Acropolis Visitor Zones Go into Effect in September

Acropolis, Athens. Photo source: Culture Ministry.

Special visitor zones aimed at easing tourist traffic to the Acropolis in Athens, and facilitating the site-seeing experience will go into effect on September 4, announced Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni this week.

In an interview to Greek radio, Mendoni went on to add that a visitor zone system would be implemented at all sites with an electronic ticketing system, as of April 1, 2024.

The decision comes after a carrying capacity study carried out by the Cultural Resources Management and Development Organization (ODAP), according to which, the maximum daily number of visitors to the Acropolis cannot exceed 20,000.

The Acropolis zones system will operate in pilot mode until March and go into full operation at the start of the tourist season in April next year, said Mendoni.

Under the plan, hourly visitor zones from 8am to 8pm will allow admission to the Acropolis of individual or group visits. The zoning program also foresees special category visits.

The program, said Mendoni, will contribute to the safety of the monument and the workers as well as to the improvement of the experience experienced by the visitor.

Acropolis, Athens. Photo source: Culture Ministry.

Referring to an increasing number of online ads offering “Skip the Line” services for easier admission to the World Heritage site, Mendoni said these were “deceptive”.

Recently, ODAP said that “no tickets allowing holders to skip the waiting queue have or will ever become available,” adding that any such promise was “misleading”.

Lastly, the minister said the Acropolis had become more accessible to people with disabilities compared to the past, adding that the lift had been upgraded among other infrastructure.