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Visitors to archaeological sites and museums in Greece will pay higher entrance fees from the beginning of next year onwards. The members of the Central Archaeological Council have approved the increase in ticket prices for archaeological monuments and museums, in accordance with their attendance, and presented it to the responsible "Museums" Directorate of the Ministry of Culture.

Impressive among the increases are the new ticket prices for the Acropolis - now the regular ticket costs 12 euro and the reduced one 6 euro, and due to the increase its price will become as high as 20 euro (10 euro for reduced tickets). This price will include a visit to the northern and southern part of the Acropolis, but the option of a single ticket for visiting several sites is out of consideration for the time being.

A significant increase is underway for the archaeological site of Knossos, Crete, which is traditionally visited by many tourists and the ticket price will become 15 euro (8 euro for reduced tickets) whereas now it is 6 euro (3 euro for reduced tickets).

The next price range includes major archaeological sites with museums, internationally known and with great attendance, such as the sanctuary of Asclepius and its museum at Epidaurus (6 euro today), the archaeological site and museum in Mycenae (8 euro today), whose prices will become 12 euro (6 euro for reduced tickets).

The next category includes major archaeological monuments, again recognized worldwide and with a trend towards increased attendance (some of them have museums as well), such as the Athenian Agora and the museum in the Stoa of Attalos or the Museum of Ancient Corinth, where the regular ticket will cost 8 euro and the reduced one 4 euro. Then follow the categories that include important archaeological sites and monuments of medium (eg. Nemea and Marathonas) or limited attendance (eg. Akrokorinth, the Catacombs of Milos, the Amphiaraus and the ancient city Poliochni on the island of Limnos) but the increases for them are not large so as to boost attendance.

In museums, the first category includes iconic museums that have the necessary infrastructure, in addition to high attendance, such as the National Archaeological Museum and the Archaeological Museum of Iraklio, where the regular ticket price will be 10 euro and the reduced one 5 euro compared to today's 7 euro for the first museum and 6 euro for the second, the reduced ticket price being 3 euro at present. The cost of admittance to the Christian Byzantine Museum in Athens, which is 4 euro today, will be 8 euro. The tickets for museums such as the Archaeological Museum of Patras, the Archaeological Museum in Thebes (when open), the Museum of Prehistoric Thira on Santorini and the Numismatic Museum in Athens will become 6 euro.

The members of the Central Archaeological Council have requested changes in seven cases of prices proposed by the commission, namely to increase the ticket prices for the Tunnel of Eupalinos on the island of Samos (from 6 to 8 euro), the island of Spinalonga and for the visits to the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes to 8 euro (and not to 6, as suggested). More expensive will be the tickets for the ancient town of Zakros of Crete, the archaeological site and museum in Amphipolis and the Roman villa on the island of Kos - their price will be 6 euro instead of today’s 4 euro.

The meeting did not discuss the issue of offering combined tickets for visits to several sites; it will be considered at the next meeting of the Central Archaeological Council, which should take place within 15 days.

The new prices will take effect from 1 January 2016. A proposal was discussed and approved to apply the new prices in the summer period (i.e. from April to October) and to reduce them by 50% during the winter, "so that all, and especially Greeks, will be able to visit the archaeological sites and museums at low prices," as stated by Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Sport Maria Vlazaki-Andreadaki.

"The Fund for Archaeological Resources as a revenue generating mechanism had to determine which sites would endure a similar increase. The idea of ​​the commission was based on the logic that everything is changing, not only prices," Aspasia Louvi, chairperson of the Fund for Archaeological Resources said during the meeting. She added that e-ticketing devices should be installed by the beginning of next year, at the entrance to the Acropolis first and then subsequently, at another 38 archaeological sites. A device will be installed at the Fund as well, to  monitor all ticket selling points in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.

In turn, curator of the monuments on the Cyclades Dimitris Athanasopoulos said that the increase in ticket prices would immediately help the normal functioning of museums. Other council members also spoke about the need for these monuments and sites to be "put in order," which is also the call of tourists in guest books, as they themselves want prices to increase.

Finally, as noted, free attendance to sites and museums every first Sunday of the month in winter will remain in force.