Acropolis and Parthenon
The Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the slopes of the rock, two and a half thousand years above the city.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
At opening, around 8am
Open
Every day
Entry price
30 EUR
The Parthenon was built in nine years, from 447 to 438 BC, and it contains not one straight line: the columns lean inwards, the stylobate is domed, the corner columns are thicker. These optical corrections offset the distortions the eye would otherwise produce.
It stayed largely intact for two thousand years, serving as church and then mosque, until 1687: the Ottomans stored powder in it, a Venetian shell hit it, and the explosion blew out the centre of the building. The frieze Elgin removed is in the British Museum, and Greece is asking for it back.
Getting there
Metro line 2, Acropoli station. The west gate near the Areopagus is the main one; the south gate, by the Theatre of Dionysus, is quieter.
What the price covers
full ticket, covering the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the north and south slopes. Reduced rate 15 €.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
Rules on site
The marble of the rock is polished by footsteps and turns slippery: shoes with grip, not smooth sandals. The site closes when temperatures pass a threshold in summer, usually between midday and five.
Checked on 28 August 2026 at Acropolis Athens — entrance fees and free days 2026