8-day Peloponnese road trip!

For this itinerary, you will need your own transport. Car rental is easy to arrange in Athens.

You will need to stay in different hotels to be able to see and enjoy several areas.

This route can be undertaken at any time of the year, although during the summer holiday season you might struggle to find a hotel for just one night, as hoteliers tend to prefer longer stays.

 

Day 1: Start from Athens heading towards Corinth. Stop at the Canal, in Ancient Corinth (if you enjoy walking, visit Acrocorinth, as well as the Archaeological Museum and the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth).

Then head towards Nafplio, where you will enjoy the beautiful city and the Palamidi castle (keep in mind that on some days of the year it closes at 15:00). Take a stroll along the seafront that encircles the mountain. In the evening, stay in Nafplio to enjoy the city.

 

Day 2: Breakfast in Mycenae: Visit the Treasury of Atreus, the archaeological site of Mycenae, and the Archaeological Museum.

Have lunch, and in the afternoon, see Ancient Epidaurus (the Theatre of Polykleitos, the Sanctuary of Asklepios, and the Museum), visit the Mycenaean site of Tiryns, located just before Nafplio, see the Folk Art Museum of Peloponnesian Art and the Komboloi Museum, both located in the old town of Nafplio. Have dinner and stay overnight in Nafplio.

 

Day 3: Head along the coast towards the Byzantine city of Monemvasia. Leave your car and wander through the town. You can stay in a hotel outside Monemvasia or in one of the few hotels located within the city gates.

 

Day 4: Head west towards Sparta. Visit the Byzantine city of Mystras (this will take a few hours) and then follow the road to Gytheio. See Geraki (though you might find it difficult to find it open).

Dine in Mavrovouni or Gytheio and stay overnight in the town of Gytheio.

Day 5: Drive west from Gytheio (heading towards Areopoli) and then proceed south along the western coast of the Mani peninsula, stopping at one of the restaurants and tavernas en route for lunch.

Visit the southernmost tip of mainland Europe (Cape Tainaron, which is said to have been the ancient entrance to the underworld). Incidentally, Cape Tainaron is also home to the deepest point of the Mediterranean, at 4850 metres deep. At Tainaron, there was a sanctuary where the sun was worshipped.

The Dorians called the Taygetus outpost “Metapea Akra”, a name that is still preserved today as it is also known as Cavo Matapas. There, you will find the lighthouse, which was built in 1882.

For those who love hiking, from the Lighthouse you can follow the path to Porto Sternes, where you will encounter the ancient settlement of Tainaron along the way. The route takes about 40 minutes. Then return to Gytheio for dinner and an overnight stay, following the eastern coastal road.

 

Day 6: Drive north to Sparta and head west towards Kalamata, crossing the well-known and beautiful Sparta – Kalamata road, enjoying the beauty of Taygetus.

In Kalamata, you can stop to see the city and visit the museum. Then, head towards Pylos or one of the coastal towns, where you will visit the castle.

Be sure to visit the Archaeological Museum of Chora, Trifylia, which features pottery and other miniature artefacts from the Middle Helladic and Mycenaean periods, as well as finds from Nestor's Palace in Engliamnos. Next stop, Nestor's Palace in Pylos. Stay overnight in the town of Pylos.

 

Day 7: Head northeast to the Temple of Apollo, in Bassae, hidden among the Arcadian mountains. Visit the archaeological site and then continue to Krestena and north to Olympia. Stay overnight in Olympia.

Day 8: See the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia in the morning and the museum before lunch. After your meal, follow the road east towards the wonderful and picturesque villages of Lagkadia, Dimitsana, and Stemnitsa until you reach Tripoli.

In Dimitsana, visit the Open-Air Water-Power Museum, while in Stemnitsa, take a detour along the paths of the Lousios River. If you arrive in Tripoli early, visit the city's Archaeological Museum, one of the best in the Peloponnese. For the night, stay in Tripoli or in one of the villages in the area.

 

Day 9: Continue east towards Argolida and visit the archaeological sites of Nemea and Isthmia (both are interesting sites with wonderful museums) and before returning to Athens, visit Lerna, if Early Helladic Civilization is of interest to you.

According to mythology, the famous marshy lake of Lerna was home to the Lernaean Hydra, which Heracles confronted.