--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Nafplio, Greece | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Nafplio, ranked: the Palamidi stair, Mycenae, the theatre at Epidaurus, the Arvanitia walk and the Bourtzi, with tavernas, beaches, museums and buses from Athens." url: https://wimup.com/city/nafplio type: City guide updated: 2026-10-11 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Nafplio Nafplio, Greece · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Nafplio was the first capital of independent Greece, and the old town still looks the part: Venetian bastions, Ottoman mosques and neoclassical mansions packed onto a headland under the Palamidi. It is also the best base in the Argolid, half an hour from Mycenae and Epidaurus. ## Quick answer The best things to do in Nafplio are the climb to the Palamidi, a morning at Mycenae, an evening at the theatre of Epidaurus, the Arvanitia walk around the Akronafplia headland and a boat out to the Bourtzi. Give it three days: one for the town, two for the Argolid sites, and a car or the KTEL bus for those. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct - **Ideal length:** 3 days - **Budget per day:** €80–130 - **Language:** Greek - **Getting around:** On foot in the old town, by KTEL bus or hire car beyond it - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://nafplio.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Nafplio ### 1. Climb the Palamidi stair Fortress · Palamidi, Nafplio 211 00 The Venetians built the fortress on a 216 metre ridge in the early 1700s and lost it to the Ottomans in 1715. The stair is sold as 999 steps; measured counts land nearer 900. Climb it early, and take a taxi to the upper gate if your legs object. - **Time:** 2-3 hr - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Start before 9am in summer; the stair has no shade Links: [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/suggested-routes/fortified-monuments-watchtowers?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Walk through the Lion Gate at Mycenae Archaeological site · Mykines 212 00, Argolida The citadel of Agamemnon's legend, half an hour north by road, with the Lion Gate, the grave circle and the beehive Treasury of Atreus. Mycenae and Tiryns share one UNESCO listing. Go at opening, before the tour coaches from Athens arrive. - **Time:** 3 hr - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Opening time - **Tip:** Bring water and a hat; the citadel has almost no shade Links: [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/941/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. See a play at the theatre of Epidaurus Ancient theatre · Sanctuary of Asklepios, Epidaurus 210 52 The best preserved theatre of the ancient world sits in the sanctuary of Asklepios, a UNESCO site since 1988, about 30 kilometres east. Visit by day for the acoustics, but the reason to come is a Friday or Saturday play in the summer festival. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Summer weekend evening - **Tip:** Festival nights run Friday and Saturday; book when the programme opens Links: [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/491/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Walk the Arvanitia promenade Coastal walk · Arvanitia, Nafplio 211 00 A flat path runs around the base of the Akronafplia headland from the harbour to Arvanitia beach, just above the water. It takes half an hour, costs nothing and is the town's evening stroll. Carry on along the shore path to Karathona. - **Time:** 45 min - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Walk it from the harbour end so the sun sets ahead of you Links: [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/suggested-routes/fortified-monuments-watchtowers?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Sit out in Syntagma Square Old town · Syntagma Square, Nafplio 211 00 The marble-paved square is the old town's living room, framed by the 1713 Venetian arsenal and an old mosque, with the Vouleftiko, where Greece's parliament met in 1825, off its southwest corner. Take a coffee here in the evening. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Evening - **Tip:** The arsenal holds the Archaeological Museum; pair the two Links: [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16672&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Take the boat to the Bourtzi Island fortress · Bourtzi, Nafplio harbour The Venetians put a fort on the islet in the harbour in 1473 to guard the port, and it has since been a prison, the executioner's home and a hotel. Boats leave from the north end of Akti Miaouli. Check before buying whether this season's trip lands or only circles. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Boat fare - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Buy the ticket at the pier, where the boats leave Links: [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/suggested-routes/fortified-monuments-watchtowers?