Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets open the fenced precinct of the Olympieion in central Athens, where 15 colossal Corinthian columns still stand south-east of the Acropolis. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.
The sections below cover the tickets you can book, the combined Athens ticket, the audio tour, the way there, the columns, the history, Hadrian’s Arch, the temple after Rome, the visit length, timing, packing, booking and nearby sights for Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets, with links into the Temple of Olympian Zeus pages. The tickets shown are checked on GetYourGuide.
What do Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets cover?
Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets cover entry to the fenced Olympieion site in central Athens. This includes the ruined temple of Zeus, head of the Olympian gods. The ticket covers the whole fenced area, not just one building.
The site has its own single ticket. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets open the gate to the whole archaeological zone. Visitors walk freely inside the fence and see the remains up close.
The temple of Zeus stands at the heart of the site. Zeus was the head of the Olympian gods in Greek myth. Seeing his ruined temple helps visitors picture ancient Greek religion and power.
Which Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets can you book?
GetYourGuide sells two Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets. One adds an audio tour on the visitor’s own phone, and the other gives entrance only. The audio version arrives as an e-ticket. Each one opens the same fenced site.
The first option is called “Athens: Temple of Olympian Zeus Ticket and Audio Tour”. It runs for 1 to 2 hours. It pairs an e-ticket with a self-guided audio tour on the phone. The walk ends at the Balaneion, an ancient Greek public bath. This option holds more than 220 reviews.
The second option is “Athens: Temple of Olympian Zeus Entrance Ticket”. It runs for 1 hour and gives entrance only. These Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets suit visitors who explore without audio.
- “Athens: Temple of Olympian Zeus Ticket and Audio Tour” — 1 to 2 hours, e-ticket with self-guided audio tour
- “Athens: Temple of Olympian Zeus Entrance Ticket” — 1 hour, entrance only
Does the combined Athens ticket include the Temple of Olympian Zeus?
Yes, the combined archaeological ticket for central Athens includes the Olympieion. It also covers the Acropolis and other ancient sites. Buying it makes sense when you plan to visit more than one place. It covers seven sites in all.
The combined ticket covers seven sites across central Athens. These are the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Kerameikos, Aristotle’s Lyceum and the Olympieion. One ticket opens all of them.
The Ancient Agora tickets page covers the next site on the same combined ticket. Single Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets suit a short visit to one site.
- Acropolis
- Ancient Agora
- Roman Agora
- Hadrian’s Library
- Kerameikos
- Aristotle’s Lyceum
- Olympieion
What does the audio tour explain?
The audio tour runs on your own phone, so you set your own pace. It explains the colossal remains at the heart of Athens. The walk ends at the Balaneion bath. No group or fixed schedule is needed.
Because the tour plays on your phone, you can pause whenever you like. Walk slowly, stop, and listen again at any point. The audio version of Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets suits families and anyone who prefers a relaxed visit.
The tour ends at the Balaneion, an ancient Greek public bath. That stop adds a new layer to the visit. It shows that the site held more than a temple.
Where is the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and how do you get there?
The site lies about 500 metres south-east of the Acropolis, between the Acropolis and Ardittos hill. It is about 700 metres south of Syntagma Square. The Akropoli metro station on Line 2 is close by.
Hadrian’s Arch stands beside the busy avenue at the edge of the site. It marks the spot as you approach. The National Garden and the Panathenaic Stadium lie nearby, so one walk links three landmarks.
Arriving by metro at Akropoli keeps the walk short. From Syntagma Square, the route heads south past the National Garden. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets are then used at the fenced entrance.
What do you see inside the site?
The site holds standing columns, a fallen column, and the huge platform. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets open the walkway around these ruins. The inner room and the cult statue are gone. Visitors walk where the ancient worshippers once stood.
The temple once held 104 columns made of Pentelic marble. Each column used the Corinthian order, with carved leaves at the top. This was the first major temple to put Corinthian columns on the outside. With Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets, visitors stand below the capitals and see the leaf pattern.
Fifteen columns still stand today. Thirteen stand at the south-east corner in a long row. Two more stand alone near the south-west corner. A sixteenth column lies on the ground. A storm toppled it in the 19th century. Walk around it to see how thick the drums are.
The platform under the columns shows the full size of the building. It gives a clear sense of scale. Stand at one corner and look along the length. The rows of drums on the ground show how the columns were built.
- Columns standing today: 15
- Columns in the original temple: 104
- Column height: 17 metres
- Column width: 2 metres
- Platform size: 41 by 108 metres
- Marble type: Pentelic
Why did the temple take 638 years to finish?
Work on the temple stopped and restarted across six centuries. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets let visitors see the result of that long delay. Politics, war, and money all played a part. The finished temple came much later than the first plan.
In the 6th century BC, the tyrant Peisistratus built an earlier temple on this spot. His sons Hippias and Hipparchos then began the colossal new temple. Work stopped when Hippias was expelled from Athens. The new democracy left the project unfinished.
Aristotle later cited the temple as an example of how tyrants kept people busy with great works. This shows the political side of the project. Big building projects gave rulers a way to hold attention and power.
Centuries passed before work returned. In the 2nd century BC, the Seleucid king Antiochus IV revived the project. The Roman architect Decimus Cossutius led the work. He changed the design to marble and the Corinthian order. Work stopped again when Antiochus died.
In the 1st century BC, the Roman general Sulla took columns to Rome. He used them for the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. That theft left fewer columns for the Athenian temple.
The emperor Hadrian finally completed and dedicated the temple in the 2nd century AD. He then took the title “Panhellenios”. The whole project lasted about 638 years from the first plan to the end.
