Acropolis Sunrise

You know you’ve had a good trip when you have really good memories. I was away for two months and collected many a memory, but a definite stand out day was the morning my flat mates and I trekked up to the Acropolis in Athens to see the sunrise.

I am not a morning person, but I love anything about Ancient Greece. So if I was going to see one great thing during my 24 hours in Athens, it was going to be the Parthenon. It was an amazing place to visit and absolutely worth the early wake up. The ruins are beautiful and so detailed (like the ruins we visited in Italy a couple years ago, the craftsmanship from thousands of years ago blew my mind); and the view of Athens is spectacular. One day, I hope that technology advances so that people can walk through the restored ruins without worry of damaging the stone.

If you love dogs (and I do), you will inevitably meet at least one. The grounds outside of the site are a popular dog walking spot and the caretakers seem to own a couple dogs.

TOURIST TIPS:

Go Early: Avoid lineups and the heat. Athens is HOT in the summer. But not too early. When I had suggested an Acropolis sunrise to Carrie and Danny, they were game. So there we were, all gung-ho and out the door by 6:30; but did we remember to look up when the Acropolis opens? Nope. FYI, the ticket office opens at 8:00. 😉

Sunrise: Should you end up there before opening, I do recommend watching the sunrise from Areios Pagos Hill. We stumbled upon it while walking through the park and it was the best place we could have watched the sun come up. It’s a nice little hike and a great way to start the day.

Admission: When you purchase your admission to the Acropolis, you have then purchased a pass valid at other amazing historical sites in Athens including: Ancient Agora of Athens, Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos, Hadrian’s Library, Kerameikos, Museum of the Ancient Agora, North slope of Acropolis, Olympieio, Roman Agora of Athens, South Slope of Acropolis. It’s €12 full price and a reduced price of €6 for university students and EU senior citizens. We found this out after the fact and also had very little time in Athens, but, next time! There are also free admission days. More info here.

Hydrate: As I mentioned, Athens is HOT in the summer. Make sure you have a bottle of water handy, even in the morning.

Acropolis no-no’s:

• Don’t eat or drink coloured drinks when you enter the site. They worry about the marble. The staff member pounced when she saw us eating our Clif bars. Water is okay though.
• Don’t take 1-2-3 jump photos and most importantly, don’t take photos where your pose involves having one foot off the ground (like Dancer Pose). Someone will jump out of a little cabin and tell you “no gymnastics!” True story.