Visit The Acropolis
Ticked off in December 2008
Climb the rock above Athens and stand beside the Parthenon, a temple that has shaped architecture for nearly 2,500 years.
The adventure
You climb through the Propylaea, the monumental gateway ancient Athenians walked through, and there it is: the Parthenon, honey-white against a hard blue sky. Built between 447 and 432 BC to honour Athena, it has survived life as a church, a mosque and an Ottoman gunpowder store, which Venetian cannon fire blew apart in 1687. Look closely and you spot its builders' tricks, columns that swell slightly and a floor that curves upwards, all so the temple looks perfectly straight.
Around it stand the Erechtheion, with its porch of stone maidens called the Caryatids, and the small Temple of Athena Nike. Below, Athens spreads all the way to the sea. Then walk down to the Acropolis Museum, where five of the original Caryatids stand indoors and glass floors reveal an ancient neighbourhood beneath your feet.
Why it’s epic
- The Parthenon took only around 15 years to build, under the statesman Pericles.
- Five of the six original Caryatids are in the Acropolis Museum; the sixth is in the British Museum in London.
- The museum's Parthenon Gallery faces the temple itself, with plaster casts standing in for the sculptures held in London.
- Views from the summit stretch across Athens to Lycabettus Hill and the Saronic Gulf.
What it is
The Acropolis is the ancient citadel above Athens, crowned by the Parthenon temple built in the 5th century BC.
How to do it
Buy a timed ticket online, arrive at opening time to avoid the heat and crowds, and visit the Acropolis Museum at the foot of the hill afterwards.
Top tip
Wear shoes with grip: the marble paths are polished smooth by millions of feet.
Need to know
- Entry uses timed slots and daily numbers are capped, so book online ahead, especially in summer.
- The site can close during the hottest hours in heatwaves, so check before you go in July and August.
- There is a lift for visitors with limited mobility; otherwise expect a steady climb on uneven, slippery marble.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Best time to go
- April to June, September to October
- Fly into
- ATH airport
A short-haul city break, where flights and Athens hotels cost far more than the Acropolis ticket.
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Visit The Acropolis” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.