Delphi & Hosios Loukas Arachova Full Day Private Tour 8 Hours
24 Reviews
5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 24 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor
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Recommended by 100% of reviewers
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Badge of Excellence |Badge of Excellence This experience is highly rated by travelers and has met our top quality standards.
Athens, Greece
8 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Instant confirmation
Overview
Discover the Mystical Union of Ancient Delphi & Hosios Loukas Monastery
Step into a journey where *myth, history, and spirituality* intertwine on this exclusive private tour from *Delphi to the Monastery of Hosios Loukas in Arachova. Walk in the footsteps of **ancient pilgrims, oracles, and Byzantine saints*, as you explore two of Greece’s most awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a single, seamless experience.
Why This Tour?
- *Uncover Delphi’s Secrets* – Stand where kings and commoners once sought prophecies from Apollo’s Oracle. Wander through the *Sacred Way, marvel at the **Temple of Apollo, and decipher ancient wisdom at the **Delphi Museum.
- *Step into Byzantine Splendor* – Journey to the *10th-century Hosios Loukas Monastery, a masterpiece of medieval art and architecture. *Exclusive & Personalized* – Avoid crowds with a *private guide*, tailored storytelling, and flexible pacing. Whether you’re a history lover, spiritual seeker, or culture enthusia
What's Included
- Pick-up and drop-off service: Athens Hotel, Airbnb residence or Port
- Groups of 1- 3people are transported in luxurious sedan vehicles.
- Transportation via modern, first-class private vehicle
- Expert English-speaking Tour Drivers with extensive historical knowledge
- All vehicles with WiFi, A/C, Bottled Water
- Fully Private Tour
- Groups of 4-7 people are transported in comfortable mini vans.
- Entry or admission fees for Archaelogical sites
- Entry /Admission-Archaelogical site Delphi
- Entry /Admission - Archaelogical Museum of Delphi
- Optional airport pick-up, available at an additional cost.
- Entrance fees for archaeological sites and museums.
- Meal in Arachova - Lunch stops are scheduled, but meal costs are not included
- Kindly note that gratuities and tips are not included in the price and are left to your discretion.
- Licensed guide to accompany you into archaeological sites
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
Show on Google Maps
Pickup details
They can call us or send us an emailTraveler pick up is offered .This is a private Tour ,only your group will participate.Thyou to the pick up time is adjustable upon your request.Your Personal Driver will pick you up and return you to the same place or to the point you prefer .In case of a hotel , he will be waiting for you in the hotel Lobby.In Case of a Apartment ,he will be waiting at the entrance of the Building . For AirPort pick up , he will be waiting for you at the arrival Hall , just as you disembark , holding a sighn with your name on it to spot him upon arrival .We will monitor your flight and our driver will be there on time.For Port pick ups he will be waiting for you at the gate , just as you disembark holding a sighn with your name on it spot him upon arrival .
OR
Meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
What To Expect
Athens
You will get picked up from your hotel, apartment, Airbnb, or Piraeus port.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mount Parnassus (Pass By)
Mount Parnassus is a mountain in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth.
Mount Parnassus offers many advantages to the population of Greece. In peace, it possesses scenic views of the countryside and features olive groves and rolling hills. The mountain is also the location of historically, archaeologically, and culturally significant places of interest (such as Delphi). Recreationally, the slopes of Parnassus provide a medium for hiking (in the three warm seasons) and are skied in winter. Its melting snows provide water to the surrounding communities, reaching out as far as Athens. The mountain is composed of limestone, and its rock contains bauxite, ore that is rich in aluminum. In war, Parnassus has been a center of resistance if need be, providing cover and refuge to partisans.
Monastery of Hosios Loukas
Hosios Loukas is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art and has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, along with the monasteries of Nea Moni and Daphnion.
The monastery of Hosios Loukas is situated at a scenic site on the slopes of Mount Helicon. It was founded in the early 10th century AD by the hermit, Venerable (Greek: Hosios) Luke of Steiris (Greek: Lukas), whose relics are kept in the monastery to this day.
