Free Things to Do
Athens is unusually generous if you know when to turn up. These are the things that genuinely cost nothing, with the official source for each so you can check before you go.
Free admission days at state museums and sites
Entry to every state run archaeological site, monument and museum is free on these dates: 6 March, in memory of Melina Mercouri; 18 April, International Monuments Day; 18 May, International Museums Day; the last weekend of September for European Heritage Days; and 28 October, the national holiday. On top of that, entry is free on the first and third Sunday of the month, but only from 1 November to 31 March. There is no free Sunday between April and October, which catches a lot of people out in summer. That includes the Acropolis.
Ministry of Culture, the official listStavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center
The single best source of free things to do in Athens, and it runs all year. Open air film screenings on the Great Lawn, yoga and pilates in the park, running club, mini basket and volleyball, tai chi, kayaking on the canal, chess, kids' workshops, guided tours and the dancing fountains. Most of it is free, some needs a free booking in advance. The park itself is free and open daily.
Full programmeUnder 25 and from the EU
If you are an EU citizen aged 25 or under, entry to state archaeological sites and museums is free all year on production of your ID or passport. Under 18s from outside the EU get the same. Worth knowing before you queue for a ticket.
Who qualifiesThe city itself
The Sunday changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Syntagma, the walk up Filopappou Hill for the Acropolis view without the ticket, the Sunday flea market at Monastiraki, and the climb up Lycabettus. None of it costs anything.
Free admission dates confirmed against the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, checked 27 August 2026. Dates can change, so check before travelling.