We will be in Athens for 5 days in May. We would like to do 2 day trips from Athens. We would like to go to Delphi. We are wondering what other day trip would be nice to do in addition to Delphi.
And also, any suggestions as to companies that offer day trips from Athens? Thanks so much.
You might consider a trip to Nafplio & Epidaurus. Both are not too far from Athens. I can not recommend a company, as we had a rental car and actually spent several nights in Nafplio as a base for day trips. Beautiful area of Greece!
We enjoyed a tour that went to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon.
RS, in his Athens video. headed to Hydra from Pireaus/Athens on a ferry... may require an overnights but check it out.
Helen,does 5 days = 5 full days, not including arrival/departure? Often arrival day is just half a day, and u cannot really count departure day. And if it is 5 FULL days, how much time do you want/need for famous Athens landmarks? I think you really need 2 full & rather long days for that --
ATHENS
(Day 1) early start: Acropolis gate at 8 am to beat the tour-group & cruise crowds, leave 10 am, go thru Ancient Agora... lunch @Acropollis museum 12- 3 pm then NAP? maybe visit other sites (Temple of Zeus, Hadrians arch etc), & dinner &collapse
(2) Nat. Arch museum 3 hrs - lunch.. other sights in aft --specialty museums? Pnyx? wandering Plaka etc; sunset dinner
OUTSIDE ATHENS --
Delphi -- In my experience, tour bus day trips can be disappointing because you show up 8 am then bus takes at least 30 mins to pick up passengers at hotels, then takes until 11 am (with a rest stop) to reach site, you get herded around for an hour, with other crowds, then all jam into the museum at once, then your leader drags you away before 1 pm to the bus for group lunch (which YOU pay for) at a mediocre taverna (kickback??), then to a souvenir store (kickback???), then back to ATHENS & driving round to hotels to drop people off. I so hated this experience that it wasn't until 5 Greece visits later, that I returned to Delphi, using public bus. I stayed o'night & had a radically different experience. Glorious. YOU also can do a satisfying day trip via public bus if you catch the very earliest bus (7:30 am) up & latest one back (6:30?pm)... if this is of interest I can supply details -- advantage is you aren't herded around, & forced to leave -- disadvantage is u need to do some "homework" to appreciate... tho you can hire a fab licensed guide to meet u at the site... standard guide fee for about 2.5 hour tour of site & museum is $170 USD for up to 10 people... if "we" means 4 people, not so much, if "we" means 2, that's costly.
ANOTHER OPTION -- You could upon landing (if you land before noon), rent a car and drive directly from Airport on modern roads, to Delphi, arrive late afternoon, see museum enjoy sunset dinner looking down mountain, Day #2 - visit ancient site early in AM & beat the bus crowds .... then drive on to another wonderful experience, on modern roads -- NAFPLIO. You could stop at Mycenae OR Tiryns OR Nemea on the way, in afternoon enjoy THE most beautiful "Old Town" in all of Greece and a glorious seafront sunset. Next AM (Day #3) visit Epidaurus en route back to Athens. Drop car @ airport (do NOT drive in Athens), taxi (flat rate €38)to a central hotel, put your feet up, have dinner & an early night & do your 2 Athens days last.... after 3 days "in country" the Athens sights will resonate even more.
