Things to Do in Corfu

Plan around Achilleion (€7 gardens), the Old Fortress (€10) and free Spianada — all ticket prices verified Aug 2026 from official sites linked below.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria built Achilleion above Gastouri in 1890. Today only the imperial gardens and outdoor sculpture are open while the palace interior undergoes restoration — general admission €7, reduced €5, daily April–October 08:00–20:00 (achillion-corfu.gr, checked Aug 2026). Allow 45–60 minutes for the terraces and Achilles statue; combine with a Zone B blue bus (€1.80) or taxi from town.

Dedicated Achilleion page covers tickets, last entry and how to pair the visit with Benitses or Kanoni the same day.

Museum of Asian Art in the Palace of St Michael and St George on Spianada houses the island's largest curated collection — separate ticket from the Old Fortress since combined passes ended (odysseus.culture.gr). Archaeological Museum of Corfu on Vraila Armeni street covers ancient Corcyra. Mon Repos palace in the park south of Garitsa interprets British-era royal use of the estate — check current hours locally before walking out.

Museum opening days vary; state sites often stay closed 25–26 December, 1 January and 25 March. Free admission days follow Ministry of Culture rules — see odysseus.culture.gr for the current calendar.

Spianada, Liston, Campiello alleyways and the exterior of Saint Spyridon cost nothing. Mon Repos park paths and Garitsa seafront are free to walk; swimming at Faliraki depends on facility rules — check on site. Many churches welcome visitors outside service times; dress modestly and avoid flash during liturgy.

Easter week processions and philharmonic bands fill the Old Town streets at no charge — dates follow Orthodox Holy Week (visitgreece.gr lists the Botides custom on Holy Saturday at 11:00).

Fortress at opening (08:00 summer, odysseus.culture.gr). Spianada and Campiello before lunch. Achilleion gardens (€7) in late afternoon when the terrace still has light but not the 14:00 glare. Kanoni / Pontikonisi as a separate blue-bus morning, not a squeezed extra after the fortress. Paleokastritsa is a day, not a quick look.

Combined museum + fortress passes are gone — budget separate Ministry tickets. State sites typically close 25–26 December, 1 January and 25 March; confirm on odysseus.culture.gr. Last entry is often 20 minutes before the printed closing time. The lighthouse at the Old Fortress is included in the €10 ticket and is the sunset you do not need a taxi for. Pelekas (Zone B €1.80) is the west-hill alternative if you want a village terrace instead of ramparts.

Hour-by-hour stitching of these stops: Itineraries. Fares to get between them: Getting Around.

Old Fortress: 75–90 minutes if you climb to the lighthouse, 40 if you only want the moat and church of St George. Last entry is typically 20 minutes before closing. Not step-free on the upper terraces.

Achilleion gardens: 45–60 minutes. You are not touring rooms. Pair with Kanoni the same day only if you already hold a day pass or you like buses. Paleokastritsa monastery is un-ticketed; budget 30 minutes plus the cove, not a box-tick from town after 16:00.

Asian Art Museum and the Archaeological Museum are indoor hours on odysseus.culture.gr — separate tickets, separate closure days. Spianada, Liston, Campiello and the Garitsa path cost nothing and fill the gaps between paid doors.