Argos, Greece: A First-Timer’s Guide to One of Europe’s Oldest Living Cities

Argos sits on a fertile plain in the northeastern Peloponnese, and people have lived on this spot continuously for some 7,000 years. Today it is the busy commercial center of the region, a lively market town that few tourists know. History buffs and mythology fans will love it, and so will anyone who enjoys a place that doesn't perform for visitors. Give it one full day, or two if you want to add Mycenae.

What are the best things to do in Argos?

Start with the ancient theater, the best-preserved ancient structure in town and once the largest theater in Greece. Its 81 rows of seats held about 20,000 spectators, and much of it is carved straight into the rock. It still hosts performances in summer.

Right beside it lies the ancient agora, the old center of public life. Planning began in the 6th century BC and construction finished in the late 4th century BC. Digging around the agora has also turned up a bouleuterion, where the city's council met, along with a shrine to Apollo Lyceus and a palaestra, an ancient exercise ground for wrestlers. Nearby stand the remains of the 2nd-century Roman baths, built by the emperor Hadrian, who was generous to the city.

2026 prices: one ticket covers both the agora and the theater, €10 full and €5 reduced. The sites open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m. in both winter and summer, with shorter hours of noon to 5 p.m. on Good Friday. Admission is free on March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September, October 28, and the first and third Sunday of each month from November through March. The sites close on New Year's Day, March 25, May Day, Easter Sunday, and both days of Christmas.

Next, head up to Larissa, the castle on the 948-foot (289 m) hill above town. The site has been fortified since prehistoric times, and the castle was built by the Franks, then added to by the Venetians and the Ottomans. You reach it from the hill's west side, and the view over the whole plain is the reward. Just below the castle, the monastery of Panagia Katakekrimeni is built into the rock; a comfortable staircase leads up, or you can drive.

The Archaeological Museum, on Saint Peter Square, puts all those stones in context. It occupies the 1830 neoclassical residence of General Kallergis plus a newer wing, with finds from prehistoric to Roman times excavated at the agora, the theater, the Mycenaean cemetery of Deiras and Lerna. Among the Roman copies of classical works, the statue of Hercules draws the eye, and out in the courtyard you can see part of a Roman mansion that was found in Argos. In summer it's open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and it usually closes on Tuesday for cleaning. Admission is free on the same days as at the agora.

With a car, drive the 6 miles (10 km) to the Heraion, the sanctuary of Hera, the city's patron goddess, which hosted a major festival every year from the 7th century BC. A full ticket is €5 and a reduced one €3. It's open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so go in the morning, and its free-admission days match the theater's.

Then wander the town. The Municipal Market, an arched neoclassical building designed by Ernst Ziller in 1889, faces the Kapodistrias Barracks, which now house the Byzantine Museum of Argolis. The barracks date to the 1690s and have served as a hospital, a market, a post office, a cavalry barracks, a school and a shelter for refugees. Look in at the Danaos Library, built in 1896, where a forged gryphon on the banisters greets you, and admire the 19th-century stone town hall.

In summer, the Argos-Mycenae Festival fills the calendar with theater, concerts and traditional feasts from early July to mid-September.

How many days do you need in Argos?

One long day covers the essentials, and a second day adds Mycenae.

Day 1

Be at the theater and agora when they open at 8:30 a.m., before the day warms up. Spend the late morning at the Archaeological Museum, then cross to the Byzantine Museum in the Kapodistrias Barracks; the ancient sites and the museum all close at 3:30 p.m., so they come first. Have lunch around Saint Peter's Square, head up to Larissa in the afternoon for the view, and come back down for an evening stroll along the pedestrian streets.

Day 2

On a Wednesday or Saturday, start with the open-air market. With a car, the Heraion fits neatly into the morning. Spend the afternoon at Mycenae, north of Argos. Tickets are €20 full and €10 reduced, covering the site, the museum and the Treasure of Atreus, with the same seasonal rule on reduced tickets as in Argos. Hours change through the season: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from early May, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. early in September, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. late in September, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. early in October, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. late in October. In winter it's open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., so swap the order and see Mycenae first.

