Mycenae tickets open the Bronze Age citadel of Agamemnon’s legend, its museum and the Treasury of Atreus in the Argolid. They feature among the Greece tours listed on Greece VIP.
This post covers what the ticket includes, where to buy it, free and reduced entry, the citadel, the museum, the Treasury, tours, audio options and reviews. Weather, the best time and common questions come last.
What do Mycenae tickets include?
Mycenae tickets cover three places at once: the site, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. The ticket store sells it under the name of that tomb.
The Ministry of Culture lists a full ticket and a reduced ticket for Mycenae. It also lists a special package valid for the museum and the site.
Only the Treasury of Atreus needs a set entry time. The rest of the site can be entered at any time on the booked date.
The timed tomb admits guests only in their slot, with a short margin either side.
From 1 June to 30 September, Mycenae sells only the full ticket. The reduced ticket applies from 1 October until the end of spring.
- Site: Citadel and tombs.
- Museum: On the same ticket.
- Timed: Treasury of Atreus.
Mycenae tickets work as one pass for the whole visit, as long as the tomb slot is kept.
Where can visitors buy Mycenae tickets?
Visitors buy Mycenae tickets from the official state e-ticket store, at the site, or through resellers and tours. The official store runs on timed entry.
Buyers can change the time slot or visitor details online, or sign in to their store account.
Resold tickets are full-rate only. Any age can use one, but the holder pays the full rate.
One reviewer found no queue at the booth and judged buying ahead unnecessary that day. A coach-tour reviewer advised buying in advance to save time in queues.
- Official: The state e-ticket store.
- On site: The ticket booth.
- Resold: Full rate only.
Mycenae tickets from the official store keep the reduced and free options open.
Who gets free or reduced Mycenae tickets?
Free and reduced Mycenae tickets follow the rules for all Greek state sites. From 1 November to 31 March, Mycenae is also free on the first and third Sunday.
The museums directorate lists only the first winter Sunday. Visitors check before relying on a third.
Licensed tourist escorts in Greece and students training for that licence enter free. Greek citizens on military or alternative service do too, with a valid service card.
Refugees with an international-protection card or residence permit also enter free.
Greek large, three-child and single-parent families enter free while the youngest child is under 25. Members of Friends societies of state museums enter free as well.
Parents escorting EU primary-school visits pay the reduced rate. Teachers and certain graduates can apply for a three-year free entry pass.
- Winter Sundays: First and third.
- Families: Large and single-parent.
- Pass: Three years.
Visitors who also plan the Athens sites can compare the Acropolis tickets.
What does a Mycenae ticket show at the Lion Gate and the walls?
A Mycenae ticket opens the citadel through the Lion Gate, with its palace and cult centre. The Cyclopean circuit runs about 900 m around 30,000 m².
The approach narrows into a small court between the wall and a bastion. The bastion stood on the attackers’ right, the side a shield on the left arm left open.
The gate opening is 3.10 m wide. Its threshold and lintel each weigh around 20 tonnes.
Scholars think the lost heads of the lions were made of another stone and faced visitors. Lord Elgin wanted the relief in 1802, but it was too large to move.
The walls average 6 m thick. Near the Granary, named for burnt barley and wheat found inside, they still stand 8.25 m high.
Grave Circle B lies outside the walls, 117 m west of the gate.
- Gate: 3.10 m wide.
- Walls: About 900 m long.
- North Gate: A smaller copy.
A Mycenae ticket gives time to walk the whole circuit, not just the gate.
What is in the museum on a Mycenae ticket?
The museum on a Mycenae ticket shows about 2,500 finds in four galleries on two levels. Ramps link them in a circular route.
Building began in 1984 and ended in 1997, and the museum opened in 2003. It steps down the north slope like a staircase.
The first gallery covers the public and private life of the Mycenaeans. The lower level, the realm of the dead, holds Grave Circle B and chamber-tomb finds.
Exact copies of the Grave Circle A treasures stand in a prism-shaped case.
The museum is wheelchair accessible, while the open-air site is not.
- On show: About 2,500 finds.
- Opened: 2003.
- Access: Wheelchair friendly.
A Mycenae ticket holder who skips the museum misses the finds from the graves.
What does a Mycenae ticket show at the Treasury of Atreus?
A Mycenae ticket shows the Treasury of Atreus, a domed tomb on Panagitsa hill. It held the record as the tallest and widest dome in the world for over a thousand years.
Its entrance passage is 6 m wide. The side walls rise from 0.5 m to 10 m at the facade.
The dome has 33 courses of cut stone and spans 14.5 m. Nail traces inside hint at hanging decorations, possibly golden rosettes.
A doorway on the north side leads to a rock-cut side chamber about 6 m square.
Building it took at least 20,000 worker-days. Green and red marble on the facade came from the Mani peninsula.
- Dome: 14.5 m across.
- Courses: 33 rows of stone.
- Timed: Entry by slot.
Visitors who want the wider Argolid can compare the Mycenae Epidaurus day trips.
