Peloponnese -Athens pre-cruise advice

Hi Michelle,
You might try this company: https://eudaimonia.gr. I booked a private tour for our family (6 of us) for last summer (boo hoo!) - and they were very responsive. Have several options that might fit your needs. Or you could ask about a custom trip. I found the pricing pretty good since transportation and hotel was included and I didn't have to worry with logistics. By the looks of their site they are still active (Covid be darned).. and have added a few options since '19 when I did the initial research. Hope to get there in '22 and will use them then.

You will probably have some jet lag let down and will want to explore Athens. You would be hard pressed to see most of the major sites in Athens in 3 days. But if you want to get out of the city I understand.

Take a look at google maps to see how far flung Olympia (@ 4 hr drive each way) and Nafplio (@ 2 plus hr drive each way) from Athens.. I would not suggest 2 one day trips. You would spend lots of time on the road backtracking. You might; arrive Thursday - transfer directly to Nafplion, on Friday go to Olympia and end in Athens that evening. OR - You might be better served, since this is your first time in Greece, to take a one day trip to Delphi - closer and very interesting (their day trip there looks very interesting).

If there is any way - try to get a few more days for your trip. As "they" say - "so much to see - so little time!"
Have fun getting a taste of Greece - I pretty much guarantee you will want to return.

Hopefully things work for you this time, after having to reschedule. My suggestions are based on our trip in April 2018. We went clockwise from Athens, driving thru the Peloponnese and including Olympia near the end of our trip. Are you up for driving? Otherwise, it sounds like quilter17’s tour company could handle getting you around. But IF you decided to see the Archaea Olympia ancient temple and athletic games site, along with the outstanding museum there, I’d suggest heading west from Athens, driving along the southern coast of the mainland, and thru Delphi. That lets you see Delphi, too. In fact, that might work best as a two-day trip, spending overnight in Delphi, or better yet, Galaxidi. That’s where we stayed our last night before returning to Athens the next day, after seeing Olympia and Delphi, and you could then get back to Athens in time for your cruise. But that would eliminate Napflio, which sounds like your preference, so:

From Athens, head directly south, across the Corinth canal, towards Napflio. On the way, stop off at Nemea, an almost undiscovered gem. It has a nice museum, not as fantastic as at Olympia, but still worthwhile. But the sights outside are what really makes Nemea special.

There are some ruins still being researched, and they’re under a protective giant roofed shelter. Nearby are magnificent ruins of a temple. They’ve re-erected 3 marble columns, and while it’s not the Parthenon, it’s fantastic. Delta, by the way, also has impressive temple remains. But the highlight of Nemea is the ancient athletic stadium, not as well-known as Olympia’s but possibly a better one nowadays. First, there’s a tunnel that athletes used to enter the field of competition. You’ll use it, too. The grand entrance tunnel even has graffiti scratched by athletes 2,500 years ago, noting their successes. Olympia has no such tunnel. Then there’s the starting blocks, where you can line up for your own 200-yard dash. Spectator embankments are there, too, so it really seems like the stadium has survived better than the one at Olympia.

Farther south, you’ll get to Napflio. Spend the night. We stayed at Pension Marianna, where Rick Steves also stays, and their excellent breakfast will get the next day off to a great start. The town, and its market too, are wonderful. Climb the 999 steps up to the fortress, if you wish (we didn’t), or you’re not far from the ruins of Mycenae, home of the culture that ruled the area over 3,000 years ago. There’s also the acoustically perfect ancient theater at Epidaurus nearby, along with the museum and site of its healing center across the road. The reason modern medical symbols have snakes wrapped around a staff is because of Greek Asclepius centers like the one at Epidaurus - they used live snakes there, but you won’t find any now. Whether sleeping with snakes was an effective treatment, it makes for an evocative place to visit.

I have not been to Olympia, my main advice is that Nafplio is a great place to stay overnight and perhaps not a great day trip. It’s a great place to day trip FROM, and a great place to linger and enjoy.

I’d get a car in Athens, drive to Nafplio for 3 nights, go to Olympia as a day trip one day, and back to Athens for your cruise. I’m assuming you need to stay in Athens the night before your cruise, but that depends on your departure time from the port.

This is assuming you don’t plan to see Athens itself much at this time - you didn’t mention it so I assume not? Athens itself could occupy you for much of that time and is a great option.

I'd second Mira's recommendation, focus on Nafplio and environs, and skip Olympia with the time you have. Or spend that time in Athens, which has a great deal to see and do. Yes, it's a big intense city, but you can recuperate by cruising the islands.

