Museums · Athens · Greece
4 best museums in Athens
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Acropolis Museum, National Archaeological Museum and Benaki Museum. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 7–9 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–9 hours
- Areas
- Makrygianni, Patission Street and Kolonaki
Museums in Athens
Museum · Makrygianni
1.Acropolis Museum
Bernard Tschumi's glass-and-concrete museum stands about 300 metres from the Acropolis over excavated ancient streets, visible through glass floors.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Patission Street
2.National Archaeological Museum
Greece's largest archaeological museum runs from prehistory to Roman times: the gold Mask of Agamemnon from Mycenae, the bronze god from Cape Artemision, the Antikythera mechanism — an ancient geared astronomical calculator — and room after room of Cycladic figurines and painted vases.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Kolonaki
3.Benaki Museum
In a neoclassical mansion opposite the National Garden, the Benaki Museum traces Greek culture from prehistory through Byzantium to the 20th century, with costumes, icons, gold jewellery and two carved wooden reception rooms taken from northern Greek mansions.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Kolonaki
4.Museum of Cycladic Art
This private museum shows the marble figurines of the Cycladic islands, made more than 4,500 years ago, whose simple folded-arm forms later fascinated Picasso, Modigliani and Brâncuși.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Makrygianni | Acropolis Museum | 2 hours |
| Patission Street | National Archaeological Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Kolonaki | Benaki Museum and Museum of Cycladic Art | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 2 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is National Archaeological Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Makrygianni and Patission Street): Acropolis Museum → National Archaeological Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Kolonaki): Benaki Museum → Museum of Cycladic Art, at least 3 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool but often sunny; almond trees blossom and the archaeological sites are at their quietest.
- November: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 7 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild, with the first autumn rains; a good month for museums and low hotel prices.
- January: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and sometimes rainy, with crisp, clear days that are ideal for walking the ruins without crowds.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Koukaki and Makrygianni — Residential streets with cafés beside the Acropolis Museum
- Kolonaki — Upscale boutiques, galleries and cafés on the slopes of Lycabettus
More of Athens
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Athens?
Acropolis Museum. Bernard Tschumi's glass-and-concrete museum stands about 300 metres from the Acropolis over excavated ancient streets, visible through glass floors.