Things To Do
Patras
For those eager to learn about the history of Patras, visit the Cathedral of St. Andrew or Αγίου Ανδρέου, which is dedicated to the Apostle Andrew. It is the largest Orthodox Church in Greece and houses the relics of St. Andrew. Other historical places to visit include the Roman Odeon and Archaeological Museum of Patras. Once you're done exploring Patras' past, walk down Riga Fereou, a pedestrian street that crosses through most of downtown Patras and has the city's best shopping and cafes. If you're interested in local wine, we recommend visiting Achaia Clauss, Greece's oldest winery, for a tour and wine tasting.
Rion
Rion, Greece (Ρίο in Greek) is a suburb of Patras with great beaches and night life. You can get to Rion from Patras by taxi, bus, or light rail. During the day, Rion has a lot of beachside cafes and restaurants, where you can enjoy the sea and relax. Dimoriri has the best food. Other fun beach hangout spots include Fysea and Panormos. Both are about a 15 minute drive from the center of Patras. At night, the main street of Rion has all of Patras' best bars. Our favorites are Distinto and TamToom.
Olympia
About 1.5 hours from Patras is the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. You'll get to visit where the Olympic Games began and race in the stadium where they ran the first 100 meter dash. Today, the site is still used to light the Olympic torch ahead of each Olympic Games. The flame was most recently lit for the Paris 2024 games. Ancient Olympia includes the archeological site and the archeological museum, which is a must-see and has all the main artifacts found at the site, including a statue of the goddess Nike, the Greek goddess of victory and the namesake of the brand Nike. The archaeological site is situated in Olympia, a cute town with great souvenir shops and cute restaurants. We recommend leaving 1-1.5 hours for the site and the museum and then another 1-1.5 hours to visit the town and have lunch. Tickets for adults are around $15/person.
Athens
Athens is Greece's capital and largest city. It is 2.5 hours from Patras and worth a day trip. If you're able, we recommend spending a night in Athens on your way in or out of Greece to see the city, especially if you have an early flight back home. You can take an express bus from Patras to Athens if you prefer not to drive between the two cities. Athens has ample public transportation, including Uber, taxi, metro, and bus. The must see spot in Athens is the Parthenon. This is the main archaeological site of Greece and was built in the 5th century BC to honor the goddess Athena. Adjacent to the Parthenon is its museum, which houses the main artifacts found within the Parthenon (except for those taken by the British Museum). Plaka and Kolonaki are neighborhoods next to the Parthenon that have really good restaurants and shopping.
Epidavros and Nafplio
Epidavros (or Ἐπίδαυρος) is a small town and archaeological site about 2 hours from Patras. It was a healing sanctuary during its prime in the 4th century and was the home to the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine. Epidavros is known for its ancient theatre, which is considered to have almost perfect acoustics that you can still test out today. Tickets to enter are around $15. Near Epidavros is the town of Nafplio (or Ναύπλιο). It is one of Greece's most picturesque cities and we recommend visiting after you've explored Epidavros. Nafplio has lots of little streets and alleyways that are filled with boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. These two are a great option for a day trip from Patras.