How to Get to Ancient Corinth
The train and bus from Athens, driving via the Corinth Canal, the last few kilometres to the site, and how to reach the ruins from the modern town of Corinth.
Ancient Corinth sits about 80 kilometres west of Athens, in the village of Ancient Corinth some 7 km southwest of the modern town of Corinth, which makes it one of the easiest and most rewarding day-trips from the capital. The simplest option without a car is the suburban railway to Corinth station, then a local bus or short taxi to the site; intercity KTEL buses also serve Corinth. Driving takes about an hour and lets you stop at the dramatic Corinth Canal on the way. This guide covers the train, the bus, driving and the canal, the transfer from Corinth to the ancient site, and how to plan the visit as a day-trip.
How do I get to Ancient Corinth by train?
The train is the easiest public-transport option for reaching Ancient Corinth from Athens. The suburban railway, known as the Proastiakos, runs from Athens — with connections from the airport and the central stations — out to Corinth, a journey of around an hour to the modern town. Trains are comfortable and air-conditioned, a real advantage in the summer heat, and the line skirts the coast and crosses toward the isthmus. It is worth checking the current timetable in advance, as departures are less frequent than a metro, and buying your ticket at the station before boarding. The train drops you at Corinth's station, a little way from both the modern town centre and the ancient site, so you will need a short onward hop to reach the ruins.
From Corinth station, the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth lies about seven kilometres to the southwest, in the village that shares its name. A local bus runs from the modern town out to the village of Ancient Corinth, stopping close to the site entrance, and a taxi covers the same distance quickly and suits families or anyone short on time. Our concierge recommendation is to build in a comfortable buffer for the train and the transfer so you arrive at the gate within your booked hourly slot, and to check the return times before you set off, since the last convenient train back to Athens can be earlier than you expect. Combining the train with a short taxi at the Corinth end is often the smoothest way to reach the ruins without a car.
Can I get to Ancient Corinth by bus?
Yes — intercity buses run from Athens to Corinth and make a practical alternative to the train. Greece's KTEL regional bus network operates frequent services from the main Athens bus terminal to the modern town of Corinth, a journey of around an hour and a half depending on traffic and stops. The buses are comfortable and reasonably priced, and they arrive at the KTEL station in Corinth, from where you continue to the archaeological site as you would from the train station. As with the train, it is wise to check current timetables and, on busy days, to allow extra time for the road out of Athens.
From the modern town of Corinth, the last stretch to the ancient site is the same short hop of about seven kilometres to the southwest. A local bus links the town with the village of Ancient Corinth and its ruins, and taxis are readily available for a quick, direct transfer. Our concierge recommendation for bus travellers is to confirm both the intercity timetable and the local connection before setting out, and to leave a comfortable margin so you reach the gate within your timed hourly slot. For many visitors, the simplest door-to-door plan without a car is an intercity bus or train to Corinth, then a taxi for the final few kilometres to the archaeological site and its museum.
Should I drive to Ancient Corinth, and can I see the Corinth Canal on the way?
Driving is the most flexible way to reach Ancient Corinth and the option most tour groups use. From Athens the motorway runs west toward the Peloponnese, and the drive to the site takes around an hour in normal traffic, delivering you close to the ruins with none of the timetable constraints of public transport. A car also lets you combine the ruins with other sights of the region at your own pace, and parking is available near the archaeological site in the village of Ancient Corinth. If you are not comfortable driving in Greece, an organised day-tour or a private transfer from Athens achieves the same door-to-door convenience.
The great bonus of driving — or of a tour — is the Corinth Canal, which the route crosses on the way to the ancient city. This narrow, sheer-sided cutting slices straight through the Isthmus of Corinth to join the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs, and the view down from the road bridge to the water far below is genuinely startling. Most visitors stop for a few minutes to look, take photographs and grasp why this narrow neck of land was so valuable to the ancient city that controlled it. Our concierge recommendation is to pause at the canal on the way to Ancient Corinth, then continue the short distance to the archaeological site for your booked hourly slot — the canal makes a natural, dramatic prelude to the ruins of the city that once ruled the isthmus.
