Why go to Cyclades? The 10 good reasons to go Cyclades

In high season, the hours of the main national sites and museums are generally harmonized. Between April¹ and October 31, they are open from 8am and close around 8pm. The rest of the year, they often close at 4pm. In any case, and especially in summer, we can't recommend enough to be at the opening to avoid the crowd. But in other places of visit, especially in smaller museums or places of worship, the opening hours are a regular source of anxiety for the authors of guidebooks on Greece: they change constantly, sometimes several times a year, and often, above all, they don't even really exist. One thing to remember: stay flexible! A museum that is closed during opening hours is common, especially in the smaller islands where the number of visitors is limited. So try your luck based on the indications given in this guide or call before you come: it will be safer! Off season, assume that the sites and museums are closed but that if you find the good old man in the village, he might give you the keys... For the rest, the museums are closed on public holidays.

To avoid queuing at the entrance, try to book some entrances online (https://etickets.tap.gr). This is especially possible in Athens for the Acropolis or the ancient Agora. But digitalization is developing elsewhere. You can book your entrance to the contemporary art museum of the Goulandris Foundation in Andros (https ://goulandris.gr/en/tickets/monimi-syllogi-kai-periodikes).

Your museum budget will often be divided by two (like the price of many admissions) if you travel between November and the end of March. Otherwise, look out for the free days on the sites: March 6 (Melina Mercouri day), June 5 (Environment day), April 18 (Historical Monuments day), May 18 (Museums day), the last weekend of September (European Heritage day) and especially the first Sunday of each month, between November¹ and March 31.
Another interesting "plan" if you have a connection in Athens: there is a grouped ticket (30 € in high season, otherwise 15 € the rest of the year), valid for 5 days, to visit the Acropolis and the Archaeological Park. Finally, you should know that many major sites, with rather expensive tickets, are free for children under 18 years old.

Rental of deckchairs. Be careful, on the very touristy beaches of Antiparos, Milos or Kimolos for example, the prices can be prohibitive and reach 25 € per person (!), parasol included.

Easter (in April or May, depending on the year) is undoubtedly the most important and warmest popular Greek festival, which gives another dimension to many religious monuments that come alive with ceremonies. In Athens and in the islands, you should also watch out for the numerous festivals, especially religious celebrations, even if you are not a believer.

Greece, and Athens in particular, is offering more and more off-the-beaten-path tours (see www. alternativeathens.com for example). For the services of a private English-speaking guide, you can contact the Association of Certified Guides (+30 210 32 20 090, www.tourist-guides.gr). It has 1,500 members throughout Greece and covers 28 languages, including French. Finally, we would like to add a special mention to Panagiotis Grigoriou, ethnologist and historian, who also proposes to discover Athens in a different way thanks to the association La Grèce autrement (greceautrement.fr).

The risks are reduced because false guides, if they are controlled without accreditation, incur very heavy fines.