# Day Trip to Mycenae and Epidaurus from Athens, with Lunch in Nafplio

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/greece/peloponnese/nafplio/itineraries/mycenae-epidaurus-and-lunch-in-nafplio · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:15 · Salida: 1 h 45 by car (A8 motorway; stop for 15 min at the Corinth Canal, next to the Isthmus exit)
- 09:30 · Mycenae and Tiryns (Lion Gate, Treasury of Atreus and museum · €20) · Landlife Travel, From €90 per person
  - 30 min by car, 25 km
- 12:30 · Kipos (Filellinon Square, open every day from 12:00) · Kipos, €€
  - Carry on on foot
- 14:00 · Old town and Archaeological Museum (Syntagma Square and the Venetian streets)
  - 45 min by car, 30 km
- 15:15 · Epidaurus theatre and sanctuary (The fourth-century BC theatre and the sanctuary of Asclepius · €20) · Landlife Travel, From €90 per person
- 17:15 · Vuelta (Via Ligourio and the A8; in Athens around 19:30)

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.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
About 150 km to Nafplio on the A8, with tolls at Elefsina and the Isthmus. Mycenae is 24 km from Nafplio and Epidaurus about 30.

### Without a car
KTEL Argolidas from the Kifisos station to Nafplio, about 2 h 10; from there, an organised excursion to Mycenae and Epidaurus with Landlife Travel. Better with one night.

## Consejos

### Mycenae first
In winter it closes at 15:30.

### Bring your ID
EU under-25s enter free.

### Test the acoustics
Have someone speak quietly in the centre of the theatre while the rest listen from above.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.