The surviving Corinthian columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus standing tall against the Athens sky, with the Acropolis behind

Stand beneath the colossal columns of the greatest temple the ancient Greeks ever raised to Zeus

Temple of Olympian Zeus skip-the-line timed entry — the vast temple in the heart of Athens, begun by the tyrant Peisistratos and finished six centuries later by the Roman emperor Hadrian, with its towering Corinthian columns and Hadrian's Arch beside it. We reserve your dated hourly slot so you walk past the ticket-office queue straight to the gate.

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  • 6th C. BC Begun under Peisistratos
  • 131 AD Completed by Emperor Hadrian
  • 104 Colossal columns originally
  • 15 Columns still standing

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Most popular

Skip-the-line entry ticket

Full admission to the Temple of Olympian Zeus · your chosen date and hourly slot

€34

  • Temple of Olympian Zeus entry — the archaeological site of the colossal temple to Zeus, its surviving Corinthian columns and the great fallen column, with Hadrian's Arch beside the grounds
  • Timed-entry ticket — reserved for the date and hourly slot you choose
  • 5-minute audio history sent before your visit
  • Booking handled in your own language
  • 24/7 concierge in your language — before, during and after your visit
Reserve my entry
  • Book in your languageYour currency, final price.
  • Pro tips includedBest slots, the details most visitors walk past.
  • Ready before you flyMobile ticket, ready in your inbox.
  • 24/7 human supportReal people, any hour, any time zone — 24/7, in your own language, right through to your visit day.
4.8 from 141 verified travellers
Sophie R.
Manchester, England
“We showed our phones at the gate and walked straight in while a tour group queued at the ticket office in the sun. Standing right at the foot of those fifteen columns, you finally grasp how vast this temple was. The short audio history beforehand made the whole story of Peisistratos and Hadrian click into place.”
May 2026
David M.
Sydney, Australia
“Booking and picking our hourly slot was so easy. We took an early slot and had the columns almost to ourselves, with the Acropolis lit up behind them. The fallen column lying in its scattered drums was a highlight — you can really see how it was built.”
April 2026
Anna L.
Hamburg, Germany
“The ground is open and gets hot fast, so a hat and water matter. Reserving our slot ahead meant no queuing in the heat. We paired it with the Acropolis and stopped at Hadrian's Arch right next door — a perfect morning in central Athens.”
June 2026

Audio guide · 5-minute

Your 5-minute Temple of Olympian Zeus pre-visit briefing

A short, calm narrative — the colossal temple to Zeus in the heart of Athens, begun by Peisistratos and left unfinished, completed six centuries later by Hadrian, its giant Corinthian columns, the fallen column and Hadrian's Arch beside it. Listen on the walk over from the Acropolis or as you reach the gate.

Included with your booking — your full guide arrives with your ticket.Get your guide
  • 6th century BC — Peisistratos begins the temple on a titanic scale; it is left unfinished for centuries
  • 131 AD — the emperor Hadrian completes and dedicates it, nearly 640 years after it was begun
  • Hadrian's gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus inside, with a colossal statue of Hadrian himself alongside
  • 104 towering Corinthian columns originally; fifteen still stand, joined at the top
  • The sixteenth column, brought down by a storm in 1852, lies in scattered drums where it fell
  • Hadrian's Arch beside the site, once the gateway between the old city and Hadrian's new Athens

Recorded for Olympieion Tickets concierge. Free to download.

About Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, known in Greek as the Olympieion, was the largest temple in Greece and one of the largest ever built anywhere in the ancient world — a colossal sanctuary raised to Zeus, king of the gods, in the heart of Athens. It was begun in the 6th century BC under the tyrant Peisistratos and his sons, who planned it on a titanic scale to rival the greatest temples of the Greek east. That ambition outran the city's resources, and after the fall of the tyranny the vast building was left standing unfinished for centuries, a famous monument to overreach even in antiquity. It rises today only a short walk southeast of the Acropolis, between the Plaka and the National Garden.

