Amazing Day Trip Opportunities From Athens, Greece

Last updated on November 22nd, 2022 at 01:28 pm

Are you planning a trip to Athens? Are you looking for more to do around Greece? You’ve come to the right place to learn more about day trip options from Athens, Greece. Don’t get me wrong, the Greek capital is a wonderful city and there are tons of things to do there. You can visit the Acropolis, eat the food, wander the market, explore the ruins, etc. It’s no wonder people want to travel there and spend a few days soaking up the culture (and the food. Did I mention how good the food is?). It easy to get caught up in the sheer number of things you can do there!

Greece is More Than Just Athens

But, there is wayyyy more to this beautiful European country than just its capital. So, it totally makes sense that you might want to venture out and see more of this beautiful country. Of course, there are the gorgeous islands. But, if you don’t necessarily have time to fly out to an island or two, it’s good to remember that there are also many options for day trips from Athens, Greece which are on or closer to the mainland. Some of these day trips from Athens include: Meteora, Corinth, Delphi, and three of the closer islands: Hydra, Aegina, and Poros. In this guide, I will take a more in-depth look at the two I have personally been on: Corinth and Meteora.

*Disclaimer: always check the covid restrictions for Greece as well as any activity you plan to do before booking any part of your trip!

1. Take a Day Trip from Athens, Greece to Corinth

Corinth Was Once a Thriving Greek Metropolis

Corinth is a place dripping in historical importance. The area has been inhabited since before 3000 BC. Its strategic location made the city an ideal location for trade and it attracted an array of merchants and traders. At one point, Corinth controlled two strategic ports, making it one of the most powerful city-states in the Greek empire.

Roman Destruction and Rebuilding

In 146 BC, the Roman takeover resulted in the destruction of the city. There was a dramatic loss of population and prestige in Corinth. But, by 44 BC it had been rebuilt and established as the capital of the Roman province of Achaea. It was once again a thriving metropolis filled with merchants, traders, thoughts, and ideas.

Religious Significance

It was during this time that Paul visited Corinth and established a successful body of believers. Christians who have read 1 & 2 Corinthians will be familiar with the words Paul wrote to these people to encourage and correct them. One of the most famous and well-known passages is one that is read at many weddings (Christian and secular alike):

“⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 CORINITHIANS 13:4-8

What to Expect

A day trip from Athens to Corinth will be a half to full day experience depending on which option you decide to go with. Personally, I recommend booking your trip through a company through a website such as Viator or Get Your Guide. This is what we did, and I think that even the shorter trips give enough time to see everything and feel satisfied by the experience.

Visit the Corinthian Canal

Typically, a guided trip will include an initial stop at the historical Corinth Canal. In ancient times, the Greeks would transport boats across the land using the Diolkos. This was a paved way with tracks that allowed ships to be rolled across the Isthmus of Corinth. This saved ships time and a dangerous journey around the Peloponnese. This area had a reputation for dangerous gales. Obviously, this was a very laborious process.

While many rulers dreamed of putting in a canal, this ambition was not realized until 1893. Unfortunately, the canal has not been utilized to the fullest due to its narrowness and the instability of the canals walls (which have since been reinforced). Still, it is an impressive site and worth the stop to admire and take some photos.

Ancient Corinth

After your stop at the canal, you will have a short drive to the ruins of Ancient Corinth. Here, you will be able to walk in the footsteps of the ancient people and admire the many ruins of the beautiful city they built. Some particular sites you can see include: the theatre, the Roman Odeion, the temple of Asclepius and Hygieia (Asclepieion), cemeteries, the Potter’s Quarter (Kerameikos), Roman Baths, and more. If you are a religious person, you can also see the Rostra (Bema) of the Roman Forum. It is believed that this is where Paul was put on trial for his teachings.

In general, these are the two main areas that most guided tours to Corinth will visit. Any additional stops in the area will be completely dependent on which tour you decide to take. Always be sure to read the FULL itinerary before booking your tour! Or, if you decide to drive yourself, everything will depend on your own time constraints and what else you decide you want to do.

Pro Tips for Your Day Trip From Athens to Corinth

Pro Tip #1: The half day tour does NOT include a food stop. I highly recommend bringing a small snack as well as a bottle of water with you.

Pro Tip #2: be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be spending a lot of time walking around outside on uneven surfaces. Depending on the weather, you will most likely also want to bring: sunglass, a hat, and sunscreen since the Ancient Corinth area has limited shade.

Pro Tip #3: always be sure to check if entry fees are included in the tour price or not BEFORE booking your tour! Some tours include it and some don’t, so it’s best to check so that you are properly prepared.

Where to Book

There are multiple options for day trips from Athens to Corinth available at Get Your Guide as well as Viator. Each of these trips gives the meeting time and place, the duration of the trip, a list of which stops are included in the trip, and more. I love this because you can compare the options to decide what will work best for you and your travel party.

Here is an example of a half day tour (6 hours). And here is an example of a full day tour (8 hours). Please note that this full day tour is specifically a Biblical tour, so it will focus more on the life of Paul and his time in Corinth.

Other Modes of Transportation

Car: Of course, there is also the option to rent a car and do this day trip on your own. Corinth is only about one hour away from Athens city center by car. Of course the timing may change depending on traffic in Athens and your starting point. Renting a car certainly gives more flexibility and you can shorten or lengthen your trip however you would like.

Additionally, if you are feeling full of energy and want to explore the area further, you can choose to add stops at the Sanctuary of Asklepios, the Archaeological Site of Mycenae (additional 40 min from Corinth), and the Great Theatre of Epidaurus (an additional 1 hr 10 min from Corinth).