How do I get from the modern town of Corinth to the ancient site?
It is important not to confuse the modern town of Corinth with the ancient site, as they are separate places about seven kilometres apart. The modern town, on the coast by the Gulf of Corinth, is where the train and intercity buses arrive; the Archaeological Site of Ancient Corinth lies to the southwest, in the inland village of Ancient Corinth, beneath the rock of Acrocorinth. Bridging that gap is the final step of the journey for anyone arriving without a car. A local bus service connects the modern town with the village of Ancient Corinth and stops near the site entrance, running several times a day, though not as frequently as a city service, so it pays to check the times.
A taxi is the quickest and simplest way to cover the last few kilometres, taking only around fifteen minutes from the modern town to the site, and it is easy to arrange one at the station or town centre. For a group, splitting a taxi fare is often little more than the bus and saves waiting. Our concierge recommendation is to plan this final transfer deliberately rather than assume it is walkable — seven kilometres is too far on foot in the heat — and to keep a taxi number or the bus schedule to hand for the return. Once at the village of Ancient Corinth, the archaeological site, its museum and the tavernas around the entrance are all within easy walking distance of one another.
Is Ancient Corinth a good day-trip from Athens?
Ancient Corinth is one of the classic day-trips from Athens, close enough to reach in about an hour by car and rich enough to reward the journey. In a single day you can cross the isthmus, stop at the spectacular Corinth Canal, walk the ancient forum beneath the Temple of Apollo, stand at the Bema linked to the Apostle Paul, and tour the on-site museum, all with time to spare. For history-minded travellers, the combination of one of the oldest Doric temples in Greece, a well-preserved Roman city and a tangible New Testament site makes Corinth one of the most layered day-trips within easy reach of the capital.
Many visitors extend the day by adding more of the Peloponnese, since Ancient Corinth sits at the gateway to the peninsula. The citadel of Acrocorinth on the rock above the site — a separate site — rewards a climb with its fortifications and views, and further afield lie ancient Nemea, the theatre and sanctuary of Epidaurus and the citadel of Mycenae, all popular pairings on organised tours. Our concierge recommendation is to book an early hourly slot at Ancient Corinth so you can walk the ruins in the cool of the morning, then use the rest of the day for the canal and any further sights, returning to Athens in the evening. Booking your timed entry in advance is what lets you plan the day-trip around the coolest, quietest hour at the ruins.
Frequently asked
How far is Ancient Corinth from Athens?
About 80 km west of Athens, roughly an hour by car along the motorway. The site is in the village of Ancient Corinth, about 7 km southwest of the modern town of Corinth where the train and intercity buses arrive.
How do I get to Ancient Corinth by train?
Take the suburban railway (Proastiakos) from Athens to Corinth station in about an hour, then a local bus or short taxi about 7 km to the archaeological site. Check timetables in advance, as trains are less frequent than a metro.
Is there a bus from Athens to Corinth?
Yes. KTEL intercity buses run frequently from the Athens bus terminal to the modern town of Corinth in around an hour and a half, from where a local bus or taxi covers the last few kilometres to the ancient site.
Can I see the Corinth Canal on the way?
Yes, if you drive or take a tour. The route from Athens crosses the Corinth Canal, and most visitors stop for a few minutes at the road bridge to look down the dramatic sheer-sided cutting before continuing to the ancient site.
How do I get from the town of Corinth to the ancient site?
The ancient site is about 7 km southwest of the modern town, in the village of Ancient Corinth. A local bus links the two and stops near the entrance, and a taxi covers the distance in about fifteen minutes.
Is Ancient Corinth a good day-trip from Athens?
Yes — it is one of the classic day-trips, reachable in about an hour by car. In a day you can see the Corinth Canal, walk the ancient forum and Temple of Apollo, visit the on-site museum, and often add Acrocorinth or other Peloponnese sites.
Is there parking at Ancient Corinth?
Yes. There is parking near the archaeological site in the village of Ancient Corinth, making driving or a private transfer a convenient option, especially for families or those combining the ruins with the Corinth Canal and Acrocorinth.