A visit to the temple of Poseidon makes a cool half-day trip from Athens and also gives you the opportunity to see the stunning coastline. I visited the temple a few weeks ago and it’s quite easy to get there independently. And especially with the tips below, your visit by public bus to the temple of Poseidon from Athens should go nice and smooth! 

Updated in 2023 > please make sure to check out the comment section below. 

To the Temple of Poseidon from Athens by public bus

Where to take the bus in Athens to Cape Sounion?

It’s probably easiest to take the bus at the main bus station ‘Mavromateon’. This is what I did: I walked from the Omonia metro station, passed the famous National Archeological Museum and you’re there. Ask around for the bus to Cape Sounion/Temple of Poseidon and you will be pointed to the right stop. Make sure to double-check this. It’s marked with a Sounion sign plate and it’s located in front of a busy traffic road.

Note: In my case, the bus left from the left next to the official Sounion stop, so keep an eye on all busses.

Note: The bus also passes by a few other central points in Athens (such as the Acropolis station and Syntagma Sq.). Ask your hotel/hostel if the bus stops nearby and at which times.

Sounion busstation
The bus station in Athens from where you can take the bus to Cape Sounion via the coastal road. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers

What time do the buses from Athens to Sounion leave?

The bus to the temple of Poseidon via the coastal road leaves every hour from 07.30 until 17.30 from the main bus station. There is also suppose to be one at 06.40 AM. Please note the bus schedule seems to change frequently!

Update February 2018: according to reader Mac, this is the latest timetable of the KTEL buses from Athens to Sounio. It now leaves 07.05, 08.05, 10.05, 11.30, 13.05, 14.05, 15.30. This is the official website of the KTEL bus company. 

Update April 2019: according to reader Dan, this is the latest timetable of the KTEL buses from Athens to Sounio: 7:05 (except Sunday), 8:05, 10:05, 11:30, 13:05, 14:05, 15:30, 17:05. From Sounio to Athens: 08:00, 10:00 (except Sunday), 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 19:00, 20:00. But double check the bus times before the trip, as they are frequently changing. The cost is 12,50 Euro for a return ticket (payable in the bus).

Update January 2023: Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo from the latest time table. However, this seems to be the current schedule on the website of the KTEL bus company. If you have more info please leave a comment or email to help future travelers :)

In the bus from Athens to Cape Sounion

The bus is quite comfortable. You will probably sit on the bus with many (old) Greeks and maybe one or two fellow tourists. Make sure to get a seat on the right side of the bus to fully enjoy the beautiful coastal views. My heart literally skipped a beat when I first saw the Aegean sea. What a beautiful sight! During the bus ride, you will pass by a number of beautiful beaches. These also make excellent stops (especially during summer).

In the bus, you will have a driver and a bus assistant. You will pay for your bus ticket at the bus assistant. These days, it will cost about 7 euro for a single way ticket (according to reader Will) and 12,5 euro for a return ticket. During our ride, we even switched buses at some point (SE Asia flashback!), but I’m not sure if that’s always the case. It takes about 90 minutes to reach Sounio and the temple.

–> Check out these 7 other day trips from Athens to do yourself (including Hydra, Meteora and Delphi)! 

Coast line Cape Sounion

At the Temple of Poseidon

You made it! The gorgeous temple of Poseidon (God of the Sea) (find more info on the official Visit Greece website) was constructed in 444–440 BC and is located at a hilltop overlooking the sea. There is a small entrance booth and an overpriced restaurant. If you have time you can walk down for about 20-minutes (down the same way the bus came) and take photo’s from the parking lot or continue to the beaches.

Opening hours of the temple of Poseidon: 8 AM to 8 PM 

Where to take the bus in Sounion back to Athens?

The Cape Sounion bus stop is located right next to the temple of Poseidon. It’s the last stop of the public bus.

What time do the buses from Sounio to Athens leave?

The buses via the coastal road leave every hour from 08.00 until 20.00 from the Sounion bus station. After the 10th of October the last bus leaves at 19.00. Unfortunately, this makes it more difficult (impossible) to see the sunset. Always check the sign when you arrive or online for the most recent bus schedule! The bus schedule changes regularly and seems to be season-dependent.

Temple of Poseidon
A gorgeous day at the temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion, Greece. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.
Cape Sounion Manouk Bob
Manouk at the temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion, Greece. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.
Cape Sounion Temple of Poseidon bus
At the temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion, Greece. Copyright Bunch of Backpackers.

Where to stay in Athens? 

I stayed in two different accommodations in Athens. First, I stayed in the Athens Backpacker Hostel, which is perfect for those on a strict budget. I also stayed a few nights in the centrally located, affordable, but fancy Hera Hotel, with Acropolis views!

–> Like this article :)? Book your next accommodation through Hostelworld.com or Booking.com! Booking through these links won’t cost you anything extra, but it will get me a small commission to keep this website up and running! ~ Thanks! Manouk

-> Unfortunately, it’s impossible to keep the information in my articles completely up-to-date. Therefore, I recommend to read the comments of fellow readers (THANK YOU!) and to always check a second source.

Save on Pinterest

Temple of Poseidon Athens Greece
How to travel by bus to the Temple of Poseidon from Athens?

Did you take the bus to the Temple of Poseidon from Athens? Let me know how it went and if you have additional tips for future travelers!

Recommended further reading

7 Do-it-Yourself day trips from Athens (including Meteora) 
Find about why there are so many stray dogs in Athens.   
Europe has much to offer. 8 reasons why you should visit Luxembourg! 

