A Private Full Day Argolis Tour is the most interesting and comprehensive tour that you can have in Greece having Athens as a starting point. Argolis is the best representative of Greece concerning the beauty of the landscape and the history of the sites included in the tour, traveling from the Bronze Age to the classical period and the modern history of Greece. Visit Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nauplio in one day!
Itinerary
Corinth Canal – Ancient Corinth
Starting early in the morning from Athens and after an hour of driving we will be stopping at the Corinth Canal, a great piece of work completed in 1886, which connects the Aegean to the Ionian Sea and technically transforms the Peloponnese peninsula into an island. Originally what used to be an isthmus, meaning a narrow strip of land connecting Peloponnese to Mainland Greece, is now a canal, which joins these two regions with several bridges.
As our trip continues, we will be arriving at the site of Ancient Corinth. Ancient Corinth, due to its strategic location next to the Isthmus, exceeded Athens in terms of wealth. Ancient Corinth played an important role at the Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars and was also an important city-state from the classical times to the Roman Times, as a capital of the Roman province of Achaia, and until the Byzantine period.
At the site you can see the temple of Apollo (7th Century BCE), the ruins of the Roman city (44 BCE) and the Acrocorinth, a fortress which was continuously fortified from the Neolithic times until the end of the Ottoman occupation (1822).
Mycenae
After a 30’ scenic drive through orange groves and vineyards we will be arriving at Mycenae, the kingdom of mythical Agamemnon, first sung by Homer in his epics. Mycenae was the richest and most important palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE) in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization. During your stay you will walk through the “Lions’ Gate” and live the myth of a powerful kingdom, which started a war against Troy in order to take the beautiful Helen back. Your experience will be enhanced as you visit the amazing royal tombs of Mycenae.
Nauplio
After Mycenae, we will be traveling for 30’ and 16 thousand years forward to finally arrive at the picturesque seaside town of Nauplio, the first capital of independent Greece. This was the place where the hero of the Greek revolution, Theodoros Kolokotronis, who liberated the city from the Ottomans, was imprisoned by the Greeks and where the first governor Ioannis Kapodistrias, who dedicated himself to the country’s progress, was assassinated by one of the leaders of the war of independence. You will have the chance to wonder around the old city and see the three highlights of Nauplio which are the three castles: Acronauplia, Palamidi and Bourtzi and have lunch at a Greek local restaurant in the traditional centre of the town, or at one by the coast.
Epidaurus
Last but not least, we will be visiting the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus the most amazing and best preserved of all the ancient theatres, widely admired for its phenomenal acoustics. There, you will also visit the Sanctuary of Asclepius, a healing centre which dates back to the 4th century BCE. Now after a long day you will have the chance to relax and enjoy the scenic drive by the coast to the Corinth Canal and back to Athens.
Customize the tour
Don’t hesitate to ask for changes in the itinerary. We are very flexible and able to adjust the itinerary as you wish. You have the option to skip a site or even extend the tour in order to add other sites or have some time at leisure in Nauplio.
Info
Tour duration : 10 hours
Tickets:
Acient Corinth: Full: €8, Reduced: €4
Mycenae꞉ Full: €12, Reduced: €6
Epidaurus꞉ Full: €12, Reduced: €6
Reduced ticket: European citizens over 65 years old, University students
Free entrance: people under 18 years old, students from European Union
Holidays
January 1st: closed
March 25th꞉ closed
May 1st: closed
Easter Sunday: closed
December 25th: closed
December 26th: closed
Free admission days
March 6th (in memory of Melina Mercuri)
April 18th (international monuments day)
May 18th (international museums day)
Last weekend of September (European heritage days)
October 28th
Every 1st Sunday from November to March
Tips
Prefer to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
The tour includes many sites, so try not to spend your precious time in those which really worth. Your driver or guide will assist you in this.
Take a water bottle with you. You will find plenty of them at the vehicle.
Photography is allowed during the tour. Don’t lose a chance to take some nice pictures.
Try the Acoustics in the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. It is an once-in-a-lifetime experience.