Athens Trip Overview
We visit Kalavrtyta,Ancient Olympia, Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidaurus… as travelers, not as tourists.
Schedule is flexible, but most importantly our drivers are seasoned travelers and are dedicated to helping you live the tour of your life, that is suited to your needs and lifestyle, allowing all passengers to enjoy the scenic drive, stopping wherever you desire, take photos, have a break, swim.
Day 1: The tour starts with convenient pickup, which takes you via Cornth Canal to Peloponnese. You will take the unique train to Kalavryta. Your driver will wait at the Train station to continue via Aroania mountains to Olympia (Overnight).
Day 2: You will will visit the first ancient Olympic stadium, Zeus Temple, Museums, more… Drive via Arkadia mountains to Nafplio. Visit Palamidi, the most well preserved Castle in Greece (Overnight)
Day 3: Visit Acronafplia castle, the oldest above old Nafplio, Asclepius sanctuary in Epidavros and Agamemnon Palace in Mycenae
Additional Info
Duration: 3 days
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Attica, Greece
We visit Kalavrtyta,Ancient Olympia, Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidaurus… as travelers, not as tourists.
Schedule is flexible, but most importantly our drivers are seasoned travelers and are dedicated to helping you live the tour of your life, that is suited to your needs and lifestyle, allowing all passengers to enjoy the scenic drive, stopping wherever you desire, take photos, have a break, swim.
Day 1: The tour starts with convenient pickup, which takes you via Cornth Canal to Peloponnese. You will take the unique train to Kalavryta. Your driver will wait at the Train station to continue via Aroania mountains to Olympia (Overnight).
Day 2: You will will visit the first ancient Olympic stadium, Zeus Temple, Museums, more… Drive via Arkadia mountains to Nafplio. Visit Palamidi, the most well preserved Castle in Greece (Overnight)
Day 3: Visit Acronafplia castle, the oldest above old Nafplio, Asclepius sanctuary in Epidavros and Agamemnon Palace in Mycenae
Itinerary
Day 1: Corinth Canal, Rack railway train Kalavryta, Aroania mountains, Olympia (overnight)
Stop At: Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
The marvelous man-made Corinth canal connecting the Aegean and Ionian seas, as well as the Peloponnese peninsula with the central part of Greece.
More than 2500 workers digging 6.400m for twelve years (from 1881 to 1893) Stop for photography, walk across on a pedestrian bridge and admire the canal from 80 m high
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos), Argous 105 Ancient Korinthos village, Corinth 200 07 Greece
ncient Corinth was one of the largest and most important cities of Greece, with a population of 90,000 in 400 BC. The Romans demolished Corinth in 146 BC, built a new city in its place in 44 BC, and later made it the provincial capital of Greece.
Walking in the remains of the ancient City of Corinth is like to walk back in time. For Christians, Corinth is well known from the two letters of Saint Paul in the New Testament, First and Second Corinthians. Corinth is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as part of the Paul the Apostle’s missionary travels.
Combined ticket 8€ for summer or 4€ for winter
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Temple of Apollo, Ancient Corinth, Corinth 20007 Greece
Temple of Apollo, in Ancient Corinth, was built about 550 B.C. in the Doric style on the ruins of much earlier temple. It is one of the earliest Doric temples in the Peloponnese constructed of local limestone on top of an imposing, rocky hill.
This temple was an emblem for the Greek city of Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity.
The Temple of Apollo was built upon a Temple Hill, which was an outcropping of natural rock, which allowed for a sturdy platform on which the temple could be built. The Temple of Apollo dominated Ancient Corinth.
The remains of other temples, a theater, shops, public baths, pottery factories, a gymnasium, a triumphal arch, and other buildings such as villas have been excavated since 1896 on the site around the Temple of Apollo.
The temple initially consisted of 42 monolithic, 6×15 limestone columns, over 7 m high.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Diakopto 250 03, Greece
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a train journey as spectacular as that of the rack railway that links the seaside village of Diakopto to picturesque Kalavryta.
Take the Diakopto–Kalavryta Railway, an historic 750 mm gauge cog railway in Greece. It runs 22 km (14 mi) through the Vouraikos Gorge, stopping en route at Zachlorou.
It is one of the most beautiful natural sights plus one of the most spectacular railway rides.The little train travels through streams, climbing the majestic narrow gorge,up into the mountains, through bridges and tunnels, over waterfalls, along cliffs and through forest of pine and oak trees. When the incline gets really steep it switches form regular track to a cog system.
Duration: 1 hour 8 minutes
Stop At: The Municipal Museum of the Kalavryta Holocaust, 1-5 Sigrou Achaia, Kalavrita 250 01 Greece
Kalavryta a popular traditional mountain village. Visit Museum & town.