The main shrine of the monastery is the tomb of St. Luke, originally situated in the vault, but later placed at the juncture of the two churches. The monastery derived its wealth (including funds required for construction) from the fact that the relics of St. Luke were said to have exuded myron, a sort of perfumed oil which produced healing miracles.
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Arachova
Arachova is a mountain town and a former municipality in the western part of Boeotia, Greece, originally called Karyai (also spelled Caryae). Its name is of South Slavic origin and denotes a place with walnut trees. It is a tourist destination due to its location in the mountains, its traditions, and its proximity to the town of Delphi.
Arachova has a panoramic view, uphill small houses, and the cobbled streets show a picturesque architecture. The town center includes a huge and steep cliff, the Bell Tower, covered with dense ivy. At the top of the tower is a large 10m height clock. Arachova is famous for its black wine, its "brusque", the colorful textiles, carpets and rugs, handicrafts, and woodcut creations as wel
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi
Arrival at the archaeological site of Delphi after a 2,5 hours trip.Free time for a walk at:
- sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronaia
- ancient stadium and theaterDuration: 30 minutes
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Tholos of Athena Pronaia
The tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronoia (Ἀθηνᾶ Πρόνοια, “Athena of forethought”) is a circular building that was constructed between 380 and 360 BC. It consisted of 20 Doric columns arranged with an exterior diameter of 14.76 meters, with 10 Corinthian columns in the interior.
The Tholos is located approximately a half a mile (800 meters) from the main ruins at Delphi. Three of the Doric columns have now been restored, making it the most popular site at Delphi for tourists to take photographs.The gymnasium, which is half a mile away from the main sanctuary, was a series of buildings used by the youth of Delphi. The building consisted of two levels: a stoa on the upper level providing open space, and a palaestra, pool and baths on lower floor. These pools and baths were said to have magical powers, and imparted the ability to communicate to Apollo himself.
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi Archaeological Museum
Delphi Archaeological Museum is one of the principal museums of Greece and one of the most visited. It is operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Founded in 1903, it has been rearranged several times and houses the discoveries made at the Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi, which dates from the Late Helladic (Mycenean) period to the early Byzantine era.
Organized in fourteen rooms on two levels, the museum mainly displays statues, including the famous Charioteer of Delphi, architectural elements, like the frieze of the Siphnian Treasury, and ex-votos dedicated to the sanctuary of Pythian Apollo, like the Sphinx of Naxos. The exhibition floor space is more than 2270m2, while the storage and conservation rooms (mosaics, ceramics). Delphi’s magnificent modern museum, 500m east of town, perfectly complements the ancient site alongside. Which you visit first doesn’t matter, but the treasures collected here will bring your image ancient Delphi to life. Rich and powerful petitioners flocked
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Temple of Apollo
The Temple of Apollo, god of music, harmony, light, healing, and oracles occupied the most important and prominent position in the Delphic Panhellenic Sanctuary. The edifice with the partially restored colonnade visible today dates to the 4th century BC; it is the third temple built at the same place. The famous oracle, the Pythia, operated inside the temple, the location chosen, according to one tradition, due to a sacred chasm beneath the site emitting vapors, which were inhaled by the Pythia. Some ancient writers state that the Pythia then entered a state of delirium and uttering inarticulate cries, which were then turned into equivocal oracles by the priests.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi (Pass By)
The Greeks told many stories to explain the origins of Delphi. The site was originally sacred to Gaia (also known as Ge), the ‘Mother Goddess’ whose cult centred on the Korykeon Cave, high on Mt Parnassos. After slaying a snake or she-dragon (known as Pytho) here, Apollo took the local name of Apollo Pythios.
