Nafplio Travel Guide

Things To Do In Nafplio: The Short List

Nafplio's sights sit close together: Palamidi above the town, Bourtzi in the harbour, Akronafplia's walls, and Syntagma Square at the centre of the Old Town.

Palamidi FortressVenetian fortress at 216 m above the sea, taken by the Greeks in 1822; climb about 850 steps, not the legendary 999.

BourtziFortress on its islet 0.7 km offshore, begun in June 1471; reached by boat and open again after restoration.

AkronafpliaOld castle above the Old Town with polygonal walls from at least the late 4th century BC.

Syntagma SquareSyntagma Square is the central square of Nafplio's Old Town.

Archaeological Museum in Nafplio, Greece

Archaeological MuseumThe Archaeological Museum of Nafplio stands right by Syntagma Square, in the heart of the Old Town.

Vouleftiko, The First Parliament in Nafplio, Greece

Vouleftiko, The First ParliamentFormer Aga Pasha mosque that hosted the first Greek parliament sessions from 1825.

Land GateHistoric gate at the edge of the Old Town, 0.4 km east of Syntagma Square.

Church Of Agios Spyridon in Nafplio, Greece

Church Of Agios SpyridonChurch where Governor Kapodistrias was assassinated in September 1831.

Nafplio Neighbourhoods At A Glance

Four parts of Nafplio cover a day well: the lanes of the Old Town, the harbour and waterfront, the water and rocks at Arvanitia, and the beach at Karathona.

1Morning

Old Town

The Old Town of Nafplio is the historic core of a town that served as capital of Greece from 1827 to 1834, and it is largely closed to visitor parking.

2Midday

Harbour And Waterfront

The harbour and waterfront lie about 0.3 km from Syntagma Square and look out over the sea to the Bourtzi fortification on its islet.

3Afternoon

Arvanitia

Arvanitia is an area of Nafplio about 0.3 km straight line from Syntagma Square, known for its Blue Flag beach, organised in summer, and a promenade of about 1 km.

4Evening

Karathona

Karathona is a beach area about 3.5 km from Syntagma Square along the bay south of the town.

A guided walking group pausing in a narrow stone lane of the Nafplio Old Town, with a guide pointing out a neoclassical facade.

City Walk, 1 Hour 30 Minutes 5.0 from 29 reviews · from $91

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14,473 traveller reviewsacross 44 checked tours

From $11cheapest paid tour today

Prices checkedagainst the booking page, refreshed monthly

Nafplio Tours Worth Booking

Answer three quick questions and get a shortlist of 44 tours matched to your trip.

1. What kind of day are you after?

2. What can you spend per person?

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Below is a starting shortlist of the best-reviewed tours. Answer any question and it rebuilds around you.

