Frequently asked questions
What does the combined ticket include?
One ticket covers all three parts of the site on the hill: the citadel of Mycenae itself — the Lion Gate, the Cyclopean walls, Grave Circle A, the palace ruins and the underground cistern — the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae beside the citadel, and the great beehive Treasury of Atreus, also called the Tomb of Agamemnon, a short walk downhill. You can see all three on the date you book.
Is this a skip-the-line ticket?
Your entry is reserved before you arrive, so you walk straight to the site gate instead of queuing at the Mycenae ticket office. On busy days that queue on the exposed hillside can take 20–40 minutes as the Athens coaches and the Nafplio cruise excursions arrive together, so coming with your ticket already in hand saves the wait in the sun.
Does my ticket have to be for a specific day?
Yes. You choose the date you want to visit and we reserve your entry for that day — there is no fixed entry time, so once you arrive you can explore the citadel, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus at your own pace during opening hours. Just show your mobile ticket at the gate on the day you chose.
What is the Treasury of Atreus?
It is the largest and finest of the Mycenaean 'beehive' or tholos tombs — a monumental underground chamber roofed by a soaring corbelled dome of stone, entered through a long walled passage and a colossal doorway. Traditionally called the Tomb of Agamemnon, it stands a few hundred metres from the citadel and is included in your ticket; its dome was the widest in the world for over a thousand years.
What is the Mask of Agamemnon?
It is a gold funerary mask found by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 in the royal shaft graves of Grave Circle A, inside the citadel. Schliemann believed it showed the face of Homer's King Agamemnon, though it is now dated earlier than the legendary Trojan War. The original is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens; standing at Grave Circle A, you see exactly where it was unearthed.
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 Mycenae?
Mycenae is in the Argolid, about 90 minutes south-west of Athens by the A7 motorway, roughly 25 km from Nafplio and 12 km from Argos. There is no train or metro, so most visitors come by car, on a coach tour, or by KTEL bus to nearby Fichti or Nafplio with a short taxi to the site. Free parking sits by the entrance.
How long should I allow for the visit?
Most visitors spend about 2 to 3 hours to see all three parts unhurried: around 1.5 hours on the citadel including the walk up to the palace and down into the cistern, half an hour or so in the museum, and 15–20 minutes at the Treasury of Atreus down the road. Allow extra in summer for the heat and the climb over uneven ground.
What will I see inside the citadel?
You enter through the Lion Gate beneath its carved lionesses, pass Grave Circle A where the gold masks were found, climb the ramp through the Cyclopean walls to the ruins of the royal palace and its great hall on the summit, and can descend the hidden stairway to the underground cistern at the far end. The views over the Argive plain from the top are superb.
Is the underground cistern worth doing?
If you are steady on your feet, yes — it is one of Mycenae's most atmospheric features. A stairway of around 100 steps cut into the rock drops down to a secret cistern that secured the citadel's water in a siege. It is dark, damp and slippery, so bring a torch or phone light and good shoes; those uneasy on steps or with limited mobility may prefer to admire it from the entrance.
Where are the famous gold treasures now?
The greatest finds from Mycenae — the gold masks including the Mask of Agamemnon, the inlaid bronze daggers, the gold cups and the Warrior Vase — are displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The Archaeological Museum of Mycenae on the site, included in your ticket, holds many other finds and replicas that explain the citadel where they were discovered.
Can I pair Mycenae with Epidaurus or Nafplio?
Yes, and many people do. Mycenae sits within easy reach of the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, the seaside town of Nafplio and the Corinth Canal, all in the Argolid, so it slots naturally into a full day in the Peloponnese from Athens or from a base in Nafplio.
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 Mycenae wheelchair accessible?
Only partly. Mycenae is an open Bronze Age citadel on a steep, rocky hill with uneven ground, loose stone and steps up to the palace, and the cistern is reached by a long stairway. Visitors with limited mobility can reach the Lion Gate, Grave Circle A and the museum, but the upper citadel, the cistern and the interior approach to the Treasury of Atreus are difficult.
Is Mycenae 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 (often around 08:30–15:30), with last entry a short while before closing. Hours can change on public holidays, so confirm on the day.
Can I change my mind after booking?
All bookings are final once confirmed; we only issue a refund in the rare event the operator cannot honour a validly issued ticket. If your plans shift, contact our team and we'll help where the operator's rules allow. See our terms for the full policy.
Are you the official Mycenae 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 ticket in advance, and you get all three parts — the citadel, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus — handled in one booking 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.