In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Ancient Agora is €20, €10 reduced, from the Ministry of Culture’s shop at tickets.hh.gr, and the ticket is for a timed entry. It closes at 17:00 from 1 November to 31 March, two hours after the smaller city sites, which close at 15:00. The Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved temple of the 5th century BC according to the operator, is on the hill at the west edge. The Stoa of Attalos houses the Agora Museum, which opens at 10:00 on Tuesdays. It is free on the first and third Sunday from 1 November to 31 March and on six days a year. Or book a tour: the Acropolis and Ancient Agora tour with both entrancesad is from €85.50 (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
Hellenic Heritage sells the tickets for the Ministry of Culture at tickets.hh.gr, and describes the site at hh.gr. Search results for “Ancient Agora tickets” include several sites with the monument’s name in their web addresses that are resellers. Prices are per person.
| Ticket | Price | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Full | €20 | Everyone not in a group below |
| Reduced | €10 | EU citizens over 65, from 1 October to 31 May; chaperones on school trips |
| Free | €0 | EU citizens up to 25; children up to 18 from outside the EU; everyone on the free days below |
- Timed entry. The ticket is for a time. Last admission is 20 minutes before closing. The Digital Guide app is included.
- Separate tickets. The Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the Roman Agora each have their own: see Athens archaeological sites for what each costs. The combined ticket ended in March 2025.
The free days
Entry is free for everyone on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March (1 and 15 November, 6 and 20 December 2026; 3 and 17 January, 7 and 21 February, 7 and 21 March 2027), and on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. The next is 28 October 2026. UK, US, Canadian and Australian visitors aged 18 to 25 pay in full. Free things to do in Athens has the full calendar.
Where to buy
GetYourGuide’s prices are its lowest “from” prices.
| What | The Ministry | GetYourGuide | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry ticket | €20, Digital Guide included | €26 for an entry-only listing, with audio | The Ministry’s shop, tickets.hh.gr |
| Acropolis and Agora with a guide | €50 for the two tickets | From €85.50, both tickets and the guide | GetYourGuide, if you want the guide |
Tours worth paying for
Athens Walks Acropolis and Ancient Agora with all entrances
From €85.50 · 4 hours · 641 reviews
Acropolis & Ancient Agora Guided Tour including all Entrancesad is run by Athens Walks in English, with a licensed guide and headsets. The Acropolis and Ancient Agora tickets are included. You meet at Porinou 5, a short walk from the Acropolis Metro station, climb the south slope, cross the Acropolis, and finish at the Agora, spending about 30 minutes there plus 10 at the Temple of Hephaestus. Participants under 18 should carry a picture of their passport or ID. Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
What to see
The Agora was the centre of public life in ancient Athens: an open square below the Acropolis, the Areopagus and the Agoraios Kolonos hill, used for shopping, religious ceremonies, theatre, games and meetings. The American School of Classical Studies has excavated it since 1931. The order that follows the buildings from the museum up to the temple:
The Temple of Hephaestus above the Agora. Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- The Stoa of Attalos and its museum. The restored stoa houses the finds from the excavations. On Tuesdays the museum opens at 10:00, and the rest of the site opens at 08:00.
- The foot of the hill. The Bouleuterion, where the laws were drafted, the Tholos, the seat of the executive representatives, and the State Archives.
- The rest of the square. Stoas, altars, temples, fountains, an odeum and a library lined the ancient road from the Dipylon to the Acropolis, which the Panathenaic procession followed.
- The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena Ergane. On the hill, last. Widely known as the Theseion, it is the best-preserved temple of the 5th century BC.
The colonnade of the restored Stoa of Attalos. Photo: Jorge Láscar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
What to skip: nothing on the site. In winter the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library and Kerameikos close at 15:00 and the Agora at 17:00, so put the Agora last.
Practical information
- Where: 24 Adrianou Street, 105 55. Metro Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3) or Thiseio (line 1); 4 minutes on foot from Monastiraki Square and 14 minutes from Syntagma Square. Bus lines 025 and 026 stop at Monastiraki.
- Hours: 1 April to 31 August 08:00 to 20:00; 1 to 15 September 08:00 to 19:30; 16 to 30 September 19:00; 1 to 15 October 18:30; 16 to 31 October 18:00; 1 November to 31 March 08:00 to 17:00. Last admission is 20 minutes before closing. The Museum of the Stoa of Attalos opens at 10:00 on Tuesdays.
- Closed: 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday (2 May 2027), 25 and 26 December. It was closed on 7 and 21 December 2025, both free Sundays, for restoration works.
- Heat: the Agora closed from 12:00 to 17:00 on 22 to 27 July 2025 with the Acropolis and the other city sites.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: a midday arrival in a heatwave. In July 2025 the closures ran from 12:00 to 17:00.
The Acropolis is a few minutes’ walk above the Agora. The Roman Agora and Hadrian’s Library are 4 minutes away on the other side of Monastiraki, and Monastiraki’s flea market is at the station. Plaka and Anafiotika start at the foot of the Acropolis. What to book before you go to Athens has the closed days for every sight. Lunch round Monastiraki is in best souvlaki in Athens and where to eat in Athens, and the heat closures by month are in the best time to visit Athens. Athens in one or two days puts the Agora in the afternoon.
Common questions
How much is the Ancient Agora of Athens?
€20 for adults and €10 reduced. Entry is timed, with the last admission 20 minutes before closing, and a Digital Guide is included. The Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and the Roman Agora are separate tickets.
What are the Ancient Agora's opening hours?
1 April to 31 August 08:00 to 20:00; 1 to 15 September 19:30; 16 to 30 September 19:00; 1 to 15 October 18:30; 16 to 31 October 18:00; 1 November to 31 March 17:00. On Tuesdays the Museum of the Stoa of Attalos opens at 10:00.
When is the Ancient Agora free?
For everyone on the first and third Sunday of each month from 1 November to 31 March, and on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October. EU citizens up to 25 and children up to 18 from outside the EU are free any day.
What is the best-preserved building in the Ancient Agora?
The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena Ergane, which the operator describes as the best-preserved temple of the 5th century BC. It stands on the Agora hill.
How do I get to the Ancient Agora?
The address is 24 Adrianou Street. It is a 4-minute walk from Monastiraki Square and 14 minutes from Syntagma Square; Metro Monastiraki (lines 1 and 3) or Thiseio (line 1).
Does the Ancient Agora close in the heat?
On 22 to 27 July 2025 it closed from 12:00 to 17:00 with the Acropolis and the other Athens sites, during a heatwave.