41 COMMENTS

    • Zeker mazzel met het weer! Een paar uur ervoor deed ik nog een ‘walking tour’ in de stromende regen. Gelukkig klaarde het op :)!

    • Yes David, Definitely less tourists! Highly recommended if you would like to escape Athens for a few hours and see some of the surroundings :)

  1. Hey,
    Does this bus stop on Legrena beach maybe too? I would love to have a swim first and then visit poseidon temple. Do you have any advice? Thank youuuu :) greetings from croatia

  2. Hey,
    The schedule changed the one mentioned here.

    Its now every hour starting 7:05AM until 16:05. There are also one at 6:10 AM and 17:30.

    For the way back to Athens its every hour starting 8AM to 8PM.

    The price also changed its now 6.90 EUR

  3. This post was the most helpful information that I found to get to the Temple of Poseidon, thank you BoB! As previously stated, the cost now (Feb 2017) is 6.90 EUR (each way) which you pay on he bus. After visiting the Acropolis, this was the perfect finish to my trip. Cheers, and enjoy!

  4. Thank you for this informative tip. Going time – right side of bus; return to Athens – left side of bus, right?!!!

  5. We were able to find the bus stop with your great information! I am here now and pinned my location for an address. If you would like to add this to your information that would be the most helpful information you can give. We still had to walk around a bit to find the stop.

    KTEL of Attica – Terminal for Sounion
    Mavrommataion
    10434 Athens
    Greece

    Having location address make for an easy going adventure in today’s Smart Phone age! Enjoy everyone!

  6. Right now the times have changed to the following… 8:05, 10:05, 11:30, 13:05, 14:05, 15:30… to check bus times visit the orange ticket box office place to the right of the stop directly in front of the park. They have the times postedthere. It seems to change a lot!

  7. Thanks very much of your brilliant post on Temple of Posideon by Public Trans. We got down at Victoria station and bus station is not far away from there. We are waiting for the last bus at 5pm

  8. Thanks for your very useful information posted here! I’ve just made the trip in April. Right now the times have changed to the following. From Athens to Sounio: 7:05 (except Sunday), 8:05, 10:05, 11:30, 13:05, 14:05, 15:30, 17:05. From Sounio to Athens: 08:00, 10:00 (except Sunday), 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 19:00, 20:00. But double check the bus times before the trip, as they are frequently changing. The cost is 12,50 Euro for a return ticket (payable in the bus).

  9. Thank you for this blog post! On the bus back to Athens now after a quick trip to the temple! Wouldn’t have been able to do it without finding your page this morning!

  10. Hi, maybe I missed it, but how long takes the bus from Athens to the Temple of Poseidon? Thanks. Regards, Rob

  11. Dear Manouk,

    I am very grateful for your post. It helped a lot in organizing the summer trip. I combined the temple visit with bathing. Near to the temple are small paths leading down to the beach. In the morning we were on the beach and in the efternoon we visited the temple and also we stayed for sunset and it was breathtaking. We took the last bus (at 9 pm in august) back to Athens.

    Greetings from Hungary

  12. Hi, thanks for the info! A silly question. You mention it is best to sit on the right side of the bus on the way to the temple to observe the sea. Which right? Like to the right when you enter the bus?

  13. We visited this site yesterday, we caught the bus at Syntagma Square. It is not easy to find the stop, but we asked at one of the kiosks and they helped us out. You need to go further on the Filellinon street till you reached the Eurobank. The stop is right in front of it. You can purchase tickets on the bus, during this ‘winter’ period, it’s in every 1.5 hour. Check the timetable online in advance.
    It’s a beautiful area, without crowds. Definitely worth to visit. Highly recommended!

  14. Thank you for this article . It was very helpful to go to Sounion … it was totally worth this plan. Easy and really cheap. The driving scene next to the sea was fantastic . The round trip fee was 12.50 euros.

  15. Hi and thanks for the information.
    Took bus 27 October 2020 and still €12.50 return. Scenery on the right hand side as you head down to Sounio from Athens is stunning as you mentioned. Thank you, Leon.

  16. Thanks for the information. The bus still leaves from Egypt Square. There are is no time table, but if you walk a little to the north, along Mavrommateon road, you will find a small ticket office on your right with the most recent time tables, and if you’re lucky someone in there will confirm these, if necessary. There are only five buses to Sounion a day now, with the first leaving at 9 AM, and the second at 10.30. it’s actually possible to leave at 9, and return at 12 without having to hurry too much. It’s also possible to get out somewhere along the way and spend a couple of hours on one of the beaches, like Vouliagmeni, and then take the metro, a city bus or the tram from there back to Athens.
    If I remember correctly, the last one leaves at 8 pm, but make sure you check beforehand.

  17. I’d like to take the bus to Cape Sounion specifically from Syngrou-Fix in October 2022 but am having trouble finding the timetable, stop information, and bus number. It seems the general KTEL Sounion timetable from the Mavromateon terminal hasn’t been updated since 2018. Am I missing something? Thanks!

  18. Jan 2024 update: bus leaves from Athens only twice a day now, 10:30 and 14:30. From Sounio at 13:45 and 17:30. Still 12.50 roundtrip, and around an hour and 45 minutes each way. The whole sight would take you right up to 13:40 to explore. There’s a couple trails there that’d lead you to Lavrio as well, but beware Lavrio has a different bus route. Overall, well worth the day!
    Happy travelling!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.