Acropolis Tickets

Posted by carol_seiler on 04/04/17 01:05 AM

We will be in Athens on May 30 from a cruise ship which arrives around noon and leaves by 8:30pm.

In Rick Steves' 2016 Mediterranean cruise ports guide under the Acropolis ticket section, RS mentions that for 20 € you get entry to the major ancient sites including Ancient Agora, Roman Forum, cemetery, temple of Olympian Zeus, Library of Hadrian, and Theater of Dionysus.

Did any of this change for 2017 as
I've been reading about a 30€ ticket and it mentions many of the same sites plus a few more.

I just want to make sure that the places stated for the 20€ price is correct . Do you think it would be better to buy the 20€ ticket in our time constraints. Also, should we purchase the tickets online and pay the extra 7€ avoiding any long queues? Is the only place to buy the Acropolis ticket, at the Acropolis ticket office or could you buy the Acropolis at any ancient site?
Thanks for clarifying these issues?

Posted by Lee

Camarillo, California

04/04/17 01:50 AM

3122 posts

Both €20 and €30 tickets are available: https://archaeology-travel.com/travel-tips/buying-tickets-for-the-acropolis-and-other-ancient-sites-in-athens

Posted by Melissa and Brad

Boise

04/04/17 03:16 PM

45 posts

Lee - from what I read from your helpful post it sounds like they take a stub off the ticket for each site you visit (for the 30Euro ticket). So if we wanted to see all five sights but, say, visit the Acropolis once at night and once during the day, we would not be able to do that?

Posted by tommyk5

NH (USA)

04/04/17 04:04 PM

1157 posts

A ticket to the Acropolis including the North and South Slopes costs 20 Euro but won't get you access to anything else.

30 euros will get you access to all the sites you mentioned. However, you'll have to hustle to see them all. The Acropolis, Theater of Dionysus (just below the Acropolis on south side) & Ancient Agora are fairly close to each other, but Hadrian's Library is back toward Monistiraki Square area, Hadrian's Arch and Temple to Zeus is just outside the Plaka area across a busy street and will take a bit of a walk and Kerimikos Cemetery is nearer the Acropolis but will take a good walk to get to also.

If you are in good shape, can walk up and down the Acropolis and on to the other sites you may be able to see them all. If I had to eliminate what to see it would be Temple to Zeus (just a few columns standing) & Hadrian's Arch (impressive but not mandatory).

I would concentrate on the Acropolis, Theater of Dionysus, Ancient Agora and Cemetery and if you have time go to Hadrian's Library and Roman Forum.

Since your ship arrives around noon and it will take time to get to the sites from the port you'll have to deal with crowds and reduce the amount of time you have to see everything.

You can buy tickets at any archeological site.

May 30 will be outside High Season so there'll be less tourists but still enough to get in the way, especially at the Acropolis. The other sites will be fine just about any time, especially the Cemetery.

Posted by Lee

Camarillo, California

04/04/17 04:39 PM

3122 posts

I can't answer your last question to me since I've never purchased the €30 ticket. But I can tell you that if you are not intending to visit the National Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum you are missing some of the best aspects of what Greece's history is about. I understand you have limited time, but you should at least go to the Acropolis Museum since it's close to the Parthenon.