Sparta Full Day Tour
5 Reviews
5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 5 reviews collected by City Boat Tours and TripAdvisor
|
Recommended by 100% of reviewers
|
Athens, Greece
12 to 13 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Instant confirmation
Overview
Our tours and services are flexible and can be adapted to the customer’s needs.
All our professional drivers have the required certifications and are fluent in English. Their experience will help you feel safe and at easy in one of our well maintained, comfortable vehicles.
You will have the added benefit of visiting archaeological sites at different times from the large tour buses and groups of visitors, thus enabling you to experience the wonderful monuments and learn their history at a time of the day when they are not overcrowded.
The cost of hiring our services is smaller than purchasing individual tickets from large tour and excursion companies.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Skip the line to purchase tickets
- Private transportation
- WiFi on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional Drivers (Not licensed to accompany you into the sites)
- Meals' costs
- Airport pickup and drop off (Additional cost)
- Gratuities
- Archaeological Museum of Sparta- Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil- Mystras fortress
- Local Licensed tour guide upon request, depending on availability (Additional cost 210 Euros)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
Show on Google Maps
Pickup details
We will pick you up from you preferred location Airport pick up -Drop off ( Additional Cost)
What To Expect
Corinth Canal
The Full Day Sparta tour starts with a 45-mile drive along the National highway. We will reach the well-known Corinthian canal or else Isthmus canal that connects the Saronic Sea and the Corinthian Sea.
The canal, though executed in the late 19th century, has been a 2000-year-old dream. Before its construction, ships in the Aegean Sea that wanted to cross to the Adriatic or anchor in Corinth, a rich shipping city, had to circle the Peloponnese, which would prolong their journey an extra 185 nautical miles.
It is believed that Periander, the tyrant of Corinth (602 BC), was the first to conceive of the idea of digging the Corinth Canal. As the project was too complicated given the limited technical capabilities of the times, Periander constructed the diolkós, a stone road which allowed ships to be transferred on wheeled platforms.
On 67 AD that Emperor Nero attempted the construction of the canal with a group of 6,000 slaves. But he was murdered before the plans were finalized. Finally, the construction of the canal came to an end at the last decade of the 19th century.
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Archaeological Museum of Sparta
Continuing with a 2-hour drive through the mountains, in central Peloponnese, arriving at Sparta, a prominent city-state in Ancient Greece, situated on the banks of Eurotas River in Laconia, in the southeastern Peloponnese.
Findings at this archaeological site were unearthed by the pioneer excavations of the British School of Archaeology starting in 1910. Excavations resumed in the early 1990’s, primarily in the areas of the ancient theatre and the merchant stalls.The most significant monuments of this archeological site include:The Temple of Athena Chalkioikos whose position has been defined by few surviving relics found at the northwest end of the Acropolis.
The ancient theater of Sparta on the south side of the Acropolis is a product of the early Imperial Period. The orchestra, the retaining wall with engraved inscriptions of the rulers of Sparta in Roman times and the concave portion of the large theater has been preserved.
The so-called Circular Building of Unknown Destination is a circular structure built of hewn blocks and smaller stones. The section that has been preserved, perhaps due to Roman repairs, seems to have been an important building in ancient Spartan life (the Skias).The remains of merchant stalls adjacent to the ancient theater discovered in recent excavations by the British School seem to be products of the Roman Imperial period.
The relics of a grand Basilica of the mid Byzantine Era have been linked to the Basilica of Saint Nikon (10th century AD).Concluding the visit at the archaeological site of Sparta the traveler will continue with a visit at the archaeological museum of Sparta.
The museum hosts thousands of findings from the province of Lacedaemon, along with those coming from other areas of the Laconian prefecture,which are not included in the archaeological collections of Gytheion and Neapolis Vion. The objects exhibited in its halls, cover the time period between the Neolithic and the Later Roman eras, while findings from the great sanctuaries of Sparta hold the most prominent position. The museum visitors will have the opportunity to admire retrieved material coming from the greater pre-historical sites of Laconia, sculptures dated from the Archaic to the Roman eras, found at various locations of the prefecture, along with artefacts from rescue excavations, the most important of which being the remains of Roman mosaic floors from Sparta. In addition, the museum exhibition includes a few but extremely valuable epigraphs,providing rare information on the history of the area.
