Neighbourhood guide

Makrygianni: the Acropolis Museum quarter on the south side of the rock

Makrygianni is the small quarter south of the Acropolis, between Dionysiou Areopagitou and Syngrou Avenue, where the Acropolis Museum, the south-slope entrance and Akropoli metro station are a few minutes apart. It is the practical choice for museum and Acropolis days, but it has little nightlife and no street market, and the museum reports heavy traffic at peak hours.

Last checked October 21, 2026

How far it is

  • Syntagma2′Metro Line 2 from Akropoli
  • Acropolis south-slope entranceabout 7′On foot
  • The sea at Edemabout 31′Tram T6 and a 4-minute walk
The Acropolis of Athens seen from the Acropolis Museum.
Context image: Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons · source · CC BY-SA 4.0

In this guide

  • Where to stay in Makrygianni

    Stay in Makrygianni to walk to the Acropolis Museum and the south slope: AthensWas is 300 m from the museum on the pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou, and Herodion is 100 m from it on Rovertou Galli.

    AthensWas Hotel · Herodion Hotel · COCO-MAT Athens BC

  • Where to eat in Makrygianni

    Eat in Makrygianni on Rovertou Galli, where Strofi (open since 1975) and Dionysos Zonar's both face the Acropolis, or in the Acropolis Museum's second-floor restaurant.

    Strofi · Dionysos Zonar's · Acropolis Museum · Mani Mani · Drakou Street

  • Things to do in Makrygianni

    Makrygianni's sights line the south side of the Acropolis: the Acropolis Museum (€20), the south-slope gate to the Theatre of Dionysus (on the €30 Acropolis ticket) and the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum (€10).

    Acropolis Museum · South slope and Theatre of Dionysus · Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum · Dionysiou Areopagitou · Hadrian's Arch · Akropoli station finds

  • Parking in Makrygianni

    Parking for Makrygianni means a garage outside the quarter: we found no public garage inside it, and its streets are not in the City of Athens zone list.

    Syngrou-Fix car park (STASY) · MetroPark · Acropolis Museum parking for disabled visitors · Street parking in Makrygianni (City of Athens)

  • Getting to Makrygianni

    Makrygianni's station is Akropoli on Metro Line 2, 2 minutes from Syntagma, where you change for Line 3 to the airport.

    Akropoli station, Metro Line 2 · From the airport by metro · X95 airport bus · Tram T6, L. Vouliagmenis and Fix stops · Taxi from the airport · Buses and trolleybuses at Makrigianni

Map of Makrygianni

Loading the map…Every place on the map is also listed with its address on this page.

This area
1MakrygianniThis area
Neighbouring areas
PLPlakaArea guideSYSyntagmaArea guideNENea SmyrniArea guide
Map of MakrygianniColoured dots are the places listed in each section; grey labels are neighbouring areas.

Your line: Metro Line 2

Larissa StationOmoniaSyntagmaAkropoliAgios Dimitrios

Akropoli station, on Makrygianni Street, is 2 minutes from Syntagma on Line 2; change there for Line 3 to the airport. Tram T6 stops at L. Vouliagmenis, about 4 minutes' walk south-east.

One walk, about 45 minutes

About 1 km, 12 to 15 minutes on foot, from Akropoli metro station to Hadrian's Arch; allow far longer if you go into either museum. The Zappio tram stop is close to the end.

One walk, about 45 minutes — Makrygianni1Akropoli station2Acropolis Museum3Lalaounis Jewelry Museum4Dionysiou Areopagitou5Hadrian's Arch
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
  1. Akropoli station Replicas of the Parthenon frieze and cases of excavation finds, including ancient toys, line the station.
  2. Acropolis Museum Glass floors look down on an excavated ancient neighbourhood, open with the museum ticket.
  3. Lalaounis Jewelry Museum In the jeweller Ilias Lalaounis's former workshop on Kallisperi Street; closed on Sundays.
  4. Dionysiou Areopagitou Car-free since a 2003 traffic ban; the gate here leads into the south slope and the Theatre of Dionysus.
  5. Hadrian's Arch An 18-metre marble arch that Athenians raised for the emperor Hadrian, beside the Olympieion.

When it comes alive

  • MorningSome lifeThe Acropolis opens at 08:00 and the museum at 09:00.
  • MiddayBusyThe museum and Dionysiou Areopagitou are at their busiest; the museum reports heavy traffic at peak hours.
  • EveningSome lifeThe promenade stays lively towards sunset; the museum is open until 22:00 on Fridays.
  • LateQuietMostly quiet; on Saturdays metro Line 2 runs all night.

Three to see

  • Acropolis Museum The sculptures of the Acropolis, with the excavated neighbourhood beneath; €20 (reduced €10). From 1 November it is open until 17:00 Monday to Thursday, 22:00 on Fridays and 20:00 at weekends.
  • Theatre of Dionysus The theatre of the ancient spring drama festivals, with stone seats for about 17,000; it lies in the south-slope site, covered by the €30 Acropolis ticket.
  • Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum Jewellery based on motifs from the Stone Age and Minoan Crete to Byzantium, in the founder's former workshop; €10, free for under-18s, closed on Sundays.

Food and markets

  • Strofi A Greek restaurant at 25 Rovertou Galli, open since 1975, with a roof terrace facing the Acropolis that can be glassed in and heated.
  • Acropolis Museum restaurant A traditional menu on the second floor, overlooking the Acropolis; without a gallery ticket, ask the ticket desk for a free entry ticket.
  • Dionysos Zonar's A formal restaurant and café at 43 Rovertou Galli, under the Acropolis, open daily all year.

Is it for you?

Good for

An Acropolis and museum day: the museum, the south-slope gate and Akropoli metro station are a few minutes apart, and evenings are calmer than in Plaka.

Not for

Nightlife or old-town alleys: for bars, Drakou Street by Syngrou-Fix station has a lively scene; for tavernas, Plaka is across Dionysiou Areopagitou.

Sources

Last reviewed October 21, 2026