11-Hour Budget Day Trip 11 hours from $27 ★ 4.5 (3,529 reviews) Check availability
Journey into Greek Legends 10 hours from $27 ★ 4.5 (3,220 reviews) Check availability
Small Group, Audio Guide 10 hours from $44 ★ 4.8 (3,098 reviews) Check availability
Catamaran, Greek Buffet, Open Bar 4 hours 30 minutes from $121 ★ 5 (759 reviews) Check availability
Premium, Corinth Canal Stop 10 hours from $31 ★ 4.8 (363 reviews) Check availability
Budget Full-Day, 10 Hours 10 hours from $32 ★ 4.2 (355 reviews) Check availability
Private, 8 to 9 Hours Total 8 to 9 hours from $216 ★ 4.9 (331 reviews) Check availability
Optional Audio Guide Trip 10 hours from $27 ★ 4.5 (322 reviews) Check availability
Epidaurus Entry, Optional Audio 1 day from $29 ★ 4.2 (288 reviews) Check availability
Small Group, 9 Hours 9 hours from $100 ★ 4.8 (262 reviews) Check availability
Licensed Guide, Hotel Pickup 10 hours from $61 ★ 4.4 (260 reviews) Check availability
Mycenae Entry, Optional Audio 1 day from $29 ★ 4.4 (223 reviews) Check availability
Sea Kayak Past Medieval Castles 4 hours from $91 ★ 5 (187 reviews) Check availability
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus from $11 ★ 3.7 (165 reviews) Check availability
Savor Nafplio 3-Hour Class 3 hours from $131 ★ 5 (105 reviews) Check availability
Corinth and Nafplio Pairing 10 hours from $62 ★ 4.6 (105 reviews) Check availability
Sun Sail Small Group, Full Meal 4.5 hours from $110 ★ 5 (103 reviews) Check availability
Semi-Private All-Inclusive Sail 4 hours 30 minutes from $137 ★ 5 (75 reviews) Check availability
Sailing Cruise, Meal and Snorkeling 4 hours 30 minutes from $87 ★ 5 (71 reviews) Check availability
Six-Hour Mycenae and Epidaurus 6 hours from $100 ★ 4.4 (66 reviews) Check availability
3-Hour Food Tour 3 hours from $194 ★ 4.9 (62 reviews) Check availability
Walk Plus Bourtzi Boat Trip 2 to 3 hours from $114 ★ 4.8 (51 reviews) Check availability
Bike, Sightsee and Taste Combo 4 hours from $240 ★ 5 (47 reviews) Check availability
Hydra Day Trip, Swimming 10 hours from $55 ★ 4.7 (41 reviews) Check availability
Private Walk With a Local from $80 ★ 5 (38 reviews) Check availability
Mycenae-Epidavros, 4 to 5 Hours 4 to 5 hours from $103 ★ 4.4 (37 reviews) Check availability
Small Group, Local Treats 4.5 hours from $100 ★ 5 (36 reviews) Check availability
With Oenologists, 6 to 8 Hours 6 to 8 hours from $200 ★ 5 (30 reviews) Check availability
City Walk, 1 Hour 30 Minutes 1 hour 30 minutes from $91 ★ 5 (29 reviews) Check availability
Premium Shared Transfer, 5 Hours 5 hours from $171 ★ 4.3 (29 reviews) Check availability
Private, Entrance Tickets Included 5 hours from $206 ★ 4.4 (23 reviews) Check availability
Six-Hour Nemea Vineyards Tour 6 hours from $234 ★ 4.8 (20 reviews) Check availability
Four Stops, 7 to 8 Hours 7 to 8 hours from $200 ★ 4.6 (20 reviews) Check availability
Mycenae Only, 3 to 4 Hours 3 to 4 hours from $130 ★ 5 (17 reviews) Check availability
Private Mycenae and Epidaurus 3 to 5 hours from $200 ★ 4.9 (17 reviews) Check availability
Cooking Class, Lunch or Dinner 4 hours from $171 ★ 5 (14 reviews) Check availability
Catamaran, Meal and Drinks 4.5 hours from $139 ★ 5 (14 reviews) Check availability
Budget 3-Hour Food Tour 3 hours from $143 ★ 4.9 (12 reviews) Check availability
Cooking Class With Local Hosts 3 hours from $112 ★ 4.9 (10 reviews) Check availability
Nemea Wineries, 5 Hours 30 Minutes 5 hours 30 minutes from $263 ★ 5 (9 reviews) Check availability
Four Stops, Corinth Canal from $228 ★ 5 (8 reviews) Check availability
Hiking Tour, 3 Hours 30 Minutes 3 hours 30 minutes from $137 ★ 5 (8 reviews) Check availability
Budget Shared Half-Day, 5 Hours 5 hours from $91 ★ 4.8 (8 reviews) Check availability
Cycling Tour, 2 Hours 30 Minutes 2 hours 30 minutes from $194 ★ 4.8 (6 reviews) Check availability

Nafplio With Kids

Beaches at Arvanitia and Karathona, a boat ride to Bourtzi and the climb up Palamidi's steps give children plenty to do.

Nafplio With KidsA small seaside Old Town with a car-free core, square and waterfront promenade, plus Arvanitia Beach with Blue Flag status.

Palamidi FortressA Venetian fortress on a 216 m hill above town, reached by a stairway of about 850 steps (not the legendary 999).

BourtziThe small fort in Nafplio harbour, built from 1471, reached from shore by boat.

Nafplio BeachesArvanitia Beach is organised in summer and Blue Flag, with a promenade of about 1 km; Karathona and Tolo lie nearby.

Nafplio In The Rain

Rain falls mainly from November to March, about 471 mm a year near here, so wet days call for indoor plans.

Nafplio In Winter And Rain in Nafplio, Greece

Nafplio In Winter And RainThe wet months, November to March, bring most of the area's rain and the coolest weather.

Archaeological MuseumThe town's archaeology museum, closed on Tuesdays, showing finds from the surrounding Argolid sites.

War MuseumA museum in Nafplio covering Greek military history.

A three-hour Greek cooking class in Nafplio with local hosts.

Bookable TourCooking Class With Local Hosts4.9 from 10 reviews · from $112Check availability

Nafplio At Night

Evenings in Nafplio start around the harbour, Syntagma Square and the Arvanitia promenade.

Nafplio NightlifeBars and cafes concentrate in the Old Town, around Syntagma Square and the harbour front.

Harbour And WaterfrontThe waterfront by the Old Town, with Bourtzi out in the harbour and free parking lots along Akti Miaouli.

Syntagma SquareThe central square of the Old Town, about 440 m east of the harbour waterfront.

ArvanitiaA beach below the Akronafplia walls, reached by a promenade about one kilometre long.

Nafplio In Winter

Winter brings mild days and the fewest rain-free stretches of the year to Nafplio, with sites on winter hours and admission days.

Best Time To VisitThe cooler months bring reduced site admission and the fewest visitors to Nafplio.

Nafplio WeatherThe official climate record for the area comes from the Argos station inland, about ten kilometres away.

Peloponnesian Folklore Museum in Nafplio, Greece

Peloponnesian Folklore MuseumA museum in the Old Town building that once housed the first Greek parliament sessions.

History Of NafplioNafplio was capital of Greece from 1827 to 1834, and the traces of those years are all around the town.

