Day trips from Nafplio
Tiryns is on the way, Mycenae and Epidaurus are half an hour's drive each, and each takes half a day.
- Tiryns
- On the way
- Mycenae
- car
- Epidaurus
- car
Nafplio has three ancient sites within reach, nearest first: Tiryns, Mycenae and Epidaurus. Mycenae and Epidaurus need a car or a taxi, 30 min each by road, and each takes half a day. Tiryns is on the way, because the bus from Athens stops beside it.
The nearest, on the way
Tiryns is the first site on the road from Athens: the bus into Nafplio stops beside it. Its walls are built of enormous blocks of stone that later generations called Cyclopean, and Tiryns, together with Mycenae, was added to the UNESCO list in 1999. A visit should be counted at half a day.
The citadel with the Lion Gate
Mycenae is half an hour's drive from Nafplio, and the simplest way is a taxi, about €25 return. The main sight is the citadel with the Lion Gate, an entrance with two lions carved in stone above the lintel. The site is on the UNESCO list together with Tiryns, so the two combine easily into one trip.
The theatre and the sanctuary of Asclepius
Epidaurus lies in the other direction, also half an hour's drive, and also half a day. The theatre dates from the late fourth century BC, and beside it stands the sanctuary of Asclepius, one of the most important healing centres of the ancient world; the site has been on the UNESCO list since 1988. It is reached by car or taxi.
How to choose
With one free day, pick Mycenae for the citadel or Epidaurus for the theatre. With both, make two trips on two mornings and be back in town for dinner. A trip doesn't go on the same day as Palamidi.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How long does a trip to Epidaurus or Mycenae take?
Each takes half a day, with 30 min of driving each way.
How do you get to Mycenae?
car; taxi. A return taxi is about €25.
Can Tiryns be seen on the way?
Yes: the bus from Athens stops beside Tiryns, so you can get off there before Nafplio.
Ready for Nafplio?
Where to next
The best time to visit Nafplio
→The town is open all year, but in summer Palamidi is climbed in the sun, and in winter both the fortress and…
Athens · 93 km
→A city that looks chaotic until you look up
How well does Nafplio suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.