Stand on the bridge above the Corinth Canal, then walk the ruins of Ancient Corinth or carry on into the Peloponnese, on a private day out from Athens.
From €25 / adult, private vehicle for your group
- Hotel, apartment or Piraeus port pick-up
- English, Greek and French-speaking driver-guide
- Private vehicle for up to 14 people
- Free cancellation up to 24 h before departure
The Corinth Canal is one of the most striking sights within easy reach of Athens: a straight, narrow cut through the rock of the Isthmus, about 6.4 km long and opened in 1893, joining the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf. From the road bridge the walls drop about 80 metres to the water, and the view straight down the channel is the photograph everyone wants.
The canal itself is a short stop, so the best day trip pairs it with something more. Every TransferHub tour from Athens to Corinth and the Peloponnese stops on the bridge, and they differ in what comes next: Ancient Corinth in a half day, a city-and-Corinth combination, a swim at the Blue Lake, or the full classical circuit of Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio.
Corinth Canal day trips from Athens
Canal photo stop, Temple of Apollo, Lechaion Road
| Duration | 5–6 hours |
| Price | from €25 / adult |
The Acropolis in the morning, Corinth in the afternoon
| Duration | 8–9 hours |
| Price | from €30 / adult |
Corinth, Heraion and Blue Lake
Ruins plus a swim in Lake Vouliagmeni
| Duration | 8–9 hours |
| Price | from €32 / adult |
Corinth, Epidaurus and Nafplio
The theatre of Epidaurus and Venetian Nafplio
| Duration | 8–9 hours |
| Price | from €33 / adult |
Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Nafplio
Four Peloponnese highlights in one day
| Duration | 9–10 hours |
| Price | from €39 / adult |
In the footsteps of St Paul, with Cenchreae
| Duration | 8–9 hours |
| Price | from €35 / adult |
Prices are the starting price per adult shown on each tour page. For a custom route or a larger group, ask us for a quote.
Which Corinth Canal trip should you choose?
For a half day, the Ancient Corinth half day is the classic: a 20-minute photo stop on the canal bridge, then the Temple of Apollo, the marble Lechaion Road and the bema where St Paul stood, with Acrocorinth above you. It takes 5 to 6 hours door to door, so it suits a morning or afternoon in Athens or a cruise call at Piraeus.
If you only have one day in Athens, the Athens and Ancient Corinth combination gives you the Acropolis and the city monuments in the morning, then the canal, Ancient Corinth and lunch in the afternoon.
For scenery and a swim, the Corinth, Heraion and Blue Lake day continues past the ruins to the small sanctuary of Hera at Perachora and the clear water of Lake Vouliagmeni.
For the full classical circuit, choose Corinth, Epidaurus and Nafplio, or the longer four-site day with Mycenae. The Mycenae half day (from €27 / adult, 5 to 6 hours) also crosses the canal with a photo stop.
For church groups and readers of the epistles, the Biblical Ancient Corinth tour adds the harbour of Cenchreae, where Paul sailed for Ephesus.
What to expect at the canal
The stop is on the road bridge above the canal, about an hour from Athens on the motorway. Allow 15 to 20 minutes, long enough for photographs and a coffee. Boat transits through the canal are run by separate operators and are not part of these tours.
All of the tours above are private. Your driver collects you from your hotel or apartment in Athens, or from the Piraeus port gate if you arrive by ship, and the route can be adjusted on request. Bottled water is included; entrance tickets to the archaeological sites are not. Your driver-guide briefs you between stops, and a state-licensed guide for inside the sites can be arranged on request at an extra charge.
Travelling on rather than coming back?
If the canal is on your way to a stay in the Peloponnese, a one-way private transfer may suit you better than a tour. The Athens to Nafplio private transfer starts from €135 per vehicle. Our guide Nafplio transfer or day trip from Athens helps you choose, and all private tours are listed on one page.
How it works
- Choose your tourPick the Corinth day that suits you and tell us your pick-up address or ship times.
- Get your confirmationYour total price, pick-up time and meeting details.
- Enjoy the dayYour driver collects you, stops at the canal bridge and brings you back to your door or ship.
- Private tour: your group only
- Free cancellation up to 24 h before departure
- Licensed Athens transfer operator
Frequently asked questions
How far is the Corinth Canal from Athens?
About an hour west of Athens on the motorway. Our tours stop on the road bridge over the canal on the way to Ancient Corinth or the Peloponnese.
How long is the stop at the canal?
A photo stop of about 15 to 20 minutes on the road bridge, which gives the famous view straight down the cut.
Can we take a boat through the canal?
Boat transits are run by separate operators and are not part of our tours. The canal stop is on the road bridge above the water.
Can we join from a cruise ship at Piraeus?
Yes. The Corinth tours include Piraeus port pick-up, and Piraeus is on the way west. Send us your ship times and we return you to the port gate with a safe margin before all-aboard.
Are entrance tickets and a site guide included?
Entrance tickets are not included. Your driver-guide speaks English, Greek and French and briefs you between stops; drivers are not licensed to guide inside archaeological sites, but a state-licensed guide can be arranged on request at an extra charge.
Can we cancel?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Book your Corinth Canal day trip
Pick a tour above, or ask us to shape a private day around the canal and the sites you want to see.