One day trip from Athens - how to enrich your Athens stay

Welcoming millions of people every year Athens is a world class destination that mesmerize visitors by the number, the quality and the variety of things to to see and experience.

However if you’d like to take a break from the city and experience a part of Greece, there are a multitude of exciting and enchanting destinations located within easy reach of the Greek capital – whether you travel by sea or land!

What about an island getaway and a day at sea? or maybe are you interested in ancient history and world renowned archaeological sites? Maybe a wine and gastronomic one day tour?

The list of beautiful day trips outside Athens is really very long. If you visit Athens for the first time, we suggest sticking to the top one day Trip from Athens: there must be a good reason to be that popular!

By definition popularity means more people and this can be unpleasant when you travel. But on the other side it also means better connections with public transportation and facilities for travelers. Also, the best day trips from Athens are proposed by all the tour operators, which means more competitive prices if you decide to book a day tour. See our "One day trip from Athens: Organized vs DIY" post.

AthensToolKit.com compiled the definitive list of the best one day trips and tours from Athens featuring picturesque islands, historic cities, seaside towns, world heritage wonders and adventures in the great Greek countryside.

9 ideas for an enchanting one day trip from Athens

• One day trip idea 1: The majestic Temple of Poseidon and sunset over the Aegean Sea at Cape Sounion
• One day trip idea 2: Delphi - A day at the Navel of the World
• One day trip idea 3: Corinth the Ancient Greek city who become home of St Pau
• One day trip idea 4: the Homeric Mycenae
• One day trip idea 5: the theatrical and healing Epidaurus
• One day trip idea 6: the historic and picturesque Nauplion
• One day trip idea 7: the legendary Nemea ancestral home of Greek wines
• One day trip idea 8: the religious and imposing Meteora
• One day trip idea 9: Mount Parnitha The nearest national park to a capital city in Europe!

One day trip idea 1: The majestic Temple of Poseidon and sunset over the Aegean Sea at Cape Sounion

One of the most time-efficient day trips from Athens, Cape Sounion is the location of Poseidon’s Temple and supposedly where King Menelaus stopped on his return from Troy.

Just 69 km (43 mi, by road) South-SouthEast of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula in Greece, is a popular day-trip from Athens, with the sunset over the Aegean Sea, as viewed from the ruins, a sought-after spectacle.

One day trip idea 2: Delphi - A day at the Navel of the World

According to the ancient Greek myth, Zeus set two eagles free to find the center of the world. They soared through the skies westward and eastward and their paths crossed in Delphi declared then as the «Navel of the World».

It's at Delphi that god Apollo, the son of the Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis (Diane) was adored and had his temple. The god of logic and measure, of the sun and light, of music and poetry, the healing god, guided the Ancient world with his prophecies via his Delphi Oracle for 2000 years.

Delphi was re-discovered back in 1892 when the excavations begun. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi was declared and registered as a World Heritage Site by the Unesco.

Your day at Delphi and the your visit to Delphi Museum, will be a unique experience and an indelible life memory.

One day trip idea 3: Corinth the Ancient Greek city who become home of St Paul

Ancient Corinth was built at the foot of the Acrocorinth, a majestic hill, dominating the landscape. The city overlooks the Corinthian Gulf. To the north, a fertile plain stretches to the sea.

A rich city of merchants, Ancient Corinth was a city of distinguished artists. In the 7th and 6th c. B.C., the city grew to become one of the most important artistic centers in the Mediterranean Sea. Its workshops produced goods of great quality that were in high demand in the market places. These goods were exported in large quantities, thus boosting Corinth’s economy.

It's in Corinth that St Paul lived and preached for almost 2 years, teaching people the word of the new religion at the time and establishing his church.

One day trip idea 4: the Homeric Mycenae

The name of Mycenae is known worldwide by the Homer's epics of the 7th or 6th century BC the Iliad and Odyssey. In Homer's account of the Trojan War in the Iliad, Mycenae home of King Agamemnon, is described as a «well-founded citadel», as «wide-wayed» and as «golden Mycenae», the latter supported by the recovery of over 15 kilograms of gold(!) objects from the shaft graves of the Mycenaean acropolis.

Rediscovered by the German amateur archaeologist Schliemann in the late 19th century and subject to systematic research by archaeologists ever since.

Today visitors can see the citadel, or anaktoron, one of the most stupendous Bronze Age fortifications in Europe, constructed and enlarged between the 15th - 13th centuries BC, with its massive «Cyclopean walls», the «Lion Gate», the «palace» and other features, that is overlooking the valley of Argos.