In early December 1943, the German Army’s 117th Jäger Division began a mission named Unternehmen Kalavryta (Operation Kalavryta), intending to encircle Greek Resistance fighters in the mountainous area surrounding Kalavryta. During the operation, 78 German soldiers, who had been taken prisoner by the partisans in October, were executed by their captors. In response, the commander of the German division, General Karl von Le Suire personally ordered the “severest measures” — the killing of the male population of Kalavryta — on 10 December 1943.
Operation Kalavryta was mounted from six cities: Patras, Aigion, and Cornith on the Gulf of Corinth and from Argos, Pyrgos and Tripolis in central Peloponnese. All “Battle-Groups” were aimed at Kalavryta, although the divisions from Pyrgos, Argos, and Corinth returned to their bases soon after. Wehrmacht troops burnt villages and monasteries and shot civilians on their way. The Germans reached Kalavryta on December 9. In the early morning of December 13, 1943 the Germans rounded up all residents of the town and forced them into the school building where they separated the older boys and men from the women and children. They moved the men to a field owned by Thanasis Kappis, a school teacher, just overlooking the town. After looting the town and setting it ablaze, the Germans machine-gunned the men. 696 men and older boys were killed. There were only 13 male survivors, saved because they were hidden under the bodies of the dead. The women and children managed to free themselves from the flaming school while the rest of the town was set ablaze. The following day the Nazi troops burned down the Agia Lavra monastery, a landmark of the Greek War of Independence.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Aroania, Aroania, Achaea Region, West Greece
Drive via Aroania Mountains to Ancient Olympia. The parts of Aroania we drive are between 800 m and 1,800 m elevation and are covered with pine forests. The higher areas consist of grasslands and barren rock. Aroania is rich in butterfly species
The mountain is the site of the Aristarchos telescope.
The Chelmos Observatory is an observatory located at the top of mount Chelmos, near Kalavryta. It is the largest research infrastructure of the National Observatory of Athens and IAASARS. The observatory was completed and first opened in 2001. Its main equipment is the Aristarchos 2.3 m Telescope, manufactured by German company Carl Zeiss AG. With the finance from the universities of Patras and Manchester.
Stop At: Olympia, Olympia, Elis Region, West Greece
Overnight in Ancient Olympia. We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 110€ per double room / weekend-holidays 130€ per double room – if more than 2 rooms 10% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 4 stars. See additional info
Day 2: Ancient Olympia – Zeus Temple, Stadium… Museums, Arkadia, Nafplion (overnight)
Stop At: Archaeological Site of Olympia, Archea Olympia, Olympia 27065 Greece
Olympia is one of the most influential ancient Greek sanctuaries, located in western Peloponnese, in Elis. It is is positioned in a serene and rich valley at the confluence of the Alpheios and the Kladeos rivers. In antiquity it was famous beyond the borders of mainland Greece for hosting the Olympic Games every four years, starting in 776 BCE.
The archaeological site is located withing walking distance of the modern village called Ancient Olympia and it includes ruins from Bronze Age to the Byzantine eras. The site covers an expanded area of ruins scattered among low trees, as well as Zeus & Hera Temples, Fidias Workshop, Roman emperor Nero villa, the ancient stadium where the Olympics games took place and a lot more. An impressive array of artifacts which were unearthed during excavations are on exhibition at the nearby Olympia Museum
Combined ticket: Summer 12€ and includes Archaeological & History of the Games Museums. Under 19 y free /Over 65 y or winter time reduce half
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Archaia Olympia, Olympia 27 065 Greece
By the time Theodosius I banned the Olympics and ordered the destruction of the temples, the sanctuary had amassed an incredible amount of buildings, fountains, baths, statues, trophies, and votive offerings of every kind. Even though Olympia was plundered several times in antiquity, archaeologists have unearthed a wealth of objects during excavations that started in 1875 and continue to our day. The Museum at Olympia shelters and exhibits the most striking of these finds, some of which are worth traveling around the world to experience in person.
Perhaps the most famous of all the statues in the Olympia Museum are:The Hermes of Praxiteles. Circa 340 BCE
The Nike of Paionios of Mende in Chalkidiki, Macedonia (his name is carved on the base of the statue). Circa 420 BCE.
The helmet Miltiades dedicated to Zeus at the sanctuary after he led the Athenians in victory at Marathon. The act is inscribed on the helmet itself “ΜΙΛΤΙΑΔΕΣ ΑΝΕΘΕΚΕΝ ΤΟΙ ΔΙΙ” (the name Miltiades is clearly visible in the lower left part of the helmet). 490 BCE.
