Olympia - Delphi - 2 Days Tour - premiumgreektours.com

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Olympia - Delphi - 2 Days Tour

A two-day private tour to Olympiaand Delphi, perfectly combines the visit of two UNESCO archeological sites along with the pleasure of experiencing the beautiful land of Peloponnese and Mainland Greece. Observe the two most visited places by the Ancient Greeks. First, Delphi, the famous Oracle of Ancient Greece, where pilgrims from all around the world used to visit in order to seek advice and prophesies. Second, Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which have been taking place every 4 years for almost 1500 years in honor of the 12 Olympian Gods.

Itinerary

1st Day

Starting our tour early in the morning from Athens we will be driving west towards Patra and after an hour of driving we will be stopping at the Corinth Canal. This great piece of work which was completed in 1886, connects the Aegean to the Ionian Sea and technically transforms the Peloponnese peninsula into an island. Continuing we will be driving for two and a half more hours before we finally reach Ancient Olympia.
In this site you will see the ancient stadium that hosted the Olympic Games every four years from 776 BCE to 393 AD, as well as the Palaistra were the athletes used to train for the wrestling events. You will also visit the ruins of the temple of Zeus, where the colosal statue of Olympian Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the world, used to stand proudly. Last but not least, you will see the workshop of Phedias, the great sculptor, painter and architect who designed some of the greatest statues of his time, such as those of goddess Athena Parthenos, Athena Promahos and Olympian Zeus.
After your visit to the site and the museum of Ancient Olympia a late lunch or an early dinner is required before we start our way back to Delphi, which will last 3 hours.
After an hour we will be crossing the longest fully-suspended bridge, the Patra’s Bridge which connects the Peloponnesse with the Mainland Greece. After crossing the bridge, we will be having a beautiful, scenic drive along the coast and via the picturesque town of Naupaktos we will arrive at Galaxidi where we will be spending the night. Galaxidi is a small, beautiful and quiet seaside town with very good restaurants and bars.
Overnight꞉ Galaxidi

2nd Day

Next morning we will be driving for 30 minutes to Delphi, the archeological site with the greatest significance in Greece, which according to Greek Mythology, it is described as the centre of the universe, or the naval of the Earth.
Indeed, for thousands of years Delphi was the centre of the known world, the most important religious centre and the oracle with the greatest reputation of its time. Ancient Greeks used to travel for days and under harsh conditions in order to visit the oracle of Delphi and consult god Apollo, through a priestess called Pythia.
There you will visit the Castalia Spring, where both Pythia and pilgrims used to wash in order to purify themselves.
Once you enter the site you will walk through the “Sacred Way” that leads to the Temple of Apollo. Along the way, you will pass by the ‘’Treasury of the Athenians’’, built after the battle of the Marathon. In this treasury, the Athenians used to host their valuable offerings in tribute to God Apollo, as tokens of appreciation for his assistance in achieving victory against the Persians. Continuing your way up to the slope of the mountain, you will see the ancient theatre and further above the stadium where the Pythian Games were hosted.
Below these areas, are the temple of Athena Pronoia and the gymnasium where the athletes who competed in the Pythian Games used to train.
Your experience will be completed after visiting the archeological museum of Delphi, located right next to the site.
Once you have completed your visit, we will pick you up and drive to the town of Delphi, where you can have lunch at a local restaurant.
Leaving Delphi you can spend some time at the picturesque town of Arachova and Levadia and then, on the way back to Athens, visit the very well-preserved middle Byzantine period Monastery of Hosios Lucas, which is included on the UNESCO'S World Heritage List.