Mycenae

120km from Athens

Mycenae

The fortified citadel of ancient Mycenae, the seat of the mythical and mighty King Agamemnon. An impressive and well-preserved site, the city of Mycenae gave its name to an entire civilization. Admire sites such as the Tomb of Clytemnestra, the infamous Lion’s Gate, the Cyclopean walls and learn of their blood-stained past. In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades, and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares.

Available Tours to Mycenae

Archaeological site of Mycenae

The archaeological site of Mycenae comprises the fortified acropolis and surrounding funerary and habitation sites, which are located mainly to its west and southwest. Most of the visible monuments date to the centre's great floruit, from 1350 to 1200 BC. Great Cyclopean walls surround the almost triangular acropolis, which is accessed from the northwest through the famous Lion Gate, the symbol of the Mycenaean rulers' power. The gate was named after the two opposing lions carved in relief and set into the relieving triangle, a typical feature of Mycenaean architecture, over the door.

Lion Gate

The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC, around 1250 BC, in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses or lions in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance. The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean. It is the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground, and the only relief image which was described in the literature of classical antiquity, such that it was well known prior to modern archaeology.

Archaeological Museum of Mycenae

The Archaeological Museum of Mycenae is found at the entrance of the ancient site, just a few steps before the Lion Gate.

Treasury of Atreus

The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb on Panagitsa Hill at Mycenae constructed during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC. The stone lintel above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2m, the largest in the world. The tomb was used for an unknown period. Mentioned by the Roman geographer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD, it was still visible in 1879 when the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the shaft graves under the "agora" in the Acropolis at Mycenae.

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Trip Advisor Reviews

We were a group of four. This was our post cruise extension in Athens. We specifically wanted to visit ancient Corinth, to follow the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in the Bible. I worked with the manager Aris prior to departure, on the details of pick up/drop off, and to obtain a licensed tour guide (additional cost) with biblical knowledge of Corinth. Aris was very responsive and communicated well and timely. Our pickup by driver George at port Piraeus was prompt and smooth. George was a gentleman, friendly, courteous, safe driver, always ready to get to the doors and came prepared with cold water bottles in the trunk. We had nice chats with George enroute to Corinth canal, about the local area and especially enjoyed learning about olive farming from him.

Jen J

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11/09/2022

Awesome day tour to Thermopylae and Delphi! Getting out of Athens and seeing the mountains with a beautiful view along the drive was great. The battlefield at Thermopylae is a good sight for those with knowledge of the battle to overlook, but not much other than the monument and small museum. Worth the detour on the way to Delphi for any fan of 300. Delphi was a great historical site with lots of ruins and artifacts. The lunch and town were fun to see as well. The drive all around Greece was also unbelievable as the countryside is beautiful. Highly recommend!

jason h

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17/10/2022

What an incredible place! What a breathtaking view! Our visit to Cape Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon was one of the best tours we have ever experienced. Special thanks to Anthony who let us take our time and enjoy ourselves.

Suzan R

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05/06/2022

This was the most fun I’ve had in a tour ever. For the first time in all my years of traveling, I had the same tour guide in two separate tours. I happened to have THE MAN Notis as my tour guide again. With that being said, we were already very well acquainted from the first tour I had with him earlier that week; so I just asked a couple of questions for my notes and then we spent the rest of the way talking about so many different topics. Highly recommend this tour for solo travelers, couples, or small groups.

Saúl Navarro

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16/11/2022

Our driver and Greek philosopher, Notis, was a pleasure to spend the day with. He is so knowledgeable about all things Greek. We visited three monasteries in the sky — all had incredible views of the cliffs. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the contemplativeness of this holy place. Thank you, Notis, for creating a memorable experience!

lorenzo

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11/10/2022

A fantastic day seeing Arachova, Delphi and Galaxidi! Notis was great, very friendly, he kept us well hydrated and gave us plenty of time in each location so we never felt rushed. He also brought us to a delicious lunch spot with a great view. We definitely recommend this tour!

Kaitlin S

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26/07/2022

We had an excellent Athens and Cape Sounio trip with Vasilis. Vasilis is very accommodating driver and provided us with water, WiFi and phone charge; excellent air conditioned van with a lot of space. He is prompt and was by our hotel at the scheduled time and is very careful driver. Vasilis showed main Athens highlights and recommended nice Greek restaurant for a dinner. We would go with Vasilis again.

Vladimir O

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09/07/2022

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