Nafplio Day Trip from Athens – Corinth Canal, Old Town & Palamidi

Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, is one of the most beautiful towns in the country: Venetian fortresses, neoclassical mansions, marble-paved lanes and a seafront facing the little castle of Bourtzi. On this private day trip from Athens you stop at the Corinth Canal on the way, explore the old town and the Palamidi fortress at your own pace, and return to Athens in the evening.

Morning: Athens – Corinth Canal
Pick-up from your hotel in Athens. About an hour later, first stop at the Corinth Canal, opened in 1893, to look down from the bridge to the water far below and, if you are lucky, see a ship pass through. Then on across the Argolida plain to Nafplio, about two hours from Athens in total.

Late morning: Palamidi fortress
The Venetians built the Palamidi fortress on the hill above Nafplio in the early 18th century. Walk its bastions for the view over the town, the bay and Bourtzi. Fit walkers can climb the long stone stairway from the town; your driver can also take you up by road.

Afternoon: Nafplio old town & Arvanitia
Free time in the old town: Syntagma Square, the church of Agios Spyridon where Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of Greece, was assassinated in 1831, the lanes full of small shops and cafés, and lunch by the harbour with a view of Bourtzi. Then walk the Arvanitia promenade around the rock of Akronafplia, or in summer have a swim at Arvanitia or Karathona beach. Return to Athens in the early evening.

The day is private, so the plan is yours: add Mycenae or Epidaurus on the way, or spend more time at the beach. For the full archaeological day, see our Corinth, Nafplio, Mycenae & Epidaurus day trip.

Join us for a day in Nafplio – book your private day trip from Athens with 4 Colours Travel.

Photo of the Palamidi fortress: Marek Matula, CC BY-SA 3.0; Karathona beach: Pepnafplio, public domain – via Wikimedia Commons.