Athens Trip Overview
Settle in your private car and admire the scenery as you move into the Peloponnese. Take great photos at the Corinth Canal and after around 30 minutes, arrive at the ancient hilltop city of Mycenae and enjoy a walking tour of the ruins of this once powerful, fortified settlement.
Afterward, stop in the pretty seaport of Nafplio. Stroll the narrow alleys with the colorful bougainvillea trees and taste delightful Greek dishes before continuing to ancient Epidaurus, the mythological birthplace of Asklepios, the Greek god of healing. Tour the spectacular relics, including the UNESCO-listed Sanctuary of Asklepios and ancient theater of Epidaurus.
-You get to admire stunning Archeological Sites
-Taste local cuisine and hear stories about the visited sites
-Walk around one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities in Greece
-Visit Epidaurus, birthplace of Apollo’s son and an ancient place of healing
– Enjoy a scenic drive along the Saronic Gulf coast.
Additional Info
Duration: 7 to 9 hours
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Attica, Greece
Settle in your private car and admire the scenery as you move into the Peloponnese. Take great photos at the Corinth Canal and after around 30 minutes, arrive at the ancient hilltop city of Mycenae and enjoy a walking tour of the ruins of this once powerful, fortified settlement.
Afterward, stop in the pretty seaport of Nafplio. Stroll the narrow alleys with the colorful bougainvillea trees and taste delightful Greek dishes before continuing to ancient Epidaurus, the mythological birthplace of Asklepios, the Greek god of healing. Tour the spectacular relics, including the UNESCO-listed Sanctuary of Asklepios and ancient theater of Epidaurus.
-You get to admire stunning Archeological Sites
-Taste local cuisine and hear stories about the visited sites
-Walk around one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities in Greece
-Visit Epidaurus, birthplace of Apollo’s son and an ancient place of healing
– Enjoy a scenic drive along the Saronic Gulf coast.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. The canal was initially proposed in classical times and a failed effort was made to build it in the 1st century AD. The canal was dug through the isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for many modern ships. It is currently of little economic importance becoming mainly a tourist attraction. From the bridge, you can enjoy wonderful views and admire the steep limestone walls while you observe the vessels passing by the narrow canal.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Archaeological Site Mycenae, Mycenae 21200 Greece
Mycenae ‘Rich in Gold’, the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon—first sung by Homer in his epics—is the most important and richest palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilisations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilisation. The site, which is inscribed in the World Heritage List since 1999, preserves the imposing ruins of the city that dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. Mycenae was founded between two tall conical hills, Profitis Ilias and Sara, on a low plateau dominating the Argive plain and controlling both the land and sea routes. The archaeological site comprises the fortified acropolis and the surrounding funerary and habitation sites, which are located mainly to its west and southwest. Most of the visible monuments date to the centre’s great prosperity period, from 1350 to 1200 BC.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Ancient Mycenae, Mycenae Greece
At the foot of the acropolis is situated the Archaeological Museum of Mycenae, a modern masterpiece for the area and an attraction point for thousands of tourists, who come to this sacred place to admire part of the findings of “Atrides’ treasure”. The exhibits (almost 2,500) are dated from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Period and come from Mycenae and its surrounding area.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Citadel and Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae Greece
The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb on Panagitsa Hill at Mycenae, Greece, constructed during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC. The stone lintel above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2m, the largest in the world.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Epidaurus Archaeological Museum, Asklepieion, Epidavros 210 52 Greece
The museum is located in the archaeological site of the sanctuary of Asclepius. It hosts architectural parts from the temple and the buildings of the shrine, as well as inscribed columns and pedestals, altars, bronze medical equipment, sculpted votive offerings and tablets, representations of the Asclepius temple (4th c. BC), and sections of the Tholos. The museum was built by P. Kavadias during the period 1902-1909. More wings were constructed in time to house the sculptures, the pottery and the collection of inscriptions that came progressively came to light during the excavations on the site.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: The Great Theatre of Epidaurus, Ethniki Odos Isthmou Archaias Epidavrou, Epidavros 210 52 Greece
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is a theatre in the Greek city of Epidaurus, 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 theatre with regard to acoustics and aesthetics.
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass By: Sanctuary of Asklepios, Epidavros 210 52 Greece
The Sanctuary of Asklepios was a temple complex dedicated to Asklepios, the Greek god of healing, located within the Valley of Dreams in Argolis, Greece.
Stop At: Nafplio, Nafplio, Argolis Region, Peloponnese
Free time for lunch, coffee, or shopping at the ‘Naples of the East’ rich in Venetian architecture, cobbled squares, and towering castles with commanding views of the Argolic Gulf. Afterwards, unwind by the harbor or get lost in the colorful back streets of the most elegant town in mainland Greece. Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece 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. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Bourtzi, The Harbor, Nafplio Greece
Gaze the picturesque water castle of Bourtzi, a Venetian castle located in the middle of the harbor of Nafplio.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Akronafplia Fortress, Nafplio Greece
Rising above the old part of town, the Akronafplia fortress is the oldest of Nafplio’s three castles, although it is less interesting than the other two forts. The lower sections of the walls date back to the Bronze Age. Until the arrival of the Venetians, the town was restricted to within its walls. The Turks called itİç Kale (meaning ‘inner castle’). It was used as a Greek political prison from 1936-56.
Stop At: Palamidi Castle, Eikostis Pemptis Martiou, Nafplio 211 00 Greece
Palamidi is a fortress to the east of the Acronauplia in the town of Nafplio in the Peloponnese region of southern Greece. 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 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, while locals in the town of Nafplion will say there are 999 steps to the top of the castle.
Duration: 30 minutes