Free Things To Do In Nafplio

Syntagma Square, the Old Town lanes, the Land Gate and the Arvanitia promenade, about one kilometre long, all cost nothing to wander.

Syntagma Square Land Gate Old Town Nafplio On A Budget

Food And Evening In Nafplio

Nafplio's tavernas and bars fill the lanes around the harbour, where evenings end with a walk along the waterfront.

Where To Eat Fish tavernas cluster near the harbour; the Old Town lanes hold smaller kitchens serving grilled meat, pies and seafood.

Nafplio Food Expect Argolic produce: olives, oranges, artichokes, fresh fish, local pasta and honey desserts from the surrounding plain.

Cooking Classes And Wine in Nafplio, Greece

Cooking Classes And Wine Cooking classes and Nemea wine tastings run from Nafplio; Nemea town is 46 km by road, about 49 minutes without traffic.

Sunset On The Harbour Walk the harbour at sunset, past Bourtzi in the bay, then follow the Arvanitia promenade, about 1 km along the water below the fortress walls. The harbour guide

Nafplio On The Map

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Day Trips From Nafplio: Mycenae, Epidaurus, Tolo

Nafplio sits close to Mycenae, Epidaurus, Tolo and Nemea, so a short drive covers Bronze Age citadels, an ancient theatre, a beach town and wine country.

UNESCO

Mycenae

Mycenae lies 25.4 km by road from Syntagma Square, about 32 minutes without traffic, with the citadel, museum and Treasury of Atreus on one ticket.

4.4 from 223 reviews · from $29Check availability

Ancient Theatre

Epidaurus

Epidaurus is 27.7 km by road from Syntagma Square, about 41 minutes without traffic, covering the theatre, sanctuary and museum on one ticket.

4.2 from 288 reviews · from $29Check availability

Beach

Tolo

Tolo lies 11.4 km by road from Syntagma Square, about 17 minutes without traffic, along the coast to the south.

11.4 km by road, about 17 minutes without traffic (routing estimate), 7.3 km straight line from Syntagma SquareRead The Tolo Guide

Wine

Nemea

Nemea town is 46 km by road from Syntagma Square, about 49 minutes without traffic, at the centre of the Peloponnese's wine country.

6-hour tour · 4.8 from 20 reviews · from $234Check availability

All Nafplio Day Trips

Nafplio Right Now: Weather And Golden Hour

At the last check, on 15 October, the forecast for Nafplio was 16°C and clear. Sunset was at 18:51, so golden hour along the harbour and over the Argolic Gulf began at about 17:51.

Forecast, Syntagma Square: 16°C; clear, cloud 0%
Sunrise and sunset: 07:36 / 18:51; 15 October, local time
Golden hour: from 17:51; about an hour before sunset

Weather data from MET Norway (Locationforecast 2.0 and Sunrise 3.0, Norwegian Meteorological Institute), under NLOD 2.0 / CC BY 4.0. A forecast-model value for the grid point at Syntagma Square, not a thermometer reading.

When To Visit Nafplio, Month By Month

The chart below uses figures from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service station at Argos, the nearest official station, which sits inland about 10 km northwest of Nafplio.

The whole year brings the Argos station about 471.4 mm of rain. November is the wettest month at 82.5 mm over 9.4 rainy days, while June, the driest, gets 8.9 mm over 3 days, so the wettest month sees about 9.3 times the rain of the driest. July is the hottest month, with a mean daily high of 34°C. These are station averages for 1980-2010 at Argos (Pyrgela), the nearest official station, on the plain about 10 km inland.

Monthly rainfall (mm)
Mean temperature (°C)

Station averages for 1980-2010 from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS), Argos (Pyrgela) station, the nearest official one, on the plain about 10 km inland: July is warmest at 27.5°C average, January coldest at 8.2°C, November wettest at 82.5 mm and June driest at 8.9 mm, 471.4 mm across the year.

Month	Mean temp	Mean high	Mean low	Rainfall
January	8.2°C	14.6°C	3°C	66.5 mm
February	8.4°C	14.7°C	2.9°C	52.5 mm
March	10.9°C	17.4°C	4.3°C	52.2 mm
April	14.9°C	21.3°C	6.7°C	33.7 mm
May	20.3°C	26.5°C	10.5°C	18.7 mm
June	25.1°C	31.4°C	14°C	8.9 mm
July	27.5°C	34°C	16.7°C	9.1 mm
August	26.8°C	33.7°C	16.8°C	13 mm
September	22.6°C	29.7°C	14.2°C	20.3 mm
October	18°C	24.7°C	11.5°C	44.3 mm
November	13°C	19.2°C	7.7°C	82.5 mm
December	9.6°C	15.5°C	4.8°C	69.7 mm

Data: Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS), Argos (Pyrgela) station, 1980-2010.

Where To Stay In Nafplio

Nafplio splits into three practical areas for overnight stays: the Old Town around Syntagma Square, the Akronafplia and harbour side, and the Arvanitia and Palamidi side.