We have 1 day to spend outside of Athens and would like some help should be explore delphie or take a private day tour to Corinth to Mycena , nafplion and Epidaurus than back.
ANy other idea on how to spend that one day would also be appreciated.
Thank u
Sarah
Wow, a difficult choice! I think my starting point would be that either is a great day out, and so there is no wrong choice. Which is the best is a matter of personal taste:
With Delphi you get a drive up into the mountains and some spectacular views. You also get a really interesting site with a range of buildings and a museum with a couple of world class exhibits.
With the Peloponnese you get more of a range. Mycenae has the stunning Lion's Gate and Epidavrus is a personal favourite for the acoustics: even if it had been built yesterday they would be amazing. If you have a car I would also detour up to the upper fort at Corinth. On a clear day you can see both ends of the canal. Nafplio is a beautiful little town and would be a great lunch stop. ( The food options in Delphi aren't so good.)
As I say, a matter of taste. I'm sure other people will have views. The main thing though is you can't go wrong with either!
Alan
PS you don't say when your day is. Delphi can be pretty grim in December!
last December i was in Greece for only 2 days, one day was for Athens, the second day I did a Corinth-Epidavros-Nafplio-Mycenae day tour. temps were in the 70's. i really did it just for Mycenae but the rest is very interesting too. it is a full day out, about 10+ hours.
you don't really see any of Corinth except the bridge you go over, the obligatory gift/food store, and the canal, but still worth the stop. walk back out on the bridge so you're standing over the canal for the best view of it.
Epidavros (nice little museum, if it's open) and Nafplio are interesting stops along the way to Mycenae.
as mentioned, Mycenae does have the Lion's Gate and it's archeological site, but also Agamemnon's Tomb on the way in, just down the road. all very, very impressive. something I've always wanted to see, did not leave disappointed.
you do have to buy a ticket to get into everything, so have some 50-100 euros each on you.
I'd like to do Delphi one day, but you won't be disappointed by a Mycenae day tour.
When you say "private day tour" it would be helpful to be more specific. Is this a taxi driver who would take you to those 4 places? Or is "we" a group of 6 or so people who'd be driven by a van? Would you have a licensed guide with you (you are aware, I trust, that "taxi tour" people are NOT licensed and cannot go inside sites with you to explain what you're seeing). This applies to either trip.
I would tend to favor the latter since the Delphi trip would involve 3+ hours of driving each way, and relatively less time on site. If you have a private driver, for the latter trip, you'll get to the interesting stuff quicker -- Corinth Canal is about 1 hr from Athens once you get on the Intercity highway -- and you could vary the time spent at each place according to interest, viz:
• CORINTH - If it's mainly the canal, you can jump off the big highway at Isthmia, walk out on the Old Road bridge across it, & get a good look (so deep! so skinny!) then move on. If Ancient Corinth, be aware the ruins are rubbly, not that well signaged, those who are religion-oriented can find where st. Paul Spoke. The ACROCorinth has nice views, but according to friends who've been, they're Medieval/Ottoman, not ancient.
• MYCENAE - Museum is well-signaged, but the site itself more difficult to understand; if no guide, you need to do "homework" and have a good guidebook/map to follow. Once we had a serendipity, watching young archeology students (summer interns?) veerrry cautiously brushing away moss from old inscriptions... but this is not usual. Tholos tomb worth a visit; awe-inspiring.
• NAFPLION - Hard to appreciate its charm & history in a lunch stop... but you can try! Have "snack lunch" at a seafront cafe.
• EPIDAURUS - on Scenic road going east across "thumb" of Peloponnese, keep eyes peeled on LH side, & u'll see the world's Oldest Bridge still in Use (a stone Mycenaean arch) photo Op! At Epidaurus most of site, again, acres of rubble hard to appreciate w.ol background, Museum not particularly worthwhile, but THEATRE is a WOW!! Such fun to sit up high, & watch people orate.
I'm with the others: you won't really go wrong with either option. Delphi is more dramatic scenery, has a great museum and is easy to visualize the ruins. But the town is pretty lame and worthwhile only to get a mediocre meal.
Myceanea is an interesting ruin and has a nice little museum, but other than the Lions Gate and the tombs, it will be hard to visualize what was once there. Epidavros is spectacular and very intact (Delphi also has a small and nice theater). Nafplio is one of the nicest small cities in Greece, but a short stop will not give you time to really enjoy it. Still, you'll want to go back after visiting.