2. Bus: You can learn more about the bus schedule and options at this website. Please note that you will have to take a taxi from the KTEL Korinthos bus station to Ancient Corinth.

3. Train: You can find out more about train options on the Greek OSE train website. Please note that you will have to take a taxi from the New Corinth Train Station to Ancient Corinth. You can see this map for reference.

2. Take a Day Trip from Athens, Greece to Meteora

The Meteora UNESCO World Heritage Site is incredibly unique and full of rich history. In fact, in 1995 the Meteora was declared “a sacred site, unchangeable and inviolable” by Greek law. It was here that you can discover the the history of the hermit monks who lived here. The tradition dates back to the 11th century and has continued to this day.

Of all the day trips from Athens, this was the one I was most sad to miss out on during my first visit. I am so thankful that I was able to return to Greece and make my dream a reality.

After all the ancient Greek and Roman ruins I have visited, I found that this is a much different from the kind of history from what I might have expected to find in Greece. The Meteora is a unique place which offers a distinctive perspective. Even if you are not a religious person, one cannot help but marvel at the devotion of those who have committed themselves to this life.

Origins of the Hermetic Lifestyle

Originally, men who sought to rid themselves of worldly pleasures and comforts of life hid themselves in the caves of the Meteora pillar formations. Eventually, the monks desired to move higher up onto the rock pillars. They did this by climbing and ladders that were built and secured one on top of the other. Materials and food supplies were brought up via pulley systems built on top of the pillars. As you can imagine, it was a difficult and dangerous work., but the monks were committed to it. Over time, 41 monasteries and hermitages were established. Today, only six of these are active.

What to Expect

If you decide that you’d like to visit Meteora, it is important to note that it is quite far away from Athens. The tour begins early (at 7:20 in the morning) with a long, but pleasant 4 hour train ride to the village of Kalampaka. Please note that you will have to get yourself to the train station! This is easy to do by public transport or by walking. But, you should definitely check the route from your hotel ahead of time to make sure you arrive to the train station by 7am-ish.

Arriving in Kalampaka

Once you arrive in Kalampaka, a tour guide will be waiting for you with a sign that has your name on it. Since multiple tour companies are operating in the area, it is important to find the correct guide. You will board an air conditioned mini-bus (a blessing in the summer months) and begin your tour. There are also bottles of water available on the bus for you to take as you need.

The Tour

Depending on the tour you book, you will have a quick opportunity to get something for lunch in Kalampaka. After your quick bite to eat (I definitely recommend getting moussaka!), you will begin your ascent to the monasteries. We visited three of the main monasteries: the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, Monastery of Varlaam, and Monastery of St. Stephen (which is now a convent). There were many opportunities to explore the area and wonderful vantage points to get great photos throughout the tour.

The final stop of the tour was probably one of the most significant and moving points. Here, we visited the Panagia Church, Agios Nikolaos of Badovas. In the photo above, you can see a cave at this location where a monk has lived in isolation and complete devotion to God for about 70 years (he climbed up when he was in his mid-20s and he is now in his mid-90s). In support of his devotion to God, the people of Kalambaka leave food for him in a bucket (or basket) and he lifts it up via a rope. And once a year, a service is give from that location.

We learned that it is possible visit him, but you have to write him a letter explaining why you would like to meet with him. If he decides he might be able to help you with some advice, he will write back with the date and time. As it turned out, our tour guide had met him and she was generous enough to share that story with us.

Getting Home

The tour guide stressed this very strongly to us and I would like to reiterate it: Get on the train at least 10 minutes ahead of time! We actually witnessed a woman get separated from her teenage daughter and husband. The train started moving and they were still standing on the platform. The woman attempted to get the train to stop to no avail. In short: get to the train early!

Pro Tips for Your Day Trip From Athens to Meteora

Pro Tip #1: Some things to note: the monasteries and Kalampaka train station only have the option to use a “squatty potty”. Having lived in Africa for a year and a half, I am more than comfortable with this situation. But, most westerners will not be. If this does not sound like an ideal situation, the best places for you to try and use the restroom are: on the train from/to Athens and at a restaurant in Kalampaka.

Pro Tip #2: The monasteries were purposefully designed to be difficult to reach. There are a lot of stairs (see photo below), especially at the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour and the Monastery of Varlaam. Please keep this in mind when you decide whether or not to book this day trip from Athens, Greece.

Pro Tip #3: Ladies are required to wear a skirt to visit the monasteries and convents. Some of them provide free wraps for women, but some require you to purchase a wrap. Our tour had some wraps available for women to wear, but there were not quite enough for the women who needed them.

Where to Book

For me, I found it a lot easier to try and arrange this day-trip via a tour group. I found my tour company via Viator, but you can also look at the options on the Get Your Guide website. This is the specific tour that I booked. It was a great tour. We had a fantastic guide and a great bus driver!

There is also the option to rent a car, but I’m not sure that I would recommend that. Driving takes just a long as the train (4 hrs one way) and then you would have to drive all the way back at the end of the day. Personally, I really think that the group trip on the train is the way to go here.

A Couple More Day Trips From Athens, Greece to Consider

1. Day Trip from Athens, Greece to Delphi

2. Boat Day Trip from Athens, Greece to Hydra, Aegina, and Poros

3. Day Trip from Athens, Greece to Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Nafplio

In Conclusion

I hope that this post has provided you with some great insights into various day trips from Athens! I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!