Greece is on the rise again, we are also looking forward to a great season in the western med :)

We'll be docking in Piraeus at 07:30h on the MSC Fantasia and we intend to take the subway. According to Google maps, it takes about 45 minutes to get there with the 843 bus + M1 Metro to Thisio metro Station and then walk. Do you recommend this or going to Monastiraki instead?

If we arrive by 09:00 on early June, will it be already crowded?

Isn't Greece considered the EASTERN Med??:D

I live in the island of Mallorca, Spain -> Western Med.

Definitely follow the advice and get there early. While the site is huge and can accommodate many people, it is quite a challenge climbing down the stairs with throngs of people when you are leaving. We arrived at 8am and when we left, the que to purchase tix was very long.

I've just realized that we'll be in Athens on June 5th, according to the official acropolis website entrance to the Acropolis is free that day

http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh355.jsp?obj_id=2384

Does it mean the gates are just open or that you have to get a ticket first? (and cue for it, so that they can control the number of people there)

We will be in Athens on 27 September. Looking at the link in the above post it say that "The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)" is also a "free" day. 27 September is the last weekend so as Elmartellama asks, is that day "free" and do we need to cue for tickets?

<<<Karen>>>