In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Acropolis Museum is €20 and open to 22:00 on Fridays; the National Archaeological Museum is €20 and opens at 13:00 on Tuesdays. The Museum of Cycladic Art is €12 and the Byzantine and Christian Museum €8, and both are closed on Tuesdays. The Cycladic Museum is open to 20:00 on Thursdays. The state museums are free on the first and third Sunday from 1 November to 31 March; the Acropolis Museum and the Cycladic Museum keep their own rules. The Benaki Museum has its own site for tickets and hours. Or book a tour: the small-group Acropolis and Acropolis Museum tourad is from €49 (GetYourGuide).
The museums compared
Prices are the adult rate in euros, from each museum’s own site.
| Museum | Price | Hours | Closed | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acropolis Museum | €20 | Monday 09:00 to 17:00; Friday 09:00 to 22:00; other days 09:00 to 20:00 (winter Monday to Thursday to 17:00) | 1 January, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December | Separate from the Acropolis ticket |
| National Archaeological Museum | €20 | 1 May to 31 October 08:00 to 20:00; 1 November to 31 March 08:30 to 15:30 | 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December | Tuesday from 13:00 to 20:00 |
| Museum of Cycladic Art | €12; €9 reduced | Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00; Thursday 10:00 to 20:00; Sunday 11:00 to 17:00 | Tuesday; 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, 15 August, 25 and 26 December and the Easter and Clean Mondays | Under 18s free |
| Byzantine and Christian Museum | €8; €4 reduced | Monday, Wednesday to Sunday 08:30 to 15:30 | Tuesday; 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, 25 and 26 December | Galleries clear 20 minutes before closing |
| Benaki Museum | On its site | On its site | On its site |
Museum of Cycladic Art
Vasilissis Sofias Avenue and 1 Irodotou Street · €12 · closed Tuesdays
The museum shows Cycladic art, ancient Greek art, ancient Cypriot art and scenes from daily life in antiquity. The Early Cycladic marble figurines, made between about 3200 and 2300 BC, are the part the museum’s own text singles out: it says they inspired Brancusi, Modigliani and Henry Moore. Tickets are €12, or €9 for over 65s, students, ages 19 to 25 and groups of 12 or more; under 18s are free. Hours are 10:00 to 17:00 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 20:00 on Thursday, and 11:00 to 17:00 on Sunday, with the last entrance 15 minutes before closing. It is closed on Tuesdays, on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, 15 August, 25 and 26 December, and on Clean Monday (15 March 2027), Easter Monday (3 May 2027) and Holy Spirit Monday (21 June 2027). The museum is being renovated and stays open; enter through the Stathatos Mansion at Vasilissis Sofias Avenue and 1 Irodotou Street, because the entrance on Neophytou Douka Street is under construction. The café and shop need no ticket. Evangelismos Metro station is 500 metres away and Syntagma 600. See cycladic.gr.
The Museum of Cycladic Art on its street corner. Photo: George E. Koronaios, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fragments of Cycladic marble figurines of the Spedos variety in the Museum of Cycladic Art. Photo: Tilemahos Efthimiadis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Byzantine and Christian Museum
22 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue · €8 · closed Tuesdays
The museum holds over 25,000 objects dated between the 3rd and 20th centuries AD, from the Early Christian, Byzantine, medieval and post-Byzantine periods, in a permanent exhibition of five sections from the ancient world to Byzantium and the modern era. A ticket is €8, or €4 for EU citizens over 65 from 1 October to 31 May; a separate ticket may apply to temporary exhibitions. It is open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday 08:30 to 15:30, and galleries are cleared 20 minutes before closing. It is closed on Tuesdays, on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Orthodox Easter Sunday, and 25 and 26 December, and opens 12:00 to 17:00 on Good Friday. Entry is free on the state free days. The Loverdos Museum, at 6 Mavromichali Street, is free and keeps the same hours. Photography with a hand-held camera is allowed without flash. See byzantinemuseum.gr.
The courtyard of the Byzantine and Christian Museum. Photo: Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Benaki Museum
Koumbari 1, Kolonaki
The Benaki Museum of Greek Culture is at Koumbari 1 in Kolonaki. Its tickets and hours are on benaki.org.
The free days
| Museum | Free |
|---|---|
| National Archaeological Museum | The first and third Sunday from 1 November to 31 March; 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October |
| Byzantine and Christian Museum | The same state days |
| Acropolis Museum | 6 March, 25 March, 18 May and 28 October only |
| Museum of Cycladic Art | Under 18s any day |
EU citizens up to 25 and children up to 18 from outside the EU are free at the state museums on any day. UK, US, Canadian and Australian visitors aged 18 to 25 pay full price there, and the Acropolis Museum alone gives visitors under 25 from outside the EU the €10 reduced price. Free things to do in Athens has the full calendar.
Which museum on which day
| Day | Open | Closed or late |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Acropolis Museum (to 17:00), National Archaeological Museum, Cycladic, Byzantine | |
| Tuesday | Acropolis Museum | Cycladic and Byzantine closed; National Archaeological Museum from 13:00 |
| Thursday | All | Cycladic open to 20:00 |
| Friday | All | Acropolis Museum open to 22:00 |
| Sunday | All; Cycladic from 11:00 |
Practical information
- A Tuesday morning: of the large museums only the Acropolis Museum is open. The National Archaeological Museum opens at 13:00.
- Cycladic and Byzantine together: both are on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, a short walk apart, and both are closed on Tuesdays.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: a Tuesday plan built around the Cycladic or Byzantine museum.
The Acropolis and Ancient Agora fill a Tuesday morning. Athens archaeological sites includes Aristotle’s Lyceum, beside the Byzantine museum. What to book before you go to Athens has the closed days for every sight. The best time to visit Athens lists the months when the museums are the better plan, and Athens in one or two days fits them into a plan.
Common questions
Which Athens museums are closed on Tuesdays?
The Museum of Cycladic Art and the Byzantine and Christian Museum are closed on Tuesdays. The National Archaeological Museum opens at 13:00 on Tuesdays. The Acropolis Museum is open every day.
How much is the Museum of Cycladic Art?
€12 general and €9 reduced for over 65s, students, ages 19 to 25 and groups of 12 or more. Under 18s are free. It is open 10:00 to 17:00 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 20:00 on Thursday and 11:00 to 17:00 on Sunday.
How much is the Byzantine and Christian Museum?
€8, or €4 reduced for EU citizens over 65 from 1 October to 31 May. It is open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday 08:30 to 15:30. The Loverdos Museum, a short walk away at 6 Mavromichali Street, is free.
Which Athens museum is open on Friday evening?
The Acropolis Museum, until 22:00 on Fridays all year, with the last entry at 21:30. The Museum of Cycladic Art stays open until 20:00 on Thursdays.
Do the free Sundays apply to all Athens museums?
To the state museums: the National Archaeological Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum are free on the first and third Sunday from 1 November to 31 March. The Acropolis Museum and the Museum of Cycladic Art follow their own rules.
Which Athens museums are open on a Monday?
The Acropolis Museum (09:00 to 17:00), the National Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art (10:00 to 17:00) and the Byzantine and Christian Museum (08:30 to 15:30).
