When Rick Steves adds a destination to his lineup, people pay attention. America’s best-known travel writer and TV host, with millions of readers and viewers, just launched a new 8-day tour called “Best of Athens & Nafplio” — and its route runs right through our backyard.
What the tour covers
The itinerary opens with the classics — the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Ancient Agora in Athens — but the real story is what comes next: travelers head into the Peloponnese to see Mycenae, Nemea, and the theater at Epidavros, where, according to the tour description, participants “take the stage” to experience the ancient theater’s famous acoustics firsthand. The program rounds out with a cooking class at a traditional taverna, a farm visit, and lessons in traditional Greek dancing, alongside free time to explore neighborhoods like Plaka and Psyrri independently.
Why it matters for the Peloponnese
For years, international attention on Greece has concentrated almost entirely on the islands. A tour of this scale, from such a recognizable travel brand, shifts the spotlight elsewhere: to mainland Peloponnese, to the history of the Argolid, and to towns like Nafplio that have stayed relatively under the radar for the average international visitor. This isn’t just good news for the Argolid — it’s a signal that the Peloponnese interior, as a whole, is starting to register with international travelers in a different way than the islands ever have.
Our corner of it: south of Nafplio
Rick Steves’ tour stops at the Argolid. But the Peloponnese has plenty more to show further south, in Messinia: Ancient Messene, Mystras, Sparta, the castle in Kalamata. Travelers impressed by Mycenae and Epidavros often find the same density of history continues south — it’s just that fewer people have found it yet.
Build your own route
At Penguin Travels & Tours, we put together private itineraries that extend exactly this kind of trip further south into Messinia — Ancient Messene, Mystras and Sparta, Kalamata — for travelers who want to see more than a standard tour package covers.
Planning a trip through the Peloponnese? Stop by our office in Kalamata (Vasilissis Olgas 4) or call us at +30 27210 80701 — we’ll build a route that fits your time.
