The best things to do in Corinth in 2023

On the night of April 12, 1990, the guard at the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth was keeping an eye on things when suddenly he was attacked.

Burglars had climbed over the roof of the site’s museum, dropped down into the courtyard, and broken into the gallery. With the guard subdued, they then plundered the museum collection, stealing 285 ancient objects.

The theft was the largest ever of a Greek museum, and for years there were fears that these priceless artefacts would never be recovered.

But 9 years later, in 1999, a tip-off led Greek police to the USA where, with help from the FBI, they found the items hidden within crates of fresh fish in a Miami warehouse.

Now returned to the museum (which has an alarm system these days), these precious antiquities are a highlight of a visit to Ancient Corinth.

For many visitors, this ancient archaeological site is also a highlight of the city itself. Once one of the most important urban centres in Greece, it also has a special significance for Christians because of the time that the apostle Paul spent here.

There are lots of things to do in Corinth, which is only about 80 kilometres west of Athens. Although there’s enough to justify an overnight stay, especially if you’re on your way to the Peloponnese, it can be done as a day trip.

How to do a day trip to Corinth from Athens

If you’re planning a day trip from Athens to Corinth, there are a few things that are important to know.

Getting to Corinth from Athens by public transport is really easy. There’s a direct train between the two cities that leaves almost every hour and take just over an hour. (You can check the timetable here.)

The problem is that the train station in Corinth is not near anything – it’s about three kilometres to the centre of town, for instance. And the bigger problem is that all the main things to do in Corinth are still quite far from each other.

It means that once you arrive by train, you’ll probably need to hire a taxi, because there’s very limited public transport.

If you’re a really keen hiker, you can walk between the attractions – but that’s going to be a total of more than 20 kilometres in a day! (Although skipping the Acrocorinth makes it much more manageable).

I think the best option to visit Corinth from Athens independently is to hire a car (in Greece, I recommend Discover Cars). That will give you enough flexibility to see all the main sights as a day trip.

The other option is to take a…