Greece by car: the Peloponnese, Delphi and Meteora in ten days
Greece outside the islands is a road trip country: good roads, little traffic once you leave Athens, and a ruin, a beach or a mountain village every hour. This loop from Athens covers the best of the Peloponnese and the two great sites of the mainland.
Plan this trip1 Corinth Canal
Photo by Winston Cooke, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Corinth Canal is a canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Wikipedia
The cut through the isthmus, seen from the old road bridge: the gateway to the Peloponnese and a ten-minute stop.
Written about in 61 languagesStart a trip here
2 Mycenae
Photo by Andy Hay from UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Mycenae is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. It is located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south-west of Athens; 11 kilometres (7 miles) north of Argos; and 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Corinth. Wikipedia
The Lion Gate and the beehive tombs, on a hill above the Argolid plain. Go early; it is hot by eleven.
Written about in 83 languagesStart a trip here
3 Nafplio
Photo by George E. Koronaios, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Nafplio or Nafplion is a coastal city located in the Peloponnese in Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis and an important tourist destination. Wikipedia
The first capital of modern Greece and the prettiest town on the mainland: a Venetian fortress, a harbour, and a good base for two nights.
Written about in 57 languagesStart a trip here
4 Epidaurus
Photo by Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Epidaurus was a small city (polis) in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros. Wikipedia
The ancient theatre with the acoustics every guide demonstrates with a dropped coin. Summer performances are worth planning a trip around.
Written about in 52 languagesStart a trip here
5 Monemvasia
Photo by Katsikas pantelis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Monemvasia is a town and municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located in mainland Greece on a tied island off the east coast of the Peloponnese, surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea. Wikipedia
A walled town on a rock in the sea, reached by a causeway, with no cars inside. Sleep within the walls if you can.
Written about in 44 languagesStart a trip here
6 Mani Peninsula
Photo by AM (talk) 18:29, 22 September 2019 (UTC), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The Mani Peninsula is a geographical and cultural region of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. It is often referred to as Mani or "the Mani". Wikipedia
Tower villages, bare hills and a coast road that is the best driving in the Peloponnese. Vathia and the cape at Tainaron at the end.
Written about in 32 languagesStart a trip here
7 Mystras
Photo by Apaleutos25, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Mystras or Mistras, also known in the Chronicle of the Morea as Myzethras or Myzithras (Μυζηθρᾶς), is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Wikipedia
The Byzantine hill town above Sparta, churches and palaces climbing to a castle. Quiet and shaded in the afternoon.
Written about in 49 languagesStart a trip here
8 Olympia
Photo by John Karakatsanis from Athens, Greece, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Olympia, officially Archaia Olympia, is a small town in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. Wikipedia
The stadium of the ancient games and the museum with the Hermes of Praxiteles. On the way north toward the Rio bridge.
Written about in 80 languagesStart a trip here
9 Delphi
Photo by tamara semina, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Delphi, in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct in central Greece. It was the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. Wikipedia
The sanctuary on the slope of Parnassus, with the valley of olives running down to the sea. The most beautiful site in Greece.
Written about in 80 languagesStart a trip here
10 Meteora
Photo by Stathis floros, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Meteora is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, viewed locally as second in importance only to Mount Athos. Wikipedia
Monasteries on top of rock pillars, with a road that loops between them. Sunset from the viewpoints above Kastraki ends the trip.
Written about in 61 languagesStart a trip here
Riding or driving it
Greek motorways have tolls at regular intervals; keep coins or a card ready. The Peloponnese roads are slower than the map suggests, so plan 200 km days. Roadlegs puts the toll roads on the Costs card and the arrival time on each day.
Open the plan in Roadlegs How the planner handles this vehicle.
About the facts and photos
The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.
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