Which tours include Mycenae tickets?
Day trips from Athens and Nafplio include Mycenae tickets as an option or leave them out. Visitors check the option before booking.
A coach day trip from Athens with 3,537 reviews scores 4.5 out of 5. Entry fees are included only when that option is chosen.
Another coach trip with 3,223 reviews also scores 4.5. On its no-ticket option, guests book their own timed Mycenae entry to match the group.
A small-group trip from Athens holds 3,100 reviews and scores 4.8. Entry is optional, and an archaeologist escorts the group.
A van tour from Nafplio holds 66 reviews and scores 4.4. Its entrance tickets are not included.
A private visit led by an archaeologist includes the entrance. It scores 5.0 from 22 reviews.
- Coach trips: Tickets optional.
- Private: Entry included.
- From Nafplio: Tickets extra.
Mycenae tickets bought apart from a tour must match the group’s arrival at the tomb.
Do Mycenae tickets come with an audio or VR option?
Mycenae tickets come with the free state audio app, and resellers add their own audio or VR tours. Each needs a charged phone and headphones.
The state app covers 40 sites and museums in Greek, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Chinese.
It offers tours in Greek Sign Language and International Sign. Interactive maps and an offline mode can be downloaded before the visit.
A ticket with an optional audio tour scores 4.4 from 223 reviews, with audio in nine languages.
An e-ticket with a phone audio tour scores 4.3 from 185 reviews. It is booked per device, not per person, and works offline.
A VR audio ticket scores 3.5 from 21 reviews. Buyers liked the pop-ups but found too little ground covered.
- State app: Eight languages.
- Sign language: Two options.
- VR: Mixed reviews.
Mycenae tickets with audio work best when the files are downloaded before arrival.
What do reviewers say about Mycenae tickets?
Reviewers praise one ticket for the tomb, site and museum, and the view from the citadel. Complaints focus on the lack of shade and too little time on group tours.
One reviewer used the ticket for all three places without queuing. The museum impressed that reviewer.
Another found the app photos helpful for spotting each monument and liked replaying the audio later.
One visitor wished for trees or shade and for 2D or 3D reconstructions of the buildings.
A group-tour visitor ran out of time for the museum. A private-tour reviewer advised arriving early to beat the coach crowds.
- Praise: One ticket, three sites.
- Complaint: No shade.
- Tip: Arrive early.
Visitors based in the Argolid can compare the Nafplio day trips.
How does weather shape a visit on Mycenae tickets?
A visit on Mycenae tickets meets hot, dry summers on an open hill with little shade. The Nemea weather station, 18.6 km away by road, logged a 34.6 °C high average this August.
July peaked at 41.0 °C on 22 July this year. Last July averaged a 36.9 °C high and peaked at 41.1 °C on 22 July.
August brought no rain at Nemea this year or last year. Last July stayed dry as well.
Model data for the Mycenae site gives a 33.6 °C July high average. It peaked at 40.2 °C on 22 July.
Winter turns cold on the hills of the Argolid. The Nemea station dropped to −6.4 °C on 2 January this year.
Rain falls mainly in winter. January logged 121.6 mm and February 132.4 mm this year.
- Hottest: 41.1 °C last July.
- Driest: August.
- Coldest: −6.4 °C in January.
Mycenae tickets in high summer reward guests who reach the gate before the heat builds.
When is the best time to use Mycenae tickets?
Mycenae tickets suit spring and autumn best, when the hill stays mild. April averaged a 20.7 °C high at Nemea this year, and October so far 23.6 °C.
September averaged 29.0 °C this year and peaked at 36.4 °C on 6 September. It logged 24.0 mm of rain.
Last October averaged 22.0 °C but brought 89.2 mm of rain. Last November averaged 20.3 °C.
Winter visits pair mild days with the free first and third Sundays. Last December averaged a 15.3 °C high.
From 1 June to 30 September, only the full ticket is sold. A visit from October on keeps the reduced rate open.
A Nafplio tour reviewer found Mycenae peaceful before the coach groups arrived.
- April: 20.7 °C average high.
- October: 23.6 °C so far.
- Winter: Free Sundays.
Mycenae tickets in the cooler months combine milder walks with the reduced rate.
What do travelers ask about Mycenae tickets?
Travelers ask about distances, under-25s, bags, access and photos. Resold tickets on the main listings cannot be refunded.
How far is Mycenae from Athens?
The site lies 121.2 km by road from central Athens and 150.3 km from Athens airport. Nafplio lies 25.5 km away.
Do under-25s pay for Mycenae tickets?
One reviewer notes that under-25s collect free tickets on site after showing their ID.
Can visitors bring bags or strollers?
One listing bans baby strollers, luggage, large bags and backpacks at the archaeological site.
Is the site wheelchair accessible?
The museum is accessible, but the open-air site is not, and its paths are uneven underfoot.
Can visitors take photos?
Yes. Flash is not used inside the tombs, one listing notes, so cameras need steady hands.
Visitors based in the capital can compare the day trips from Athens.