A Persian helmet dedicated to Zeus by the Athenians after their win against the Persians at Marathon. The helmet was part of the battle spoils and it is inscribed “ΔΙΙ ΑΘΕΝΑΙΟΙ ΜΕΔΟΝ ΛΑΒΟΝΤΕΣ” (Offered to Zeus from the Athenians who took it from the Medes). 490 BCE.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Museum of the Olympic Games, Olympia Greece
Beautifully presented displays depict the history of the world’s most prestigious sporting competition. Learn about its core original events (foot racing, wrestling, boxing and chariot racing), why it’s associated with Hercules (or Pelops), and what fate befell women who tried to watch the Games despite prohibitions. The sculptures, mosaics, pottery art and votive offerings all pay tribute to athletes and athleticism, while bronze strigils were used by the athletes themselves to scrape down. Other Games of Ancient Greece also get a mention.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Archimedes Museum, Praksiteli Kondili 9, Olympia 270 65 Greece
Archimedes’ Museum in Ancient Olympia is a unique thematic museum in Greece and is dedicated to the great Mathematician, Physicist, Engineer, Astronomer and Inventor of the ancient Greece and the Ancient Greek Technology of his time.
Archimedes’ Museum is permanently hosted in the center of Ancient Olympia in a two floor building that was granted by the municipality of Ancient Olympia. That was unanimously agreed by the board of directors of the city of the Ancient Olympia and supported by both the Commercial Union of Ancient Olympia “Hermes” and the Hotel owners of the city.
Archimedes was a unique and tiptop genius in the spiritual world of all times. He passed on to the global culture great theses in the fields of all the ancient sciences and most of all, he became the springboard for the development of the modern science. He invented a lot of inventions, some of them still in use as at the same time he inspired Da Vinci and he influenced Galileo and Newton.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Arkadia Region, Arkadia Region, Peloponnese
Drive via Arkadia mountains. is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological figure Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan. In European Renaissance arts, Arcadia was celebrated as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness.
Arcadia is mainly grassland with a bit farmland and three wooded mountain ranges, but large areas are covered only by degenerated shrubland. Forests, mainly in altitudes higher than 1000 m, remained in the central north (Mainalo), in winter also a ski resort, in the central south and in the Arcadian part of the mountain range Parnon. In the southwest, “Mount Lykaion” is well known for its ancient history and myths.
Stop At: Palamidi Castle, Eikostis Pemptis Martiou, Nafplio 211 00 Greece
If there is time, we will visit Palamidi, a fortress above the town of Nafplio. Nestled on the crest of a 216-metre high hill, the fortress was built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area (1686–1715).
The fortress was a very large and ambitious project, but was finished within a relatively short period from 1711 until 1714. It is a typical baroque fortress based on the plans of the engineers Giaxich and Lasalle. In 1715 it was captured by the Turks and remained under their control until 1822, when it was captured by the Greeks.
The eight bastions of the fortress were originally named after the Venetians aristocrats. However, when it fell to the Ottoman Empire, the bastions were given Turkish names. Lastly, when the Greeks overthrew the Turks the bastions were renamed after ancient Greek leaders and heroes (Epaminondas, Miltiades, Leonidas, Phocion, Achilles, Themistocles. The two remaining bastions were named after St. Andrew (Agios Andreas) and the French Philhellene Robert who died in battle on the Acropolis of Athens. The “Miltiades,” was used as a prison and among its walls was also held Theodoros Kolokotronis, hero of the Greek Revolution.
The fortress commands an impressive view over the Argolic Gulf, the city of Náfplio and the surrounding country. There are 913 steps in the winding stair from the town to the fortress. However, to reach the top of the fortress there are over one thousand. Locals in the town of Nafplion will say there are 999 steps to the top of the castle and specials can be found on menus that incorporate this number to catch a tourist’s eye.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Nafplio, Nafplio, Argolis Region, Peloponnese
Nafplio is a historical coastal town in the Peloponnese that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was an important seaport held under a succession of royal houses in the Middle Ages as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia, held initially by the de la Roche following the Fourth Crusade before coming under the Republic of Venice and, lastly, the Ottoman Empire. The town was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplion is the most picturesque town in mainland of Greece and we will stay here for overnight.
We can arrange accommodation for you in selected Boutique Hotels A’class or 3/4* Hotels with breakfast (additional cost 90€ per double room / weekend-holidays 120€ per double room – if more than 2 rooms 10% less. Driver’s room complimentary). If you wish to do do your own hotel reservation, you need to reserve an extra room for your driver.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not included, but we can make an arrangement for you and your driver in Boutique hotels 4 stars. See additional info
Day 3: Nafplion (Palamidi castle) Epidaurus, Mycenae, Nemea
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Nauplion, Syntagma Square Nafpliou – Epidavrou, Nafplio 211 00 Greece
The Archaeological Museum is accommodated in the imposing in size as well as strict in symmetry, stone-built Venetian structure which covers and encases the central, Syntagma Square on its west side. It was first built in 1713, during the second reign of the Venetians, under the Naval Proveditore Augustine Sagredo to be used as the navy’s depository, according to the marble inscription fitted on the building’s frontage, written in Latin. It is widely acknowledged as one of the best well-preserved Venetian structures in the whole of Greece.
