3 Day Trips From Athens, Greece

By Debora Aberastury on November 24, 2017

Athens, Greece. It is the utter picture-perfect definition of a perfect vacation: warm weather, clear-water beaches, good food, wonderful nightlife, and plenty of tourist sites to keep you busy. But there is more to Greece than just Athens.

Whether you find yourself in Athens for a vacation or to study abroad, consider exploring other parts of Greece. It does not have to cost an arm and a leg — there are plenty of day trips that leave right from Athens that do not cost much and will give you a different view of Greece altogether. Day trips are perfect for weekends were you do have to study, but also do want to do some exploring. You can spend one day exploring, and the other day studying: win-win!

Having spent some time in Athens personally, I can attest to some of the following locations that I will recommend; the others are places that I’ve heard are wonderful to visit. As you should with any tour, make sure to do your research on the tour company of your choosing and consider prices as well before you book anything. Most tours last anywhere from 7 hours to 12 hours, so plan accordingly!

Delphi photo via Pixabay

Delphi

Delphi was the center of the Ancient Greek world, and the site of a legendary oracle. People would come from all over the world to have their future told by the oracle Pythia, the priestess of Apollo. It is now an archeological site, located in the Greek countryside, surrounded by mountains.

On most tours, you stop by Arachova, a town popular for skiing during the winter, for a picture opportunity.

Research before you go, or don’t! Personally I did not know a thing before going, what drew me to do the tour was the mere sight of it. You will learn a lot, see the Greek countryside, and explore a historic archaeological site.

Cape Sounion photo via Wikimedia Commons

Cape Sounion

Located just an hour outside of Athens, Cape Sounion’s main attraction — the Temple of Poseidon — is a must-see, especially at sunsets (or sunrises, if you are into that sort of thing).

Some places don’t offer tours at sunset, but even if they don’t, it is still worth a trip there. There is plenty of history to learn about and plenty to explore. I personally especially enjoyed walking around the paths around the Temple. It is the same path that those who went to go worship Poseidon took to get to the temple. If you chose to make the trip yourself up to Cape Sounion, it is worth stopping by a seafood restaurant before you leave and taking a swim in the ocean.

Hydra photo via Dreamstime

Hydra, Poros and Aegina

All right, these might be the most touristy recommendations that I will ever recommend, but imagine this: one day, three islands, one boat. It might seem quick, but it does give you a taste of Greek island life in just a day and for a low price (includes food!).

You spend some time on a cruise boat, which is also nice, and you also have tour guides that can and will recommend to you the best places to visit on the islands. Be warned, though — you don’t get a whole lot of time in each island, and they will leave you if you don’t come back on time.

Personally, Hydra was the most scenic of the three. I spent my entire time walking, strolling through the tourist shops and relaxing. Poros was a really short stop. We had just enough time to climb up this hill to get some fantastic views, then had to head back down. It is a steep trip up and down, but worth every moment of it! Aegina was our longer stop. They did offer tours for an extra fee around the island, but we chose to forgo it and explore ourselves. We took a dip in the ocean there, and also got pistachios. It is the best place in the world to get pistachios, so if anything, do make sure to get a bag or two to take back with you!

You can also chose to journey to one of the islands on your own. There are a lot of ships that go from Athens to each of those islands (and more throughout the country, of course), and vice-versa. These three islands are the closest to Athens if you just want a day trip. Traveling to other islands is possible, but it will become more of a weekend trip than a day trip.

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