Routes · Europe
London to the Peloponnese: Nafplio and Monemvasia
London → Nafplio → Monemvasia
Greece's first capital & a fortress town on a rock Best season (general guide): Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
The eastern Peloponnese packs ancient sites, Venetian fortresses and a medieval rock town into a few hours' drive from Athens. This route spends three nights in Nafplio and three in Monemvasia. From London you'll fly to Athens, then drive or take the bus. Nafplio is a coastal city in the Peloponnese and the capital of the Argolis regional unit.
How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Nafplio: day one, drive from Athens; day two, Palamidi fortress; day three, Mycenae and Epidaurus. Then spend days four to six in Monemvasia: day four, road south to Monemvasia; day five, lower town and the upper citadel; day six, beaches of Laconia.
Nafplio became an important seaport in the Middle Ages, then passed to Venice and the Ottoman Empire. The small Bourtzi castle sits on an islet in the harbour.
Nearby, the Bronze Age sites of Mycenae and Tiryns are listed by UNESCO, as is the sanctuary of Epidaurus, whose ancient theatre is famous for its acoustics. Monemvasia is a town on a tied island off the east coast of the Peloponnese. It is joined to the mainland by a tombolo, a sandy isthmus about 400 metres long.
The lower town is inside walls at the foot of the rock, while the ruins of the upper town crown the plateau about 100 metres above the sea. The town gave its name to Malvasia wine, traded across Europe in the Middle Ages. The poet Yiannis Ritsos was born in Monemvasia. Spring and autumn are warm without the heat of midsummer.
In 1890, a small part of Monemvasia's tombolo was cut to make a channel for boats, now crossed by a bridge. Nafplio was held after the Fourth Crusade by the de la Roche family as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia.
Safety: Canada's advice for Greece is to take normal security precautions (updated 5 Oct 2026), and the US rates Greece Level 1 (23 Oct 2025).
Suggested outline
London
Nafplio
A Venetian harbour town and Greece's first capital.
"Nafplio Bourtzi castle.jpg" by Georgios Karabelas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence Monemvasia
A walled town on a rock island joined to the mainland.
Day by day
- Day 1 · Nafplio — Arrive; drive from Athens· London → Athens (by air), then Athens → Nafplio (overland)
- Day 2 · Nafplio — Palamidi fortress
- Day 3 · Nafplio — Mycenae and Epidaurus
- Day 4 · Monemvasia — Road south to Monemvasia· Nafplio → Monemvasia (by road)
- Day 5 · Monemvasia — Lower town and the upper citadel
- Day 6 · Monemvasia — Beaches of Laconia
- Day 7 · Monemvasia — Travel home from Monemvasia· Monemvasia → Athens (by road), then Athens → London (by air)
A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.
Flights, leg by leg
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- London → Nafplio (LON → ATH) · Check today's price Search fares LON → ATH · 3 Dec ↗
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Nafplio
Nearest airport: Athens Search fares · Athens ↗
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