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Extraordinary Mycenae & Nafplio Day Trip (Private)

Highlights

The mythical ancient citadel of Mycenae isn’t far from Nafplio, a historic seaside town where time has stood still since the 1800s -so we’ll take you to both. Discover Homer’s epic tales and king Agamemnon’s tragic fortunes in Mycenae and marvel at Nafplio’s hidden secrets, visiting craftsmen & workshops of a bygone era.


  • Walk through history and myth in the archaeological site of Mycenae, with its legendary Lion Gate and the Tomb of Agamemnon, a 3,500 years-old megalithic monument.
  • Visit the charming seaside port of Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece, with its soaring castle walls, old houses and picturesque narrow streets
  • Admire some of Nafplio's best artisans, including potters and weavers, work their crafts in the traditional fashion, explaining as they create
  • Have a traditional Greek lunch made of local specialties at one of Nafplio’s trendiest tavernas
Source: Alternative Athens

Description

A truly original full day tour from Athens, unlike any of the usual day trips to Mycenae and Nafplio


In a remarkably dramatic landscape, in the province of Argolis in northeast Peloponnese, the fabled Homeric city of Mycenae, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and capital of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, stands covered in the dust of millennia.

With this ancient Mycenae tour, you’ll walk under the famed Lion Gate to enter ruins that are part history, part myth. Mycenae was home to the cursed House of Atreus, its royal family sentenced by the gods to suffer -and suffer they did. It was here (spoiler alert!) that King Agamemnon, hero of the Trojan War, was killed by his wife Clytemnestra. The Tomb of Agamemnon, an amazing structure more than three thousand years old, is where famed archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann uncovered the magnificent Mask of Agamemnon, a funeral mask made of pure gold. also hosts The archaeological site of Mycenae also hosts the Mycenae museum, with marvellous exhibits from the several excavations in the area are on display. The whole site is moving, mysterious and incredibly old, even by Greek standards, and you’ll see it all and hear every story from your guide.

From Mycenae, you’ll head to the charming port of Nafplio, with its towering fortifications. This small seaside town was in fact the first capital of Greece. Its rich past and a great position on a wide bay has made it an important port for much of its history. You can see this in the medieval walls high on Palamidi Hill above town, and in the amazing fort that sits right in the middle of the harbour, but also in the 19th-century buildings that still make much of the town historic center.

During our Nafplio tour, you’ll explore the town’s defences and visit a variety of craftspeople, including a potter and a weaver, getting the chance to watch them work and see what their crafts still have in common with those of the ancient artisans of Mycenae whose work you'll have seen earlier. Like with the ancient site of Mycenae tour, visiting Nafplio is also a time-travel of sorts: in many ways, the production methods of today's artisans are closer to those practiced in the time of Agamemnon than to those in contemporary automated manufacturing plants.

Your visit to this historic town will also include and a confectionery where the traditional almond pastries are still made the way they were generations ago and a scrumptious lunch at one of Nafplio's trendiest hidden taverns, a local favorite serving probably the best food in town.

On the way back to Athens, you will also make a short stop at the Corinth Canal, to admire the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and the canal which separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland.

When back in Athens from your full day tour to Nafplio & Mycenae, you will have a better understanding of the links that unite the ancient past with life and people in the South of Greece today.

Source: Alternative Athens

Itinerary

  • Transfer by private a/c vehicle from Athens to Mycenae 
  • Guided walk to the site and museum of ancient Mycenae
  • Lunch
  • Guided walk in the old city of Nafplio
  • Visits to potter, weaver & pasta shop 
  • Transfer by private a/c vehicle from Nafplio to Athens
  • Stop at Corinth Canal 


Source: Alternative Athens

What's Included

  • Licensed English speaking Guide (Mycenae)
  • Professional English speaking tour leader
  • Visits to to local craftspeople (potter, weaver, hand-made pasta shop)
  • Private transfer by a/c vehicle
  • Snack and water
  • Hotel pick up & drop off (for private tours only)
  • Petrol, tolls and taxes


Not included

  • Lunch & Drinks
Source: Alternative Athens

Additional Information

Not accessible friendly. Good to have: Water, comfortable shoes, hat.

These may be times of uncertainty, but nothing keeps true travelers at heart from the pleasure of exploring ? From our side we have taken great care so that your experience is as pleasurable as safe: • Premium small-sized groups up to 8 people for our join-in tours* • Enhanced social distancing with the use of wireless audio guide kits (mandatory for all our guests) • Skip-the-line ticket service for all guests – No queuing for ticket purchases • Outdoor tours for the majority of our experiences • Mandatory mask use by all our guides • Antiseptic gel/wipes available throughout the tour • Individualized tastings for our food tours (no food sharing) • National Health Organization standards implementation on all tours using vehicles • Signed declaration by all tour participants that they are in good health prior to tour start • Flexible cancellation policy, no rescheduling fees • Continuous monitoring of all COVID-19 health & safety recommendations from the WHO and the Greek National Health Organization and implementation of best-practices accordingly. *up to 10 for our Mythology tour

Source: Alternative Athens

About the provider

Alternative Athens

ALTERNATIVE ATHENS is an experiential Travel Company that designs and operates high-quality proprietary tours & experiences in Athens and beyond. The company fo...

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