Ancient Olympia Full-Day Private Tour from Athens

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| Athens, Greece

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12 hours (approx.)

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Overview

With this full-day private tour to Ancient Olympia and Corinth Canal you will be able to see something more than Athens. As Greeks say, Greece is not just Athens, and in this case, this is more than true. Visit the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, home to both the ancient Olympics and today's Olympic Games. It is where history began and it holds so much more than just historic landmarks. The temple of Zeus remains today as an ode to ancient Greece's rich history. Make your way past row upon row of columns and past the iconic stadium where athletes competed in Olympic games for over a thousand years until you reach the Temple of Hera, a towering structure with an ancient history of her own.

What's Included

Bottled water
Private transportation
WiFi on board
English speaking professional driver
Air-conditioned vehicle

Lunch
Entry/Admission - Archaeological Site and Museums (12€ per adult)
Gratuities
Licensed tour guide (upon request and depending on availability)

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Meeting and Pickup

Pickup point

Pickup details

In case of a hotel, your driver will be waiting for you at the hotel lobby. In case of an apartment, he will be waiting for you at the entrance of the building.

What To Expect

Athens

Your driver will pick you up from Athens and it will take an hour to reach your first stop, Corinth Canal.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for many modern ships.From high up, you can enjoy the best view of Corinth's isthmus and admire the steep limestone walls while you observe the vessels below you navigate their way through the canal.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Archaeological Site of Olympia

Travel time from Corinth Canal to Ancient Olympia is 2,5 hours. The archaeological site held over 70 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive. Of special interest to Greeks of all times is the Pelopion, the tomb of the quasi-mythical king, ancestor of the Atreids, the two kings who led their domains to war against Troy. The Peloponnesus is named for Pelops. The tomb suggests that he may not have been entirely mythical.

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Temple of Zeus

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was an ancient Greek temple in Olympia, Greece, dedicated to the god Zeus. The temple, built in the second quarter of the fifth century BC, was the very model of the fully developed classical Greek temple of the Doric order.The temple housed the renowned statue of Zeus, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue was approximately 13 m (43 ft) high, and was made by the sculptor Phidias in his workshop on the site at Olympia. The statue's completion took approximately 13 years (470–457 BC) and was one of Classical Greece's most revered artistic works.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Stadium at Olympia

The stadium at the archaeological site of Olympia, Greece, is located to the east of the sanctuary of Zeus. It was the location of many of the sporting events at the Ancient Olympic Games.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Temple of Hera

The Temple of Hera, or Heraion, is an ancient Archaic Greek temple that was dedicated to Hera, queen of the Greek gods. It was the oldest temple at Olympia and one of the most venerable in all Greece. It was originally a joint temple of Hera and Zeus, chief of the gods, until a separate temple was built for him. It is at the altar of this temple, which is oriented east-west, that the Olympic flame is lit and carried to all parts of the world. The torch of the Olympic flame is lit in its ruins to this day. The temple was built in approximately 590 BC, but was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century CE.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Archaeological Site of Olympia

Nymphaeum, “home of the Nymphs” or water goddesses was the official name of a water-distribution structure constructed in the mid-2nd century at that site to provide water to the masses who attended the Olympic Games in July and August. Nymphaeum was the general name throughout the Mediterranean for an ornate structure that terminated an aqueduct bringing water from distant elevated terrain, say a stream or copious springs. This one had substructures, statues, and ornately patterned stonework; its main purpose, however, was functional. It received water from the aqueduct into a cistern and released it by stages into a system of open and closed channels leading around the site. The end partaker of the water carried a secular patera, or small drinking bowl, around with him, dipping into an open trough for the water, as is suggested by the fact that at least some of the statues carried such paterae in one hand. Troughs went everywhere through the site to accommodate the crowds.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Archaeological Site of Olympia

The palaestra is the ground or grounds in ancient Olympia where “pali” (“wrestling”) was taught and performed for training purposes, i.e. “wrestling-school”. Two other martial arts were taught there: Greek πυγμή (pygme), Latin pugnus, "fist, boxing," and Greek παγκράτιον, Latin pancration or pancratium, "any method," which was free-style, or hand-to-hand, including grappling, kicking, punching, or any unarmed method whatever, no holds barred. The latter was sometimes deadly, or disfiguring (with permission), which indicates that the arts were ephebic, or "soldier" training for prospective citizens of the city-state sponsoring the school, such as Elis, but here combined with prospective candidacy for contention in the games. Be that as it may, none of the games were conducted without rules, umpires, and judges, who did not hesitate to stop contests, fine contenders within some cases amounts prohibiting future participation, or bar flagrant violators.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Philippeion

The Philippeion in the Altis of Olympia was an Ionic circular memorial in limestone and marble, a tholos, which contained chryselephantine (ivory and gold) statues of Philip's family: himself, Alexander the Great, Olympias, Amyntas III and Eurydice I. It was made by the Athenian sculptor Leochares in celebration of Philip's victory at the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). It was the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to a human.The temple consisted of an outer colonnade of Ionic order with 18 columns. Inside it had nine engaged columns of the lavishly designed Corinthian order. It had a diameter of 15 meters. The naos contained two windows, much like Hera II at Paestum. It had a carved marble roof which was decorated with a bronze poppy head on top.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Archaeological Museum of Olympia

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the principal museums of Greece, located in Olympia. It is overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and, as of 2009, is directed by Georgia Chatzi. When the original building was completed and opened in 1882, it was the first museum in Greece outside of Athens.The museum houses discoveries from the surrounding area, including the site of the Ancient Olympic Games. The collection includes objects produced and used in the area from prehistory to its time under Roman rule. The principal pieces in the museum are Hermes and the Infant Dionysus (attributed to Praxiteles), some objects from the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paionios, as well as an oenochoe that belonged to Phidias. The extent of its bronze collection makes it one of the most important in the world.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Museum of the Olympic Games

The ancient Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The first Olympic Games are traditionally dated to 776 BC. The games were held every four years, or Olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, 2nd century BC. Their last recorded celebration was in AD 393, under the emperor Theodosius I, but archeological evidence indicates that some games were still held after this date. The games likely came to an end under Theodosius II, possibly in connection with a fire that burned down the temple of the Olympian Zeus during his reign.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Archimedes Museum

This unique museum is dedicated to the ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer and inventor who contributed an invaluable amount to the world of technology.

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Market of Ancient Olympia

Free time to stroll amongst the village shops where you can treat yourself and buy handmade souvenirs for your family and friends and also to have lunch at a traditional greek tavern.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Athens

We start our way back to Athens, travel time is 3,5 hours.

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Specialized infant seats are available
This is a private tour. Only your group will participate.

Your personal driver will pick you up and return you to the same place or at the point you prefer.
Our drivers are not official tour guides, but they are knowledgeable and can provide fascinating commentary in fluent English. Although they will not enter the archaeological sites with you, they can answer all of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Hats, sunglasses and suntan lotion are highly recommended during summer months.

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Ancient Olympia Full-Day Private Tour from Athens?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EEST). Read more Apr 2025