Ancient Olympia Tour

Duration:  12 hours

Description:

Explore the birthplace of the Olympic Games by taking the full-day Private tour from Athens to Ancient Olympia where you will be able to visit the actual site of the Olympics, run on the original track and visit the museum which holds a collection of priceless artefacts that once decorated the sanctuary. The Olympic Games took place every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD. The site was also a place of worship dedicated to the Greek god Zeus from about the 10th century BC. 

Places to visit:

• Isthmus Canal
  
• Archaeological Site of Olympia
• Archaeological Museum of Olympia
• Monastery of Kremasti (Optional choice)
  

The tour starts from Athens where we pick you up from your hotel or designated destination and will have a short stop at the Corinth Canal. The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth 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.

Then we will head to the Archaeological Site of Olympia, and we will have the opportunity to visit the Archeological site and admire the ancient stadium that hosted 40.000 spectators sited, run on the original track, discover the temple of Zeus and Hera's, walk around the Palestra and the Gymnasium once used by the thousands of male athletes and many more.

Continuing our trip, we will visit the Archaeological museum where the visitor is introduced to the history of the great Pan-Hellenic sanctuary from the Early Bronze Age to the sixth-seventh centuries AD. The sculpted decoration (metopes and pediments) of the temple of Zeus, the most important example of the Severe Style in Greek art, the statue of Nike by Paionios and the Hermes of Praxiteles are the museum's highlights.

We will visit the monastery (Optional Choice) which is located, between the villages Lanthi and Labeti on steep rock with an amazing view of the mountain Erymanthos and the forest of Foloi.

Finally, we will have lunch at a scenic traditional tavern before returning back to Athens.

Tour includes:

• Private Tour
  
• Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
  
• Bottled water
  
• Refreshing wipes
• WiFi
• Tolls and Taxes
  
• Transport by air-conditioned minivan

Tour excludes:

• Entry/Admission - Archaeological Sites and Museums
• Licensed tour guide
• Gratuities