- Half-day Morning Tour
Half Day Athens Tour
- Athens
TAXES INCL/PERS
- Full day Delphi tours
Full-Day Delphi Tour
- Delphi
TAXES INCL/PERS
- Ancient Corinth tour ( half day)
Corinth Tour from Athens
- Corinth
TAXES INCL/PERS
- Afternoon- Halfday
TAXES INCL/PERS
- Argolis Full Day Tour
TAXES INCL/PERS
- Half Day Tour Visiting Athens
TAXES INCL/PERS
- One day cruise to Hydra Poros Aegina
One-Day Saronic Islands Cruise
- Hydra
- Poros
- Aegina
TAXES INCL/PERS
Greece day tours from Magnificent Travel depart from Athens and cover Delphi (180 km northwest, 3 hours by road), Cape Sounion (70 km southeast, 1 hour), Corinth (90 km west, 1 hour 15 minutes), Argolis with Mycenae and Epidaurus, and the Saronic Islands by one-day cruise. All day tours include a licensed English-speaking guide, private or small-group vehicle, and entrance fees to archaeological sites. Day tours operate year-round, Monday through Sunday.
Athens is one of the most efficient bases in Europe for day excursions. Within a 2-hour radius of the Plaka, a visitor can reach three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Delphi, the Epidaurus ancient theatre (within the Archaeological Site of Epidaurus, listed 1988), and the island of Delos (an uninhabited sanctuary island of the Cyclades, listed 1990). The Acropolis of Athens itself is a fourth UNESCO site within the city.
Delphi Day Tour from Athens
Delphi is 180 km northwest of Athens, approximately 3 hours by road via the E962. The full day covers: the Delphi Archaeological Site (Temple of Apollo with the Omphalos stone marking the ancient 'navel of the world', the Sacred Way, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Oracle Sanctuary, and the 5,000-seat theatre), and the Delphi Archaeological Museum (the Charioteer of Delphi bronze statue, 478 BC, one of the best-preserved bronzes from antiquity; the Naxian Sphinx). The return to Athens is in the evening, approximately 3 hours.
Cape Sounion Day Tour from Athens
Cape Sounion is 70 km southeast of Athens, approximately 1 hour by coastal road via the Athens Riviera. The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion (built approximately 440 BC, the same period as the Parthenon) stands on a headland 60 metres above the sea. Lord Byron carved his name in the southern column in 1810; the inscription is still visible. The coastal route passes the Poseidon Resort area and the Athenian Riviera beaches. The excursion can be done in half a day (depart Athens at 3 pm, return by 8 pm for the sunset at the temple).
Argolis Day Tour: Mycenae and Epidaurus
The Argolis region 150 km southwest of Athens covers two major sites in one day. Mycenae is the Bronze Age citadel of the Mycenaean civilisation (1600 to 1100 BC): the Lion Gate (the earliest monumental sculpture in Europe, 13th century BC), the Treasury of Atreus (a beehive tomb 14.5 metres in diameter, 1250 BC), and the Grave Circle A (shaft graves with gold death masks now in the Athens National Archaeological Museum). Epidaurus is 30 km from Mycenae: the ancient theatre (4th century BC, capacity 14,000, seats 15,000 for the summer festival) and the Sanctuary of Asklepios. The full Argolis day tour returns to Athens by 8 pm.
Saronic Islands One-Day Cruise
The Saronic Islands one-day cruise from Piraeus port covers three islands: Aegina (Temple of Aphaea, 500 BC, one of the best-preserved Doric temples in Greece; the Aegina town harbour), Poros (the clock tower and the pine-covered hill, 1 hour stop), and Hydra (a car-free island with stone mansions, donkeys, and the Hydra Museum inside a former sea-captain's house). Departure from Piraeus at 8:30 am, return by 8 pm. Lunch onboard included.
Related Itineraries
For multi-day programs combining Athens with the islands: Greece travel packages. For mainland Greece with an escort guide: Greece escorted tours. For cruise-based island programs: Greece cruise packages. Full overview: Greece tours.
Frequently Asked Questions — Greece Day Tours
Learn more about the destinations and packages we offer.
All Magnificent Travel Greece day tours include: a licensed English-speaking guide for the full day, private or small-group vehicle with a driver, entrance fees to all archaeological sites on the itinerary, and return transport from your Athens hotel. Meals are not included in standard day tours unless specified (the Saronic Islands cruise includes lunch onboard).
The five most popular Athens day tours are: Delphi (full day, 180 km northwest, UNESCO), Cape Sounion (half or full day, 70 km southeast, Temple of Poseidon 440 BC), Argolis with Mycenae and Epidaurus (full day, 150 km southwest, two UNESCO sites), the Saronic Islands one-day cruise (Aegina, Poros, Hydra), and Corinth with the Corinth Canal and Ancient Corinth (90 km west, half day)
Yes. All day tours are suitable for adults of all ages. Delphi involves a 1.2 km uphill walk on a paved path. Epidaurus involves flat ground. The Acropolis requires climbing 72 stone steps to the Propylaea but has a disability-accessible ramp. The Saronic Islands cruise is flat and suitable for mobility-limited visitors. Children aged 5 and above are welcome on all day tours; entrance fees for children under 18 are typically reduced or free at Greek archaeological sites.
Yes. All day tours operate year-round on Monday through Sunday. Archaeological sites are open year-round with reduced winter hours (typically 8 am to 3 pm November through March). The Saronic Islands cruise operates March through October. Summer (June through August) tours benefit from extended site hours (typically 8 am to 8 pm) and better weather for outdoor sites.
Yes. All day tours are available in private format: a vehicle, driver, and licensed guide exclusively for your group. Private tours allow flexible start times (typically from your hotel at 8 to 9 am), custom pacing at each site, and the option to add or change stops. Private tours cost approximately 40 to 80 percent more per person than small group tours, depending on group size.
The Delphi day tour from Athens is a full day: depart Athens at 8 am, arrive Delphi approximately 11 am, visit the archaeological site (approximately 2 hours) and museum (approximately 1 hour), lunch in the Delphi village, return to Athens arriving approximately 7 to 8 pm. Total travel time is approximately 6 hours (3 hours each way). A half-day Delphi option is not practical given the distance.
The Corinth day tour covers two sites: the Corinth Canal (a 6.3-km canal cut through the isthmus at 79 metres depth, completed 1893, bungee jumping available from the bridge), and Ancient Corinth (the Temple of Apollo, 6th century BC, one of the earliest surviving Doric temples in Greece; the Corinth Archaeological Museum; the Bema of St Paul where Paul was tried before the Roman proconsul Gallio in 51 AD). Return to Athens by 2 to 3 pm, making it a convenient half-day or morning tour.
Yes, particularly between April and October when the sunset at the Temple of Poseidon is a dramatic ending to the day. The temple faces southwest over the Aegean Sea. The afternoon coastal drive along the Athens Riviera passes Vouliagmeni Lake and several beach resorts. Depart Athens at 2:30 to 3 pm, arrive Sounion for the golden hour, return to Athens by 8:30 pm.
Yes. Day tours are often added to Athens extensions at the start or end of a Greece travel package. A typical arrangement: arrive Athens, 2 nights hotel, day tour to Delphi or Argolis, then join the main island program. See Greece travel packages for multi-day programs that can be extended with day tours.