Right outside of the citadel are located multiple tombs, known as «Grave Circle A», and «Grave Circle B», containing four «tholos» tombs, and several shaft graves, sunk more deeply, with interments resting in costs.

The findings are hundreds of precious items, jewellery, attachments for clothing, decorated weaponry, funeral masks, accompanied by other rich finds made of rare or exotic materials, such as ivory, silver, ostrich egg (from Africa), amber (from Northern Europe), glass (maybe from Crete or Egypt) and much much more. Most of them are exhibited in the local Museum and in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

One day trip idea 5: the theatrical and healing Epidaurus

In a small valley in the Νortheast Peloponnesus during the 6th century BC, the shrine of Asklepios -son of god Apollo-, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo (called Apollo Maleatas) as the official cult of the city state of Epidaurus.

Its principal monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre -considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture– date from the 4th century.

Epidaurus was the most important therapeutic center of the ancient Greek world, followed by that of Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates and medicine.

Epidaurus is also famed for its best-preserved ancient theatre.m Built in the 4th century BC, its acoustics are world-famous, and is still used today to perform ancient drama plays.

One day trip idea 6: the historic and picturesque Nauplion

Nafplio or Anapli is one of the most picturesque cities in Greece. It was the capital city of the modern Greek state during the period 1828 – 1833.

According to Greek mythology, the city owes its name to its settler Nafplion, the son of god Poseidon (Neptune) and Amymonis (means the "blameless") a daughter of Danaus and Europe. Archaeological findings prove the existence of the city since the Mycenaean era.

Today Nafplio is the capital of Argolida Regional Unit and the main port of the eastern Peloponnese. The center of the city of Nafplio has been characterized as a traditional settlement.

Nafplio is a favorite destination for the inhabitants of Attica and Peloponnese through-out the winter-summer season. Points of reference include the famous Bourtzi Castle, Nafplio Castle (Palamidi) and Akronafplia the oldest part of the city that until the thirteenth century, was a town on its own.

The most beautiful buildings of the city include the Armsberg Palace and the Archaeological Museum in Syntagma Square.

One day trip idea 7: the legendary Nemea ancestral home of Greek wines

The region of Nemea is perfect for a relaxing day trip from Athens. As one of the country’s largest wine-producing area, Nemea is famous for its production of excellent red and rosé wines made from the local and ancient Agioritiko grape.

Wine-growing in Nemea dates back to at least the 5th Century BC, although the exact date is hard to pinpoint. Wine and Nemea are integral parts of the Greek mythology surrounding Heracles, the half-god who was sent to Nemea to slay the Nemean lion. Fliasion, an ancient Greek wine that was made in Neméa was known as the blood of Heracles, a moniker that is still today equated with Nemean wines.

For non-oenophiles, Nemea has an important role in Greek mythology and history. Among the archaeological sites of the region are including the remains of the temple of Nemeios Zeus, the ancient stadium where the Nemean athletic games were held in the sixth century B.C., and the Archaeological Museum of Nemea.

One day trip idea 8: the religious and imposing Meteora

Meteora is located near the town of Kalabaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains. It's a rock formation hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.

Monks settled on these «columns of the sky» between the 13th and 14th centuries and twenty-four monasteries were established atop the rocks despite the incredible difficulties. It was the era of the revival of the eremetic ideal.

The six of the original twenty-four monasteries are built on the immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area.

Serene, spiritual, magical, mystical, extraordinary, breathtaking, immense, inspiring, impressive: these are only some of the words people use in an effort to describe the Meteora monasteries.

Meteora was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of the outstanding architecture and beauty of the complex, in addition to its religious and artistic significance.

One day trip idea 9: Mount Parnitha The nearest national park to a capital city in Europe!

Mount Parnitha National Park is a protected area atop the highest mountains in Attica, with all the peninsula under its careful watch. Caves, lakes, thick forests, and historical monuments from Ancient Greek fortresses to Byzantine monasteries to ornate abandoned royal estate give the park its unique character.

Located just 30 kilometers away from Athens city center, Parnitha occupies an area of 300 sq.m. and is home to about 30 species of mammals and 120 species of birds. There are also about 800 different species of herbs and plants. The typical animal of Parnitha is the Red Deer, Cervus elaphus.

The area was first inhabited during the Mycenaean period. It has always been a key point for the defense of Attica and Athens, as it was the most fortified mountain in Ancient Greece. With an extensive network of paths there are endless trails for hiking, mountain biking and exploring the forest and the mountain caves. Two particular points of note are the Mpafi (or Bafi) and Flampouri (or Flambouri) refuges, shelters with great views and options for lodging and dining.