I know the Greek islands are getting all the hype on social media these days, but don’t skip out on Athens!
Since most US airlines will have a layover in Athens before arriving at their island destination anyway, consider staying for a day or two in the capital city.
Athens is a vibrant city with great food and a ton of neighborhoods to explore- and they are of course a hub of ancient historical sites.
While there is a never ending list of places to explore, there are eight sites that are particularly popular amongst tourists: the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Kerameikos, and Aristotle’s Lyceum.
First time visitors to Greece may be wondering the best way to see these sights-
Should I buy the Athens Combo ticket? Which Athens sightseeing pass should I buy? What is an Athens turbopass?
I’ve got your answer!
There are three typical ways to explore these sites in Athens.
Single Tickets
The first and least economical option would be to buy a ticket for each site individually. This option would only be worth it if you only wanted to see one or two sites at the most- otherwise it gets to expensive to be worth your while, plus it won’t include skip the line access! Time is money, after all!
All of these tickets together will run around 80€ per person- depending on the season.
Combo Ticket
The combo ticket will run you €36 and includes skip the line tickets to:
- Acropolis
- Ancient Agora
- Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
- Kerameikos
- Aristotle’s Lyceum
Please note that this ticket does not include access to the Acropolis Museum.
Despite this missing admission, this ticket option is actually what I suggest for first time visitors- the Acropolis Museum is 15€ on its own, bringing the total cost up to 51€; still less expensive than the next, more comprehensive ticket.
This pass is good for five consecutive days, starting on the date of purchase.
Athens Pass/Turbo Pass
For 60€, the Athens City Pass offers skip the line admission to:
- The Acropolis Museum
- Acropolis
- Ancient Agora and Agora Museum
- Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion)
- Kerameikos and museum
- Aristotle’s Lyceum
The pass also includes an Athens City Audio Guide, and 10% discounts on several other attractions.
Despite the prevalence of this pass in Google searches, the turbo pass seems to be a third party provider with some mixed reviews. Given the inflated price and the prevalence of complaints, I would not recommend purchasing this for your trip.
The choice is clear: buy the Combo Ticket.
With five days to use the pass, it’s easy to visit each attraction and get your money’s worth! Don’t be turned off by the fact that the official website never seems to be working- it was easy enough to purchase a combo ticket any one of the listed attractions and that way I knew I’d bought a legitimate ticket!
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