Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio full day private tour from Athens

based on 86 reviews

Duration:9 hours to 10 hours (approx.)
Location: Athens, Greece

From $241.26

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Venture south of Athens to experience four historic highlights of the Peloponnese peninsula in just a day. Cross the Corinth Canal to leave mainland Greece and discover Ancient Corinth, antiquity’s most powerful commercial crossroads, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Epidaurus with its theater and healing center that were milestones in the evolution of western civilization, Mycenae, one of the ancient world’s most noteworthy cultures, and the historic town of Nafplio the country’s most picturesque town.

• Full-day tour of Peloponnese highlights from Athens in a day
• Discover Ancient Corinth, antiquity’s most powerful commercial crossroads
• Travel the Isthmus of Corinth with its picturesque yet imposing natural beauty
• Visit the archaeological site of Mycenae, home to mythical King Agamemnon
• Check out the perfect acoustics at Epidaurus's 4th-century amphitheater
• Explore Nafplio, the country’s most picturesque town

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. 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. From high up, you can enjoy the best view of Corinth's isthmus and admire the steep limestone walls while you observe the vessels below you navigate their way through the canal.
2. Ancient Corinth (Archaia Korinthos)
Corinth was a city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnese to the mainland of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. The modern city of Corinth is located approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of the ancient ruins. 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 Paul the Apostle's missionary travels. In addition, the second book of Pausanias' Description of Greece is devoted to Corinth. Ancient 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.
3. Archaeological Museum of Corinth
The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth was constructed between 1931-1932, with intentions to display the numerous recent archaeological excavations. The museum is located within the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth, Greece, and lies under the jurisdiction of the 37th Ephoreia of the Greek Archaeological Service. Key aspects of the Archaeological site of Ancient Corinth include: Hadgimoustafa spring Lechaion Road Basilica Fountain of Peirene Stoa Agora Odien Other temples Theatre
4. Temple of Apollo
The Temple of Apollo at Corinth was constructed in 550 BC.
5. Mycenae
The fortified citadel of ancient Mycenae, the seat of the mythical and mighty King Agamemnon. An impressive and well-preserved site, the city of Mycenae gave its name to an entire civilization. Admire sites such as the Tomb of Clytemnestra, the infamous Lion’s Gate, the Cyclopean walls and learn of their blood-stained past. In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares.
6. Archaeological Site Mycenae
The archaeological site of Mycenae comprises the fortified acropolis and 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 floruit, from 1350 to 1200 BC. Great Cyclopean walls surround the almost triangular acropolis, which is accessed from the northwest through the famous Lion Gate, the symbol of the Mycenaean rulers' power. The gate was named after the two opposing lions carved in relief and set into the relieving triangle, a typical feature of Mycenaean architecture, over the door.
7. Lion Gate
The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. 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.
8. Archaeological Museum of Ancient Mycenae
The Archaeological Museum of Mycenae is found at the entrance of the ancient site, just a few steps before the Lion Gate.
9. Citadel and Treasury of Atreus
The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb on Panagitsa Hill at Mycenae 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. The tomb was used for an unknown period. Mentioned by the Roman geographer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD, it was still visible in 1879 when the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the shaft graves under the "agora" in the Acropolis at Mycenae.
10. Epidaurus Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus is a museum in Epidaurus, in Argolis on the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. The museum, noted for its reconstructions of temples and its columns and inscriptions, was established in 1902 and opened in 1909 to display artifacts unearthed in the ancient site of Epidaurus in the surrounding area.
11. The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
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. The monument retains the characteristic tripartite structure of a Hellenistic theatre that has a theatron, orchestra, and skene. During Roman times, the theatre (unlike many Greek theatres) did not suffer any modifications.
12. Sanctuary of Asklepios
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 AD, 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.
13. Nafplio
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.
14. Bourtzi
Enjoy the view of the water castle of Bourtzi, a Venetian castle located in the middle of the harbor of Nafplio, and take fascinating photos from the harbor side.
15. Akronafplia Fortress
The Acronauplia is the oldest part of the city of Nafplion in Greece. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town's fortifications. Later, part of it was used as a prison until the Greek government decided that the view provided from its location would benefit the local tourism and built a hotel complex which still stands there today.
16. Palamidi Castle
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.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Ronald_S
Our .tour guide was excellent. Follin took us to all the places we wanted to see and explained the history of each site we visited. The place we were taken for lunch had delicious food and the staff was very accommodating. We highly recommend this tour.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-16 08:50:37

