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Private Olympia Highlights
Katakolon

Private Olympia Highlights

3 comments

4 h. tour (Private tour)

(Transportation + guidance all the way + guided tour of ancient Site + guided tour of the archeological museum + free time in Olympia)

Departing from the port with your private vehicle and driver, you will travel through the rich countryside between the Alfios and Kladeos rivers, on your way to Olympia, where you will embark a 2 and a half hour guided tour, that visits the temple of Zeus, the temple of Hera, the altar of Hera where the lighting of the Olympic torch takes place and the stadium, among other sites.

Ancient Olympia, the archeological site of the first Olympic Games, in 776 B.C., lies in the lush valley formed between the Alfios and Kladeos rivers. The temple of Zeus in antiquity was housing one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world, the gold and ivory statue of Zeus, which Phedias had created. You will also see the temple of Hera, the shrine of Pelops (one of the oldest in the sanctuary), the Council house where the athletes took the Olympic oath, the Treasury houses, the Gymnasium and the Palaestra where they used to exercise for a month prior to the Games. Finally you will reach the stadium, where the marble starting blocks are still in position.

You will also visit the Archeological Museum, only a short walk from the Olympia site itself. There you will find a wonderful collection of Greek sculpture, as well as treasures that have been unearthed over a century of excavations. See the breathtaking original pediments from the Temple of Zeus, all in white marble from Paros, illustrating the mythical war between the Centaurs and the Lapiths on the one side, the beginning of the chariot race between Prince Pelops and King Oinomaos on the other side. The museum is also home to the famous Hermes of Praxiteles statue as well as the statue of the winged Nike. Extremely important for world's history and the way democracy was founded in Athens was the battle of Marathon in 490 BC from which the helmet of general Miltiades that was dedicated to Zeus still exists and is in display in the museum.

After all that you can have a short break in the modern town of Olympia, for coffee or shopping and then you will be returned back to the port.

Overall Rating (2)

5 out of 5 stars

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Reviews (3)

  • Lil

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Our family of six booked three tours through Niki for stops on our cruise that included Olympia, Piraeus and Santorini. I would not hesitate to recommend her services. She was very responsive in helping to arrange the tours and detailed in providing options for suggestions of what to visit while touring. Her tours allowed us to skip,past the herds of travelers waiting to board the large buses from the cruise ships and speed off to our destinations. We were even able to shift our itinerary if we wanted to change the course of our day. All of the guides were exceptional and highly professional. They even made it interesting for our four teens on each tour. You can book with confidence with Niki and then relax knowing you will have a great time.

    from Little Rock, AR, USA
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  • John

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Niki Vlachou provided our family of five an outstanding tour of Olympia. Ouf family was of various ages and interests, but Niki kept everyone's attention. She is extremely knowledgeable, and makes the history of this beautiful ancient site multidimensional. Niki has a very warm personality and a sense of humor that also enhances the tour. I would highly recommend that anyone touring Olympia (or anywhere else she provides tours) use her services.

    from Chicago, IL, USA
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  • Kenneth

    We did two private tours with “Olympic Tours by Niki Vlachou” : Olympia and Athens Day Trips. “Olympic Tours” is very professional and organized; booking online is smooth and Niki responded promptly to all emails. Georgina was our guide for Olympia and Eva was our guide in Athens. Both were exceptional guides; friendly, experienced, extremely knowledgeable, helpful and able to answer any questions we had. The drivers were first rate as well. Having a driver allowed us to be dropped off closer to entrance areas than the large tour groups in buses. Both Georgina and Eva skillfully moved through locations to avoid where the large groups were. All in all, we had two fantastic tours. Can’t wait to try some of their other tours the next time we visit Ellás . We highly recommend “Olympic Tours by Niki Vlachou”.

    from Bel air, 85190 Maché, France
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