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. See the Dendra armour at the Archaeological Museum Museum · Syntagma Square, Nafplio 211 00 The museum fills the three-storey Venetian arsenal on Syntagma Square. Its prize is the Dendra panoply, a bronze suit of Mycenaean armour from around 1450 BC, found in a tomb at Dendra in 1960. See it before Mycenae and the citadel makes more sense. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair it with the square outside; it takes an hour at most Links: [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/the-archaeological-museum-of-nauplio/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. Walk the Cyclopean walls of Tiryns Archaeological site · Tiryns, Argolida 211 00 Four kilometres up the Argos road, Tiryns is Mycenae's twin in the UNESCO listing and a fraction as busy. The walls run over 700 metres around the hill, some still 13 metres high, built from blocks the Greeks said only giants could lift. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** It sits on the Argos road, and buses to Argos pass it Links: [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16430&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Browse the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Museum · Vasileos Alexandrou 1, Nafplio 211 00 A private museum founded in 1974 that won the European Museum of the Year award in 1981. Its permanent exhibition on urban Nafplio from 1822 to 1922 shows what the first capital wore, sewed and lived among. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticket - **Best at:** Midday heat - **Tip:** Combine it with lunch on Staikopoulou, two streets away Links: [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16478&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Swim at Karathona Beach · Karathona, Nafplio 211 00 The long sandy bay three kilometres east is the beach Nafplio actually uses, golden sand with a Blue Flag. Walk there on the coast path from Arvanitia in under an hour, or drive round past the Palamidi. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Walk out early and take a taxi back in the heat Links: [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best old town sights in Nafplio Three corners of the first capital beyond the square, each tied to the years Nafplio ran Greece. 1. **Agios Spyridon** (Church · Old town): Where Kapodistrias, Greece's first head of state, was shot in 1831. The bullet mark is framed by the door. 2. **The Vouleftiko** (Landmark · Syntagma Square): An Ottoman mosque where the Greek parliament sat in 1825 and 1826, and where Kolokotronis was tried in 1834. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16672&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **The Lion of Bavaria** (Monument · Pronoia): A lion carved into the rock for Bavarian soldiers who died of typhus, modelled on the Lion of Lucerne. [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/the-lion-of-bavaria-nauplio/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best restaurants in Nafplio Five tables in and around the old town, from home cooking to grill and wine bar. 1. **To Omorfo Tavernaki** (Taverna · Old town): Family-run since 1997 in the old town lanes, and the safest bet for a traditional taverna dinner. 2. **Vasilis** (Taverna · Staikopoulou): Home-style Greek cooking at Staikopoulou 22, the old town's taverna street. 3. **Kastro Karima** (Bistro · Papanikolaou): A small dining room on a quiet street on the south side of the old town, under the Akronafplia walls. 4. **3Sixty** (Grill · Papanikolaou): Grill and wine bar on Papanikolaou: premium meats, Greek classics and a late glass. 5. **Pidalio** (Modern Greek · New town): Creative Greek cooking outside the old town; the stuffed squid with quinoa is the dish. Book ahead. ## Best seafood in Nafplio Three fish tavernas on the harbour front, where the catch is the menu. 1. **Psarosavouras** (Fish tavern · Harbour): The fish tavern locals rate highest, at Bouboulinas 77: mussels saganaki, grilled sardines, squid. 2. **Arapakos** (Seafood · Bouboulinas): Seafront seafood near the Bourtzi boat pier. Order the grilled octopus or the stuffed squid. 3. **Aiolos** (Taverna · Akti Miaouli): A family taverna down an alley off Akti Miaouli, known for cheese-stuffed squid. ## Best beaches in Nafplio Four more swims beyond Karathona, from the town's own cove to the resort strand at Tolo. 1. **Arvanitia** (Pebble · Arvanitia): The town beach under the Palamidi: pebbles, a Blue Flag and a beach bar, on foot from the old town. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Neraki** (Cove · Coast path): A small unorganised cove between Arvanitia and Karathona, reached only on foot. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Tolo** (Sand · Tolo): A long organised sandy beach in the resort nine kilometres away, on the KTEL bus. