The Acropolis Athens, a Unesco World Heritage site, is Athens’s absolute must-see. The day I climbed up the Acropolis was lovely and open to the public, of course being a local I was up 3 more times in the past.
On the way up to the Acropolis Athens, the marble was slippery underfoot, but I was aware of it and had the proper shoes, being very careful walking around. I came across tourists enthusiastically taking pictures. It wasn’t that crowded because I set off early and I was happy not having to use my elbows to get through.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is one of the highlights on the way up to the Acropolis Athens. By following the signs I ascended the rocky path to the Theatre of Dionysus –the first theatre of the world! Of course, there is more to see at the Acropolis than the Parthenon, structures so old it is impossible to grasp. What an astounding feeling it is to be in the middle of such ancient history!
The Acropolis Athens
Propylaea
As you approach the mountaintop, I come to the admittedly impressive Propylaea, a humbling structure made of stairs, columns and high ceilings. A gate that everyone needs to pass through as they enter the core of the site.
The Acropolis Athens
Getting to the peak of the Acropolis Athens, I pause for a while, not for breath but because the beauty of the Acropolis has finally revealed itself.
The Acropolis Athens
Everything that had been visible from a distance is in front of me but close up it takes on a new dimension. Be sure to walk below the Acropolis at night, too, when it is at its most magnificent, bathed in golden floodlighting.
The Parthenon at the Acropolis
- The Parthenon, supported by 46 Doric columns is the pinnacle of the Acropolis. It took 90 years to build and stands one thousand feet above the surface of the sea. It is one of Greece’s most treasured ruins built in the fifth century BC to house a giant golden statue of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war.
- Reportedly the 40-foot statue was carved of ivory and gold and weighed 1.140 kilos. Standing among the enormous Doric columns, was a testament to the power of the gods and must have been quite the sight to any visitor.
The Acropolis Athens
You cannot easily imagine the columns tower above and the scale. Unlike many Greek ruins, it is easy to picture the original form. The Temple is a tribute which merges the human and the divine. All of Athens, her city, lies flat below but up here, closer to the heavens, you feel displaced from the minutiae of everyday life. There is a spirituality to standing atop the Acropolis that neither time nor cynicism can destroy.
The Erechtheion of the Acropolis Athens
Erechtheion is another temple on the Acropolis. It has a unique structure including its famous Porch of the Caryatids with statues of six graceful maidens on the southern side and a four-pillared porch with six Ionic columns on the north. The one Caryatids missing is in the British Museum.
The Acropolis Athens
Feelings After the Visit
I spent half an hour up here before I start to descent and the view across Athens was like always, spectacular. For the majority of tourists who visit for the first time, the Acropolis evokes an emotional response. After the climb, they feel they ticked a major item off their bucket list!
Tips to Save Money
Buy individual tickets if you don’t have all the time to yourself.
If not wishing to visit the Acropolis but only the rest of the sites, you could save €8 with the multi-ticket.
Buying Tickets and Tips
- Buy your tickets for the Acropolis and the multi-site tickets which are valid for five days, either from the main ticket office below the main entrance to the Acropolis itself or at entrances of each of the participating archaeological sites.
- The multiple-site ticket does NOT include the Acropolis Museum or any other museum in Athens. But, again the entry fees to these museums is not too expensive. The Acropolis Museum, for example, is only €5.
- With the Multi-site ticket (€30) you have access to the Acropolis, (the Parthenon and the Erechtheion) Hadrian’s Library, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, the Archaeological site of Lykeion.
Opening hours for the Acropolis and other Archaeological sites:
Summer months Daily (April 1st) 8:00 am – 19:00 pm.
Winter months 8:00 am – 17:00 pm
Winter Tickets
From November 1st to March 31st for locals there is a 50% discount to all sites and museums thus I would neither consider buying any City Pass.
This, however, does not apply to the multi or combined tickets which cost €30 throughout the year. Consequently, during winter it is cheaper to buy your tickets individually at the ticket office to each site than purchase a multi-ticket.
First-time Athens Visitors
The Athens Museum Unlimited Pass for €55 is perfect for first-time Athens visitors
How to Avoid the Queues
For €39 you can buy a ticket for the Acropolis and a welcome talk online which includes entrance to the Acropolis, allowing you to skip queues, plus a 30-minute introductory talk by a local guide.
More Significant Sites Worth Visiting
Some more enchanting spots worth visiting besides the Acropolis when in Athens is to get to the Lycabettus Hill to have a look of the city of Athens from another angle. Kallimarmaron, where the Modern Olympic Games revived in 1896, the Ancient Agora, the Archaeological Museum and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