The temple's story turns on the Roman emperor Hadrian. Nearly 640 years after it was begun, Hadrian, a devoted philhellene, finally completed and dedicated the temple in 131 AD, crowning it with a giant gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus in the old chryselephantine manner — and placing a colossal statue of himself alongside the god. In its finished form the temple carried 104 colossal Corinthian columns, each around seventeen metres tall, ranged in a vast forest of stone. Today fifteen of them still stand, joined together at the top by their entablature, while a sixteenth lies broken across the ground exactly where it fell during a storm in 1852, its great drums scattered like a stack of giant coins.

The Olympieion stands in the centre of modern Athens, ringed by the city yet set apart in its own open archaeological ground, with the Acropolis rising to the northwest and the greenery of the National Garden close by. Beside the site stands Hadrian's Arch, the monumental gateway that once marked the boundary between the old city of Theseus and the new city of Hadrian, free to admire from the street. The ground is open and largely unshaded, so early-morning or late-afternoon hourly slots are far kinder than the middle of the day. Because entry is timed by the hour, we handle the ticketing in your own language and reserve the slot you want, so you can give your attention to the columns instead of the queue.

Practical information

Opening hours
Open daily, year-round. Summer (roughly April–October) approx. 08:00–20:00; winter (November–March) shorter daytime hours, often around 08:00–17:00. Entry is timed by the hour and last entry is about 30 minutes before closing. Hours are set by the operator and change seasonally and on public holidays — confirm on the day of your visit.
Address
Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion), Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, Athens 105 57, Attica, Greece.
Getting there
The temple is in central Athens, a short walk southeast of the Acropolis, between the Plaka and the National Garden. The nearest metro station is Akropoli (Line 2, red), a few minutes' walk away; Syntagma (Lines 2 and 3) is also within easy reach on foot. Many visitors arrive on foot from the Acropolis, the Plaka or Syntagma Square as part of a walk through the historic centre. Hadrian's Arch stands beside the site and is free to view from the street.
Accessibility
An open archaeological site on largely level but uneven ground, with gravel and ancient surfaces around the temple platform. Sun exposure is high and shade is very limited. Sturdy shoes, a hat and water are recommended; a step-free route allows visitors with limited mobility to approach and view the columns, though some surfaces are rough — allow extra time and take care.
Bag policy
Day bags are fine. There is no large-luggage storage on site, so leave suitcases at your accommodation.
Photography
Personal photography is welcome across the site. Tripods, professional equipment and drones may require permission; posted signs take precedence.

About our service

Olympieion Tickets is an independent concierge service that helps international visitors reserve and receive their timed-entry tickets in English. We are not the archaeological site and we are not an official vendor — we purchase genuine entry tickets on your behalf from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's official ticketing service, and our service fee is included in the price you see. If you prefer to buy directly, the operator's own ticket site is tickets.hh.gr.

Plan your visit

Practical guides written by our concierge team

The Best Time to Visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus

Which hourly slot to book to beat the central-Athens crowds and the heat, the best months to come, and how to time a walk among the colossal columns.

How to Get to the Temple of Olympian Zeus

The nearest metro, walking from the Acropolis, the Plaka and Syntagma, and how to find the entrance beside Hadrian's Arch in central Athens.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis

How the colossal temple below and the great citadel on its hill differ, why they are separate tickets, and how to see both in a day in central Athens.

See all 5 guides →

Frequently asked

Is this a skip-the-line ticket?

Your hourly slot is reserved before you arrive, so you walk straight to the site gate instead of queuing at the Temple of Olympian Zeus ticket office. In the heart of Athens that queue can build quickly as tour groups and cruise parties move between the city's monuments, so coming with your ticket already in hand saves the wait in the sun.

How does the timed entry work?

You choose the date and an hourly time slot, and your ticket is valid for a single entry during that hour on that day. Just arrive within your slot window and show your mobile ticket at the gate; last entry is about 30 minutes before closing.

What's included in the ticket?

Full admission to the archaeological site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus — the great temple platform, its fifteen surviving Corinthian columns and the fallen column that came down in an 1852 storm — in the heart of Athens beside Hadrian's Arch. It does not include the Acropolis or the other archaeological sites of Athens, which are separate.

