Ancient Sites Near Athens

13 guides

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

Columns of the Temple of Apollo rising against the mountainside at the Sanctuary of Delphi 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 came ...

180 km 6 min read
The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, its rows of marble columns standing against a clear blue sky 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...

70 km 6 min read
The Lion Gate at Mycenae, its carved relief of two lions flanking a column set above the huge stone lintel 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, an...

135 km 2 hrs 5 min read
The stone tiers of the ancient theatre of Epidaurus fanning out below the surrounding hills 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, with...

130 km 5 min read
The medieval walls of Acrocorinth fortress running along the mountain ridge above the Corinthian plain and gulf 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...

80 km 6 min read
View down from Palamidi fortress over the red-roofed old town of Nafplio, with the small island castle of Bourtzi in the bay and mountains across the gulf 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 fortresses...

140 km 6 min read
The burial mound of the Plataeans on the Marathon battlefield, Attica 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, on...

42 km 5 min read
Terraced ruins of the Sanctuary of Eleusis with the modern town of Elefsina rising directly behind the ancient site 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 closely ...

5 min read
The restored stoa colonnade of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron, standing in a green marshy valley 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....

38 km 40 min 4 min read
The great rock of Monemvasia rising from the sea, with the walled lower town visible at its base 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...

300 km 5 min read
The Corinth Canal cutting a narrow straight channel between towering rock walls, seen from the bridge 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 s...

80 km 8 min read
The Temple of Zeus at Ancient Nemea, its tall Doric columns rising from the archaeological site with hills in the background 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 of ...

120 km 90 min 7 min read
The ancient fortress walls of Rhamnous running down a headland to the sea, with the Euboean strait beyond 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 on...

50 km 7 min read

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