Nafplio on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Nafplio is easy on a budget, with good tavernas, free walks and a beach in town. A realistic daily minimum is about €80 per person sharing a room, including one archaeological site.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €35 | €70 | €170 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €70 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €25 | €40 |
| Local transport | €10 | €25 | €45 |
| Per person, per day | €80 | €155 | €325 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Nafplio day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking the Arvanitia promenade around the Akronafplia rock at sunset
- Swimming at Arvanitia beach in town
- The old town lanes, Syntagma Square and Agios Spyridon church
- The coastal path to Karathona beach
- The view of Bourtzi castle from the waterfront
- Akronafplia's lower walls and viewpoints
Cheap eats
- Gogges, the local hand-rolled pasta, roughly €9-13
- Pita gyros from a grill house, a few euros
- Home-style oven dishes (mageirefta), roughly €9-13
- Fresh Argolida orange juice, roughly €3.50-5
- Ice cream in the old town, roughly €3-5 a cone
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in the new town or Pronoia, where hotels cost about €60-100 a night for a double, with parking, 10 minutes' walk from the old town.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the town. KTEL Argolida buses run from Athens (Kifissos station) in about 2-2.5 hours and to Mycenae and Epidaurus less often; check timetables. A shared rental car is often the cheapest way to see several sites.
A sample budget day
- Morning: climb Palamidi early (about €10)
- Lunch: pita gyros in the old town, about €5
- Afternoon: swim at Arvanitia beach (free; sunbeds extra)
- Evening: sunset on the promenade, then gogges and house wine at a taverna, about €20
- Total: about €80 including a shared room
More ways to save
- Bring a picnic to the sites; there is little food at Mycenae or Tiryns.
- Use the free town beach instead of renting sunbeds.
- Order house wine by the carafe, cheaper than bottles.
- Visit in May, June or September for beach weather without peak prices.
- Buy oranges at the market in season for about €1-1.50 a kilo.
- Book Epidaurus Festival tickets early for the cheapest seats.
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Common questions
Can you visit Nafplio on a budget?
Yes. A new-town hotel, taverna meals and free beaches keep costs to about €80 per person a day.
Can I visit Nafplio as a day trip from Athens?
Yes, about 2 hours each way, but staying at least one night is much better.
What is free in Nafplio?
The Arvanitia promenade and beach, the old town lanes, the view of Bourtzi and the coastal path to Karathona.