Athens sits at the centre of a remarkable concentration of ancient sites, Saronic island beaches, and mountain villages — most within 1.5–3 hours by road. These 8 day trips cover the best options across different types of experience, with honest transport notes so you can choose the right method for each.
Here’s a quick comparison of top-rated organised tours on GetYourGuide:
Top Day Trip Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | Price (from) | Group Size | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Sounion Half-Day Tour from Athens | 5 hrs | from €30 | Up to 20 | Temple of Poseidon, coastal drive, sunset option |
| Delphi Full-Day Tour from Athens | 10–11 hrs | from €65 | Up to 50 | Oracle sanctuary, Delphi Museum, Arachova stop |
| Nafplio Day Trip from Athens | 8–9 hrs | from €55 | Up to 30 | Palamidi Fortress, Venetian old town |
| Mycenae & Epidaurus Combined Tour | 9–10 hrs | from €65 | Up to 30 | Lion Gate, ancient theatre, expert guide |
| Hydra Island Day Trip by Flying Dolphin | 8 hrs | from €55 | Up to 20 | Car-free island, port walk, swim stop |
| Meteora Day Trip from Athens | 16+ hrs | from €85 | Up to 50 | 3–4 monasteries, licensed guide |
Browse all Athens day trips → GetYourGuide
1. Cape Sounion — Temple at the Edge of the World
Distance from Athens: 70km | Journey time: 55–75 minutes by car, 1.5 hours by bus
The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion sits on a clifftop 60 metres above the Aegean, at the southernmost tip of Attica. Built in 444 BC, it’s one of the most evocatively sited ancient monuments in Greece. The cliff views over the sea — especially in the late afternoon when the light turns golden — are exceptional.
Entry: €10 (combined with Agios Georgios tower on site). Open 8am to sunset daily. Bus: KTEL buses depart from Pedion tou Areos park (near Victoria metro station), departing approximately every hour from 7am. Return ticket €13.60. The coastal route passes through Varkiza and Vouliagmeni — consider stopping at Vouliagmeni Lake (€10 entry) on the way back, a saltwater thermal lake with healing properties. By car: Take the coastal Poseidon Avenue road south — far more scenic than the inland route. Tip: Stay for the sunset — the last bus back is around 7–8pm depending on season, giving you time to watch the sun drop into the sea beside the temple columns.
2. Delphi — The Navel of the Ancient World
Distance from Athens: 180km | Journey time: 2.5 hours by car, 3 hours by bus
Delphi was the most important religious sanctuary in ancient Greece — the home of the Oracle and the place where city-states from across the Mediterranean sent embassies to consult Apollo’s priests. The archaeological site climbs a steep hillside beneath Mount Parnassus, and the combination of ruins and mountain scenery is the best of any site in mainland Greece.
Entry: Site + museum €12; site only €8; museum only €8. Open daily 8am–8pm (closes earlier in winter). Bus: KTEL Fokidas buses depart from Liossion bus terminal (metro: Aghios Antonios) in Athens. Two to three departures daily, approximately €18 each way, 3 hours. Return buses leave Delphi around 3pm and 5:30pm — check the current timetable at ktelliossion.gr. By car: 180km via Thiva (Thebes) — straightforward motorway driving with a toll of approximately €8. What to see: The Sacred Way, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Theatre, and the Stadium (the highest point). Allow 3–4 hours for site and museum combined. The village of Arachova, 12km away, is worth a stop for mountain produce and lunch — O Kaplanis taverna serves excellent roast lamb.
3. Nafplio — Greece’s Most Beautiful Town
Distance from Athens: 145km | Journey time: 2 hours by car or bus
Nafplio was the first capital of modern Greece and remains one of its most beautiful towns — a Venetian old town of neoclassical buildings, waterfront promenade, and two fortresses looming on the hills above. It’s popular for weekend breaks but perfectly manageable as a day trip.
Bus: KTEL Argolidas buses depart from Athens Kifissos terminal (metro: Kifissos, then short taxi). Multiple departures daily from 7:30am; approximately €14 each way, 2 hours. By car: Take the Athens–Corinth–Nafplio motorway; tolls approximately €6. What to do: Walk up to Palamidi Fortress (822 steps or take the road; entry €8) for views over the Argolic Gulf. The old town promenade is excellent for a long lunch. Taverna Aiolos on Vas. Konstantinou serves fresh seafood from around €14–18/person. Note: Nafplio combines well with Epidaurus (see below) — they’re only 30 minutes apart by car.
4. Epidaurus — The Perfect Ancient Theatre
Distance from Athens: 150km | Journey time: 2 hours by car
The Theatre of Epidaurus is the best-preserved ancient theatre in the world — 14,000 seats carved into a hillside, with acoustics so precise that a coin dropped on the stage is audible in the back row. Even outside performance season, standing in the empty theatre is remarkable.