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Kastraki** (Undeveloped · Asini): A small beach beside the hill of ancient Asini with no facilities. Bring water and shade. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best museums in Nafplio Three more collections beyond the Archaeological and Folklore museums, all about the revolution and the town. 1. **War Museum** (History · Amalias): The War Museum's first branch, opened in 1988 in Greece's first military school on Amalias. [Website](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16467&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **National Gallery annex** (Art · Old town): Paintings of the War of Independence by Lytras, Gyzis and Vryzakis in a neoclassical house. [Website](https://www.nationalgallery.gr/en/buildings/national-gallery-nafplion-annex/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Komboloi Museum** (Private · Staikopoulou): Founded in 1998 by Aris Evangelinos at Staikopoulou 25: the museum upstairs, a workshop below. ## Best shopping in Nafplio Four makers and merchants worth the detour from the souvenir strip. 1. **Karonis** (Wine · Amalias): A family wine and spirits shop since 1869 at Amalias 5, with tastings of wine and ouzo. 2. **Komboloi Museum shop** (Worry beads · Staikopoulou): The ground floor of the museum sells new worry beads and antique strands from 1880 to 1950. 3. **Metallagi** (Jewellery · Old town): A jeweller's workshop and shop on Sofroni Emmanouil, making pieces on site. 4. **Agnythes** (Weaving · Vasileos Alexandrou): Hand-woven textiles on Vasileos Alexandrou, the street of the folklore museum. ## Best day trips in Nafplio Five more Argolid outings beyond Mycenae, Epidaurus and Tiryns, all inside an hour. 1. **Nemea** (Wine and ruins · Nemea): The stadium and temple of Zeus at the site of the Nemean Games, then Agiorgitiko at the wineries. 2. **Argos** (Town · Argos): The next town up the plain, with a large ancient theatre and the Larissa castle above it. 3. **Lerna** (Prehistoric · Myloi): A prehistoric settlement used for 5,000 years; the House of Tiles sits under a modern shelter. [Website](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/archaeological-site-of-lerna-house-of-tiles-stone-enclosure/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Ancient Asini** (Ruins and swim · Tolo): An acropolis on a hill between two beaches near Tolo. Swim after you climb. 5. **Little Theatre of Epidaurus** (Theatre · Palaia Epidavros): A small ancient theatre by the sea at Palaia Epidavros, used for festival nights in summer. ## Festivals & annual events in Nafplio (2026) - **Carnival (Apokries)** (Feb): Criers open the season in the lanes; a parade ends it at the Square of the Three Admirals before Clean Monday. - **Independence Day** (Mar): 25 March is marked with parades in the first capital, as in every Greek town, with schools and bands. - **Orthodox Easter** (Apr): Purple banners for Holy Week, then fireworks in the main square at the midnight resurrection. - **Athens Epidaurus Festival** (Jun): Greek drama in the ancient theatre on Friday and Saturday nights, from late June to late August. - **Nafplio Festival** (Jul): A week of classical concerts at the Palamidi, the Vouleftiko and Syntagma Square. 2026 ran 11 to 18 July. - **Acronafplia Festival** (Aug): Theatre and music on the Akronafplia headland in late August. - **Ochi Day** (Oct): 28 October remembers Greece's refusal of the 1940 ultimatum with a parade and wreaths. - **Liberation of Nafplio** (Nov): The 1822 capture of the Palamidi, marked on the last weekend of November with a service at the fortress. ## Must-try dishes in Nafplio, Greece - **Gogges**: Handmade pasta of the Argolid, served with grated local graviera or Argos feta. - **Bogana**: Lamb with potatoes, slow-cooked in an earthen pot in a wood oven. - **Giosa**: Old ewe or goat baked for hours in a clay-sealed stone oven. - **Trahanas**: Sour cracked wheat and milk, made in Nafplio workshops and eaten as a soup. - **Portokalopita**: Orange pie, from the groves that cover the Argolid plain. - **Orange spoon sweet**: Whole candied orange peel in syrup, served with coffee or water. - **Stuffed squid**: The harbour tavernas' dish, filled with cheese or herbed rice and grilled. - **Mussels saganaki**: Mussels in a hot pan with tomato and feta, ordered at the fish tavernas. ## Nafplio transport & airports - **KTEL bus from Athens** (Bus): KTEL Argolidas coaches run from the Kifisos terminal in Athens in about two hours, through Corinth and Argos, to the bus stop on Syngrou. - **Athens International Airport** (ATH): No direct bus. The X93 express links the airport to Kifisos for the KTEL; allow two and a half to three hours in all, or take a private transfer. [Airport](https://www.aia.