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Private Tour of Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio from Athens: Discover Peloponnese Highlights

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Isthmia

Embark on a private tour of Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplio from Athens. Discover the highlights of the Peloponnese, including ancient ruins, a renowned theater, and a picturesque town.

Duration: 9 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Corinth Canal - The Corinth Canal links the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It traverses the narrow Isthmus of Corinth, effectively separating the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, which arguably makes the peninsula an island. The canal, dug at sea level, has no locks and spans 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) in length and 21.4 meters (70 feet) in width at its base, rendering it impassable for many modern ships. From a high vantage point, you can enjoy the best view of Corinth’s isthmus, admire the steep limestone walls, and watch the vessels navigate through the canal below.
Mycenae - The fortified citadel of ancient Mycenae was the seat of the legendary King Agamemnon. This impressive and well-preserved site gave its name to an entire civilization. You can admire landmarks such as the Tomb of Clytemnestra, the famous Lion’s Gate, and the Cyclopean walls while learning about their bloody history. In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was a major center of Greek civilization, a military stronghold that dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades, and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to 1100 BC is known as the Mycenaean era, named after Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and covered an area of 32 hectares.
Archaeological Site Mycenae - The archaeological site of Mycenae includes the fortified acropolis and surrounding funerary and habitation sites, mainly located to its west and southwest. Most of the visible monuments date back to the site’s peak from 1350 to 1200 BC. The almost triangular acropolis is surrounded by great Cyclopean walls and accessed from the northwest through the famous Lion Gate, a symbol of the Mycenaean rulers’ power. The gate is named after the two opposing lions carved in relief and set into the relieving triangle, a typical feature of Mycenaean architecture, above the door.
Lion Gate - The Lion Gate was the main entrance to the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in southern Greece. Erected around 1250 BC on the northwest side of the acropolis, it is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses or lions in a heraldic pose above the entrance. The Lion Gate is the only surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture and the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean. It is the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground and the only relief image described in classical antiquity literature, making it well-known before modern archaeology.
Archaeological Museum of Ancient Mycenae - The Archaeological Museum of Mycenae is located at the entrance of the ancient site, just a few steps before the Lion Gate.
Citadel and Treasury of Atreus - The Treasury of Atreus, or Tomb of Agamemnon, is a large tholos or beehive tomb on Panagitsa Hill at Mycenae, constructed around 1250 BC during the Bronze Age. The stone lintel above the doorway weighs 120 tons and measures approximately 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2 meters, making it the largest in the world. The tomb was used for an unknown period and was mentioned by the Roman geographer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD. It was still visible in 1879 when German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the shaft graves under the “agora” in the Acropolis at Mycenae.
Epidaurus Archaeological Museum - The Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus is located in Epidaurus, Argolis, on the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. Established in 1902 and opened in 1909, the museum is noted for its reconstructions of temples, columns, and inscriptions, displaying artifacts unearthed in the ancient site of Epidaurus and the surrounding area.
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus - The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is located in the Greek city of Epidaurus, at the southeast end of the sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. Built on the west side of Cynortion Mountain near modern Lygourio, it belongs to the Epidaurus Municipality. The theatre is considered the most perfect ancient Greek theatre in terms of acoustics and aesthetics. The monument retains the characteristic tripartite structure of a Hellenistic theatre, including a theatron, orchestra, and skene. Unlike many Greek theatres, the theatre did not undergo modifications during Roman times.
Sanctuary of Asklepios - The Temple of Asclepius was a sanctuary in Epidaurus dedicated to Asclepius, the main holy site of the god. The sanctuary at Epidaurus rivaled major cult sites such as the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and Apollo at Delphi. Built in the early 4th century BC, the temple would have been closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire if it was still in use by the 4th century AD, when Christian Emperors issued edicts prohibiting non-Christian worship.
Nafplio - Enjoy free time for lunch, coffee, or shopping in Nafplio, known as the ‘Naples of the East,’ rich in Venetian architecture, cobbled squares, and towering castles with commanding views of the Argolic Gulf. Afterwards, relax by the harbor or explore the colorful back streets of the most elegant town in mainland Greece. Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was an important seaport held by various royal houses in the Middle Ages as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia, initially by the de la Roche following the Fourth Crusade, then by the Republic of Venice, and finally by the Ottoman Empire. Nafplio was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and the Kingdom of Greece from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. It is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis.
Bourtzi - Enjoy the view of the water castle of Bourtzi, a Venetian castle located in the middle of the harbor of Nafplio, and take fascinating photos from the harbor side.
Akronafplia Fortress - The Acronauplia is the oldest part of Nafplio. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town’s fortifications. Later, part of it was used as a prison until the Greek government decided that the view from its location would benefit local tourism and built a hotel complex that still stands today.
Palamidi Castle - Palamidi is a fortress to the east of the Acronauplia in Nafplio, located on the crest of a 216-meter high hill. Built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area (1686–1715), the fortress offers an impressive view over the Argolic Gulf, the city of Nafplio, and the surrounding countryside. There are 913 steps in the winding stair from the town to the fortress, but to reach the top, there are over a thousand steps. Locals in Nafplio often say there are 999 steps to the top of the castle.

What's Included

Private transportation
Bottled water
On-board WiFi
Professional drivers knowledgeable in history
In-vehicle air conditioning
Convenient pickup and drop-off from hotel, airport, or port

What's Not Included

Licensed tour guide (upon request and depending on availability)
Entry or admission fees for archaeological sites
Gratuities

Additional Information

Journey to the south of Athens to see the major attractions of the Peloponnese. Cross the Corinth Canal, leaving mainland Greece behind, and explore the areas of Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplion.

Kick off at Mycenae, belonging to one of the most significant ancient civilizations, then onto Epidaurus, the site of theatre and wellness center that played pivotal roles in the development of Western civilization, and ultimately land in Nafplio, one of the most visually appealing towns of the country. The tour traces a trajectory that is historical in essence, in a country brimming with history.

All-day trip featuring the best of Peloponnese departing from Athens
Traverse the Corinth Isthmus, adorned with strikingly scenic and commanding natural beauty
Explore the what once was the kingdom of the legendary King Agamemnon in Mycenae
Take into account the flawless acoustics at the 4th-century amphitheater in Epidaurus
Discover the coastal town of Nafplion

Our drivers are not official tour guides, but they are knowledgeable and can provide fascinating commentary in fluent English. Although they will not enter the archaeological sites with you, they can answer all of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.

Location

Corinth Canal

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

5.0

(22 Ratings)

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Samkd3607il

Feb 24, 2024

Notis is the best tour guide for your Greece Experience! - Notis was an exceptional driver and guide. We so appreciated all the history he had to share with us. He also even gave us facts about how Greek is the root word for a lot of other languages. He had so much to share that made our visit so more with it. We were also grateful for the adjustment he made to our tour schedule by taking us to Corinth instead of one of the other locations. I wish all my tours could be done by him because of his dedication and honor to his love for his home country Greece.