Athens: Acropolis and 6 site combo ticket - is it worth it?
Is it worth buying the Athens Acropolis and 6 site combo ticket? Yes. In a nutshell. If you’re planning a trip to Athens, Greece and you want to fully geek out over as many ancient ruins as possible, then the most cost effective way to do this is with the combo ticket.
I’ll list below everything you can see with your ticket, and everything we used it for. Because maybe you might find you’re not as fussed about some of these sites as we were. But since entry to the Acropolis alone is around 20 Euros, it’s a no brainer to pay a little extra (I think we paid 30 Euros via GetYourGuide) and have instant skip-the-line access to 7 achealogical sites in Athens.
Included:
Acropolis (including the Theatre of Dionysus)
Ancient Agora (including the Temple of Hephaestus)
Karameikos Cemetary
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Roman Agora
Hadrian’s Library
Aristotle’s Lyceum
Where did we visit?
The Acropolis
This one is must. I’m not sure you’re really doing Athens right if you don’t make a trip to the top to see the Parthenon. It really is a stunning view of the city, and we could even spot our AirBnB (which, to be fair, was in an amazing location and I highly recommend staying in the shadow of the Acropolis for an Athens stay).
Heed the advice from all the other travel bloggers (and locals) who have been there and done it… Get to the Acropolis EARLY. You want to rope drop this site because it quickly gets bery busy, especially with cruise ship tour groups. We got there just after 8am and hte photo above shows how relatively quiet it was. It was a very different story by the time we started heading back down.
The Roman Agora
It’s only a short walk downhill to get to the Roman Agora from the Acropolis, so once you’ve smashed out your early visit to the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena, then you can breathe easy, cos the other sites remain fairly un-busy in comparison.
I loved the Roman Agora. We had it almost to ourselves, and there is so many little quirks and elements to explore.
Hadrian’s Library
Fellow bookworms, you know this one is a must.
Yes, you will have to use your imagination, but also, if you just take some time to let the space sink in you’ll get there. The fact that there were once reading rooms, and lecture halls, and books on books on books, and you’re now standing in the same place someone like Aristotle or Socrates stood… It’s stunning.
Ancient Agora (inlcuding the Temple of Hephaestus)
Hello. Yes. This is a superb site.
What we did not realise was how big it was. You enter near the museum end, off a small (and incredible busy) street and it tips you into antiquity. The archecture here left me speechless. The Temple of Hephaestus is one of the best preserved sites of its kind and it’s truly stunning.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
There’s quite a bit of this site that has been completely destroyed. But what remains is astounding, and again, when you imagine what it must have looked like… sheeeeeesh. Zeus must have been pleased.
Sooo… The Athens Acropolis combo ticket is well worth paying for and using, even if you don’t make it to all the sites on offer. You can purchase your ticket online before you go to Athens, or you can grab one at any of the listed sites. It’s a one-time entry deal, so don’t forget that when you head up the Acropolis, because once you leave you can’t go back in.
Happy exploring!
Written by Sarah