Entry: €12 (includes the sanctuary and museum). Open daily 8am–8pm in summer. By car: Most efficient combined with Nafplio (30 minutes further). There is no direct public bus from Athens to Epidaurus — you need to connect via Nafplio bus then local taxi (approximately €15 each way). Performances: The Epidaurus Festival runs July–August with ancient Greek drama performed in the original theatre (tickets €15–50 from greekfestival.gr). An evening performance under the stars, in the original space, is an extraordinary experience.
5. Mycenae — The Citadel of Agamemnon
Distance from Athens: 120km | Journey time: 1.5 hours by car
Mycenae was the most powerful Bronze Age city in Greece — the home of Agamemnon, who commanded the Greek forces at Troy. The Lion Gate (1250 BC) is the oldest monumental sculpture in Europe. The shaft graves in Grave Circle A contained gold death masks, including the so-called Mask of Agamemnon, now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Entry: €12. Open daily 8am–8pm in summer. By car: Best combined with Nafplio (25 minutes from Mycenae) and Epidaurus. Public transport: Limited — a bus from Nafplio to the village of Mykines runs a few times daily; then a 2km walk to the site. A taxi from Nafplio is more practical (approximately €18 each way). What to see: The Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus (a spectacular beehive tomb 500m from the main site, free entry with ticket), and Grave Circle A.
6. Hydra — The Island with No Cars
Distance from Athens (Piraeus): 65km by sea | Journey time: 1.5 hours by Flying Dolphin/hydrofoil
Hydra has no cars, no motorbikes, and no noise — just cobbled lanes, donkeys carrying luggage, and one of the most architecturally preserved 18th-century port towns in Greece. It’s reachable by hydrofoil from Piraeus (or from Ermioni on the Peloponnese), making it the most civilised Saronic island for a day trip.
Ferry: Hellenic Seaways Flying Dolphins from Piraeus Gate E8 or E9 — approximately €31 each way, 1.5 hours. Multiple departures daily from around 7:30am. Book at hellenicseaways.gr or ferryscanner.com. What to do: Walk the port (no vehicles means no rushing), swim at Vlychos or Bisti beaches (20–30 minutes walk from the port), explore the 18th-century mansions of the island’s historic ship-owning families. Lunch at Sunset taverna or Gitoniko (both near the port, mains from €12). Note: Hydra gets busy in summer but even then it’s calmer than any mainland beach resort.
7. Aegina — Pistachios and Poseidon’s Temple
Distance from Athens (Piraeus): 27km by sea | Journey time: 35 minutes by Flying Dolphin, 70 minutes by ferry
Aegina is the closest Saronic island to Athens and the most popular for a quick escape. It’s famous for its pistachios — the best in Greece — and for the Temple of Aphaia, one of the best-preserved Doric temples outside of Athens itself.
Ferry: Ferries and hydrofoils from Piraeus Gate E8–E9 run frequently throughout the day. Flying Dolphin approximately €15 each way; conventional ferry approximately €9, 70 minutes. Temple of Aphaia: 8km from Aegina Town (bus or taxi €5 each way); entry €6. The temple dates to 500 BC and sits on a wooded hillside with views over the Saronic Gulf. What else: The pistachios sold in the market near the port are far better than anything you’ll find in Athens. Buy a bag to take home. Lunch at To Steki tou Yannis near the port — excellent grilled fish from €15.
8. Ancient Corinth and Corinth Canal
Distance from Athens: 80km | Journey time: 1 hour by car, 1.5 hours by bus
Ancient Corinth was one of the most prosperous cities in the ancient Mediterranean, positioned at the land bridge between mainland Greece and the Peloponnese. The Archaeological Museum holds some outstanding finds. The Corinth Canal — cut in 1893, 6.4km long, 25m wide — is one of the more impressive feats of 19th-century engineering and easy to photograph from the road bridges above.
Entry (Ancient Corinth): €8. Open daily 8am–8pm in summer. Bus: KTEL Korinthos buses from Kifissos terminal in Athens — approximately €8 each way, 1.5 hours, frequent departures. From the modern Corinth town, take a local bus or taxi (€8) to the ancient site. Corinth Canal: Free to view from the road bridges. Bungee jumping over the canal is available from Zulu Bungy (from approximately €89 per jump) — book ahead in summer. Combined trip: Ancient Corinth pairs naturally with Nafplio — they’re 45 minutes apart by car, making a full day covering two distinct highlights.
Planning Your Day Trips
Public transport works well for Cape Sounion, Delphi, Nafplio, and the Saronic islands. For Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Ancient Corinth combinations, a rental car makes the logistics significantly easier and the day more flexible.
Early starts matter — most sites open at 8am and the best experience is before 10am, when light is good and crowds thin. Parking at popular sites fills by late morning in summer.
Tour options — if you’d rather not drive, organised tours depart from Athens for most of these destinations. A Delphi day tour from Athens runs approximately €60–90 including transport, guide, and entry fees. A combined Mycenae-Epidaurus-Nafplio tour runs approximately €65–85. These are reasonable value if you’re travelling alone and don’t want to navigate buses.