Ancient Sites Near Athens
13 day trips from Athens
Greece's ancient past is not confined to the Acropolis. Within two to three hours of Athens lie some of the most significant archaeological sites in the Mediterranean -- Delphi's Oracle, the theatre at Epidaurus, the citadel of Mycenae, and the sanctuary at Eleusis, among others.
Most can be reached by public bus (KTEL), though a rental car opens up the possibility of combining two or three sites in a single day. These guides cover the practical details: how to get there, what to see, current entrance fees, and how to avoid the coach-tour crowds.
Ancient Sites Near Athens
Ancient Sites
Delphi Day Trip From Athens: A Complete Guide
Delphi was the most sacred site in the ancient Greek world -- home to the Oracle of Apollo, where kings and generals cam...
Ancient Sites
Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon: A Day Trip From Athens
Perched on a cliff 60 metres above the Aegean Sea, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion is one of the most dramatic an...
Ancient Sites
Mycenae and Nafplio Day Trip From Athens
Two of the Peloponnese's greatest highlights in a single day -- the ancient citadel of Mycenae, seat of King Agamemnon, ...
Ancient Sites
Epidaurus Day Trip From Athens
The ancient theatre at Epidaurus is the best-preserved theatre from antiquity -- 14,000 seats carved into a hillside, wi...
Ancient Sites
Ancient Corinth Day Trip From Athens
One of the most powerful cities in the ancient world, a Roman provincial capital, and the place where the Apostle Paul p...
Ancient Sites
Nafplio Day Trip From Athens
Greece's most elegant small town -- Nafplio was the first capital of independent Greece, and it shows. Venetian fortress...
Ancient Sites
Marathon Battlefield Day Trip From Athens
In September 490 BC, an outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persian Empire on a coastal plain northeast of Athens -- ...
Ancient Sites
Eleusis Day Trip From Athens: The Eleusinian Mysteries
For nearly 2,000 years, Eleusis was the most sacred site in the Greek world -- home to secret initiation rites so closel...
Ancient Sites
Brauron (Vravrona): Temple of Artemis Day Trip
One of the most important sanctuaries of the goddess Artemis, set in a quiet coastal valley on the east coast of Attica....
Ancient Sites
Monemvasia From Athens: The Hidden Fortress Town
A medieval fortress town built into the side of a massive rock rising from the sea, connected to the mainland by a singl...
Ancient Sites
Corinth Canal Day Trip From Athens
The Corinth Canal is one of those places that's more impressive in person than in photos -- a 6.4 km slot carved through...
Ancient Sites
Ancient Nemea Day Trip From Athens: Temple, Stadium, and the Forgotten Games
Ancient Nemea is one of the most underrated archaeological sites in Greece -- home to a partially reconstructed Temple o...
Ancient Sites
Ramnous Day Trip From Athens: Temple of Nemesis and the Fortress
Ramnous (Rhamnous) is the most remote and least visited major archaeological site in Attica -- a fortified ancient town ...
Planning your escape from the capital? Browse our complete guide to the best day trips from Athens.