Best Day Trips from Athens You Won’t Find in Travel Guides

On your first visit to Greece you’ll want to take all of the famous best day trips from Athens everyone talks about.

Indeed, Cape Sounion, Delphi, Arachova, the Aegina-Hydra-Poros trifecta, the Corinth Canal, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Hydra, and Meteora are all worth taking a day trip from Athens. Even though many of these deserve at least 1-2 nights on site, they suit a full day trip as well.

That would allow you to get the gist of these places, in order to plan your future trips to Greece.

What about off the beaten track day trips one can take from Athens?

Here’s my list of places you can visit without having to sleep over.

1. Kea (Tzia)

Kea is the closest Cycladic island to Athens, yet surprisingly overlooked.

Just a 1-hour ferry from Lavrio port, it offers beautiful walking trails, quiet beaches, and the charming main town of Ioulida with its distinctive lion sculpture carved from rock.

To get to Kea on a day trip from Athens, it’s best to board the earliest ferry of the day. Depending on the day of the week, this can be at 7:00, at 8:30 or at 9:00. Either variant would provide you with plenty of time to explore Kea.

The last ferry of the day to get back to Lavrio is at 17:45, 19:00 or 20:00, also depending on the day of the week.

2. Parnitha Mountain

Parnitha Mountain is just at 45 minutes to one hour of driving from central Athens.

Mount Parnitha National Park provides lush forests, hiking trails, and wildlife spotting.

Visit the abandoned sanatorium or take the Regency Casino Mont Parnes Funitel cable car to the casino for spectacular views.

The fastest way to get to Mount Parnitha from Athens is by driving.

You can also use public transport, but that would require about 2 hours each way. That’s a bit too much for a proper day trip.

3. Vravrona

Home to the well-preserved Temple of Artemis Brauronia and an excellent archaeological museum, this coastal site was an important ancient sanctuary.

Located at almost 60km from Athens, Vravrona is easy to reach by driving. You’ll need about one hour on Attiki Odos, the road that links major cities in Greece to Athens.

Combine your day trip with lunch at nearby Porto Rafti’s seaside tavernas.

You can also use public transport to get from Athens to Artemis, then walk the last 3.7 km from Artemis to Archaeological Site of Brauron, and then to Vravrona.

4. Eretria (Evia Island)

On Evia island (accessible by ferry from Oropos), this historical town features ancient ruins including a theater, temple, and mosaics, plus pleasant beaches and waterfront dining.

5. Nea Makri

Nea Makri is a cute seaside town worth a short stay.

Featuring a beautiful seaside promenade with huge palm trees and lots of leisure spaces and tavernas, Nea Makri can make a great day out, should you wish to escape the urban landscape of Athens for a bit.

In Nea Makri I ate the best fried shrimps ever!

6. Lake Marathon and Marathon Dam

Beyond the famous battlefield, visit Greece’s first modern dam with its impressive marble facade, and enjoy the peaceful lake surroundings.

Modern Marathon is a small town you can easily visit on a day trip from Athens.

7. Elefsina (Eleusis)

Site of the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries and 2023 European Capital of Culture, this industrial town is experiencing a cultural renaissance while preserving important archaeological sites.

8. Moni Island

This uninhabited island is located a short water taxi ride away from Aegina. To get from Athens to Aegina, you need to take the ferry from Piraeus. The ride is about one hour.

Then you have to take the water taxi from the Aegina Town harbor. This ride to Moni takes about 15 minutes.

If you want someone else to handle the logistics, you can book a 30island day cruise from Athens that includes a swimming and snorkeling stop on Moni, here.

Check out my article about Moni island and its deer and peacocks. I’ve loaded lots of photos, as well.

9. Salamina Island

On Salamina you can enjoy beautiful beaches like Kaki Vigla and Kanakia, explore traditional fishing villages with authentic tavernas serving fresh seafood, and discover ancient ruins including the remains of a temple dedicated to Ajax, the mythological hero associated with the island.

Salamina is a short ferry ride away from Athens. This makes it a perfect day trip for those seeking for peace and authentic Greek food.