Posted By : Bruce_H
-Spiros was the driver
-very safe driver, very knowledgeable, very personable
-we were able to customize our itinerary to what we wanted and adjust as needed when our cruise ship was delayed due to Greek port officials
-each site involved lots of walking, mostly on rocky areas and with many angles/hills, so consider carefully if you have mobility issues
-we went to the Corinth Canal, ancient Corinth, Acrocorinth, Mycenae, and Epidauros
-Corinth Canal: nice, only needs a couple minutes
-Ancient Corinth: amazing, huge excavated site, small but good museum
-Acrocorinth: dramatic and gorgeous views because it is so high up, super steep the entire time, smooth and slippery rocks the whole way, it would take a couple of hours just to walk all the way up…with more time and no mobility challenges, it would be an amazing stop…it would be dangerously slippery in the rain
-Mycenae was fantastic…great views, an amazingly excavated site, and a tiny but good museum. Very hilly.
-Epidauros was another hugely excavated site, surrounded by lots of trees. The amphitheater was in excellent condition.
-As a note on the sites (not this tour company), each site had a gift shop run by the Hellenic Heritage organization with the same tiny inventory. We were very underwhelmed with the options, which were mostly books, coffee cups, and a few other things—almost no traditional gift shop offerings.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-07 12:35:31

Posted By : 499madelinel
This was the very first thing that we did when we landed in Athens and I cannot emphasize enough how fabulous this tour was and how professional our driver was. Costas was the absolute best and anyone who gets him as their tour guide is LUCKY!!!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-05 15:38:58

Posted By : AndyB3768
Nice, knowledgeable driver. Smooth and safe drive to and from sites. Plenty of time to explore and convenient pick-ups and waiting spots.
No Corinth , but a stop at the Canal.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-02 16:09:21

Posted By : Jameela_Y
Michael was an excellent driver, very professional, patient and knowledgeable. We had a great experience seeing the multiple sites from Corinth, Mycenae, Nafplio and Epidarus. If you are staying a few days in Athens this is a great way to see more of the country. The views during the drive are stunning. We included lunch which was delicious 😋
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-27 13:42:52

Posted By : Y7532FXjonathans
Our driver took us to all the listed sites plus extras along the way. He provided insights to the significance of the locations with a great knowledge of old and new history. He was patient when we arrived late back to the car at certain spots. The only issue was the lunch spot he recommended had poor service leading to limited time in Nafplio.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-15 15:17:53

Posted By : noahlG496IR
Notis was a very good and talkative driver very kind and knowledgeable about the area and the history of the area. Taught us some Greek vocab. Very fun tour will recommend to friends and family.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-13 11:46:02

Posted By : 238LindaJ238
This was an incredible day with George our driver/guide who was amazing. We went at our pace and never felt rushed. George’s knowledge added to the wonderful experience. We would thoroughly recommend this tour.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-12 12:15:10

Posted By : Linda_J
It was all wonderful and absolutely breathtaking. Actually seeing the Corinth canal, ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and the pretty Nafplio for lunch was amazing. George our driver/ guide from myathenstransfers was superb in every respect.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-12 11:58:04

Posted By : christiandI1972VT
The trip was amazing. Our guide, Petros was very friendly and knowledgeable. He could tell us about the history of the sites we were at, as well as what life is like for the locals there. He was kind enough to stop by an orange producing farm and we were able to purchase a bag of vine fresh oranges on the trip. They were delicious. The views from Mycenae and Nafplio were amazing and we were grateful that Petros gave us some information on the best places to get pictures and take in the sites. On our way back he even told us about some interesting places very close to our hotel that we could visit the next day. We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone and would love to do it again!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-30 17:40:12