Athens to Mycenae, Epidaurus, Corinth, Nafplio Private Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore ancient Mycenae's Lion Gate
- Visit Epidaurus' ancient theater
- Discover Corinth's Temple of Apollo
- Stroll through Nafplio's charming streets
- Enjoy scenic views of the Peloponnese
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Private transportation from Athens
- Guided tours of Mycenae, Epidaurus, Corinth, and Nafplio
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Meals and beverages
Itinerary
This small Peloponese tour is a good opportunity to see several major site of the peninsula just in two days. Begining with a drive along the coast, you will get the chance to see some Greek seaside villages and the island of Salamis. Salamis is where the historical naval battle took place between the Athenians and the Persians. Our first stop of the day, the Corinth Canal. Eventually opened in 1892 separating the Peloponnese from the rest of Greece all the while connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. Having time to walk across on a pedestrian bridge and admire the canal closer, you may go bungee jumping on some days (if you’re game).
Archaeological and historical interest, Ancient Corinth is also one of the most popular religious destinations in Greece. It was here that the Apostle Paul preached Christianity, was judged by the tribunal in the Agora and established the best organized Christian church of the time.
The temple of Apollo at Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in the Peloponnese and the Greek mainland. Built around 560 B.C.E., of local monolithic limestone on top of an imposing, rocky hill to the north of Acrocorinth, the Archaic temple was an emblem for the Greek city of Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity.
We will visit the castle of Acrocorinth,the oldest and largest castle in southern Greece, for some amazing photos.
Dated to the 2nd millennium B.C.E. representing what Homer wrote about, Achilles, Agamemnon and Helen of Troy. The palace of Mycenae gave its name to a whole era.
In the site you will see the famous Lions Gate (the oldest architectural sculpture in Europe), the cyclopean walls, the burial circle A and the remains of Agamemnon’s Palace.
Within the site there is a modern museum, exhibiting the findings of the “City Of Gold” which is also worth visiting.
Just before leaving the site we will make a small stop at the treasury of Atreus, the best preserved Tholos tomb found and one of the finest examples of the Mycenaean architecture.
From here we will travel through time towards a more recent history of Greece and to the city of Nafplion. Nafplion is considered the most scenic city which also functioned as the capital of Greece until 1834. It offers you an impressive combination of fortresses and castles (Palamidi, Bourtzi), an enormous port opened to the Aegean Sea and the unique architecture of the old city of Nafplion revealing Venetian, neoclassical and oriental elements. Lunch will be at a traditional tavern by the sea.
We’ll drive up until the castle of Acronafplia for a panoramic view of Nafplio.
We will visit the site of Epidaurus. After just a short drive you will be able to visit one of the most important ancient sanctuaries dedicated to the God Asclepius, the god of healing and medicine, located in an ideal environment and spread over a hilly area.
Its highest point is the theater of Epidaurus. The best preserved ancient Greek theater dated 4th century B.C.E.It is proof of what fantastic miracles the ancient Greek minds could create. You can test the acoustics, great even today. Climb up until the upper seats just to close your eyes and dream you attended an ancient Greek tragedy.
Pass by: We will grive back to Athens by the country road croosing picturesque villages and land scapes.
Important information
Know before you book
- This is a private tour; the price is per group, not per person.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off are included; please provide your accommodation details.
- Meals and beverages are not included; plan accordingly.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes for exploring archaeological sites.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen to protect against the sun.
- Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated during the tour.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Stroller Accessible
- Infant Seats Available
Good to know
- The drivers are not licensed to accompany you inside any site or museum. If you require a licensed guide to tour the sites with you, you need to hire one additionally. If you have any questions you can contact us on the phone number provided by Viator.
- The duration of the tours is approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
Traveler reviews
Fantastic day tour with a great driver
After enjoying the 2 day tour of Meteora, Delphi and Thermopyles, so much with Terry as our driver, we decided to ask for Terry again and do this day tour. Once again the experience was superb. Terry gave us a complete overview of every site on the way which makes a huge difference in the overall enjoyment. The convenience of being picked up from our hotel and the flexibility in being able to stay a bit longer in preferred sites was great. Defintely recommend this tour and Terry as the driver.
Long day but very fulfilling in providing a sense of ancient Greek history
This was a very full day that we enjoyed a lot. The highlight was the Lions Gate at the Mycenae fortress and the acoustics at the Theater of Epidaurus but we also enjoyed looking down at the canal of Corinth and the lobster dinner we ordered in the charming town of Napflio was an added bonus. Also the portion of the ride through mountainous and seaside terrain was very nice. Perhaps most importantly our guide Theodore could not have been more helpful and he was a fountain of knowledge. It’s a long trip but well worth it.
10 hours jam packed with amazing history and awesome sites!
My wife and I added this tour on to our itinerary almost at the last minute but oh are we glad we did! 10 hours of amazing history and awesome sites! We are historians and it seemed like every turn of the private van we had was a new Greek City State we had read about in high school/college! Even though our driver was an archeology major in college, we opted to book an additional guide. He was a windfall of knowledge and really made the ruins we were seeing pop to life! This was NOT a 20 questions quiz to see what the Americans knew from school like others tours we have taken. Instead, it was a successful attempt to make us feel like we were actually in Mycanae, Corinth, and Epidauris! Our guide and expert driver knew where to take all the great pictures and often volunteered to take them for us! This was especially true in the beautiful city of Nafplio. We would truly recommend this tour to history and non-history buffs alike. Just explain what level of knowledge you are at and what you want to see and let your driver/guide do the rest. I can truly say that the 10 hours were very engaging and went by quickly! Great job Viator and Olive Sea Travel!
We highly recommend this private day tour option—you won’t regret it.
We were four adults of one family, and within minutes of setting of in the air conditioned 7-seater with driver and sometime guide, Kyriakos, we knew we’d made the right choice of a private tour, rather than join a coach tour! Kyriakos gave us the history of the major sites we visited, was flexible with timing (allowing more time when a site interested us and less when it didn’t), never left us waiting when we’d finished visiting a site, and was there with water and advice whenever needed. And his recommended restaurant for lunch was spot on.
Great Tour Outside Athens
The driver and tour guide were excellent. The sites were a different era than those in our Athens tour. A lit of time traveling between locations but well worth the effort.