For a thousand years, pilgrims flocked to his sanctuary for guidance. The height of its fame came between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, after the Amphictyonic League, a federation of 12 tribal states, took control of the sanctuary following the First Sacred War (595–586 BCE). As an autonomous state, Delphi earned great prosperity from benefactors including the kings of Lydia and Egypt, and the Roman emperor Hadrian. Nominally neutral, it was a locus of political power.
Tholos of Athena Pronaia
Αn intriguing architectural marvel nestled within the archaeological site of Delphi. Tholos provides us with a window into the ancient world and the rich tapestry of beliefs and traditions.The Tholos of Athena Pronaia is a circular building with a distinctive architectural design, featuring a ring of Doric columns surrounding a central chamber. Built in the 4th century BCE, this unique structure served as a sanctuary dedicated to Athena Pronaia, a variant of the goddess Athena worshipped in Delphi.
Stand before the elegant columns and intricate stonework of the Tholos and imagine the awe and reverence it inspired in ancient worshippers. In the shadow of Mount Parnassus and overlooking the sacred precincts of Delphi, this sanctuary would have been a focal point for religious rituals, offerings, and oracular consultations.
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Treasury of the Athenians
Treasury of the Athenians built to commemorate victory at Battle of MarathonFrom the entrance of the upper site, continuing up the slope on the Sacred Way almost to the Temple of Apollo, are a large number of votive statues, and numerous so-called “treasuries.” These were built by many of the Greek city-states to commemorate victories and to thank the oracle for her advice which was thought to have contributed to those victories.These buildings held the offerings made to Apollo; these were frequently a “tithe” or tenth of the spoils of a battle. The most impressive is the now-restored Athenian Treasury, built to commemorate their victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.The Siphnian Treasury was dedicated by the city of Siphnos whose citizens gave a tithe of the yield from their silver mines until the mines came to an abrupt end when the sea flooded them.
One of the largest of the treasuries was that of Argos
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
The Ancient Theater of Delphi
The ancient theatre at Delphi was built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo, giving spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the valley below. It was originally built in the 4th century BC. The koilon (cavea) leans against the natural slope of the mountain whereas its eastern part overrides a little creek that led the water of the fountain Cassotis right underneath the temple of Apollo.The orchestra was initially a full circle, with a diameter measuring 7 meters around (23 feet). The rectangular scene building ended up in two arched openings, of which the foundations are preserved today. The theater at Delphi could accommodate about 4,500 spectators.its façade was decorated with scenes from Hercules’ life in relief. Further repairs and transformations took place in the 2nd century AD. Pausanias mentions that these were carried out under the auspices of Herod Atticus. In antiquity, the theater was used for the vocal and musical contests which formed part of the Pythia
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Treasury of the Athenians
Stoa of the AtheniansThe stoa, or open-sided, covered porch, is located along the base of the polygonal wall retaining the terrace on which the Temple of Apollo sits. The stoa opened to the Sacred Way. The nearby presence of the Treasury of the Athenians suggests that this quarter of Delphi was used for Athenian business or politics, as stoas are generally found in market-places.Although the architecture at Delphi is generally Doric, a plain style, in keeping with the Phocian traditions, which were Doric, the Athenians did not prefer the Doric.In the Ionic order they are floral and ornate, although not as much as the Corinthian. The remaining porch structure contains seven fluted columns, unusually carved from single pieces of stone (most columns were constructed from a series of discs joined together). The inscription on the stylobate indicates that it was built by the Athenians after their naval victory over the Persians in 478 BC, to house their war trophies.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi
Delphi’s Hippodrome Once Site of Chariot RacesIt was at the Pythian Games that prominent political leaders, such as Cleisthenes, the tyrant of Sikyon, and Hieron, the tyrant of Syracuse, competed with their chariots. The hippodrome where these events took place was referred to by Pindar, and this monument was sought by archaeologists for over two centuries.In 2012, Professor of Classical Archaeology Panos Valavanis declared that he had found the site of the hippodrome at “Gonia,” at the west end of the olive grove at Delphi, nearly 1.5 km northeastern of Itea, running parallel and adjacent to the Kefali mountain range, between the Aghioi Anargyroi and Gla hills.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi (Pass By)
Stop At: Delphi, Delphi, Phocis Region, Central GreeceFree time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends or shopping at Arahova Village
Delphi
Serpentine Column
Immediately east, the replica of the Serpentine Column, or Tripod of the Plataeans, was erected in 2015. The original bronze column commemorated the Greeks who defeated the Persian Empire at the Battle of Plataea (479 BCE). Removed by Constantine the Great in AD 324, it now resides at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, in modern Istanbul.