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, in Sparta (Peloponnese), transports you to the culture, history and technology of the olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century.
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil offers you the opportunity to see the very first testimonies about the presence of the olive tree and the production of olive oil in Greece.
For each historical period the visitor will discover the contribution of the olive and olive oil to the economy and to everyday life: nutrition, body care, but also now outdated uses, such as lighting.
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Mystras
Mystras, the ‘wonder of the Morea’, developed down the hillside from the fortress built in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William II of Villehardouin, at the top of a 620 m high hill overlooking Sparta. The Franks surrendered the castle to the Byzantines in 1262, it was the centre of Byzantine power in southern Greece, first as the base of the military governor and from 1348 as the seat of the Despotate of Morea. Captured by the Turks in 1460, it was occupied thereafter by them and the Venetians. After 1834 the inhabitants of Mystras gradually started to move to the modern town of Sparta leaving only the breath-taking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape.
Many monasteries were founded there, including those of the Brontochion and the monastery of Christos Zoodotes (Christ the Giver of Life). Under the Despots, Mystras reached its zenith with the building of churches, outstanding examples of Late Byzantine church architecture, such as Hagioi Theodoroi (1290-1295), the Hodegetria (c. 1310), the Hagia Sophia (1350-1365), the Peribleptos (3rd quarter of the 14th century), the Evangelistria (late 14th – early 15th century) and the Pantanassa (c. 1430). The city was a major piece on the political chessboard of the time and was developed and beautified as befitted its role as a centre of power and culture. The city’s complex history is clearly evident in its fortifications, palaces, churches, convents, houses, streets and public squares.
Mystras is a truly outstanding example of late Byzantine culture which influenced the rest of the Mediterranean world and beyond.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Your English- speaking driver will explain about the ancient monuments that you are about to visit, the ancient history of Greece and interesting facts about historical and modern-day Greece but is not allowed by law to accompany you in the sites. If you wish to have a licensed tour guide to accompany you into the sites, we will help you arrange a licensed tour guide to be with you at an extra cost
- Your tour is totally private. No unknown passengers will participate in your group.
- Infant car seats are available upon request
Frequently Asked Questions
(6)Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Sparta Full Day Tour?
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-92329P14
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.00
5 reviews
Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 4 traveler reviews collected by City Boat Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
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Frequently Asked Questions (6)
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 Sparta Full Day Tour?
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:
- Bottled water.
- Skip the line to purchase tickets.
- Private transportation.
- WiFi on board.
- Air-conditioned vehicle.
- Professional Drivers (Not licensed to accompany you into the sites).
The following is NOT included:
- Meals' costs.
- Airport pickup and drop off (Additional cost).
- Gratuities.
- Archaeological Museum of Sparta- Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil- Mystras fortress.
- Local Licensed tour guide upon request, depending on availability (Additional cost 210 Euros).
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 Sparta Full Day Tour is as follows:
- 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 Sparta Full Day Tour 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
- Bottled water
- Skip the line to purchase tickets
- Private transportation
- WiFi on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional Drivers (Not licensed to accompany you into the sites)
- Meals' costs
- Airport pickup and drop off (Additional cost)
- Gratuities
- Archaeological Museum of Sparta- Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil- Mystras fortress
- Local Licensed tour guide upon request, depending on availability (Additional cost 210 Euros)
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Your English- speaking driver will explain about the ancient monuments that you are about to visit, the ancient history of Greece and interesting facts about historical and modern-day Greece but is not allowed by law to accompany you in the sites. If you wish to have a licensed tour guide to accompany you into the sites, we will help you arrange a licensed tour guide to be with you at an extra cost
- Your tour is totally private. No unknown passengers will participate in your group.
- Infant car seats are available upon request
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