8 Best Day Trips From Athens, Greece - Updated 2024

best day trips from athens
Clare
Clare 
Updated
| 3 min read

Athens is truly an incredible city in the world and has so much to offer. But if you are looking to get out of the city and venture into the country side of the mainland of Greece, there is so much to do! A country with so much history of the foundations of Western civilization is bound to have various day trips to wonderful places to explore, and Greece is that place! Here are eight of the best day trips you can do while visiting the incredible city of Athens.

1. Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon (from USD 57.0)


Another great day trip while visiting Athens is heading to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. Poseidon, the god of the sea has a beautiful temple that overlooks the water. Spend the day making your way down the cape of Greece and see some of the greek islands in the distance, and finally explore this incredibly well-kept temple from thousands of years ago.

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Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon Afternoon Tour

Duration: 4 hours

546 reviews

2. Corinth and Olympia (from USD 972.0)


If you are traveling with a big party or family and want to do a tour, a private tour may be ideal for you. You can choose to do a full day tour to Ancient Olympia and the Corinth Canal as a private tour, and see where the first Olympics were said to be located.

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Ancient Olympia and Corinth Canal Private Day Trip from Athens

Duration: 10 to 14 hours

2 reviews

3. Epidaurus and Mycenae (from USD 112.0)


The Epidaurus and Mycenae tour is excellent if you are interested in the myth of Agamemnon, the king of the Mycenaeans and said to be one of the instigators of the Trojan War. See his tomb and the famous Lion’s Gate before going to the Epidaurus greek theatre and experience the original beginnings of theatre!

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Mycenae and Epidaurus Day Trip from Athens

Duration: 10 hours

442 reviews

4. Greek Islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina

Hydra, Greece - panoramio
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Christopher Steinle used under CC BY 3.0

If you want to visit some of the Greek Islands but don’t want to stray too far from the mainland, the Greek islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina as a day trip is an excellent way to explore. Board a ferry that takes you to the islands where you can see what these amazing islands have to offer.

Greek Islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina

Address: Hotel pickup and drop off

Website: Greek Islands of Hydra, Poros and Aegina

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5. Nafplio (from USD 53.0)

Nafplion !

Posted by Like Greece on Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Nafplio is also another excellent option for a day trip. Take a city tour while you are there and learn about how this city and island was the first capital of Greece, the “First Hellenic Republic.” The town is similar in style to the Venetians, since the Venetians occupied the island for many years of its past. Learn about the history of this great city which has so much connection to the history of the entire country, and marvel at its wonderful beauty.

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Nafplio City Tour

Duration: 2 hours

8 reviews

6. Nemea

Temple of Zeus - Nemea, Greece
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Dave Lazarus used under CC BY-SA 4.0

If you want to see yet another greek god temple, head to Nemea where the temple of Zeus is located. Zeus, who was the leader of the greek gods, was exceptionally revered in greek mythology. This small group tour will take you wine tasting and give you lunch before stopping in Nemea to take in Zeus’s Temple.

Small-Group Cultural Nemea Day Trip including Lunch and Wine Tasting

Address: Hotel pickup and drop off

Website:

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7. Delphi (from USD 106.0)

Explore Delphi where Apollo's oracle was said to be located
Source: Taken by Clare!

Delphi is one of the most popular day trips to go to while in Athens, and for good reason! This is said to be where the Greek god Apollo had his oracle where mortals would go and ask the god questions on how to solve their problems in life. Tucked away in the gorgeous mountainside, this day trip is not one to miss!

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Delphi Day Trip from Athens

Duration: 10 hours

1844 reviews

8. Vravona (from USD 241.0)

Artemis DSCN1983a-1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Kritheus used under CC BY-SA 4.0

If you are fascinated by the stories of the ancient greek gods, stop by Vravona on a day trip. This was once recalled as the sanctuary of Artemis, and you can see where her followers prayed to her. This tour will take you through the countryside, stopping at a few wineries along the way, and finish by seeing Vravona, the sanctuary of Artemis in Brauron.

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Athens to Attica Half-Day Tour with Brauron, Temple of Artemis

Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes

2 reviews

Go to Greece!

Athens is an exceptional city in Europe, and has so much history and culture to offer. But, if you are looking to explore more of Greece than just its capital, head to the countryside and to the islands to learn more about the history of the country and of the entirety of Western Civilization. With so many gods in Greek mythology, there is so much to see and learn in every day trip you choose to do. Head to Apollo’s oracle one day, Artemis’s sanctuary another, and end with Zeus or Poseidon’s temple. Learn about the origination of the Olympics and see incredible views of Greece with any day trip. History, good food and wine, and kind people will make your day trips from Athens worth every penny of your stay while in Greece. Start to plan now!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Clare Fitzgerald is a recent graduate of Franklin and Marshall College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and an honors Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. She continues to pursue...Read more

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