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi
Free time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends and family or shopping.
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Delphi (Pass By)
THE POLYGONAL WALLThis retaining wall was built to support the terrace housing the construction of the second temple of Apollo in 548 BC. Its name is taken from the polygonal masonry of which it is constructed. At a later date, from 200 BC onward, the stones were inscribed with the manumission contracts of slaves who were consecrated to Apollo. Approximately a thousand manumissions are recorded on the wall.The sacred spring of Delphi, called the Castalian Spring, lies in the ravine of the Phaedriades. The preserved remains of two monumental fountains that received the water from the spring date to the Archaic period and the Roman, with the latter cut into the rock.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
(7)Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Delphi & Hosios Loukas Arachova Full Day Private Tour 8 Hours?
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-258132P12
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.00
24 reviews
Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 24 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Boat Tours customers.
Filter by:
Q:
What is the cancellation policy for the Delphi & Hosios Loukas Arachova Full Day Private Tour 8 Hours?
A:Apr 2025
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).
Q:
What's included in the price?
A:
Apr 2025
The following is included:
- Pick-up and drop-off service: Athens Hotel, Airbnb residence or Port.
- Groups of 1- 3people are transported in luxurious sedan vehicles.
- Transportation via modern, first-class private vehicle.
- Expert English-speaking Tour Drivers with extensive historical knowledge.
- All vehicles with WiFi, A/C, Bottled Water.
- Fully Private Tour.
- Groups of 4-7 people are transported in comfortable mini vans.
The following is NOT included:
- Entry or admission fees for Archaelogical sites.
- Entry /Admission-Archaelogical site Delphi.
- Entry /Admission - Archaelogical Museum of Delphi.
- Optional airport pick-up, available at an additional cost.
- Entrance fees for archaeological sites and museums.
- Meal in Arachova - Lunch stops are scheduled, but meal costs are not included.
- Kindly note that gratuities and tips are not included in the price and are left to your discretion.
- Licensed guide to accompany you into archaeological sites.
Q:
What is the weather cancellation policy?
A:
This tour requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Apr 2025
Q:
What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:
There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..
Apr 2025
Q:
My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:
If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025
Q:
Is this an accessible tour?
A:Apr 2025
Accessibility information for the Delphi & Hosios Loukas Arachova Full Day Private Tour 8 Hours is as follows:
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Q:
Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Delphi & Hosios Loukas Arachova Full Day Private Tour 8 Hours will be included in your confirmation email from City Boat Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024What's Included
- Pick-up and drop-off service: Athens Hotel, Airbnb residence or Port
- Groups of 1- 3people are transported in luxurious sedan vehicles.
- Transportation via modern, first-class private vehicle
- Expert English-speaking Tour Drivers with extensive historical knowledge
- All vehicles with WiFi, A/C, Bottled Water
- Fully Private Tour
- Groups of 4-7 people are transported in comfortable mini vans.
- Entry or admission fees for Archaelogical sites
- Entry /Admission-Archaelogical site Delphi
- Entry /Admission - Archaelogical Museum of Delphi
- Optional airport pick-up, available at an additional cost.
- Entrance fees for archaeological sites and museums.
- Meal in Arachova - Lunch stops are scheduled, but meal costs are not included
- Kindly note that gratuities and tips are not included in the price and are left to your discretion.
- Licensed guide to accompany you into archaeological sites
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.
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