Thank you all for your very informative responses. I never thought about staying in Nafplio and then maybe use that as our home base to take a day trip to Olympia. Quilter17, I will definitely look into that tour website. (BTW am also a quilter ;-) )Thanks again all!

staying in Nafplio and then maybe use that as our home base to take a day trip to Olympia.

Very good idea.

A day trip from Athens to either place is not a good idea. Olympia is almost 7 hrs of travel ( r/t) and Nafplio is so charming at night, you should stay to fully enjoy it.

With your very limited time, skip Olympia -- and I have a super substitute -- NEMEA!!! It's right off the main Peloponnese Highway you take to get to Nafplio, so you can just duck in there on the way there or back. . Nemea was one of the FOUR Sacred Games Sites of Ancient Greece -- you could call it "an Olympics Wannabe".... it has FAB temple column ruins, other archeology, and an Amazing (and authentically restored) Stadium, plus a small but Choice museum. (The excavation /restoration is the project of U of Cal/Berkeley so you can imagine how well-funded). It Has everything but tour-bus crowds! You can walk into the stadium thru the Hero's tunnel, and stand at the actual starting blocks, 2400 years old, for the Games races. Nemea is now the site, every 4 years of the Exciting REVIVAL of Nemean Games ... more than 2,000 participants from all oer the world. Here's the website: http://nemeangames.org/

Michelle -- if you have 3 days, the most efficient way to do this excursion is as a "loop." Here is a FAB map (click & it gets huuuge, use side-bars to move around it) - http://euro-map.com/karty-grecii/peloponnes/podrobnaya-turisticheskaya-karta-peloponnesa.jpg It shows the road from the Airport to everywhere u want in the Nafplio area. I've planned this for people many times, and it WORKS!

• THURS - I'm gahering you'll arrive in the afternoon, too tired to embark on long drive. I suggest you rent car and go to a nearby Bed & breakfast with a pool, like St Thomas - http://www.stay-in-athens.com/ If u want a hotel, HOTEL AVRA gives u free shuttle to/from airport.
• FRIDAY - In AM, drive rental car on Intercity Highway (Big Green Road on Map) that bypasses Athens ... you won't even have to tap your brakes til after Corinth Canal. About 10-12 mi past Corinth area, keep eye peeled for NEMEA turnoff - 5 miles from hiway. U can explore its delights in an hour... also this is the Center of Greece's FAB red-wine country; stop in Nemea Village for a bottling plant + tasting spot & buy a bottle. Onward to NAFPLIO, spend afternoon exploring town & do Amzing harbor sunset sit.
• SATURDAY - If you want to do MYCENAE, leave by 8 or so, & you'll beat the bus-tour crowds. Leave by noon, back to Nafplio for lunch, and catch the small but Super Museum in town Square (it has the ONLY Iliad-era suit of armor in entire world). Late in Day, u may want to drive up to the Stunning Palamidi Fortress ... or just admire it from afar from NAFPLIO's marble-paved central square.
• SUNDAY - leisurely Breakfast, t hen head back to Athens, but NOT by same road... instead Head EAST on road to ANCIENT EPIDAURUS ... and see the most spectacular ancient theatre in Greece. Other ruins there too, but you neednt linger. Drive on to the Coast road. IF you feel like it & have time, stop for a swim at any beach along the way. Head up to ISTHMUS, the town of the Famous Canal.. you can stop & walk on old bridge for stunning photo op. THat's where you get back on The BIg Green Road, and zoom carefree toward Athens == just be sure to Go LEFT at Eleusis, so you get back on the Leg that bypasses Athens & goes nonstop to the Airport. Turn in the car & get taxi (flat rate of about €40) to your Athens hotel. That's IT!

Stay in Napflion several nights. It is a wonderful small city surrounded by antiquities.
Olympia is not nearby so spend a night there. I don’t understand why you are against staying there. We saw the ancient sites when hardly anyone else was there. Nice hotel, good dinner. Then drove north to Delphi.Stayed overnight there too.

Good stuff on this thread.
Last time we were in Athens we used a private transfer service called City Cabs. They told us they had introduced a new service. They can drive you from the airport to Nafplio and you can rent a car there after you get over jut lag. However they are also willing to drive you and you car rental from Athens airport to Nafplio so you have your car when you are ready and you can drop it off at the airport when you return to Athens.
Nafplio is the perfect place to recover from a Transatlantic flight. there is so much interesting stuff to see in the area you time will be gone in an instant.
As mentioned Ancient Nemia is a good site and its on the way back to Athens.
While you are driving through Corinth you might want to consider visiting Ancient Corinth (the biblical ruin) and Acrocorinth the mighty fortress with a 360 degree view of the area.
Here is what you will see on your trip.
Nafplio https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157632094108982
Corinth Area. https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157711755443483