Day trip ideas from Athens - Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio or Corinth Canal & Nafplio

All the Tours you found are those of Viator which is only an intermediary and a service reseller charging more than the original tour.

Looking at the first link I see that's a "Mycenae, Epidaurus & Nafplio Full-Day guided Tour", and frankly I didn't understand how they manage to visit all these places in just 10 hours.

It was when I saw that the visits were not included that I understood. In fact, with this kind of tour you basically stay on a bus for hours looking at the scenery.

Since you have a week, rent a car. I don't know anyone who had the slightest problem with parking or the so-called winding road when going to Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio.

Yeah if you have time in your itinerary, just go to Nafplio on your own. I am not a driver, my partner does it, but I can be a nervous passenger in addition to having driving anxiety, and nothing about going to Nafplio and back was memorable, just a good modern highway, then some rural roads that were a pleasure.
If that is just not workable, I would go to Nafplio by bus and find a local tour operator.

If at all possible stay in Nafplio for a few days.

It's a beautiful Old Town and a great base to explore nearby world class archeological/historic sites and so much more.

Here's a wonderful web site for Nafplio and you'll find more than enough to do to keep you occupied

https://visitnafplio.com/

Renting a car is your best way to explore anywhere in Greece where you have the freedom to go where you want and when you want.

I've never taken a tour in Greece so can't comment on any but I would assume it would be a lot of driving in a bus and not sure how much time you'll have at each site to explore.

Stay in Nafplio, rent a car and really get to see and enjoy what that area of Greece has to offer.

Some people like tours as all the worry and work is done so do what's best for you.

Thanks all. We are in Greece for 9 days total and in Athens for 3 days. I read from the forums that 2 days is enough for Athens and hence thought about this day trip on the third day. I can certainly rent a car but I am an suburban American driver and I can drive as long as its not too stressful like certain parts of the world with narrow lanes, aggressive drivers etc.

We could also take a bus from Athens to Nafplio and spend a day and come back in the evening

By the way, are there any other day trips from Athens that you would recommend?

It is two hours each way, so that is just not something I would do as a day trip.
You may find there is more in Athens to enjoy than you thought.

Because I didn't want to deal with driving in Greece, we took a couple of bus trips from Athens. They worked out well. I seem to remember that Nafplio was paired with Delphi. We elected to skip the lunch, and the guide agreed to leave us at Delphi for an additional 90 minutes. (There was a hot dog stand there ... ) We made sure to be where we promised to be, so the bus rolled to a stop to pick us right up.

We took another excursion that started at Sounion, but I forget the other stops. I remember having enough free time at Mycenae, after a brief lecture.

This board has several perpetual warnings about Viator. They are all "factual", but the question is whether they are deal-breakers or decision-makers for you.
1-They are not the actual service provider
2-They typically mark-up that provider's price
3-They are an intermediary with their own payment and cancellation rules

Now, I do prefer to spend my money directly with a local company. But sometimes, that company has told me (later), "Yeah, we don't list everything on our own site. So you had to buy from Viator." If you rent an apartment from an AirBnb investor who displaces locals from affordable apartments, you should not be bothered by using Viator. If you use Booking or Hotels dot Com, you should not be troubled by having to toe an intermediary's line.

The one time I made a mistake with the Viator interface (in Poland), I was able to change my incorrect date immediately and at no cost. Your mileage may vary. Over the years, we've had some very good guides, and very long (11 hours) trips that delivered plenty of value in various countries. Going with a "bus tour" does not mean that you're a loser. (Between business and pleasure, we've been to Europe over 50 times.)

Delphi is a day trip that many do, although we spent the night there.

I guess I am confused. If you have 9 days and are spending only three in Athens (which I agree is reasonable), what are you doing the rest of the time? Are you thinking of multiple day trips? I would consider spending a few days in Nafplio instead.

If you wanted to drive, I would rent from the airport. The driving to Nafplio is not difficult. But many people take the bus.

When we were planning our trip to Greece last year I asked a similar question re a day trip from Athens— Delphi vs. Mycenae-Epidaurus-Nafplio and I remembered a gentleman responding that he and his sister had done the Mycenae… trip and enjoyed it very much. (We ended up choosing Delphi and hired a private driver and it was a fantastic day.) Of the three you posted I think I would pick the second. The first two are similar but the second one seems to have better, and more reviews. Personally, I prefer to see ruins than only the canal and town but that’s me. If you want to find out who the actual tour provider is click on the “See # more” under “What’s Included” and it will tell you. You may be able to get a better price by booking directly with provider.

What I do is take the bus from Athens to Nafplio around $14 then pick up a rental at Staikos Rental right on the waterfront.

I've spent many days driving around but always have 1 or 2 places to base myself for several days.

Driving in Greece is not as bad as many make it to be. Most drivers are responsible but there are some that are not which is true anywhere you go.

If you rent a car I would recommend some type of Navigation System. I use Google Maps and is really important from getting "too" lost but for the most part gets you from Point A to Point B.

Once I'm done with Nafplio I take the bus back to Athens.

Day trips from Athens are limited if you don't want to spend most of the day getting there and back.

The closest islands are the Saronic Islands like Aegina, Poros, Agistri, Hydra and Spetses.

All can be reached by the "fast ferry" usually around 1 hour so you can leave in the morning, spend several hours on the island, return late afternoon and still have time for a night out in Athens.

Time is valuable on holiday so you don't want to waste to much of it traveling rather than seeing the sights.

Thanks all.

BethFL to answer your question, we are spending 6 out of our 9 days vacation in Santorini and Naxos (that trip is already booked) and last 3 days in Athens before flying back to the US.

By the way, I have used Viator since last many years and aware that its a just portal for tour operators. I like it because I can pay via $ and they guarantee if something goes wrong and provide a full refund.

Regarding the day trip, I have also read here about trip to Aegina, but after spending 6 days in Santorini and Naxos, would it make sense to visit another island? But I am open if its worth the trip.

If your last three days in Greece are in Athens then why not spend those days there?

You've been to two islands already so spend those days in Athens.

There is more to Athens than just the tourist sites like non-touristy areas and neighborhoods, museums, National Garden, the beautiful area of Anafiotika, the Central Markets and just walking around.

Huge amount of options for for eating especially those out of the way tavernas that cater more to locals than tourists.

Here's a comprehensive guide to Athens to check out:

https://www.athensguide.com/

We spent 3 nights in Athens and found that to be a good amount of time to see the highlights. There is of course plenty more to see. But I certainly would not take a day trip if that is all the time you have.