Short Athens and partial Peloponnese Trip

Posted by Hot Toddy (Minneapolis, MN) on 04/22/26 02:11 AM

Looking for some suggestions on my itinerary for a rather short Greek trip. My husband and I are mid/late 30s, both very active and enjoy hikes and exploring nature. I love all things food and wine, and can spend hours in museums. This is our first time to Greece and I am hoping to avoid being in a car for more than 2.5/3 hours at a time.

Draft itinerary so far:

Day 1 - May 6
Land in Athens at 0730. Taxi to The Residence Aiolou Hotel & Spa. Go to Acropolis Museum

Day 2 - May 7
Visit Acropolis at 0800 pending available tickets. Lunch and wandering nearby neighborhoods. Visit Ancient Agora and National Archaeological Museum in afternoon (hoping summer hours go to 1800 like previous posts state.)

Day 3 - May 8
Unplanned morning or early afternoon. Taxi to Golden Coast Hotel & Resort in Marathon. Possible lounging by pool. Wedding in the evening.

Day 4 - May 9
Recovery morning, beach volleyball if we're stable. Get rental car, drive to Nemea. Wine tasting at local winery or two. Stay in/near Nemea??

Day 5 - May 10
Head towards Nafplion, stopping at Mycenae. Stay in Nafplion overnight.

Day 6 - May 11
Head towards Kosta? Day trip to Spetses or stay overnight? (Where could we leave our rental car overnight?)

Day 7 - May 12
Unplanned

Day 8 - May 13
Return to Athens, drop rental car, low key evening and early bedtime.

Day 9 - May 14
Flight home departs at 0600.

Have I missed anything we NEED to see in Athens? Any suggestions for the trip back? Another island? Stops along the way? Help please!!

Posted by JoLui

France Southwest - Occitanie

04/22/26 08:11 AM

3825 posts

...National Archaeological Museum in the afternoon (hoping summer
hours go to 6 PM)

The NAM's opening hours in May are from 8 am to 8 pm every day ( except Tuesdays from 1 pm to 8 pm). No need to buy tickets in advance; there's no waiting at the ticket office.

Heading towards Kosta? Day trip to Spetses or stay overnight? (Where
could we leave our rental car overnight?)

There is private parking in Kosta near the ferry terminal; it costs €6 per day.

Street View: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z8UaMEUE8SUBPsoW9

The ferry schedules in May should be similar to those in 2025.

Costa-Spetses: 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Spetses-Costa: 7:20-10:00-13:00-16:30

Have I missed anything we NEED to see in Athens?

Everyone has their own "needs." If you're a museum person, you could easily spend a week in Athens just by choosing a few of the thirty or so museums. Given that you only have half a day free, a selection is inevitable based on your preferences.

Perhaps the very interesting Benaki Museum, which showcases Greek culture from prehistory to the 20th century:

https://www.benaki.org/index.php?lang=en

On the other hand, to return to modern Greece, there's the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST):

https://www.emst.gr/en

Otherwise, without even mentioning museums, check the official Athens website.

https://www.thisisathens.org/

I assume you've already checked with Golden Coast Hotel & Resort regarding their partnerships with car rental companies and their rates / rental terms, especially if you're returning the car in Athens .