Acropolis Museum tickets: entry, excavation and practical visit planning

History: from the museum on the hill to the present building

The first museum on the Acropolis was founded in 1865 and completed in 1874. Continued excavations soon outgrew that building, and later additions and post-war refurbishment still could not solve the space problem for the collection.

An architectural competition held in 2000 selected the design by Bernard Tschumi and Michael Photiades. The present museum was built about 300 metres from the Acropolis monuments and opened on 20 June 2009, with the archaeological remains beneath it incorporated into the visit.

Why visit the Acropolis Museum?

Visit for the objects and stories that give the hill more context: sculpture, architectural fragments, daily-life finds and the relationship between the galleries and the monuments above. The museum is an independent attraction, not simply an indoor continuation of an Acropolis ticket.

It is also a useful choice for families, visitors who prefer an accessible indoor route and anyone who wants to examine the Parthenon sculpture display without the pace and terrain of the archaeological site.

Tickets and entry options: museum only or a real combination

The museum confirms that its ticket is independent from admission to the Acropolis hill. Standard museum admission covers the exhibition areas and the archaeological excavation below; a third-party option must name the hill separately before you treat it as a combination.

Ticketory currently lists both a museum ticket with a smartphone audio guide and a guided combination covering the museum and Acropolis. The product pages below were opened on 3 October 2026; confirm the selected language, date, meeting point and option-specific inclusions again at checkout.

Ticket price: check eligibility before paying

On 3 October 2026 the official museum page listed general admission at €20 and reduced admission at €10. Reduced and free tickets are issued at the museum ticket desk after eligibility documents are checked; use the current official tariff rather than treating these figures as permanent.

Ticketory prices vary by product, date and selected option. Compare the same visit: museum entry alone, entry with audio, or a genuinely combined guided visit. A higher total is not comparable unless its second admission or guiding service is something you actually want.

Opening hours: the museum and excavation can differ

For 1 November–31 March, the official schedule lists the museum Monday–Thursday 09:00–17:00, Friday 09:00–22:00 and Saturday–Sunday 09:00–20:00. The excavation below closes at 17:00 throughout the winter period, with last entry at 16:30.

For 1 April–31 October, the museum lists Monday 09:00–17:00, Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–20:00 and an extended Friday closing at 22:00. The excavation follows the Monday and Tuesday–Sunday pattern but not the late Friday museum hours. Check dated closures and reduced holiday hours before travel.

How to get there and where to arrive

The museum address is 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou, 11742 Athens. The nearest metro station is Akropoli on line 2; the nearest city-bus and trolley stop listed by the museum is Makrigianni.

Independent entry and a guided combination may begin in different places. Follow the final Ticketory voucher for a guided product rather than navigating only to the museum entrance, and allow time for security screening even when the ticket avoids the sales line.

Highlights: connect the galleries with the hill

Build the visit around a few anchors: the Gallery of the Slopes, the open Archaic Gallery, the Caryatids and the Parthenon Gallery. The view towards the Acropolis helps reconnect the displayed sculpture with the monument it was made for.

Leave time for the archaeological excavation beneath the building if it matters to you. It is included in museum admission, but its timetable can end before the galleries on late-opening days.

Tips before you enter

The museum uses entrance security and asks visitors to leave large purses, bags and backpacks in the ground-floor cloakroom. Amateur photography is generally allowed without flash or tripods, except in the Archaic Acropolis Gallery.

Ramps, lifts and accessible toilets are available, and the visitor-services information includes wheelchairs, family backpacks, trails, strollers and a parents’ room. Check availability on the day if one of these services is essential.

• Download any audio guide before arrival and bring headphones.
• Keep proof of age, nationality or eligibility for an official concession.
• Do not assume an audio guide includes admission unless the product says so.
• Use the final voucher’s meeting point for a guided combination.

Average time: allow two to three hours

Our planning allowance is two to three hours for the galleries and excavation at a comfortable pace. This is an editorial estimate, not an official slot length; a focused visit may be shorter and close reading can take longer.

If you are also visiting the Acropolis hill, add the visits rather than folding the museum into the hill’s duration. Keep a break between them or split them across days when the confirmed times would otherwise make the day rushed.

• Choose whether to visit the Acropolis or museum first

Winter tips: use the excavation cutoff as the constraint

In winter the indoor museum remains open later on Friday and the weekend, but the excavation below is listed only until 17:00 each day. Visit the excavation first if it is a priority, then return to the galleries within the terms of your admission.

The museum closes on 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25–26 December, and lists shorter hours on 24 and 31 December. Recheck the official calendar for your exact date rather than relying on the weekly pattern alone.

Acropolis Museum: planning questions