Nafplio, Argos, Epidaurus, Mycenae – so much to see, top Archeological sites – so close together.
The East part of Peloponnese region offers to those of you, who really enjoy ancient Greece and archeological sites, a great opportunity to see too many different places, all so close together.
The first capital city of modern Greece was Nafplio and even day you can see ruins of its fortress high up on the mountain side, overlooking the town. You can visit the ruins and not only experience history, but also get a bird’s-eye view of the stunning Neo-classical port city below!
Argos is considered to be the longest continually inhabited town in Europe. It is dotted with ancient ruins of citadels and theatres. An intriguing theory, which may very well be true, is that Argos was the centre of the Mycenaean empire which ruled over Greece from 1600 to 1100 BC.
The Mycenaean archaeological site in Argolis is also not to be missed by anyone who appreciates history. This is where Heracles is said to have performed his Twelve Labors. Although it is widely considered to date back to the Bronze Age, the hill fort has recorded occupation ranging back seven thousand years before the beginning of the Bronze Age! An ancient legend holds that the massive walls that surround it were built by the Cyclops.
In Epidaurus you will find ancient ruins and an impressive ancient Greek theatre, one of the best preserved ancient theatres in the world! Epidaurus is a must-see on any trip through the Peloponnese and during the summer months there are weekend shows at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, that attract crowds of thousands of spectators from all around the world. Be sure to check out the Sanctuary of Asklepios in Epidaurus as well.
Wondering how to visit them?
Well, all the above archeological sites are located on the East part of Peloponnese Region – Argolida region. The capital city of the region is Nafplio and it is located only 120Km away from Athens.
From Nafplio, within 20 minutes drive you can reach any of these sites.
Thinking of when to visit?
Well, all these sites are some of the TOP visited archeological places of Greece and during the high season they use to be busy enough. The periods from October to December and from January to March are really good if you want to explore these places on a more quiet time.
For more information regarding the archeological sites of the area, please find HERE a full presentation of all East Peloponnese archeological sites.
Are you interested to explore the Ancient Greek world? Great. At this page you will find a full guide on how to explore the Ancient Greek World of the East Peloponnese, a region full of history and land of some of the must-see archeological sites of Greece.
Before to proceed with the full details, let us just explain to you how you can schedule your days and your trip to make it easier for you.
Well, you have first to land in Athens – International Airport. From there, you will have to drive towards the West and then towards to the South in order to reach Peloponnese. It would be a smart option for you to use one city as your base to explore the whole region. Nafplio, which by the way is the most beautiful city in Greece, it can be your perfect base to explore the East Peloponnese Ancient World.
Considering that you will use Nafplio as your base, we will explain to you how we – as locals – would schedule our trip.
From Athens airport you will have to rent a car and drive to Nafplio. At the below map you can review the full trip:
CLICK ON THE MAP FOR THE FULL DIRECTIONS
From Nafplio, you will be able to visit all the important archeological areas within 30 to 45 minutes drive.
THE FULL SCHEDULE
Nafplio – Archeological Areas
Argos and Tiryns – Archeological Areas
Mycenae and Nemea – Archeological Sites
Asini and Epidaurus – Archeological Sites
Corinth – Canal and Archeological Sites
We will try now to support you on how to plan your days.
READ FIRST THE WHOLE PAGE AND THEN CLICK ON THE INFORMATION FOR EACH LOCATION – IT WILL HELP YOU TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE TRIP.
First Day
Your first day can be a full – Nafplio – day. Without a need for driving, you can walk around the city and explore all its great archeological points of interest.
Find the full guide below
Second Day
You can drive to Argos city and explore this 7000 years old area and its archeological sites. On your way to Argos from Nafplio, you can have a break at Tiryns archeological site.
Find the full guide below
Third Day
You can drive to Mycenae Archeological site, it is located only 20Km away from Nafplio and from there you can continue to Nemea Archeological site.
Find the full guide below
AND
TIP: You can combine your visit to Nemea Archeological site with a visit for wine tasting at some of the most well known wineries of Greece. Find the full list HERE.
Fourth Day
Your day can start with a visit at Asini Archeological site, where you can have also a short break for swimming – if the weather is still warm – and then you can continue to Ancient Epidaurus Theatre. Do not miss after the theatre to visit Old Epidaurus village and explore the sunken city.
Find the full guide here
AND
Fifth Day
Your fifth day can be a visit to the Corinth canal and all the archeological sites of Corinth.
Find the full guide here
At the below map you can find the map with all the above locations, so that you can have a better understanding of the trip.
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TRIP
Visit two of the most visited and most well known Archeological sites of Greece, Mycenae and Epidaurus.
Visit the most important and the biggest canal of the country.
Visit the oldest city of Greece, Argos and one of the oldest in the world.
Visit a sunken city – under the sea.
Visit the first capital of the modern Greece, Nafplio, which by the way is also one of the most beautiful cities in the country.
BEST PERIOD OF THE YEAR TO VISIT
Well, considering that Greece has a warm weather all over the year, we recommend you to visit all these areas anytime between February to May and September to December. During these months, the weather is not very hot so you will be able to walk easily for hours around the Archeological sites plus the country is not over crowded.
WHY TO USE NAFPLIO AS YOUR BASE
Nafplio is by far one of the most beautiful cities of Greece and the most beautiful one in East Peloponnese region. You will have the option to stay at a very nice place during your trip, where you can enjoy great time during your afternoons and evenings that you will not be at the archeological areas.
The city gives you million options to keep your days full. You can find some useful information for your options below
More than that, Nafplio is very close to Athens and its International Airport. Within 1:45h you can reach easily the airport or you can combine your visit to East Peloponnese with a few days in Athens so that you can explore its Archeological sites.
HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD I STAY?
Honestly, we believe that within 5 to 6 days, you will be able to explore the whole region. You can extend your vacation in 7 or more days, if you want to have some extra free time for yourself and your beloved ones. The region has many nice places that you can visit anytime of the year.
SHOULD I RENT A CAR?
You should rent a car from Athens airport – this is the best and the easiest way for you to explore the region and the country as general.
IS THIS TRIP SUITABLE FOR ME?
Well, this is something that depends on your interests! Every year, millions of International visitors choose this trip for their vacation. Honestly, it is a very nice experience for everyone, either you are young or you are old, a family with kids, a couple, a solo traveller, a group of friends.
I WANT TO WATCH VIDEOS OF THE MOST AREAS
Below you can find a short video including all the East Peloponnese region and the most of the above areas:
By the way, if you decide that this trip is suitable for you, we can support you with great accommodation in Nafplio. We operate the best apartments in the city according to Booking.com
You can contact us via phone or whatsapp at +30-6979005260, via email at vida@vida-hospitality.com or for the fastest possible reply, just chat with us on our website chat box – we are online everyday from 9:30am to 11:30pm – here:
Please feel free anytime to contact us in case of you require support or assistance with the planning of your trip, we stay always at your disposal.
Vasileios Totsikas is the Property Manager at Vida Hospitality – his English are not the best (I am sure you already got it from the above article), but his hospitality is great! Now, that I wrote the above sentence in the third person to look smarter than I am, I will continue in the first person – If I can be of any assistance regarding your vacation in Greece, feel always free to contact me via phone/message/whatsapp at +30-6979005260.