The museum’s most exquisite piece of archaeological finds still remains to be the Bronze Suit Armor of Dendra region, exhibited in a specially designed area together with the rest of the breathtaking tools which were excavated such as, armor equipment belonging to the soldier dressed in that armor, bronze and clay jugs.
Ticket General 6€ / Reduced 3€
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Akronafplia Fortress, Nafplio Greece
Nafplio’s oldest castle, Acronafplía, rises at the top of the old town. Once the whole city existed within these walls. Parts of the castle was built already in the Bronze Age, and there are still remnants of these old walls in the western part of the castle. Acronafplia was later extended and amplified by respectively Romans, Franks, Venetians and Turks. The thick castle walls form a nice backdrop for the city, and in the last years, the castle is being restored. Especially the eastern parts deserve a visit. Explore this section on foot, by walking off the road that runs through the castle, and in between the old walls.
However, there are more good reasons to visit Acronafplia. The view is beautiful, both to the northern parts of the city and towards the bay, and south to Arvanitia beach and the mountains of Arcadia.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Epidaurus Archaeological Museum, Asklepieion, Epidavros 210 52 Greece
The museum has a substantial collection of inscriptions and Greek and Roman sculptures. The main collection of inscriptions has been housed in the special hall to the northeast of the main building since 1958 as has a storeroom for the sculptures, a pottery room, and a restoration workshop.The museum also displays bronze medical instruments providing an informative insight into medical practice at the sanctuary of Asklepios.
Ticket: Winter 6€ / Summer 12€. Under 19 y free./ Over 65 y. reduced
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus, Epidavros Municipality 210 52, Greece
The Temple of Asclepius was a sanctuary in Epidaurus dedicated to Asclepius. It was the main holy site of Asclepius. The sanctuary at Epidaurus was the rival of such major cult sites as the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and Apollo at Delphi. The temple was built in the early 4th-century BC. If still in use by the 4th-century, the temple would have been closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire, when the Christian Emperors issued edicts prohibiting non-Christian worship.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: The Great Theatre of Epidaurus, Ethniki Odos Isthmou Archaias Epidavrou, Epidavros 210 52 Greece
The Ancient Theater of Epidaurus is located on the southeast end of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. It is built on the west side of Cynortion Mountain, near modern Lygourio, and belongs to the Epidaurus Municipality. It is considered to be the most perfect ancient Greek theater with regard to acoustics and aesthetics.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Citadel and Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae Greece
The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is a large tholos constructed during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC. The lintel stone above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2m the largest in the world. The tomb was used for an unknown period. Mentioned by Pausanias, it was still visible in 1879 when the German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the shaft graves under the ‘agora’ in the Acropolis at Mycenae. The tomb has probably no relationship with either Atreus or Agamemnon, as archaeologists believe that the sovereign buried there ruled at an earlier date than the two, but it was named thus by Heinrich Schliemann and the name has been used ever since.
The grave is in the style of the other tholoi of Mycenaean Greece, of which there are nine in total around the citadel of Mycenae and many more in the Argolis. However, in its monumental shape and grandeur it is one of the most impressive monuments surviving from the Mycenaean period.
Combined Ticket (Tomb & Acropolis): Winter 6€ /Summer 12€. Under 19 years free / Over 65 y. reduced
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Archaeological Site Mycenae, Mycenae 21200 Greece
The Acropolis of Mycenae, with its strategic position for the control of the Argolid Plain, is the kingdom of the mythical Agamemnon and the most important and richest palatial center of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization, while the myths related to its history, its rulers and their family members (such as Klytaimnestra, Ifigeneia, Elektra, Orestes) have inspired poets, writers and artists over many centuries, from the ancient to the contemporary times. Significant stages in monumental architecture are still visible in the property, such as the massive defensive walls, the cor-belled tholos tombs and the Lions Gate.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Lion Gate, Mycenae Greece
On your way to Acropolis of Mycenae & Agamemnon Palace, you will walk through the Lions Gate, which was the main entrance. It was erected during the 13th century BC, around 1250 BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses or lions in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance.
The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean. It is the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground, and the only relief image which was described in the literature of classical antiquity, such that it was well known prior to modern archaeology.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Ancient Mycenae, Mycenae Greece
The Museum is built next to the citadel at Mycenae. While the most important Mycenaean artifacts are exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, a variety of other objects unearthed in the vicinity are exhibited in its three halls. It provides context to the excavations and it is easily visited after a tour of the archaeological site.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Athens, Athens, Attica
We will depart from Peloponnese via Corinth Canal (last stop), to return in Athens or request another drop off location
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