Where should you stay in Argos?

Argos has one compact center built around two squares, so the closer you sleep to them, the less you'll need a car.

Around Saint Peter's Square

This is the heart of town, a handy base if you like to explore on foot. The square looks out on the cathedral and the old town hall, and the town hall balcony is open around the clock, so you can photograph the square and the area around it from above. The 2014 to 2016 renovation of central Argos expanded it, adding a pedestrian bridge and an artificial lake next to the cathedral. The Archaeological Museum is on the square.

Near Dimokratias Square

The second big square, a few minutes' walk away, usually hosts the traditional open-air market on Wednesday and Saturday, worth a morning stroll if your visit falls on one of those days. It suits drivers, since a public parking area sits on Emmanouil Rousou Street, just behind the square. Expect more everyday bustle and fewer postcard views.

Or base yourself in Nafplio

Nafplio, about 7 miles (12 km) away and roughly 15 minutes by car, is the other option, with a local bus to Argos.

What should you eat in Argos?

Most shops, cafes and restaurants sit near the town center, so the squares and the pedestrian streets are the easiest place to find a meal. Begin with a coffee on Saint Peter's Square, then wander the alleys behind the Municipal Market for a taste of the older town. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the farmers' market brings local produce into the center.

What are the best beaches in Argos?

Argos sits inland on its plain, close to the sea but not on it, and it is a town for stone, hills and coffee. For a swim, head to the coast around Nafplio.

How do you get to Argos and around?

Athens is about 86 miles (138 km) away, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes by car. Buses leave Athens' Kifissos terminal, take 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes, and arrive at the Argos bus station; Infobus runs 3 direct departures a day. The return trip from the Argos bus station at Agios Vasileios runs via the Isthmos stop at Corinth to Kifissos Terminal A, with 10 to 11 buses a day, about two hours and a fare around €14.30. On weekdays the first bus to Athens leaves at 5:15 a.m., on weekends at 6:45 a.m., and the last leaves at 8:45 p.m. every day. There's no online booking for this route: buy tickets at the station or a local kiosk, or on the bus where there's no office. KTEL Argolidas, at +30 27520 27423, has times and tickets.

Passenger trains to Argos have been suspended since 2011. The suburban railway from Athens reaches Corinthia, and one option is to ride to Zevgolateio and take a taxi from there, a little over two hours in all.

KTEL Argolidas runs local buses from Nafplio, leaving from Andrea Siggrou, Plateia Niketara, for a trip of 15 to 20 minutes. Once in Argos, the center is easy to walk, and the Archaeological Museum is reachable on foot from the KTEL bus stop. Taxi ranks sit at the bus station, Saint Peter's Square, Dimokratias Square and the hospital. Drivers will find two public parking areas, signposted on the way into town, on Emmanouil Rousou Street and Agiou Konstantinou Street. There's also parking by the modern market near the museum, except on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Many streets are one-way, and the new town is built right on top of the old, so keep a map handy.

What should Americans know before visiting Greece?

U.S. citizens can enter Greece without a visa for stays of up to 90 days, and your passport should have at least three months of validity beyond your planned departure date. Greece is a generally safe destination, though petty crime is common at popular tourist sites and on public transportation. Thieves in Greece are known to break into rental cars to steal passports, valuables and luggage, so it is wise to keep those items with you. Strikes and demonstrations can disrupt buses, taxis and other transportation with little notice.

To drive, Greek law requires a valid U.S. license, and insurance companies may require an international driver’s permit. Talking or texting on a phone while driving is illegal, and police run random alcohol tests. Forest fires are common in the dry summer months and occasionally close roads, and tremors happen regularly. Most care providers in Greece take cash payments, and private hospitals usually ask for proof of insurance or cash before admitting a patient, so carry some euros along with your passport or a photo ID, which you should have with you at all times.