Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio

This is a day of great distances between great places, and that is exactly where a private car earns its keep. The first stop is the bridge over the Corinth Canal, a narrow cut through solid rock with the sea far below.

Next comes Mycenae, the citadel of Agamemnon, with its Lion Gate, royal tombs and a small museum. From there you drive on to Epidaurus, whose ancient theatre is so well preserved that a whisper on stage carries to the top row. Both sites are visited in the morning and early afternoon, so the order works all year, including winter, when they close earlier.

The day ends in Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece: Venetian lanes, a harbourfront promenade and the Palamidi fortress above the town. Take a long, late lunch while your chauffeur waits, then relax on the drive back to Athens.

A guide plan for the 07:30 departure; times are approximate.

1. 07:30

   Pick-up at your hotel

   Or any address in Athens.

2. ~09:05

   1. Corinth Canal bridge · 15 min here

   Look straight down the narrow canal from the old road bridge.

   Walk onto the bridge for the classic view of sheer rock walls and the water about 80 metres below. Cafés and restrooms line the road at the end of the bridge.

3. ~10:10

   2. Mycenae archaeological site and museum · 100 min here

   The Lion Gate, royal tombs and the citadel of Agamemnon.

   Enter through the Lion Gate, climb to the palace ruins on top of the citadel and visit the small museum by the entrance. On the way out, stop at the Treasury of Atreus, a vast beehive tomb just down the road. Tickets for Greek state sites are sold on the official e-ticket site hhticket.gr and at the gate. Bring a hat in summer, as there is little shade.

4. ~12:40

   3. Epidaurus ancient theatre · 70 min here

   The best-preserved theatre of the ancient world.

   Climb the limestone tiers and test the famous acoustics from the top row while someone speaks softly on stage. The pine-shaded sanctuary of Asklepios and its museum are a short walk away. Tickets for Greek state sites are sold on the official e-ticket site hhticket.gr and at the gate.

5. ~14:30

   4. Nafplio old town · 100 min here

   Venetian lanes, a harbour promenade and a late lunch.

   Start in Syntagma Square, wander the bougainvillea-draped lanes and walk out along the waterfront towards the little Bourtzi castle in the bay. The town has no closing time, which is why it ends the day.

6. ~18:30

   Back at your hotel

   About 11 hours after pick-up.

Departs at 07:30 or 08:00 — you choose one when you book. Bookable from tomorrow onwards.

Runs all year; the stop order allows for shorter winter opening hours at the sites

A fixed price for the whole day, per car rather than per person, VAT included.

Your chauffeur collects you from your hotel or any address in Athens at the departure time you chose, with a name sign, and brings you back there at the end of the day. At every stop they wait nearby.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Cancel later, or miss the pick-up, and the trip is not refunded.

One booking covers the whole day: a private car, a professional chauffeur, fuel, tolls, parking and waiting time at every stop — no need to find and vet a separate driver or company yourself.

Every carrier on Aristevo is a licensed transport company whose licence and documents we check before it can take a booking.

The price is fixed per car, not per person, and you see it before you book — from €180 per car.

The car and chauffeur are yours alone for the day, and your chauffeur waits for you at every stop.

The day trips run from Athens to some of Greece’s best-known places: Cape Sounion, Delphi, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio, the Acropolis and Athens’ landmarks, Meteora, the Corinth Canal and Ancient Corinth, the Nemea wineries, the Athens Riviera and Lake Vouliagmeni and Marathon and Thermopylae.

More questions about day trips

In the Aristevo app: Day trips → Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio → day, time and car. From €340 per car.