# Mycenae Visitor Guide: The Lion Gate and the Tombs > Mycenae visitor guide: what to see at the Lion Gate, Grave Circle A, the palace and Treasury of Atreus, with 2026 tickets, hours and planning tips. URL: https://theauthenticgreece.com/mycenae/ Last updated: 2026-10-30 --- Mycenae is the citadel that gave its name to the first great civilisation of mainland Greece, and the place where Homer set the palace of King Agamemnon. Its ruins sit on a rocky hill above the Argolid plain in the northeast Peloponnese, about 30 minutes from Nafplio and under two hours from Athens. One ticket covers the Lion Gate, the royal graves, the palace, the site museum and the Treasury of Atreus. Plan two to three hours and arrive early. ## Quick facts - **Where:** near the village of Mykines, Argolida, northeast Peloponnese. - **Getting there:** about 120 km from Athens by car via the Corinth Canal; around 25 km from Nafplio. - **Time needed:** 2 to 3 hours including the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. - **Tickets:** around 20 euros full and 10 euros reduced in 2026, covering the site, museum and Treasury of Atreus. - **Best time:** opening time on any day; spring and autumn are far more comfortable than July and August. - **Good for:** history lovers, readers of Homer, families with children old enough to scramble over stones. ## Why Mycenae matters Between roughly 1600 and 1100 BC, Mycenae was the most powerful centre of the Late Bronze Age world in Greece, so much so that archaeologists call the whole culture of the period Mycenaean. Its kings controlled the rich Argolid plain, traded across the Mediterranean and were buried with astonishing quantities of gold. The citadel you see today, with its massive walls, dates mostly from the 14th and 13th centuries BC. Mycenae is also the setting of some of the darkest stories in Greek myth. It was founded, the legend says, by Perseus. Later it belonged to the cursed house of Atreus: Agamemnon led the Greeks to Troy from here, and on his return was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra, who was in turn killed by their son Orestes. Those stories were told in the tragedies of Aeschylus, and walking through the ruins with them in mind gives the place real weight. The modern story begins in 1876, when Heinrich Schliemann dug inside the walls and found the royal shaft graves full of gold, including the famous mask he believed belonged to Agamemnon. It is now known to be several centuries older than any Trojan War, but the name stuck. In 1999 Mycenae and nearby Tiryns were listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ## What to see ### The museum The site museum, on the slope just below the citadel, is the best place to start. It explains daily life, religion and burial customs at Mycenae, with pottery, figurines, frescoes, weapons and copies of the gold grave goods. The originals, including the Mask of Agamemnon, are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, so if you are passing through the capital it is worth seeing both. ### The Lion Gate The main entrance to the citadel is the Lion Gate, built around 1250 BC. Two lionesses (their heads, probably made separately, are missing) stand on either side of a column carved on a triangular stone slab above the lintel. It is usually described as the only large sculpture of Bronze Age Greece still standing in its original position, and the scale of the lintel block beneath it gives a first sense of how the Mycenaeans built. The walls on either side are made of huge, roughly shaped boulders. Later Greeks thought only the giant Cyclopes could have moved them, which is why this style is still called Cyclopean masonry. ### Grave Circle A Just inside the gate, on the right, is Grave Circle A, a ring of upright stone slabs around six royal shaft graves. This is where Schliemann made his finds. The graves were already ancient when the walls were extended in the 13th century BC to enclose them, a sign of how much the later rulers honoured their ancestors. ### The palace A ramp and paths climb to the top of the hill and the remains of the palace. You can make out the great court, the megaron (the main hall, with the base of its central hearth) and the foundations of rooms around it. The ruins are low, so use your imagination, but the view is the real reward: the whole Argolid plain spread out below, with the mountains behind, explains at once why anyone would build a fortress here. ### The cistern and the North Gate At the eastern end of the citadel, a narrow stepped passage leads down under the walls to an underground cistern that guaranteed water during a siege. It is dark and the steps are uneven, so take a phone torch and go carefully, or simply look in from the top. On the way back, walk past the North Gate, a smaller version of the Lion Gate, and the houses and storerooms along the walls. ### The Treasury of Atreus Do not leave without seeing the Treasury of Atreus, also called the Tomb of Agamemnon, which stands a few hundred metres down the road from the main entrance. It is a *tholos*, a beehive shaped tomb, reached along a long passage cut into the hillside. Inside, the stone dome rises in rings of carefully cut blocks to a height of more than 13 metres, and for well over a thousand years it was the largest dome in the world. The lintel over the door is a single block estimated at more than 100 tonnes. Stand in the middle and speak quietly: the acoustics are remarkable. It is included in the same ticket, and you will need to drive or walk down to it separately. Near the main car park are other tombs, including the so called Tomb of Clytemnestra and Grave Circle B, older than Grave Circle A and outside the citadel walls. ## Tickets and opening hours In 2026 a full ticket was around 20 euros, with a reduced ticket of