Top Athens Day Trips

There are many excellent day trips from Athens. Customer reviews and rankings score these tours as the best options right now: 

• All Day Cruise - 3 Islands to Agistri, Moni, Aegina with Lunch and Drinks Included
• Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon Half-Day Small-Group Tour from Athens
• Delphi One Day Trip from Athens with Pickup and Optional Lunch
• Luxury Catamaran Cruise from Athens with Traditional Greek Meal and BBQ
• Athens Day Cruise: 3 Islands Tour in the Saronic Gulf with Lunch

Yes, taking an Athens day trip is definitely worth it. You can reach UNESCO World Heritage sites including Delphi, Mycenae, Meteora, Ancient Olympia, and the Theatre of Epidaurus on day trips, not to mention Corinth, where St. Paul preached, and Thermopylae, where the 300 fought. But day trips aren’t limited to history and archaeology: You can try island-hopping, wine tasting, mountain adventures, and more.

Athens day trips start at around US$60 for a half-day tour without food. Pricing for full-day tours varies considerably, depending on the package offered, but start at around US$80. Some full-day tours provide a guide and offer activities such as wine tasting, a stop for a restaurant meal, or a visit to a local attraction. You can check what’s included before you book: Note that private and small-group tours usually cost more than coach tours.

Greece’s public transportation network includes buses, trains, and ferries, while Athens has both buses and metro. You can take day trips to Saronic Gulf islands like Hydra, Poros, and Aegina by ferry from Piraeus, but to see all three in a day you’ll need to book an island-hopping cruise. Corinth is easy to reach as a day trip using public transportation, but an organized tour is the easiest way to see Delphi, Meteora, Mycenae, the Theatre of Epidaurus, or Ancient Olympia as a day trip from Athens.

Yes, you can visit plenty of islands from Athens. Options for an island day trip include Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Agistri, Moni, Metopi, Spetses, Andros, and Mykonos, and many island-hopping cruises include three or even more separate stops. You can also choose a day trip that stops off at just one destination so you can spend more time discovering its unique atmosphere.

Most people recommend staying for at least three full days in Athens. It’s a busy city with many worthwhile things to see and do before you even start on the ancient wonders and sparkling seas that surround it. A classic 3-day itinerary includes a city tour taking in essential ancient sights such as the Acropolis, a foodie adventure, and day trips to UNESCO-listed Delphi and Meteora.

There are tons of fun tours and excursions in Athens aside from day trips. According to previous travelers, these are the best activities to book for your next trip:

• Archaeology Tours
• Day Cruises
• Sailing
• Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
• Spas

For ancient wonders, the UNESCO-listed mountain sanctuary of Delphi is a don’t-miss. The Delphi Full-Day VR Audio Guided Tour With Entry Ticket comes in at under US$70, with tickets included and a VR device to avoid the expense of a licensed guide on site. For island-hopping, the lively Athens: Swimming Day Cruise with DJ, Lunch & Drinks Incl. visits Agistri, Metopi, and Aegina, with a buffet lunch, free-flow house wine, water, and soft drinks, and a live DJ, all for around US$112.

Athens day trips span the gamut from ancient history to island-hopping, so it’s good to establish where your interests lie before you start to search. Some popular trips involve a deal of travel time—Meteora, for example, is around an 8-hour round trip from Athens by road—so it’s smart to set your tolerance levels. Many tour options exclude entrance tickets, which can add significantly to the headline cost—Delphi tickets, for example, cost €20. By law, only licensed guides can lead travelers around ancient sites: Many affordable tours include a driver or escort who talks as you travel but does not accompany you around the ruins.

The best way to enjoy an Athens day trip is to plan ahead: If your tour doesn’t include transfers, work out how to get to the meeting point well in advance. Whether exploring ancient ruins, cruising to the Greek islands, or hiking hidden trails, comfortable shoes and sun protection are essential. Bring water, as many attractions have limited shade. Arrive early to secure the best seats on buses or boats, and ask your guide for insider tips to make the most of your experience.

The best time to book an Athens day trip is spring (April–May) or fall (September–October) when the weather is warm and crowds are smaller. Summer brings high temperatures and busy attractions, while winter sees cooler days and occasional rain. For the best experience, aim to travel in the shoulder seasons.

Yes, Meteora is worth it as a day trip from Athens—its cliff-top monasteries are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after all. But while the train service is suspended it’s a lengthy journey by road, clocking in at roughly eight hours round-trip, so day trips involve an early start and a long day. If time and budget permit, consider an overnight tour that also checks off Delphi, such as the 2-Day Tour to Delphi & Meteora with Guide and Tickets From Athens.

Cape Sounion and the 5th-century Temple of Poseidon are less than a 1.5-hour drive from Athens and offer some of Greece’s most spectacular sunset vistas, as well as a spectacularly scenic coastal road trip. Travelers rate the Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon Half-Day Small-Group Tour From Athens: Do note that the price excludes tickets.

History lovers are spoiled for choice when it comes to Athens day trips. For Delphi, try the Historical Delphi One-Day Tour With Arachova Stop & Expert Guide; for Mycenae and the Theatre of Epidaurus, try the Epidaurus, Mycenae and Nafplio Small-Group Tour From Athens; for ancient Corinth, pair history and religion with the Biblical Tour Letters to the Corinthians St Paul’s Footsteps 6-Hour.

It takes at least 2.5 hours to reach Delphi from Athens, and most Delphi day trips last around 10 hours. A typical trip visits the sanctuary, which is expansive, and the museum, which is home to precious treasures, and offers a break for lunch (included or at your own expense) as well as a stop in the scenic village of Arachova. Some also explore Thermopylae en route.