Ancient Nemea Private Full-Day Tour from Athens with Wine Tasting

We will start from Athens or Piraeus port and our first stop will be about an hour later at the Corinth Canal. The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. It has a length of about six km (four miles) and a depth of eight meters (26 ft). A project that spanned many centuries, it was conceived by a ruler of Ancient Corinth, began by Roman emperor Nero but completed in 1893. Today, it has little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction. Only small yachts and boats can cross due to its shallow waters.

Nemea was famous in Greek mythology in relation to Hercules and the Nemean Lion. The Lion was a legendary creature in Greek mythology, impenetrable by the weapons of humans that ravaged the area of Nemea. Hercules managed to kill the lion and was wearing its fur henceforth. The centrepiece of the Nemea Archaeological Site is the Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea developed at the beginning of the 6th century BC, with the institution of the Panhellenic Nemean Games. The Temple of Nemean Zeus is a Classical Doric temple. The Temple of Zeus stood at the centre of the Sanctuary of Zeus which contained a number of buildings and monuments that were used in the religious and athletic ceremonies of the ancient Nemean Games. The Ancient Stadium of Nemea, which could accommodate 40.000 spectators, was built 400 m SE of the Temple of Zeus. The track (total length of 178m) is where the athletes and the judges entered the Stadium through a vaulted tunnel.

Right after the Nemea Archaeological site, you will visit this amazing winery for a unique tasting of local wines. The main production of Nemea’s vineyards, the biggest in Greece, preserves and cultivates the tradition of Agiorgitiko variety, which forms an integral part of the cultural heritage of the town. Many of the grapes grown in the Peloponnese and on Crete are still engrafted varieties. An experienced sommelier/wine expert will guide you throughout the tour and will introduce you to the local grape varieties through a guided tour in the winery, the production methods and the passion of the wine producers. The wine tasting includes at least 4 different wines paired with local delicacies to fully enjoy the flavours.