At a glance
With our “8 days, self guided motorcycle Tour of Peloponnese” you will discover one of the most historic regions of Greece. Ancient sites are almost everywhere, in every province.
At the same time, the landscape offers a variety, taking you from coastal roads to mountainous routes with dramatic backdrops. One day you may ride along jugged and arid coastlines, the next day you will be passing through deep forests at altitude. At all times though, you will be enjoying seriously twisty roads!
You may make this tour one day shorter, by removing one “rest day” without altering the planned routes at all.
We offer other versions, shorter, for the Peloponnese, like the “6 days tour” or the “express” versions of 3 to 4 days, but these skip some major sites and the route planning is different. (more info at the end of this page).
Customers who completed this tour loved every aspect of it!
Customer’s Reviews about this trip
Start / Finish
Athens, Greece
Duration
7 or 8 riding days
Riding hours
Daily average: 4-5 hours on the saddle.
Distance
1,400 kilometers / 880 miles
Accommodation
Mostly 4 star, elegant boutique hotels. All of them are among the best options available for each given destination, top rated and personally selected by us.
Difficulty
Most sections : “Moderate” level for most riders. Very few sections are “Advanced” because of the presence of tight and steep hairpins on small narrow (single lane) roads. Please read here about how our tours are graded!
Roads
100% paved. A large amount of this tour runs on narrow, single lane, secondary mountain routes. See below :
TYPE OF RIDING
You will be riding mostly on small, country roads.
Have a small taste in the pictures that follow:
ATTRACTIONS
The following locations can be visited during the tour, that are indexed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites:
- the ancient Mycenae.
- the ancient Epidaurus.
- The byzantine site of Mystras (where the last emperor of Byzantium was crowned)
- the ancient temple of Apollo in Bassae
- the birth place of the Olympic games, the ancient Olympia.
Also:
The old town of Nafplion, one of the most picturesque of Greece. The historical center is for pedestrians only, full of little shops, elegant cafes and lots of things to see. The medieval castle of Palamidi stands imposing on the nearby hill.
The medieval fortified city of Monemvasia (some call it the “Gibraltar of the East”)
The subterranean river in the caves of Diros.
The Mani peninsula, with it’s secluded bays and the stone-built tower houses.
Itinerary
Day 1: Athens – Nafplion (185 kilometers / 115 miles)
From Athens you will ride on a secondary coastal & mostly scenic route until the Canal of Corinth. The next stage will bring you on one of the most favorite routes of Greek bikers, until you reach Epidaurus.
In ancient Epidaurus visit the marvel of architecture that the ancient theater is.
Nafplion awaits for the evening. The first capital of the reborn Greek nation after the revolution war against the Ottoman empire, is a town full of charm. The castle of Palamidi, the old neighborhoods of the fishermen, the narrow, venetian style alleys and streets of the historic center are waiting to be discovered.
Day 2: Nafplion – Monemvasia (200 kilometers / 125 miles)
You start with a coastal ride, heading south, then you will ride through the deep forest routes of mountain Parnonas. Don’t be surprised if you don’t meet another car for hours!
You will then turn towards the southeast coast, until you reach the fortified medieval town of Monemvasia, right by the sea. As soon as you lay your eyes on the place, you will understand why many people have nicknamed it as the “Gibraltar of the east”!
Day 3: Monemvasia to Mani (170 kilometers / 106 miles)
Today’s menu includes a loop of the Mani Peninsula, passing nearby the southernmost point of mainland Greece, and the 2nd most southern point of continental Europe.
According to Greek mythology, there lies an entrance to the underworld!
Mani Peninsula is a rough place, arid and its coastline is jugged. Your hotel is located in a beautiful small bay. If you do this tour in summertime, you will definitely want to have a swim here!
Day 4: Rest day in Mani
Rest in the beautiful bay and enjoy the sea or the tranquility of the place.
You may want to take a boat ride in the subterranean river in the caves of Diros!
Day 5: Mani – Pylos (210 kilometers / 130 miles)
Today’s menu includes the mountain road over the Taigetos pass, yet another one of the best biking roads in Greece!
A stop by the historical site of Mystras (UNESCO World Heritage Site) may be appealing to you.
A brief section on a fast flowing road heading north, and then again you will enter a mountainous landscape. The mountain Parnonas and it’s twisty roads will keep your interest high!
Day 6 : Pylos – Dimitsana (175 kilometers / 110 miles)
As your ride northbound, in Bassae you may want to visit the amazing temple of Apollo (UNESCO World Heritage site).
The roads today are small and narrow, as you will be passing through some small villages, all of them with a role in the greek independence war.
One of the most major ones, is the village where you will finish your ride, picturesque Dimitsana. Those of you interested in history, will visit the local museum and learn about this town’s role in the Greek independence war against the Ottoman empire in the 19th century.
