From Athens: Small-Group Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio Trip
★ 4.8 · 3,089 reviews
- Archaeologist guide, in English
- Mycenae, Nafplio and Epidaurus
- 3,089 reviews at 4.8
- Free cancellation
The Peloponnese in a day
A Mycenae day trip from Athens fits three places into one long day: the Lion Gate and royal tombs of Mycenae, the ancient theatre of Epidaurus and the old port town of Nafplio. Two tours sell it, at $52 per person and $53 per person, for 10 and 11 hours. Here is how they differ and which one to book.

Quick answer
The short answer. For most people the Mycenae day trip from Athens to book is the small-group trip at $52 per person: an archaeologist as your guide, 10 hours, rated 4.8 from 3,089 reviews. Want pickup, or an audio guide in French, German, Spanish or Japanese? The coach tour at $53 per person runs 11 hours with a virtual reality device, rated 4.5.
Two tours, side by side
Each is a Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio tour from Athens, and both prices are per person. Lengths, ratings and review counts are the live listing figures.
| Tour | Price | Length | Order of stops | Guide | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-group trip | $52 per person | 10 hours | Mycenae, lunch in Nafplio, Epidaurus last | Archaeologist, plus an English audio guide | 4.8 · 3,089 |
| Coach tour | $53 per person | 11 hours | Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio last | English guide, audio guide and a VR device | 4.5 · 3,475 |
The route
On an Athens to Mycenae day trip both tours visit the same four places; only the order after Mycenae changes.
A short photo stop above the canal that joins the Aegean and Ionian seas. On the coach tour it comes after about an hour on the road.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the heart of the day: the Cyclopean walls, the Lion Gate, the palace and the Treasury of Atreus, known as the Tomb of Agamemnon. The kingdom was at its richest in the later Bronze Age, around 1350 BC, and the site has its own museum.
A 4th-century theatre, one of the best-preserved Classical Greek buildings, with seats for up to 14,000. It is known for its acoustics: a coin dropped in the centre can be heard from the top row. It still stages ancient Greek drama at a summer festival.
The first capital of Greece after independence, with three forts: Palamidi on the hill, Akronafplia, and Bourtzi on its islet in the bay. Neither tour is a full day trip to Nafplio from Athens; the town is one stop of three, kept for lunch, the old streets and the cafés on the quay.
The small-group trip
Ten hours, a smaller group, and Nafplio at lunchtime.
At $52 per person, the small-group trip is the lower price of the two and the better rated: 4.8 from 3,089 reviews. It is the Mycenae day trip from Athens we would book first, and the day trip to Mycenae from Athens to choose if you want the history explained by a specialist.
You meet at Karaiskaki Square, outside Metaxourghio metro station on the red line, eight minutes by metro from Syntagma. The group travels by bus with a guide who is an archaeologist, and an English audio guide comes with it. The first photo stop is the Isthmus of Corinth.
At Mycenae you pass through the Lion Gate, walk the Cyclopean walls and the palace, and see the Treasury of Atreus and the Tomb of Clytemnestra. Then the group drives to Nafplio for a traditional Greek lunch by the sea, with views of Bourtzi, Akronafplia and Palamidi above the town. The day ends at the theatre of Epidaurus.
What the price covers
Both prices are per person. Here is what they pay for.
Both tours include the bus or coach and a live guide in English. The coach tour adds pickup; on the small-group trip you meet at Metaxourghio.
English on the small-group trip. On the coach tour, an audio guide in many languages and a virtual reality device.
Not in the small-group price: entry to Mycenae, with its museum, and to Epidaurus is extra, and the listing gives the total. The coach listing does not mention tickets.
Neither listing says lunch is in the price. Both stop in Nafplio, where you eat.
The coach tour
Eleven hours, pickup included, and the evening in Nafplio.
The coach tour is the other Mycenae day trip from Athens, at $53 per person for 11 hours. It has the most reviews of the two, 3,475, and a lower rating, 4.5.
Pickup is included; check the listing for your area, as the description also speaks of four central meeting points. An air-conditioned coach reaches the Peloponnese in about an hour, with a quick stop at the Corinth Canal. At Mycenae you see the citadel, the Tomb of Agamemnon and the Cyclopean walls, and you can visit the site museum.
The live guide speaks English, and the audio guide covers other languages, from French and German to Chinese and Japanese, with a virtual reality device to picture the ancient world. Epidaurus comes second, so this Mycenae and Epidaurus day trip from Athens ends in Nafplio, with time on your own for coffee or lunch where you like. In summer you can swim at Arvanitia beach. If Nafplio is the part you care about most, this is the better Nafplio day trip from Athens. It runs rain or shine.
Before you go
A few minutes now saves a missed start later.
Small-group trip: Karaiskaki Square, by the Metaxourghio metro sign. Coach tour: check your pickup or meeting point on the listing.
Entry to Mycenae and Epidaurus is a separate cost on the small-group trip; the listing gives the total.
You are out for 10 or 11 hours. The coach tour asks you to bring your personal items and allows snacks; in summer, add swimwear for Arvanitia beach.
Both listings let you book now and pay later, with free cancellation.
Our verdict
Book the small-group trip. At $52 per person it is the lower price and the higher rating, and an archaeologist explains Mycenae on the spot. As a Mycenae day trip from Athens it gives you Nafplio at lunchtime and the theatre of Epidaurus to finish.
Need pickup, or a language other than English? The coach tour at $53 per person is the one: pickup is included and the audio guide covers many languages.
Book direct
Two ways to see the Peloponnese in a day, priced per person; and two catamaran sails for another day, also per person.
★ 4.8 · 3,089 reviews
★ 4.5 · 3,475 reviews
★ 5.0 · 395 reviews
★ 4.9 · 675 reviews
Pair it with a boat trip
After a Mycenae day trip from Athens, a slower day suits: a catamaran sail along the Athens Riviera from Alimos Marina, with swim stops and lunch on board. Our top pick, the catamaran with a Greek barbecue cooked on board, costs $191 per person and is rated 5.0. Compare it with the other sails in our list of ten catamarans.
Common questions
The small-group trip takes 10 hours and the coach tour 11. Both cover Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio, with a photo stop at the Corinth Canal on the way.
Not on the small-group trip: entry to Mycenae, with its museum, and to Epidaurus is a separate cost, and the listing gives the total. The coach tour listing does not mention tickets, so check it before you book.
Neither listing says so. The small-group trip stops for a traditional Greek lunch in Nafplio, and the coach tour gives you time on your own there for coffee or lunch wherever you like. You can also bring snacks on the coach tour.
On the coach tour, yes; check the listing for your area, as it also names four central meeting points. The small-group trip meets at Karaiskaki Square, by Metaxourghio metro station, eight minutes from Syntagma by metro.
Yes. Both tours cover all three in 10 or 11 hours, so you do not need a separate Athens to Nafplio day trip. The small-group trip has lunch in Nafplio and ends at Epidaurus; the coach tour ends in Nafplio.
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