I’m trying to come up with a reasonable itinerary for 3 days in Athens. Would it be better to tour the Acropolis or the Agora first? I know the RS guide recommended plan is the agora then the acropolis, but there is no explanation why. Does it make more sense to see them in a specific order? Or am I overthinking it. Any recommendations would be helpful!
Posted by
Freedonia
16269 posts
The only suggestion I will make is get to the Acropolis when it opens to beat the crowds. You could tour the Agora afterwards.
That's what I did and when I left the Acropolis the lines were crazy. And that was in April of last year.
Posted by
Reno, NV, USA
2547 posts
We did the Acropolis first and then the Agora.
Posted by
France Southwest
2318 posts
Another argument for choosing the Acropolis first and early in the morning:
Acropolis: stairs, slopes, lots of people, no shade
Agora: flat land, fewer people, shade (Stoa of Attalos and trees)
Posted by
585 posts
I did the Acropolis first, then the Agora. It was about 8 years between the two visits! I found the Agora way more interesting than the Acropolis, could be because most of the buildings were off limits due to the reconstruction work. But the views are stupendous. There is nice walk around the base of the Acropolis to the Agora, take water and a hat and great views of the Acropolis from a different angle.
I don’t think it really matters in which order you see them,
Posted by
WestCentral MN
355 posts
The Agora has more shade available, so do the Acropolis first. That's what we did, and we were grateful for the shade in the Agora! The earlier you go to the Acropolis, the less people there will be. We went twice--the first time on our own right at opening. The second time was with a group tour at about 10:30 a.m. There was a HUGE difference in the number of people on top.
Posted by
Nanaimo, BC, Canada
1441 posts
Get to the Acropolis 20 minutes before opening. It will be cooler and the group tours will not have arrived yet. It a great experience sharing it with a couple hundred people rather than a couple thousand which will arrive within the next hour. When it starts to get crowded head down to the Agora. This early you will still be before the crowds so its not going got be terribly busy. When you are finished either head to the Roman Agora or to a taverna for a snack and a refreshing beverage.