The Acropolis of Athens is the rocky hill above the city crowned by the Parthenon, the temple of Athena built in the golden age of Pericles in the 5th century BC. As of October 2026 a ticket costs €30 (€15 reduced) all year, including the slopes with the Theatre of Dionysus, and entry is by timed slot, so book ahead on the Ministry of Culture’s official ticket site. It opens at 8:00 every day; from 1 to 15 October it closes at 18:30 (last entry 18:00), and from 16 October at 18:00 (last entry 17:30). Go at opening time: it is cooler, quieter and the marble glows in the morning light.
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Tickets and tours for Acropolis of Athens
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Why the Acropolis matters
For thousands of years this 160-metre rock was both fortress and sanctuary. After the Persians burned the old temples in 480 BC, Pericles launched the building programme that produced the monuments you see today, in gleaming Pentelic marble. Over the next 2,400 years the Parthenon became a church, a mosque and an Ottoman powder store; in 1687 a Venetian shell blew up the gunpowder inside and tore out its middle. Since 1975 Greek teams have been carefully restoring the buildings, so some scaffolding is always part of the view. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
What you’ll see
- The Propylaia: the monumental marble gateway at the top of the climb from the west entrance.
- The Temple of Athena Nike: the small, elegant temple on a bastion to the right of the gateway, dedicated to Athena as goddess of victory.
- The Parthenon: the great Doric temple of Athena Parthenos, finished in 432 BC, with its subtle curves designed to look perfectly straight. You walk around it, not inside.
- The Erechtheion: the temple with the Porch of the Maidens, six women’s figures used as columns. Those on the building are copies; five originals are in the Acropolis Museum, and the sixth is in the British Museum.
- The slopes: the same ticket covers the South Slope, with the Theatre of Dionysus, where the plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles were first staged, and a view down into the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, still used for summer concerts.
Tickets and booking
Prices and rules from the Ministry of Culture, as of October 2026:
- Price: €30 full, €15 reduced, the same in summer and winter. EU citizens under 25 and under-18s from any country enter free with ID.
- Booking: buy online on the Ministry’s official e-ticket service, tickets.hh.gr (also reached via hhticket.gr), and choose a time slot. Daily numbers are capped and morning slots sell out from spring to autumn. Ticket offices on site sell whatever slots remain. Avoid resellers charging more.
- One entry only: the “Acropolis and Slopes” ticket can be used once. If you leave the Acropolis or the South Slope, you cannot go back in with the same ticket.
- Free days: 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October, plus the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March. Expect long queues.
- Holidays: closed 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25–26 December; Good Friday 12:00–17:00 and Holy Saturday 8:30–15:30.
Hours, heat and when to go
The site opens at 8:00 all year. Summer hours are 8:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30); closing moves earlier through September and October, and from November to March the hours are 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). There is no sunrise or after-dark entry.
There is almost no shade on top, and the marble reflects the heat. On extreme-heat days the Ministry closes the Acropolis in the middle of the day, usually 12:00 to 17:00, as it did in July 2023, 2024 and 2025; if you hold a midday slot in summer, check the news the day before. The best times are the first slot at 8:00, or the last two hours before closing in spring and autumn. Allow two to three hours for the hilltop and the South Slope.
Rules, bags and what to wear
- Bags: small backpacks and handbags are fine. Large luggage is not accepted, even at the cloakroom just north of the main entrance, so leave suitcases at your hotel.
- Rules: the operating rules ban eating, drinking, smoking and pets (assistance dogs excepted) and ask visitors to dress and behave in a way that suits the site. There is no religious dress code, but stay on the marked paths and don’t touch the monuments.
- Shoes: wear shoes with real grip. The ancient marble steps and paths are polished smooth by millions of feet and are slippery, especially after rain.
Accessibility
Since 2020 a lift on the north face has carried wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility about 25 metres up to the plateau beside the Erechtheion, reached by a 350-metre path from a separate entrance north of the main gate and always accompanied by trained staff. As of 4 October 2026 the Ministry reports that this lift is out of order. Call the Acropolis guards’ office on +30 213 131 7762 at least an hour before you arrive to check what is possible. The lift does not run in bad weather or strong wind, and visitors with disabilities must validate their tickets and enter at the main entrance, not the south-east one. On top, marked routes link the main monuments, but one has a gradient of more than 6%.
Getting there
There are two entrances. The main west entrance, near the Areopagus rock, is the busiest; from Monastiraki metro (lines 1 and 3) walk up through the Ancient Agora or Plaka. The south-east entrance on the pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou is a few minutes from Akropoli station on metro line 2, next to the Acropolis Museum, and climbs past the Theatre of Dionysus; it is often quieter in the morning.
Combine it with
The Acropolis Museum, a few minutes’ walk from the south-east entrance, holds the original sculptures and is the perfect air-conditioned follow-up on a hot afternoon. Below the hill, walk the lanes of Plaka and Anafiotika, or the Ancient Agora (€20). For the classic sunset view of the Parthenon, climb Filopappou Hill or the Areopagus rock. Plan the rest of your stay with our Athens travel guide and our Greece travel guide, and see our city sightseeing guide.
Acropolis FAQ
How much is an Acropolis ticket in 2026?
€30 full price and €15 reduced, the same all year, as of October 2026. It covers the Acropolis and its slopes, including the Theatre of Dionysus. EU citizens under 25 and under-18s from any country enter free with ID.
Do I need to book the Acropolis in advance?
Yes, it is strongly recommended. Entry is by timed slot with a daily cap, and morning slots sell out from spring to autumn. Book on tickets.hh.gr, the Ministry of Culture’s official site.
What time does the Acropolis open in October?
8:00 every day. From 1 to 15 October 2026 it closes at 18:30, with last entry at 18:00; from 16 to 31 October it closes at 18:00, with last entry at 17:30.
Can you visit the Acropolis at sunrise or sunset?
Not at sunrise, as the gates open at 8:00 all year. In midsummer the 20:00 closing comes close to sunset. For sunset views of the Parthenon, go to Filopappou Hill or the Areopagus.
Is the Acropolis wheelchair accessible?
Partly, by a lift on the north face with staff assistance. As of 4 October 2026 the lift was out of order, so call +30 213 131 7762 at least an hour before your visit.
Does the Acropolis close in a heatwave?
Yes. On extreme-heat days the Ministry of Culture usually closes it from 12:00 to 17:00. In summer, book the 8:00 slot and check announcements the day before.