Day 7: Dimitsana loop ride with options (210 / 130 miles)
Do you feel like visiting a couple of famous cultural sites or do you prefer to skip one of them and focus on riding ? Whatever your apetite, today’s route covers both options.
You have the chance of visiting the ancient sites of Olympia (the birth place of the Olympic Games, UNESCO World Heritage site).
The riding remains great today, with small countryside roads, and mountain twisties as always!
Day 8: Dimitsana – Athens (245 kilometers / 153 miles)
The route of the final day is exciting. You will ride over alpine locations with magnificent views.
Ancient Mycenae (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is also on the way.
You will be returning in Athens, by late afternoon or early evening.
DATES
Best experienced during April*, May, early June, then from the 2nd half of September and October.
* In April: a couple of the mountain passes (during day 2 and day 8) may still hold some snow in the shoulders of the roads. Caution is required.
July and August can get hot and crowded. The sea will be at its best though, if you decide to add non-riding days by the sea!
In November chances of rain are increased, temperatures on the highest parts of the mountain passes can sometimes be as low as 6-8 degrees Celsius.
Prices
2024 Prices
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1250 GS | 2,600 | 2,110 | 2,820 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 2,440 | 1,950 | 2,660 |
| BMW F 750 GS | 2,315 | 1,825 | 2,535 |
| HONDA NC 750X | 2,105 | 1,615 | 2,325 |
| HONDA CB 500X/ ΝΧ500 | 1,980 | 1,490 | 2,200 |
2025 Prices
Offer :
Book your 2025 tour before Christmas of 2024, and get the 2024 pricing!
This offer will be valid for the first 10 bookings.
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1300 GS | 2,805 | 2,285 | 3,055 |
| BMW R 1250 GS | 2,720 | 2,200 | 2,930 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 2,545 | 2,025 | 2,755 |
| BMW F 800 GS | 2,445 | 1,925 | 2,655 |
| HONDA NC 750X | 2,235 | 1,715 | 2,445 |
| HONDA CB 500X/ ΝΧ500 | 2,105 | 1,590 | 2,320 |
(* Rider and Passenger price is for both people, not per person.)
Booking deposit, per person : 300 euros
Remaining amount is paid in 2 parts:
- 50% : 60 days before arrival. If you are placing your booking initially at a date less than 60 days prior to the starting date, the 50% are required as a deposit.
- 50% : the day you collect the bike.
Note: prices shown are based on quotes from hotels offered to us for group tours on fixed dates. Depending on the exact dates of your travel, prices may be slightly higher. For example (but not restricted to) :
- During the entire month of August
- the “long weekends” around national holidays/anniversaries : 25th March, 28th October, Ash Monday, Greek orthodox Easter, Labour Day (1st of May), Orthodox Holy Spirit Sunday & Monday
What is Included in the price you pay
– 7 nights accommodation with breakfasts, in personally selected hotels.
– Rental of Motorcycle, with side panniers, top case, comprehensive insurance with excess.
– Rental of 1 GPS per 4 people, with routes and POIs pre-loaded for every day
– Paper map with routes marked and a handbook with key information for the trip, suggestions, tips etc.
– 2 helmets, of basic quality, European standards approved. Options available to upgrade to high quality helmets, for an added daily fee.
– Free luggage storage at our premises.
– All taxes
– accommodation in Athens, when you fly in and when you ride back to Athens (we can certainly arrange it if you wish)
– airport transfers (offered as an option)
– Fuel & tolls
– Food, drinks, personal daily expenses & tips
– Fines, tickets
– Entrance fees to local museums, tourist sites
– Ferries, parking
– Personal travel insurance
– Visas (if required)
Also, not included are the costs of any “added” days you may choose to have. Those costs will typically have to include the daily rental rate of the motorcycle plus the accommodation cost, which varies depending on where you choose to spend those added days.
Costs of Extra Options:
| Airport transfers. Prices are per 2-way transfer (to and from the airport), not per person. | |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 pax | 90 |
| 4 to 8 pax | 150 |
Shorter trips to the Peloponnese
We also offer the following versions :
– the 6 days tour of the Peloponnese: there is no rest day and also you have to skip the ride to the southwest part of the Peloponnese (day 5, from Mani to Pylos). This alters significantly the route departing from Mani towards Dimitsana.
– our short, “express”, 3 or 4 days tours in the Peloponnese. With those tours we focus on a couple of provinces each time. So there is one tour that takes you to Mani in the south, and one tour that uses Nafplion as a base and from there you may explore the mountain range of Parnonas in the south of it or the province of Arcadia to the west.
– a slightly extended version, the “10 days tour of Peloponnese plus Delphi”. As the name suggests, you are also visiting the ancient site of Delphi in central Greece. The Peloponnese part is pretty much the same as with this current tour, but the routes run in reverse and there is one extra loop ride over the mountains!
Please read the Tour Terms & Conditions which include our Cancellation Policy.
Check the Frequently Asked Questions.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us for further information!