6 h. tour (Semiprivate tour, up to 25 people max. per guide)
Cost per person: 108 euro (96 euro for children up to 5 years)
(skip-the-line entrance tickets included)
(children up to 3 y.o. free)
(Transportation + guidance all the way + guided tour of ancient Site + guided tour of the archeological museum + free time in Olympia + Greek cuisine gourmet buffet)
The concept of this exclusive tour is to offer you an enhanced experience from your visit in Olympia. The tour starts as soon as the bus leaves the pier in Katakolon. Your licensed guide will provoke on board guidance that includes information about Katakolon, Pyrgos and the prefecture of Ilia. Also you will be given a description of what you are about to see in Olympia and all historical elements of the birthplace of the Olympic Games. When you arrive in Olympia you will not not loose valuable time in case there are a lot of people waiting in a queue at the ticket booth as we would have purchased in advance the entrance tickets.
For your guided tour there will be assigned enough tour guides, so no one will be in a group larger than 25 people. The guided tour of the archeological site and museum will last about 2 and a half hours.
The archeological site of the first Olympic Games, in 776 B.C., lies in the lush valley formed by the Alfios river. There is a temple of Zeus which in antiquity was housing one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world, the gold and ivory statue of Zeus, which Phedias had created. Then see the temple of Hera, as well as the shrine of Hera which is where since 1936 the Olympic Torch is always being lit from the sun, 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. Here 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 marble statue of Nike and the bronze helmet of general Miltiades who defeated the Persian army in 490 BC in the battle of Marathon.
After the guided tour you will have a short stop in the modern town of Olympia, for coffee or shopping.
After your free time in Olympia, you can enjoy the serene environment of a local restaurant, where Mrs. Vasso, the owner, will personally greet you with a warm smile and an all-you-can-eat buffet. You will have the opportunity to taste some of the most famous recipes of traditional Greek cuisine, cooked by Vasso in homemade style. Gyros and “tyropita” will be prepared there, in front of you, as well as many other famous dishes such as stuffed cabbage leaves in lemon sauce(lachanodolmades), mousaka, stuffed tomatoes and peppers with rice(yemista), fresh peas or green beans cooked in olive oil, vegetable soup, veal stew with onions in wine sauce(stifado) and of course tzatziki and beetroot salad. These are some of the dishes you will be able to enjoy and depending on the season and what's fresh each day in the market, several other options will be available and one or two of the above mentioned dishes might not be available the day you will be here. Wine from local vine yards and traditional Greek desserts are included with no extra charge.
Please note that most of the dishes are GLUTEN FREE as well as that most dishes are appropriate for VEGETERIANS.
Take advantage of the restaurant's pool for a quick swim before lunch, or relaxation on the sun beds, weather permitting.
When it’s time to depart for Katakolon, your guide will make sure that everyone is on the bus and will escort you back to the port. On the way back you can discuss your experience in Olympia and ask questions that your guide will be happy to answer.