Can I see Hadrian's Arch too?

Yes. Hadrian's Arch stands right beside the archaeological site, on the street corner between the temple grounds and the Acropolis, and is free to view and photograph from the pavement — you don't need a ticket to see it. It makes a natural pairing with your visit to the temple it once introduced.

Is the Acropolis included in this ticket?

No. The Acropolis, with the Parthenon, is a separate archaeological site on its own hill a short walk to the northwest, with its own ticket. This ticket is entry to the Temple of Olympian Zeus only. Many visitors see both on the same day, as they are close together in the centre of Athens.

How and when do I get my ticket?

We send your ticket to your email as a mobile ticket once your booking is confirmed — there's nothing to print, just show it on your phone at the gate. You'll also receive a short 5-minute audio history to listen to before you go.

How do I get to the Temple of Olympian Zeus?

The temple is in central Athens, a short walk southeast of the Acropolis. The nearest metro station is Akropoli on Line 2, a few minutes away on foot, and Syntagma is also within easy walking distance. Many visitors simply walk over from the Acropolis, the Plaka or Syntagma Square, passing Hadrian's Arch beside the site.

Who built the Temple of Olympian Zeus?

It was begun in the 6th century BC by the Athenian tyrant Peisistratos and his sons, who planned it on a colossal scale, but it was left unfinished for centuries. The Roman emperor Hadrian finally completed and dedicated it in 131 AD, nearly 640 years later, placing a giant gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus inside and a statue of himself beside it.

When is the best time to visit?

Book the first hourly slot after opening, or one of the last slots before closing, and travel outside the July–August peak if you can. The site is open and largely unshaded, so the middle of a summer day is both the hottest and the busiest stretch, when city tours and cruise groups overlap. An early or late slot gives cooler air, softer light on the columns and a calmer visit.

How long should I allow for the visit?

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is a compact site focused on the great temple and its columns, and most visitors spend around 30 to 45 minutes here, plus a few minutes at Hadrian's Arch beside it. It pairs naturally with the Acropolis and the Plaka nearby to make a fuller half-day in the centre of Athens.

Do I need to bring my passport or any ID?

No. The standard entry ticket is not personalised and needs no passport or name — just show your mobile ticket at the gate. (Reduced and free-entry categories set by the operator may require ID at the gate; our ticket is standard full admission.)

Is the site wheelchair accessible?

Partly. The Temple of Olympian Zeus is an open archaeological site on largely level but uneven ground, with gravel and ancient surfaces around the temple. A step-free route lets visitors approach and view the columns, though some surfaces are rough, so allow extra time and take care. Shade is very limited across the site.

Is the Temple of Olympian Zeus open all year?

Yes — the site is open daily, year-round. Only the daily hours change with the season: longer in summer (roughly 08:00–20:00) and shorter in winter, with timed entry by the hour and last entry about 30 minutes before closing. Hours can change on public holidays, so confirm on the day.

Can I change my slot after booking?

Changes are allowed up to 2 hours before your visit, with a maximum of 2 changes per ticket, provided your preferred new slot is still open. If your plans shift, contact our team and we'll help where the operator's rules allow. See our terms for the full policy.

Can I get a refund?

All bookings are final once confirmed; we only issue a refund in the rare event the operator cannot honour a validly issued ticket. Timed-entry tickets are non-refundable, but you can change your slot up to 2 hours before your visit within the operator's rules. See our terms for details.

Are you the official Temple of Olympian Zeus ticket office?

No. We're an independent concierge service for international visitors. We buy genuine tickets on your behalf from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture's official ticketing service and handle the booking in your own language, and our service fee is included in the price shown. You can always buy directly from the operator if you prefer.

What currency am I charged in?

The price you see is the price you pay — we show it in your local currency where we can and charge exactly that amount, with no surprise fees at checkout. Payment is by card on a secure page.

Why book with you instead of buying at the gate?

Two reasons: you skip the on-the-day queue by reserving your hourly slot in advance, and you get it all handled with 24/7 human support and a pre-visit audio history. Our service fee is included in the price — there are no extras at checkout.