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Driving and car hire** (Car): Take the motorway west to Corinth, cross the canal, then south past Argos: under two hours with tolls. A car makes Mycenae and Epidaurus easy. - **On foot and local buses** (Local): The old town is car-free in practice and walkable end to end. Local KTEL buses run to Argos, Tiryns and Tolo from the stop on Syngrou. ## Nafplio at a glance - **Country:** Greece - **Region:** Peloponnese, Argolida - **Population:** 14,532 in the city, 32,625 in the municipality (2021 census) - **Founded:** Ancient Nauplia; capital of Greece 1823 to 1834 - **Nickname:** The first capital of Greece - **Language:** Greek - **Currency:** Euro (€) - **Time zone:** EET (UTC+2) - **Calling code:** +30 27520 - **Airports:** Athens International (ATH), by bus or transfer - **Power:** 230V, types C and F - **Emergency:** 112 ## Interesting facts - Nafplio was the capital of the new Greek state from 1823 until the government moved to Athens in 1834. - Ioannis Kapodistrias, Greece's first head of state, was assassinated at Agios Spyridon on 27 September 1831. - The Palamidi fell to Greek forces on the night of 29 to 30 November 1822, the eve of the feast of Saint Andrew. - The Dendra panoply in the town museum is a bronze suit of armour from around 1450 BC. - The Lion of Bavaria copies Thorvaldsen's Lion of Lucerne, carved for soldiers who died of typhus. ## Nafplio travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Nafplio? Three. One for the old town, the Palamidi and the Arvanitia walk, one for Mycenae and Tiryns, and one for Epidaurus and a beach. Two days works if you drive and skip the beach. ### How do you get to Nafplio from Athens? KTEL Argolidas coaches leave the Kifisos bus terminal through the day and take about two hours. From the airport, ride the X93 to Kifisos first. Driving is under two hours via Corinth and Argos. ### Can you visit Mycenae and Epidaurus from Nafplio without a car? Yes. KTEL buses run to both from the stop on Syngrou. A car or a taxi saves the waiting, and the Mycenae bus stops in Fichti, about four kilometres short of the site. ### How many steps does the Palamidi have? Local legend says 999. Measured counts come in lower, between about 860 and 915. Either way it is a steep climb with no shade, so start early. A road also reaches the upper gate. ### When is the best time to visit Nafplio? April to June and September to October: warm enough to swim from May, without the heat that makes the Palamidi stair a test. Book July and August weekends ahead, when Athenians fill the town. ## Nearby guides - [Athens](https://wimup.com/city/athens.md): Day trip · 10 picks - [Naxos](https://wimup.com/city/naxos.md): Greece · 10 picks - [Chania](https://wimup.com/city/chania.md): Greece · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 122 cities Part of the [Greece guide](https://wimup.com/country/greece.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Nafplio tourism board](https://nafplio.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Climb the Palamidi stair (official site)](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/suggested-routes/fortified-monuments-watchtowers?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk through the Lion Gate at Mycenae: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/941/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See a play at the theatre of Epidaurus: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/491/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sit out in Syntagma Square (official site)](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16672&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See the Dendra armour at the Archaeological Museum (official site)](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/the-archaeological-museum-of-nauplio/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the Cyclopean walls of Tiryns (official site)](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16430&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Browse the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (official site)](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16478&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Swim at Karathona (official site)](https://nafplio.gr/en/aksiotheata/beaches/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [The Lion of Bavaria (official site)](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/the-lion-of-bavaria-nauplio/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [War Museum (official site)](https://nafplio.gr/en/?p=16467&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [National Gallery annex (official site)](https://www.nationalgallery.gr/en/buildings/national-gallery-nafplion-annex/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Lerna (official site)](https://www.argolisculture.gr/en/list-of-monuments/archaeological-site-of-lerna-house-of-tiles-stone-enclosure/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Athens International Airport: Airport](https://www.aia.gr/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.