around 10 euros for eligible visitors such as some students and seniors. The ticket covers the archaeological site, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. You can buy it at the gate or online through the official e-ticketing system of the Greek Ministry of Culture, which saves queuing in summer. Opening hours vary through the year. In summer the site opens at around 08:00 and closes in the early evening, with closing times between 18:00 and 20:00 depending on the month; from November to March hours were around 08:30 to 15:30. Last entry is about 20 minutes before closing. Entry is free on a few dates each year, including 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, 28 October and the last weekend of September, and on certain Sundays in winter. Hours and prices change, so check the official listing before you go. ## How to get there The easiest way is by car. From Athens, take the motorway west past the Corinth Canal and follow signs for Argos and Nafplio, then turn off for Mykines; the site is clearly signposted and has a large free car park. If you are planning a wider road trip, our guide to [renting a car in Greece](https://theauthenticgreece.com/renting-a-car-in-greece/) covers the essentials. Public transport is possible but awkward. KTEL buses between Athens and Nafplio stop at Fichtia on the main road, about 3 km from the site, and services from Nafplio to Mycenae itself are few and seasonal. Many visitors join a day tour from Athens that combines Mycenae with Epidaurus and Nafplio, which is convenient but leaves little time at each site. ## Combining Mycenae with other sites The best base is Nafplio, an elegant old town about half an hour away; our [Nafplio travel guide](https://theauthenticgreece.com/nafplio-travel-guide/) covers the fortresses and the other ancient sites nearby, including Tiryns and Epidaurus. Mycenae also fits neatly on a Peloponnese loop that continues to [the sanctuary at Olympia](https://theauthenticgreece.com/ancient-olympia/), or a classical circuit that takes in [Delphi and its oracle](https://theauthenticgreece.com/delphi-travel-guide/). If Bronze Age palaces fascinate you, compare Mycenae with the Minoan palace of [Knossos on Crete](https://theauthenticgreece.com/knossos/). Starting from the capital, our [Athens travel guide](https://theauthenticgreece.com/athens-travel-guide/) will help you plan the first days. ## Practical tips - **Go early:** arrive at opening time, especially from May to September. The citadel is on an exposed hill and there is almost no shade. - **Order of visit:** museum first, then the citadel, then drive down to the Treasury of Atreus. - **Footwear:** the paths are uneven and polished smooth in places; wear proper shoes, not flip flops. - **Water and food:** bring water. There is a small café near the entrance and tavernas in the village of Mykines. - **Accessibility:** the lower parts of the site and the museum are easier to reach, but the climb to the palace and the cistern involve steps and rough ground. - **Read first:** a short summary of the house of Atreus myths, or a few pages of Homer or Aeschylus, makes the visit far more rewarding. Mycenae is not a site of tall columns and white marble. It is older, rougher and more mysterious, and the combination of the Lion Gate, the view from the palace and the dark interior of the Treasury of Atreus makes it one of the most memorable ancient places in Greece. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long do you need at Mycenae? Plan two to three hours to see the museum, the citadel and the Treasury of Atreus without rushing. A quick visit can be done in about an hour and a half, but you will miss details. ### How much is the ticket to Mycenae? In 2026 a full ticket was around 20 euros and a reduced ticket around 10 euros. It covers the archaeological site, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. Prices change, so check the official listing before you go. ### Is the Mask of Agamemnon at Mycenae? No. The original gold mask and the other treasures from Grave Circle A are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The site museum displays copies alongside original finds from the excavations. ### Can you visit Mycenae as a day trip from Athens? Yes. It is under two hours by car, and many tours combine it with Epidaurus and Nafplio. It is a long day, though, and staying overnight in Nafplio makes the visit much more relaxed. ### What is the best time to visit Mycenae? Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. In summer, arrive at opening time, because the citadel is very exposed and hot by late morning. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long do you need at Mycenae? Plan two to three hours to see the museum, the citadel and the Treasury of Atreus without rushing. A quick visit can be done in about an hour and a half, but you will miss details. ### How much is the ticket to Mycenae? In 2026 a full ticket was around 20 euros and a reduced ticket around 10 euros. It covers the archaeological site, the museum and the Treasury of Atreus. Prices change, so check the official listing before you go. ### Is the Mask of Agamemnon at Mycenae? No. The original gold mask and the other treasures from Grave Circle A are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The site museum displays copies alongside original finds from the excavations. ### Can you visit Mycenae as a day trip from Athens? Yes. It is under two hours by car, and many tours combine it with Epidaurus and Nafplio. It is a long day, though, and staying overnight in Nafplio makes the visit much more relaxed. ### What is the best time to visit Mycenae? Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. In summer, arrive at opening time, because the citadel is very exposed and hot by late morning.