8 Tips for Visiting the Parthenon & Acropolis: 8 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Going

What should you know before visiting the Parthenon and Acropolis? Here's eight tips for your trip I wish I'd known before going.

8 Tips to Visit the Acropolis & Parthenon:

1. Go to the museum first.

We got this advice before going and we totally agree. We recommend going to the museum first to learn the history of the Parthenon so when you get up on Acropolis you know what you're looking at. Also watch the movie they show on the top level of the museum. It quickly shows you the history of the Parthenon. So interesting! And, here's good news, too: The museum's cheaper than a ticket to Acropolis. It's only 5 euro and is air conditioned:)

2. Consider splitting up your visit to the museum and Acropolis into two different days.

There's so much to learn and see! We split our visit to the museum and going up on Acropolis into two days. We (I mean Adam) likes to read every placard and sign. After several hour of this, my brain's fried. So, we spent half a day in the museum and I spent another half a day on Acropolis (Adam wasn't interested in going- so I went solo). You're learning centuries worth of history here. This makes for a great but exhausting experience if you try to cram it all in.

3. Go to the Acropolis early.

I went around lunch at the heat of the day. Mistake! This meant the lines were long to get in and it was so hot, and so bright up there. I made a lot of mistakes with no sunscreen, no water bottle, no hat. I ended my experience fried, dehydrated and exhausted. Learn from my mistakes, and make sure to pack these items. 

4. Make sure you're in the right ticket line.

To get a ticket to enter the Acropolis and head up to the top, you have to pay 20 Euro at the ticket booth. However, there's two lines to buy tickets. One line is for credit cards and the other one's for cash. There's little or no signage to know which line is which, so make sure you're in the right one. This leads to my next tip.

5. Eat before you go and pack lots of water. 

The ticket lines are long and you'll want to spend several hours exploring, so make sure you go on a full belly, pack a snack, and carry water with you to stay hydrated in the lines and up on Acropolis. There's lots of cheap gyro places with bottles of water near the entrance to the Acropolis to get stocked up. 

6. Prepare for the intense sun and bright surroundings!

This means pack your sunglasses, hat, I recommend an umbrella even, and sunscreen. The Acropolis and the area surrounding the Parthenon is very exposed to the intense sun and has little shade. To make the sun's rays even more intense, there's white rock reflecting light at every angle making it super bright up there. So, make sure you're ready for it. Check out my packing list for visiting the Acropolis and Parthenon here. 

7. Wear shoes with good traction.

The ground is uneven and it's slippery up there! The rock is so warn down from centuries of heavy traffic, I was slipping around up there with my shoes with no traction. I don't recommend flip flops. Make sure to wear shoes with good traction. Again, see my packing advice here. 

8. Take your time and enjoy it up there!

I share all of these hydration and gear tips to help you prepare for a comfortable experience so you can stay as long as you'd like learning, seeing and exploring. The Parthenon is over 2,400 years old and is still standing. What a special place in the world. Enjoy it and soak it in! 

9. Bonus: Read Before You Go

One of the biggest lessons we've learned on our travels is to read a book about the places and topics you'll be traveling to. It's just like when people tell us to read the book before seeing the movie. You learn so many more details from a book than the movie can provide. And once you see the movie, you'll know all the background details and you appreciate the visuals. Same with reading a book before you visit somewhere. By reading the history of the Parthenon before arriving, you'll have a better understanding of this special place and appreciate your visit even more. You'll be able to visualize what happened there.

We recommend these two books to learn more about Acropolis and the Parthenon before you visit:

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Gift Yourself a Great Visit to the Parthenon!

Download our Packing List for everything you'll need for your visit. 

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10 Things to Pack When Visiting the Parthenon & Acropolis in Athens, Greece

How should you prepare to visit the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Greece? I've got you covered! I made so many mistakes on my visit, so please follow my list to carry what you'll need for an enjoyable time up there.

What mistakes? First, I made the mistake of going in the heat of the day (what a bad idea!). I was up there for three or four hours soaking in the history, but there's no vegetation and shade up there, so second, I forgot a hat and sunscreen so I got blasted by the sun for all that time. Lastly, I was wearing slippery shoes and was slipping on the rocks the whole time. I ended the visit fried, dehydrated, and exhausted. I was in awe the whole times surrounded by this ancient history, but boy did my body pay for it! 

So, make sure you go early in the day and pack these items below:

10 must pack items for visiting the Acropolis & Parthenon:

1. Money

Secret Money Belt

To get a pass in, it costs €20 in the summer (€10 in the winter) and you'll be standing in line for awhile for your pass. So, make sure you have a credit card or euros on hand. And make sure you're in the right line (there's two lines at the ticket booth). There's a credit card line and a cash line and there's terrible/no signage for which one's which. So make sure you're in the right line, so you're not waiting in the wrong line to have to wait all over again. 

Here's a money belt we pack with us to tuck our money into.

2. Shoes with Good Traction

Altra Trail Running Shoes

I was shocked by how slippery the rocks were up there on Acropolis and around the Parthenon. However, if you think about it, this small area has been walked on with high traffic for centuries, so the ground has been smoothed and it's slippery. I recommend shoes with good traction to have sure footing as you're looking up at the striking columns and carvings on the Parthenon. 

During my visit I was wearing cheap and slippery shoes. I wish I'd been wearing my Altra's. They have awesome traction! 

3. Sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses

The area up on Acropolis around the Parthenon is white rock at every angle. There's barely any vegetation and it's super bright from all the light being reflected! Protect your eyes with sunglasses. 

A friend gifted us fun sunglasses like these, and life is just more fun in these. We feel like we're chilling at the beach when wearing them:)

4. Hat

Hat

Buff to protect your neck

Along with no vegetation up there, there's also little shade. Make sure you wear a hat, a big wide one, to protect your head, face, and skin. 

I forgot these things on my visit, but if I were to go again, I'd pack my hat and my buff to protect my head and neck. 

5. Sunscreen

And wear sunscreen from head to toe! 

Again, I forgot this at our Airbnb. But, we use Beyond Coastal's tiny travel size ones and love it, because it doesn't leave you greasy like other sunscreens. 

6. Umbrella

Mini Compact Travel Umbrella

Bring this too! I'm not an umbrella type even in the rain, but it's so bright up there from the sun above and the white stone reflecting light from every angle, next time I'm packing an umbrella to provide my own shade.

Here's a fun travel umbrella I found for next time:)

7. Water

Collapsable Water Bottle

Carry water, water, and more water. With that Greek sun, heat, and the amount of time you'll want to spend up there, remember to stay hydrated. It'll make for a more enjoyable experience. 

This is my favorite water bottle that I left at home and forgot to carry.

8. Snack

It's always smart to carry a snack to keep the hangry monster at bay:)

My favorite quick, compact, and healthy snacks to grab and go is some kind of bar. Larabars are my fav!

9. Camera

For your photos and video of the Parthenon! You have to capture this place! It's over 2,400 years old! What a spot in the world! Read some more fun facts here. 

I carry a small Canon Rebel. I love it because it's light and I can stow it away in my bag and get it out easily when I need it. You can check out other camera gear I carry here. 

10. Backpack

Pack all this in a collapsible backpack. 

Our friends gifted us this awesome collapsable backpack. It folds down into a tiny pocket to pack in our carry on luggage and then we unpack it and use it for our day trips. It's been a game changer for us on trips!

Have an awesome time at the Parthenon!

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Make packing easier!

1. Pin this for later here.

2. And, download this packing list to have for later, too.

Yes! I want the packing list!

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