Starting from September, the Acropolis of Athens, Greece’s most popular archaeological site, will implement a new visitor policy, allowing only 20,000 daily visitors to enter the complex.
Additionally, there will be a cap on the number of visitors allowed in every hour although no time limit will be set on visits.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni explained that the decision was made due to the overcrowding issue at the UNESCO World Heritage site. Previously, up to 23,000 people were visiting the monument complex each day, leading to bottlenecks and congestion, with most of the foot traffic to the site arriving before noon.
More than 3 million people visited the site last year, according to Greece’s statistical authority.
Greece will initiate a trial period for the cap on tourists starting 4 September, with plans to permanently implement the rule on 1 April 2024.
The Acropolis of Athens is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday through Sunday.