Prehistoric Greece: Athens, Mycenae, Olympia & Delphi — Self-Launched
3 days · Greece (Mainland)
Click Tours charges £575
No-markup version: ~£255 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Click Tours' 3-day loop through the Peloponnese and Delphi. Instead of a 40-person coach with a fixed guide, you ride Greece's cheap intercity KTEL buses and the narrow-gauge Peloponnese railway, sleep in hostels and guesthouses in Nafplio and Olympia/Delphi, and buy skip-the-line tickets or small-group site tours on GetYourGuide or direct from the Ministry of Culture where you actually want a guide. Same big-ticket sites — Corinth Canal, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi, Arachova — at roughly half the tour price, with the freedom to stay longer at the places that grab you. Costs are approximate and assume a solo traveller in a dorm or budget twin, travelling shoulder season.
Day-by-day
Athens → Corinth Canal, Epidaurus & Mycenae → Nafplio
Athens / Corinthia / Argolis / Nafplio
Start early at Kifissos or Liossion KTEL bus terminal (Metro to Attiki, then a short bus/taxi). Take the KTEL Corinthos bus to the Corinth Canal (~1h, €8–9), walk out onto the footbridge for the classic photo, then continue to Ancient Corinth or straight on to Nafplio. From Nafplio (KTEL Argolidas, ~2h from Athens, €14–16) use local buses or a shared taxi to Epidaurus (theatre + Asclepion, ~30–40 min, €5–8 each way, seasonal frequency — check times the day before) and to Mycenae (Tomb of Agamemnon / Treasury of Atreus plus the citadel and Lion Gate, ~30 min, €4–6). Buy a combined Argolis ticket at Epidaurus (€20 covers Epidaurus, Mycenae and more). Finish in Nafplio for the evening — Syntagma Square, the Palamidi views and a gyros dinner. If you want narration, book a small-group Argolis day tour on GetYourGuide from Athens (~£55–70) as a substitute for the coach-guide element, but doing it by bus is far cheaper.
🚌KTEL intercity buses Athens–Corinth–Nafplio (~€25 total) + local bus/shared taxi to Epidaurus and Mycenae (~€15-20)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse dorm/private in Nafplio old town (e.g. hostel-style guesthouses near Psaromachalas) — approx £22–28
- →Corinth Canal viewpoint
- →Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus & Sanctuary of Asclepius
- →Mycenae citadel, Lion Gate and Tomb of Agamemnon
- →Sunset walk through Nafplio old town
Nafplio → Olympia: Sanctuary of Zeus, Ancient Stadium & Museum
Nafplio / Olympia
Take the morning KTEL bus from Nafplio to Tripoli or Pyrgos and change for Olympia (~3.5–4.5h total, €18–22) — or, for the scenic option, the narrow-gauge Peloponnese railway from Nafplio/Corinth toward Pyrgos where it runs. Drop bags at your guesthouse and spend the afternoon in Ancient Olympia: the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Stadium (run the original starting line), the Temple of Hera and the excellent Archaeological Museum with the Hermes of Praxiteles. Entry ~€12 for the site + museum combo; a licensed guide at the gate or a GetYourGuide small-group tour is ~£30–40 if you want the mythology deep-dive. Evening: taverna on the main street, then prep for an early departure. This is the longest transport day of the loop — book the onward Delphi bus (via Patras and the Rion-Antirion bridge) the moment you arrive.
🚌KTEL Nafplio–Tripoli/Pyrgos–Olympia (~€20) + local walks/taxis
🛏Family guesthouse or budget hotel in Ancient Olympia village — approx £25–30
- →Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus
- →Ancient Stadium and Temple of Hera
- →Archaeological Museum of Olympia
- →Optional licensed guide or GetYourGuide small-group tour (~£30–40)
Olympia → Rion-Antirion → Delphi & Arachova → Athens
Olympia / Delphi / Arachova / Athens
Early bus from Olympia to Patras (€8–10, ~2h), cross the spectacular Rion-Antirion cable-stayed bridge, then take the KTEL Fokidas bus to Delphi via Itea and Nafpaktos (€12–15, ~2.5–3h) — arriving around midday. Head straight to the Archaeological Site of Delphi: the Sacred Way, Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians and the stadium, then the Delphi Museum with the Charioteer (combined ticket ~€12). Book a 90-minute licensed guide or GetYourGuide small-group tour (~£28–35) for the oracle stories. Afterwards, hop the local bus 10 minutes up to Arachova for a late lunch and the cliffside views, then take the KTEL bus back to Athens (Liosion terminal, ~2.5h, €16–18) arriving evening — comfortably before the 19:00–19:30 drop-off the coach tour promises.
🚌KTEL Olympia–Patras (~€9) + Patras–Delphi–Athens (~€28) + local Delphi–Arachova bus (€1.50)
🛏None included — overnight back in Athens hostel (~£20–25 if you stay on)
- →Archaeological Site of Delphi (Temple of Apollo, Sacred Way)
- →Delphi Archaeological Museum (Charioteer)
- →Arachova village wander
- →Rion-Antirion bridge crossing
Self-launched vs. Click Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Click Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£255 | £575 |
| Duration | 3 days | 3 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £320 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Click Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£255
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Prehistoric Greece: Athens, Mycenae, Olympia & Delphi — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £255 per person for 3 days in Greece (Mainland). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Click Tours?+
Yes — Click Tours charges around £575 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £255 — a saving of roughly £320 (56%) per person.
How long is the Greece (Mainland) trip?+
This itinerary runs 3 days, covering 3 day-by-day stops through Greece (Mainland).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Greece (Mainland), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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