Theatre of Epidaurus

Tickets and tours: all the options

The entry ticket is a single combined ticket for the theatre, the Sanctuary of Asklepios and the site museum. It is sold at the gate and through the official Greek ticketing system, and the price is the same all year. Queues are rarely long except when several coaches arrive together in mid-morning, so most independent visitors simply pay on arrival. EU citizens under 25 enter free with ID, and the site is free on the first and third Sundays of each month from November to March.

Most tours sold online are day trips from Athens that combine Epidaurus with Mycenae and the old town of Nafplio, often with a stop at the Corinth Canal. They usually include transport and a guide; entry tickets and lunch are often extra, so check the description. Private tours by car follow the same route with more flexibility, and shorter half-day trips start from Nafplio. A few audio and virtual-reality guides are sold for visitors who come on their own.

For drama, the Epidaurus Festival stages ancient plays on Friday and Saturday nights in July and August; tickets are sold separately and some agencies run evening buses from Athens. With a car, a ticket at the gate and a night in Nafplio is the best plan; without one, a day trip from Athens works well.

A short history

Epidaurus was the most famous healing sanctuary of the Greek world, dedicated to Asklepios from the 6th century BC. Its great building phase came in the 4th century BC, when the temple, the Tholos and the theatre were built; Pausanias names Polykleitos the Younger as the theatre's architect. Plays and music were part of the cult and were thought to help patients recover. The sanctuary declined under Roman rule and closed in late antiquity. Panagis Kavvadias of the Greek Archaeological Society began systematic excavations in 1881, and restoration has continued through the 20th century and beyond. Performances resumed in 1938 and the festival has run every summer since 1955. The sanctuary was listed by UNESCO in 1988.

Getting there

The site lies near the village of Lygourio, about 30 km east of Nafplio, which is the best base. By car the drive takes around 40 minutes and there is a large free car park at the entrance. KTEL buses run from Nafplio a few times a day, more often in summer, but check the return times. From Athens the drive is about 2 hours and 140 km on the motorway past the Corinth Canal, then local roads through the hills. Buses from Athens to Nafplio leave from the Kifissos bus station. Athens airport is the nearest major airport, about 2.5 hours away. Do not confuse the theatre with the village of Palaia Epidavros on the coast, which has its own small theatre.

Rules and what to bring

You can walk on the tiers and stand in the orchestra, but climbing on the stage foundations and the sanctuary buildings is forbidden. Drones and tripods need a permit, and professional filming is not allowed without one. The stone steps are high and smooth, so wear shoes with grip and take care going down. Bring water and a hat; the sanctuary has little shade. There is a café and toilets near the entrance.

When to go

The theatre is busiest from about 10.30 am to 2 pm, when day trips from Athens arrive after Mycenae or before it, and groups take turns testing the acoustics in the orchestra. At opening the theatre is often almost empty and the light on the tiers is soft. In the evening, after 5 pm in summer, the crowds thin again and the heat eases.

The best months are April, May, September and October, when the hills are green or golden and walking the sanctuary is comfortable. July and August are hot, often above 35 degrees, but this is also the festival season, when plays are staged on Friday and Saturday nights and the theatre closes to day visitors earlier on those days. Winter is quiet, with shorter hours, and the free first and third Sundays from November to March bring local crowds. Allow two to three hours for the theatre, museum and sanctuary.