Plan Your Visit to the Ancient Sites in Athens, Greece

Last updated on September 20th, 2022 at 04:53 pm

There are so many ancient sites in Athens, Greece. It can be really overwhelming trying to figure them all out. I’ll confess that the first time I went to Greece, I was under the impression that the Parthenon and the Acropolis were the exact same thing! Imagine my surprise when I got to the Acropolis hill and realized how much there was to explore! And that’s not even including the other historical sites throughout the city. In this post, I will cover some of my best tips for visiting the ancient sites in Athens. Hopefully, they will help you have a smooth, successful visit!

Tips for Visiting the Ancient Acropolis in Athens

Ticketing

There are two ticketing options:

The first ticketing option costs €20 for a full price ticket and ONLY grants entry into the Acropolis Hill and the ruins on the hill.

The second ticketing option is €30 and is good for five days. It includes entry into the Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens Museum, Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos, Hadrian’s Library, Kerameikos, Lykeion Archaeological Site, North slope of the Acropolis, Olympieio, Roman Agora of Athens, South Slope of Acropolis.

In my own opinion, the Acropolis and Ancient Agora of Athens are most worth the cost of entry to visit. For reference, the ticket for the Acropolis is €20 and the Ancient Agora is €10. So, if you are planning to visit at least these two sites, you might as well purchase the combination ticket. (Also, this gives you the flexibility to pop into any of the ancient sites listed above.)

For more information and for prices, please see the official website.

Important Ancient Structures on the Acropolis Hill

Parthenon – The current building was built in the 5th century BC. It was commissioned by Pericles and was the largest Doric-style temple of its time. Since its construction, it has been used for a variety of purposes including a church, a mosque, and a munitions depot. Since the 1970s, large efforts have been made to restore the Parthenon.

The Beule Gate – This gate was built in the third century as a part of a defensive wall. Originally, it led up to the Classic Greek gateway of the Propylaea, but now it is used as the visitor’s exit.

The Propylaea – This is the monumental gateway which served as the entrance to the Acropolis.

Pedastal of Agrippa – Built in honor of Eumenes II of Pergamon in 178 BC to commemorate his victory in the Panathenaic Games chariot race.

The Temple of Athena Nike – It the smallest temple on the Acropolis hill. Built between 426 and 421 BC, it was dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike.

The Erechtheion – The Erechtheion is one of the most important structures on the Acropolis. It was built between between the years 421 and 406 BC and used to house the ancient wooden cult statue of Athena. Here you can admire the exact copies of the famous Caryatids (or korai) which represented the women who brought sacred items to the feasts of the gods. (The originals have been moved to the Acropolis Museum.)

Odeon of Herodes Atticus – This theater was built around 161 AD by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Regilla. Later, it was renovated in 1950 and special events/concerts are held here.

Recommendations for your visit:

Pro Tip: The closest metro station to the Southern Slope entrance is the Acropoli stop. Conveniently, it is also right next to the Acropolis Museum.

You will want to arrive as close to the opening time as possible! This is especially important if you are hoping to avoid the crowds and get good photos of the Parthenon. There are two entrances to the Acropolis here and at the South Slope. Personally, I recommend going to the South Slope entrance because it seems less busy (I’ve been twice now at different times of the year).

From the entrance, I recommend walking directly up to the top (even though this means passing a number of ancient ruins to begin with). On the way, you will pass through archeological sites and walk towards the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. From there, you will turn right and go up the steps and through the Propylaea Gate. From that point, walk straight ahead to the Parthenon. Once you are finished at the Parthenon, be sure to take some time to admire the other buildings on top of the Acropolis. And, don’t forget to enjoy the great views looking out over the city of Athens!

Afterwards, I suggest taking a leisurely pace back down the way you came. This way, you can take an appropriate amount of time to appreciate everything that you passed on your way up.

Overall, an average visit will take anywhere from 1.5 – 2 hours. But, it could also take longer, depending on how often you stop for photos and how much of the signage you are committed to reading.

2. Tips for Visiting the Other Ancient Sites in Athens

List of Other Ancient Sites in Athens

Temple of Olympian Zeus – One of the largest buildings ever built in the ancient world. Originally, it had 104 columns. Unfortunately, only 15 of them remain standing.

Hadrian’s Arch – Free – It is believed that this arch was built to celebrate the arrival of Emperor Hadrian’s arrival to Athens. It was originally part of a wall that separated the old and new portions of the Athens city.

Ancient Agora – This was the center of public life for Ancient Athenians. Here, citizens took part in administrative, political, judicial, commercial, social, cultural and religious activities. Here, you will also find the Ancient Agora of Athens Museum within the Stoa of Attalos.

Roman Agora – The Roman Agora was constructed with the combined funds of Julius Ceasar and Augustus. It became the commercial and administrative center of Athens after approximately 267 AD.

Hadrian’s Library – This three story library was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It contained books, reading rooms, teaching rooms, and more. Overall, it was an important place for learning and philosophy.

Some Recommendations for Your Visit

1. You will definitely want to pair your visit to Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus together since they are super close to one another. They are also just a short 5 minute walk from the Southern Slope of the Southern Slope of the Acropolis.

2. Hadrian’s Arch will take you only a few short minutes to take a photo and the Zeus Temple will take just a few minutes to look over the fence, or about 15-20 minutes if you decide to go in.

3. In my opinion, the Ancient Agora of Athens is well worth a visit. First of all, it is a lot harder to see this site from the outside. Second, you will find that multiple buildings in this area are still standing such as the temple of Hephaestus and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos. Here, you will learn more about the public life of Ancient Athenians. A visit to the Ancient Agora will take approximately 1.5 hours.

4. The Ancient Agora of Athens and the Roman Agora of Athens are only a 5 minute walk away from each other. So, it would be easy to pair these activities with one another.

5. The ruins of the Roman Agora occupies a much smaller space compared to the Ancient Agora of Athens. Much of it can also be seen from the outside. If you do decide to go in, it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to walk around and see all of it.

6. The ruins of Hadrian’s Library is located just a couple minute’s walk from the Roman Agora, so it would be easy to pair these things together.

In Conclusion

I hope this post has offered you some valuable advice to help you better plan your visit to the ancient sites in Athens! I hope you have an amazing time on your trip!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine