Aquarius
What to order: the chef's menu with the wines the sommelier suggests, starting with an agiorgitiko from Nemea.
Inside Club Hotel Casino Loutraki · book with the form on its website or on +30 27440 60300
geocalia
Day itinerary · 37.91° N · 22.88° E
Corinth in a day, an hour from Athens, between two seas.
The canal from the bridge and from inside on a boat, the bridge that sinks at Isthmia, Acrocorinth before 13:00 and the Temple of Apollo in the afternoon.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Atenas fromBarcelona 3 h 15Bilbao 3 h 45Madrid 3 h 45Málaga 4 h
Part of CorinthPeloponnese
Add to my trip
Total time14 h
By car1 h each way
From Athens1 h by car, 80 km
TicketsAcrocorinth €5 · Ancient Corinth €15
BoatBooking by phone
DifficultyEasy
Best timeApril – June · September – October
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
-
Leave Athens 1 h by car
A8 motorway towards Corinth; toll at Elefsina and at the Isthmus
-
1
The Corinth Canal from the Pedestrian Bridge
Isthmus footbridge and Tourist Information Centre · free
- 8 min by car5 km
-
2
Boat Crossing of the Corinth Canal from Isthmia
Corinth Canal Cruises from the Isthmia quay; book by phone the day before
+30 694 240 9066
- 30 min by car22 km
-
3
Acrocorinth, the Fortress Above Corinth
€5; closes at 15:30 all year
- 5 min by car3 km
-
4
Ancient Corinth and Its Museum
€15 with the museum; eat first in the village
- 30 min by car20 km
- 5
-
Back home
By the A8; in Athens around 22:30
Approximate cost
About €60–120 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Corinth Canal from the Pedestrian Bridge
Corinth is the shortest excursion to the Peloponnese from Athens and the one that combines the most different things: a canal cut sheer, a boat that travels it from inside, a fortress of three enclosures and the city that grew rich between two seas. This plan goes by car and in the order that works: the canal first thing, Acrocorinth before the heat and Ancient Corinth in the afternoon, from April to October.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Leave Athens. A8 motorway towards Corinth, about 80 km with two tolls.
9:00 · The canal from the bridge. Leave at the Isthmus and park next to the pedestrian bridge. The 6 km cut, 21 metres of water and walls of 80. Half an hour and a coffee.
9:45 · The canal from inside. Five kilometres to the Isthmia quay, at the east mouth, where the Corinth Canal Cruises ANNA II leaves. The company does not publish a timetable: call the day before to confirm the departure and book. If it coincides, you will see the submersible bridge sink to let you through.
11:45 · Acrocorinth. Half an hour by car to the first gate, where you park. You climb the three gates on foot to the top, at 575 metres, with the two gulfs in view. €5. Bring water.
14:30 · Ancient Corinth. Go down to the village, five minutes away, and have something in one of its simple tavernas before going in. Then the Temple of Apollo of 560 BC, the Roman agora, Saint Paul's tribunal and the museum with the kouroi of Tenea. €15. Two hours.
17:00 · Loutraki. If you have afternoon to spare, cross the canal to Loutraki for a stroll along the gulf's seafront promenade.
19:30 · Dinner at Aquarius. The signature restaurant of Club Hotel Casino Loutraki, with a sommelier; book on its website. If you prefer to go back earlier, leave Ancient Corinth at 17:00 and you will be in Athens at 18:15.
21:30 · Return. In Athens around 22:30.
Without the boat or with teenagers
If there is no departure that day, the Isthmia submersible bridge and the remains of the Diolkos, the causeway along which ships were dragged, fill the morning. With teenagers of 12 or over, swap the boat for the kayak from Lake Vouliagmeni to the Heraion with Trekking Hellas, from 10:00 to 14:00, and leave Ancient Corinth for the afternoon.
Time30 min
Change the route
If there is no boat that day: the bridge that sinks into the water, at the same quay:
Isthmia Submersible Bridge
With teenagers of 12 or over: swap the boat for kayaking at Loutraki with Trekking Hellas, from 10:00 to 14:00:
Sea Kayaking from Lake Vouliagmeni to the Heraion of Perachora
If you turn it into two days: a night in Ancient Corinth:
Marinos Rooms
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Corinth
From April to October, when the canal boats run and Ancient Corinth opens until the afternoon. From November to March Ancient Corinth closes at 15:30 and on Tuesdays: do the site before lunch and Acrocorinth after, which also closes at 15:30, or drop one of the two.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Confirm the boat the day before
Departures depend on demand.
- 2In winter, the other way round
From November to March Ancient Corinth closes at 15:30 and on Tuesdays.
- 3Bring your ID
EU under-25s enter free.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Athens to Corinth?
An hour by car, about 80 km on the A8.
How much do tickets cost?
€5 for Acrocorinth and €15 for Ancient Corinth with the museum. The canal can be seen for free.
Can you cross the canal by boat?
Yes, with Corinth Canal Cruises from Isthmia, booking by phone.
Can you do it without a car?
By train to Corinth and a taxi to the sites; the canal boat is better with a car.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/greece/peloponnese/corinth/itineraries/canal-acrocorinth-and-ancient-corinth
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.