- 6th century BC: Peisistratus builds an earlier temple on the site
- Late 6th century BC: Hippias and Hipparchos begin the colossal temple
- After Hippias is expelled: work stops and the democracy leaves it unfinished
- 2nd century BC: Antiochus IV revives the project with Decimus Cossutius
- 1st century BC: Sulla takes columns to Rome
- 2nd century AD: Hadrian completes and dedicates the temple
What is Hadrian’s Arch beside the temple?
Hadrian’s Arch is a marble gateway standing beside the temple avenue. It marks the edge of the old and new parts of Athens. The arch can be seen from the street without a ticket. It adds meaning to the temple visit.
The arch stands at the north-west edge of the temple precinct, beside the avenue. The Athenians raised it in honour of Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. It thanks the emperor who finished their long-delayed temple.
One side of the arch reads “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus”. The other side reads “This is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus”. These two lines split the city in two.
The arch sits outside the paid area, so it needs no Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets. It works well as a first stop before entering the temple grounds. More detail about the arch appears in this Hadrian’s Arch in Athens page.
What happened to the temple after Rome?
After Rome, the temple was attacked, ruined, and quarried for stone. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets now show only a fraction of the original building. Excavation work in the 19th century brought the site back to view. The ruins tell the story of slow decline.
In the 3rd century AD, a Germanic invasion pillaged the temple. This happened about a century after Hadrian completed it. The attack began the long fall into ruin.
In later centuries, people quarried the temple for building stone. Blocks and drums were carried off for other projects. That is why Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets show so little of the original building.
The first modern excavations around the temple took place in the 19th century. Digging cleared the ground and exposed the standing columns again. The work made the site visible to visitors once more.
How long does a visit with Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets take?
A simple visit is listed at 1 hour. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets with an audio tour are listed at 1 to 2 hours. The site is open and easy to walk. The columns and the arch fill the visit.
One hour gives time to walk the platform and see the standing columns. It also covers the fallen column and the arch outside. The route is short and flat.
The longer option with an audio tour runs 1 to 2 hours. The extra time allows slower reading of the site. It also leaves room to study the arch inscriptions.
Which time of day suits a visit?
The open precinct has little shade around the columns, so summer middays are hot. Morning and late afternoon light falls on the marble, and the Acropolis stands in view to the north-west. Check Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets for entry times.
Each listing shows its own entry times, so check the one you plan to buy. Arrive early to walk the gravel paths before the sun climbs high. Late afternoon gives softer light on the marble and a clear view north-west.
Plan around the heat in summer. The columns stand in open ground with no cover overhead. Carry water and a hat, and pause in shade near the edges. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets list exact slots, so match them to your day.
What do you bring to the Temple of Olympian Zeus?
Bring comfortable shoes for the gravel and stone ground, plus a hat, sunscreen and water. Carry a charged phone and earphones for the audio tour. Keep the e-ticket on the phone so Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets scan at entry.
The ground is uneven, so flat, closed shoes help with balance. Sunscreen and a hat protect skin on open paths. A water bottle keeps you going between the columns and the exit.
Charge the phone before leaving the hotel. The audio tour runs on the visitor’s own device and earphones. Store the e-ticket in an offline folder in case signal drops at the gate.
- Comfortable shoes for gravel and stone ground
- Hat and sunscreen for open paths
- Water bottle for the walk
- Charged phone and earphones for the audio tour
- E-ticket saved on the phone
How do you book and cancel Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets?
Pick the date and the number of visitors on GetYourGuide, then pay online. The e-ticket arrives by email, ready on the phone. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start on listings that offer it.
Choose the date first, then set the visitor count. Pay online and wait for the confirmation email. Save the e-ticket to the phone before the visit day.
Check the listing for free cancellation before paying. Where it applies, cancel up to 24 hours before the start. The combined archaeological ticket for central Athens also covers the site. Compare both options before booking Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets.
Which sights pair with the temple on the same day?
Hadrian’s Arch sits at the edge of the site. The National Garden and the Zappeion lie just to the east. The Acropolis stands about 500 metres north-west, with Plaka below it. Syntagma Square lies about 700 metres north.
Start at the arch, then walk east into the National Garden. The National Garden in Athens offers shade and paths for a slow break after the open precinct.
Continue east to the Panathenaic Stadium, the marble stadium of the first modern Olympic Games. Read more at Panathenaic Stadium. Then head north-west to the Acropolis and finish in Plaka below it.
- Hadrian’s Arch at the edge of the site
- National Garden and Zappeion to the east
- Panathenaic Stadium, a short walk east
- Acropolis about 500 metres north-west
- Plaka, the old quarter below the Acropolis
- Syntagma Square about 700 metres north
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the columns without Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets?
The columns can be seen through the fence and from the street without a ticket. Walking among them needs a ticket. Views from the street need no ticket. Plan the visit around Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets if close access matters.
Does the single Acropolis ticket cover the temple?
The single Acropolis ticket does not cover the temple. The combined archaeological ticket for central Athens does cover it. Check which option fits the day before paying. Temple of Olympian Zeus tickets are also sold on their own for this site.
How far is the site from the Acropolis?
The site lies about 500 metres from the Acropolis. The walk is short and flat, so both fit in one morning. Wear shoes for gravel and stone. Allow time for photos with the Acropolis in view to the north-west.
Do you need your own phone for the audio tour?
The audio tour needs the visitor’s own phone and earphones. Charge the device before arrival. Keep the e-ticket on the same phone for a smooth entry.