Acropolis of Athens; Facts, entrance fee, tips and photos
Table of Contents
The Acropolis in Athens is one of the most stunning Greek monuments that is still standing in our era. This is without doubt one of the best things to do in Athens and you will know this by the number of tourists that visit this amazing Greek monumental complex. This history and facts of the Acropolis are very interesting and there is a lot to learn about these sacred ruins in Athens.
After you pay the entrance fee to the Acropolis you will be able to wander around the remains of this stunning complex. Furthermore, you can take as many cool photos as your camera can handle!
We visited this awesome place before visiting Santorini which was the ultimate destination on our Greece itinerary.
Let’s look exactly what’s included in this post;
- How to get to the Acropolis
- Where is the Acropolis entrance
- How much is the Acropolis?
- Acropolis opening hours
- Best time to visit
- Acropolis history and facts
- Where to stay
- Final thoughts
How to get to the Acropolis in Athens?
We travelled from the Athens boat pier to the Acropolis. So, if you’re doing this same route, you will want to get the X80 bus. Which is outside the boat pier. A day bus ticket in Athens will cost you around $4. Also, the bus journey from the Athens boat terminal to the Acropolis takes around 25-minutes.
Another popular option is to walk the Acropolis from Plaka and up through Dioysiou Aeropagitou. Which is the popular pedestrian street that you will see 100’s of other tourists on a normal day. If you choose to walk, you will get to see quirky shops and cafes along the streets of Athens.
You should know the weather in Athens gets very hot, so walking through the streets can get very sweaty.
How long to spend in Athens? Check out this Athens 4 day guide for a sweet itinerary.
Where is the Acropolis entrance?
There are two main entrances to the Acropolis in Athens:
- The west side of the Acropolis, which is the main tourist entrance gate.
- The east side of the complex.
You will more than likely enter through the west side as this is where the bus etc drops you off.
The complex is quite big so you don’t want to be chasing your tail around trying to find the entrance! If you’re unsure where it is, you can ask any local. All the locals of Athens should know exactly where it is and be able to point you in the right direction.
How much is the Acropolis in Athens?
The Acropolis entrance fee is 20 euros for adults and around 10-15 euros for children. This includes full access to the UNESCO protected Acropolis and places such as the tower of winds and Roman Agora.
If you like visiting amazing UNESCO sites, you need to visit the Phong Nha-ke Bang in Vietnam!
Top tip – Buy Acropolis tickets online so you can jump the queue. We queued in the heat for 10 minutes and then realised you can buy them online. It was such an easier process jumping the queue.
If you don’t want to buy the tickets online. You can wait to buy the tickets at the entrance of the Acropolis. However, this is the most popular thing to do in Athens and you will be waiting for at least 30 minutes. Which is not great in the heat!
Acropolis opening hours
The hours do change month-on-month due to the hours of the daylight. In the summer months, you can expect the Acropolis to stay open from around 8am – 7/8pm. In the winter the hours will be from around. 8/9am – 4/5pm. This is due to the low light.
Best time to visit the Acropolis?
When should I visit the Acropolis? As I’ve already mentioned this is the number tourist point in Athens and it’s a very popular UNESCO site throughout the travelling world. So, as you can expect it gets very busy. It can be a little overwhelming on the climb up the steps to the Acropolis.
Anyway, the best time to head up here is in the morning time around 9am. This way you will have the best chance to avoid the excited crowds of tourists and locals in Athens that are vision this amazing historic site. Also, you want the best photo opportunities possible.
We arrived here about 10am and there was still a lot of people around. However, by 11:30am there is double the number of tourists running around taking photos of the Acropolis.
I can only imagine how busy it gets around 2pm onwards. And, another point is the heat. The Athens weather gets hot offer midday and believe me it gets very hot on the top of the hill it stands on.
History and facts of the Acropolis
The history is the most exciting reason people travel from all over the world to see this monument. It dates back way in time and has a lot of facts and tails about it.
Let’s look at some of the cool Acropolis facts.
#Why was the Acropolis built?
To put it simply. A fierce war which led to victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy triggered a celebration. Which led to an amazing group of artists to start the design of the stunning plans of the Acropolis.
How old is the Acropolis?
It is known it was built at least 1900-1100 BCE, however some historians claim it could be even earlier.
#Military Defence
As I’ve already mentioned (further up in the post) the word Acropolis means high point. So, this high point of the Acropolis in Athens gave it the best position for military defence against possible enemies.
For this reason, the first actual structural build of the Acropolis was build for fortified defence in the 13th century. However, eventually, the Acropolis was used for religious purpose.
I find history like this totally awesome and Greek history is one of the most interesting in the world.
#The name
The Acropolis name is not actually the building. It’s a Greek word that actually means the highest point. And, the most famous building there is the Parthenon. However, there are many other historic sites atriums the Parthenon.
#Best Acropolis in Greece
It might not be the best (it is in my eyes) but it’s famous in Greece. Yes, that’s right, it’s not the only one in Greece and their other sites scattered around Greece such as the Acropolis in Argos.
#Oldest weather station in the world
Did you know on the hill of the Acropolis is a weather station what is known as the oldest weather station on earth. That’s pretty crazy, right?
Dating back over 2000 years the Tower of winds (what it’s known as) is known to have contained a water clock so the historic Athenians could tell the time after dark.
Check out this Acropolis YouTube video below, credit to the guys for filming;
Hotels in Athens
If you’re wondering where to stay in Athens? There are plenty of top hotels in Athens for you to choose from.
Let’s have a look at some popular accommodation in Athens;
Final thoughts
The Acropolis in Athens is one of the most stunning Greek monuments you will get to see in your lifetime. And no visit to Athens is complete without checking it out.
Remember the crowds get crazy busy, so set your alarm early and make your way as quickly as possible.
You can check out the Acropolis tickets site here.
Greece in the most beautiful country in entire Europe. I loved the people and nature. They are really friendly.
I wish to go back again and again in Greece.
Hey Amanda, Greece is awesome 🙂
“The Acropolis name is a Greek word that means the highest point”
Good Information.
Thanks For Sharing These Information.