Mycenae & Corinth Canal Half Day Private Tour From Athens

The Corinth Canal, one of the most important infrastructure works of the modern Greek State, was inaugurated on July 25, 1893. Many believe that the canal changed maritime activity forever. It connects the Ionian and Aegean seas, making cargo and passenger ships between the two seas much faster.The first attempt to take advantage of the proximity of the two gulfs was over 26 centuries ago. The tyrant Periander proposed the project at the end of the 7th century BC. Due to various reasons- the technical challenge, the expense, and perhaps not least the potential danger of jeopardizing Corinth’s dominance in trade by making it too easy to simply sail past, he scrapped the project. Instead, he built the diolkos- a paved trackway for boats to be moved overland from one gulf to the other. Traces of the original diolkos remain.

Ancient Mycenae is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Greece. It is located in Peloponnese, in mainland Greece. Dating from the Late Bronze Era, this was the kingdom of the legendary king Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War. It was an influential center of that time and it gave its name to an entire civilization, the Mycenaen civilization.This place was also the setting of many myths in ancient Greek tragedies, especially the tragedies connected to Agamemnon and his family.

The Archaeological Museum of Mycenae is located in the northern part of the Acropolis of Mycenae, located within the archaeological site. The collection reveals various aspects of the everyday life of the Mycenaeans, as well as their beliefs about the afterlife and death. The Museum offers valuable insights into the remarkable achievements of the Mycenaean civilization that forever shaped and determined the ancient Greek world.

Located in eastern Peloponnese, the archaeological site of Mycenae is among the most important places in mainland Greece. The Mycenaean civilization dates from 1,600 BC to 1,100 BC approximately, reaching its peak between 1,400 BC and 1,200 BC. History testifies that the Mycenaeans were great warriors and followed a severe social scale, with the king on top. The citadel of Mycenae was constructed on the slopes of a hill overlooking the valley of Argos. It was protected by Cyclopean walls that are actually high walls made of huge stones.

The Lion Gate marks the entrance to the fortified citadel of Mycenae. The entire gate is about 10 feet wide and high and two lions under a triangle are inscribed on a stone above the entrance gate. The lions in the inscription are believed to have had heads of metal but these were plundered a long time ago. Further, the lions are depicted as resting their feet on an altar and they flank the sides of a pillar, which was probably a symbol of power.

The Treasury of Atreus is a prime example of a Mycenaean tholos, or beehive tomb—a circular burial chamber built into a hillside and topped with a corbelled stone dome. Once covered by earth to form a mound, it features a dramatic entrance passage (dromos) and a towering interior, both engineered with striking precision. It’s one of the largest and best-preserved of its kind in the entire Aegean world.