Kipos
What to order: fresh fish, local meat or a pasta dish, with a local wine.
Filellinon Square at Iatrou 1 · open all year, every day from 12:00 to 24:00
geocalia
Day itinerary · 37.57° N · 22.80° E
Mycenae and Epidaurus from Athens: the Lion Gate, a Venetian harbour and the theatre you can hear in full.
The classic Peloponnese day from Athens: the Corinth Canal in passing, Mycenae in the morning, lunch in Nafplio's square and the theatre of Epidaurus in the afternoon.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Atenas fromBarcelona 3 h 15Bilbao 3 h 45Madrid 3 h 45Málaga 4 h
Part of NafplioPeloponnese
Add to my trip
Total time12 h
By car1 h 45 each way
From Athens1 h 50 to Nafplio by car
TicketsMycenae €20 · Epidaurus €20
On footAbout 3 h
DifficultyEasy
Best timeApril – June · September – October
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Athens 1 h 45 by car
A8 motorway; stop for 15 min at the Corinth Canal, next to the Isthmus exit
- 1
- 30 min by car25 km
- 2
- Carry on on foot
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3
Old town and Archaeological Museum
Syntagma Square and the Venetian streets
- 45 min by car30 km
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4
Epidaurus theatre and sanctuary
The fourth-century BC theatre and the sanctuary of Asclepius · €20
+30 2751 400 580
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Back home
Via Ligourio and the A8; in Athens around 19:30
Approximate cost
About €200–220 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Mycenae and Tiryns
Mycenae and Epidaurus are the most requested day trip from Athens, and Nafplio, in between, is the best place to eat. This plan goes by car and in the order that works all year: Mycenae in the morning, because in winter it closes at 15:30, and Epidaurus in the afternoon, which is open until 17:00. On the way, a stop at the Corinth Canal.
The day, hour by hour
7:15 · Leave Athens. A8 motorway towards Corinth. Past the Isthmus bridge, stop for a quarter of an hour to see the canal: about 6 km cut into the rock, with vertical walls above the water.
9:30 · Mycenae. The Lion Gate, the Cyclopean walls, Grave Circle A, the museum and, outside the citadel, the Treasury of Atreus, with its 13.5-metre dome. €20, free for EU under-25s. Three hours.
12:30 · Lunch in Nafplio. At Kipos, on Filellinon Square, with a view of Bourtzi castle; it opens every day from 12:00.
14:00 · Nafplio old town. Syntagma Square, the Venetian streets and the harbour promenade.
15:15 · Epidaurus. The fourth-century BC theatre, famous for its acoustics: what is said in the centre is heard in the upper rows, and the sanctuary of Asclepius with its museum. €20.
17:15 · Return. Via Ligourio to the A8. In Athens around 19:30.
And with two days?
Sleep in Nafplio: you have the Palamidi castle, kayaking under the walls and Karathona beach. All the information is on the Nafplio page.
Distance24 km
Time3 h
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Old-town taverna
Aiolos
What to order: kagianas (scrambled eggs with tomato) and oven-baked veal gkioulbasti with cheese and peppers.
Vasilissis Olgas 30 · from €20 · in winter it opens mostly on Fridays and weekends
Taverna with weekend music
Vyzantio
What to order: lamb fricassee and Karageorge steak stuffed with ham and cheese.
Vasileos Alexandrou 15 · from €18 · closed on Wednesdays
Savouras
What to order: the house saganaki and bouillabaisse, or the fresh fish of the day.
Bouboulinas 79 · Thursday to Monday, 12:30 to 23:00 · closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Circle (Amphitryon Hotel)
What to order: the Greek and Mediterranean menu with a regional wine from their list of regional and national wines.
Lunch from 13:00 to 17:00 and dinner from 20:00 to 23:30 · smart dress is requested in the evening
What to try
- GiouvetsiOven-baked stew with orzo-style pasta. At the harbour they make it with sea bream.
- KagianasScrambled eggs with tomato and garlic.
- GkioulbastiOven-baked veal with cheese and peppers.
- Nemea wineA red from the agiorgitiko grape, from the wineries of Nemea, north of the Argolid.
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 Nafplio
All year. From November to March Mycenae closes at 15:30 and Epidaurus at 17:00: that is why Mycenae goes in the morning and Epidaurus in the afternoon. In summer, start at Mycenae at 8:00 and look for shade at midday. On the first and third Sunday from November to March, admission is free.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Mycenae first
In winter it closes at 15:30.
- 2Bring your ID
EU under-25s enter free.
- 3Test the acoustics
Have someone speak quietly in the centre of the theatre while the rest listen from above.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Mycenae and Epidaurus in a day from Athens?
Yes, by car: about four hours on the road in all and three or four of visiting.
How much do tickets cost?
€20 each; free for EU under-25s.
Where do you eat?
In Nafplio, halfway between the two.
Is it worth stopping at the Corinth Canal?
For a quarter of an hour, yes: it is next to the motorway.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/greece/peloponnese/nafplio/itineraries/mycenae-epidaurus-and-lunch-in-nafplio
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.