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The archaic marble lions on the Terrace of the Lions at Delos, standing against an open blue sky

The twenty-one UNESCO World Heritage sites in Greece

3 minute readHow we check facts

Greece has twenty-one UNESCO World Heritage sites as of the most recent Greek inscription, the wider area of Mount Olympus in 2026, which came a year after the Minoan Palatial Centres on Crete. Three of them, Meteora, Mount Athos and the wider area of Mount Olympus, are listed for their natural setting as well as their culture.

An at a glance card for UNESCO sites. How many: Twenty-one. Listed as mixed: Meteora, Athos, Olympus. The newest: The wider Olympus area. Near Athens: The rock, Delos, Delphi. Needs a permit: Athos, and men only. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: Do not chase all of them. They cluster. No prices appear.
Do not chase all of them. They cluster.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

The list

In or near Athens

  • The Acropolis of Athens - the Parthenon and its buildings on the rock.
  • Delos - the sacred island off Mykonos, abandoned and complete.
  • Daphni monastery, one of three sites in a single listing with Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios.

Central Greece

  • Delphi - the sanctuary of Apollo under Parnassos.
  • Meteora - monasteries on rock pillars, listed as a mixed site.
  • Osios Loukas - the Byzantine mosaics, part of the three-monastery listing.

The Peloponnese

  • Epidaurus - the sanctuary of Asklepios and its theatre.
  • Olympia - the sanctuary where the games were held.
  • Mycenae and Tiryns - the Bronze Age citadels.
  • Mystras - the Byzantine city on the slope below Taygetos.
  • Bassae - the temple of Apollo Epikourios, remote in Arcadia and usually under a protective tent.

The north

  • Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki - fifteen churches and monuments across the city.
  • Vergina, ancient Aigai - the royal Macedonian tombs.
  • Mount Athos - the monastic republic, a mixed site.
  • Philippi - the Roman city and forum near Kavala.
  • Zagori cultural landscape - the stone villages, bridges and paths, inscribed in 2023.
  • The wider area of Mount Olympus - the mountain above Litochoro, inscribed in 2026 as a mixed site.

The islands

  • The medieval city of Rhodes - the walled Old Town.
  • Patmos - the Chora, the monastery of St John and the cave of the Apocalypse.
  • Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos - the ancient harbour town, the Eupalinos tunnel and the sanctuary of Hera.
  • The old town of Corfu - the Venetian fortifications and the town between them.
  • Minoan Palatial Centres - six Minoan palace sites on Crete in a single listing, among them Knossos, inscribed in 2025.

How to actually use this list

Very few travellers should chase all twenty-one. The useful observation is how they cluster:

  • An Athens trip already contains one, and puts Delphi, Delos and Epidaurus within a day.
  • A northern trip round Thessaloniki reaches Vergina, Philippi, the wider area of Mount Olympus and, from a distance, Athos.
  • An Epirus trip is Zagori, which is a whole landscape rather than a site with a gate.
  • A Dodecanese or east Aegean route picks up Rhodes, Patmos and Samos without a detour.

Two that need planning

  • Mount Athos is a self-governing monastic community that requires a permit, and only men may enter. Women see it from a boat offshore, which is a real and common excursion.
  • Bassae is genuinely remote, on a mountain road in Arcadia, and the temple has spent decades under a protective covering.

Last checked September 2026. The list grows: check the UNESCO register for new inscriptions - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

How many UNESCO sites are there in Greece?

Twenty-one, as of the 2026 inscription of the wider area of Mount Olympus. Three of them, Meteora, Mount Athos and the wider area of Mount Olympus, are mixed cultural and natural sites; the other eighteen are cultural.

Which Greek UNESCO site is easiest to visit?

The Acropolis of Athens, which is in the middle of the capital. Delphi, Delos and Epidaurus are all day trips from the same base.

Can anyone visit Mount Athos?

No. It is a self-governing monastic community requiring a permit, and only men are admitted. Women view it from boats offshore.

What is the newest UNESCO site in Greece?

The wider area of Mount Olympus, inscribed in 2026 as a mixed cultural and natural site. Before it came the Minoan Palatial Centres on Crete, in 2025, and the Zagori cultural landscape in Epirus, in 2023.

Are Greek UNESCO sites free to enter?

No. Most are ticketed archaeological sites with seasonal hours, and several sell one ticket covering the site and its own museum.

Next

Read Delphi, Meteora, or Mount Athos.