Timetable Central Greece: time difference and opening hours

Time difference Central Greece

GMT + 2: one hour difference with France. When it is noon in Paris, it is 1pm in Athens, in winter as in summer

Opening hours Central Greece

To see / To do Central Greece

Normal opening hours. National museums and archaeological sites are generally open every day except Tuesday, from 8.30am to 3.30pm. In high season, opening times often extend to 6, 7 or 8 pm. Some major sites and museums have special opening hours. For example, the site and museum of the Acropolis in Athens, the site and museum of Mycenae, the Archaeological Museum of Thessalonica or the site of the sanctuary of Epidaurus are open every day all year round (with variable opening hours depending on the season). Other sites are open on Tuesdays in high season, such as the archaeological site of Dion and ancient Nemea. Large private museums and small local museums often have different opening hours: some are open every day, others only at weekends or during the week, some are closed on Sundays or Mondays, etc. In all cases, we'll give you the opening times for each establishment.

Closing times. National museums and archaeological sites are closed on the following dates: January¹, March 25, Orthodox Easter Sunday (April 20, 2025, April 12, 2026, May 2, 2027...), May¹ and December 25-26. Please note that some sites may be closed without notice due to special weather conditions. This was the case for the Acropolis site in Athens, which was closed several times during the summer of 2024 due to very hot weather.

Churches and monasteries. Opening times vary widely. Some small places of worship are only open for a few days on certain religious holidays. But the most beautiful churches and prestigious monasteries are open to visitors most of the year, with clearly indicated opening times. Most churches are open during the day. Some male monasteries are closed to women.

Enjoying yourself Central Greece

In Greece, most restaurants are open every day and offer continuous service from lunchtime to evening. The first service starts around 12 noon, and kitchens generally close between 10 and 11 pm. Some restaurants also serve coffee, so are open in the morning. More upscale establishments are closed on certain days and have more limited service hours.

Take a break Central Greece

Most cafés and bars are open every day, from breakfast in the morning until around midnight. Some night bars only open from 6pm-7pm and stay open until the early hours of the morning. Pastry shops and tearooms often have a weekly closing day and variable opening hours.

(To) please yourself Central Greece

Shops are generally open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm, with a closing period at lunchtime. However, opening hours vary according to tourist numbers: it's not uncommon for a store to close at 10pm or later during the high season. Out of season, the opposite is generally true, with many tourist stores closed altogether.

Get out Central Greece

Greeks go out late, often on Fridays and Saturdays, and usually from 10pm onwards. Then, of course, they return early in the morning. In the evening, we live to the rhythm of the moon! Open-air summer cinemas usually offer a second showing around 10-11pm, as it has to be pitch-dark for the projection. Clubs and nightclubs open around midnight and stay open until the wee hours of the morning, around 5-6 a.m., depending on how busy they are.