Best Day Trips from Athens, Greece
Are you looking for the best day trips from Athens, Greece?
Athens is an incredible city with so many cool things to do. I recommend spending at least two full days in the city to explore its top attractions including the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the Ancient Agora. If you have extra time in Athens, there are also some amazing day trips you can take.
While many people barely spend any time in Athens and head straight to the Greek islands instead, there are actually some very interesting destinations in mainland Greece that you can visit in a day from Athens. There are even some beautiful islands you can get to on a day trip from Athens.
Here’s an overview of the top day trips from Athens, Greece.
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Best Day Trips from Athens, Greece:
- Temple of Poseidon and Cape Sounion sunset tour
- Full-day tour to Delphi
- Hydra, Poros, and Aegina island tour
Temple of Poseidon
One of the best day trips from Athens is the Temple of Poseidon. This impressive ancient temple overlooking the sea is about one hour and 15 minutes from Athens on Cape Sounion. The Temple of Poseidon was a major highlight for me on my last trip to Greece — I previously didn’t even know it existed!
Not only is the temple itself cool, there are some great beaches nearby on Cape Sounion. My top pick for a tour would be this half-day trip which includes some time at a local beach, several scenic photo stops, and finally some time at the Temple of Poseidon where you’ll be able to enjoy an amazing sunset.
This is a destination where you can find really affordable tours from Athens. It’s also possible to drive yourself or take a bus, but given the affordability of tours, I think they are the best option.
Related: Temple of Poseidon Day Trip from Athens, Greece
Corinth
For history buffs, a day trip to Ancient Corinth is the perfect excursion from Athens. Just one hour from Athens, this fascinating destination allows you to go back in time and discover impressive ruins. This is another destination where you can drive yourself or take a bus, but I’d recommend doing a tour.
Again, tours to Corinth are quite affordable so they are the perfect option for a pleasant half-day trip from Athens. I’d recommend this tour from Athens to Corinth. It includes round-trip transportation from Athens, as well as an audio guide and virtual reality guide to enhance your experience.
You’ll begin the trip by visiting the Corinth Canal, an architectural marvel, before continuing on the Ancient Corinth, where you’ll have several hours to explore the ruins of this archaeological site.
Delphi
Delphi is another one of the most famous historic sites you can visit on a day trip from Athens. Located high up on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, Delphi is a place steeped in mythology and legend. According to the ancient Greeks, this location was the center of the world and it was home to the Temple of Apollo.
Here, the Oracle of Delphi received prophecies and messages from Apollo. Today, you can visit the archaeological site of the Temple of Apollo and enjoy the breathtaking scenery that surrounds you.
Delphi is about 2.5 hours from Athens by car. There is no public transportation, so your only option is driving yourself or taking a tour. Again, I recommend a tour because you can find cheap tours to Delphi. This full-day tour includes time in Delphi, as well as several other stops along the way.
Hydra, Poros, and Aegina
If you want to get out on the water and visit some islands on a day trip from Athens, the three islands of Hydra, Poros, and Aegina are the perfect combination. These islands are close enough to Athens that it’s possible to visit them on a day trip. This boat tour includes stops at all three islands.
They are all three part of the Saronic Islands. Personally, I’ve only been to Hydra, but I absolutely loved this charming car-free island. It’s actually a great place to spend a couple of days if you have the time! Poros and Aegina are two other islands that also look like amazing destinations to visit.
The day trip includes one to two hours at each island, giving you time to walk around and explore or go swimming at one of the island’s beaches. A buffet lunch onboard the boat is also included.
Related: 9 Best Hotels in Hydra, Greece
Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplio
Another great day trip from Athens for history lovers is Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplio. The ancient city of Mycenae was the heart of the Bronze Age Mycenaean civilization. The ancient theater of Epidaurus is an extremely impressive historical site and it’s still used today. And Nafplio is a beautiful coastal city that was modern Greece’s first capital in the 19th century before it changed to Athens.
All of these destinations are within 1.5 to two hours of Athens by car. Since there’s really no way to do this public transportation, your options are driving yourself or taking a tour. And once again, I recommend a tour for this because this is one more popular day trip with very affordable tours.
This full-day tour combines these three intriguing destinations and includes round-trip transportation from Athens, plenty of time at each site, and an archaeologist guide who will accompany you.
Meteora
Meteora is a long journey from Athens, which is why it isn’t one of my top recommendations for a day trip. But this is still such a stunning destination that it may be worth the long drive for you! Meteora is a rock formation in northwestern Greece famous for its clifftop Eastern Orthodox monasteries.
These monasteries are truly a striking sight to behold, as is the scenery around you. However, Meteora is located a solid 3.5 hours from Athens, so be prepared for a long day if you decide to go here!
I recommend this full-day tour which includes round-trip transportation from Athens and a guided tour of all the Meteora monasteries. You’ll also make several stops to break up the long drive.
Mykonos
Finally, one more ambitious day trip from Athens is the island of Mykonos. Along with Santorini, Mykonos is one of the most famous and most visited Greek islands. Both are part of the Cycladic Islands. I really recommend spending multiple nights in Mykonos, because a day trip is simply not enough time.
But if you really want to go to Mykonos and this is your only chance of experiencing it, it’s just doable as a day trip. Unlike Santorini, which is five hours by ferry from Athens, Mykonos is a little under three hours by ferry. You’ll also have to factor in the time it takes to get to Piraeus, the port which is twenty minutes from Athens. This full-day trip includes transportation to the port, ferry tickets, and a guide.
Although it’s a busy day with an early start, you’ll be able to spend several hours exploring the iconic island of Mykonos during the daytime before heading back to Athens in the late afternoon.
Related: Mykonos vs. Santorini: Which Greek Island Is Better?
Best Day Trips from Athens, Greece
This guide showed you the best day trips from Athens, Greece.
My top pick would probably be the Temple of Poseidon. It’s not too far from Athens, it’s a fascinating historical site, and there are also some great beaches nearby on Cape Sounion.
For history buffs, Delphi and Corinth are two other great day trips. If you want islands and beaches, I’d recommend the three-island tour to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Although Mykonos is technically possible on a day trip from Athens, it would be an extremely long day so I wouldn’t recommend it as much.
Enjoy your trip to Athens!
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