Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea are connected by the Corinth Canal. It divides the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland by slicing through the small Corinthian Isthmus, so arguably turning the peninsula into an island. Without locks, the canal was excavated across the isthmus at sea level. Many modern ships cannot cross it since it is barely 21.4 meters (70 feet) broad at its base and 6.4 kilometers (4 km) long. Views of Corinth's isthmus are best seen from a height, where you can also take in the city's sheer limestone walls and watch the boats navigating the canal below.
Olympia was a sacred place that attracted worshipers from around the ancient world. Starting from the 8th century BC, the religious celebrations at Olympia became associated with the Sacred Olympic Truce, honored throughout the Greek world following an agreement between the Spartan Lykourgos and the King of Elis, Iphitos. In the 5th century BC, Olympia became a place where ideas were spread, with dozens of thinkers and influential individuals coming here to exchange and pass on their knowledge and ideas.
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the principal museums of Greece, located in Olympia. It is overseen by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, and, as of 2009, is directed by Georgia Chatzi. When the original building was completed and opened in 1882, it was the first museum in Greece outside of Athens. The museum houses discoveries from the surrounding area, including the site of the Ancient Olympic Games. The collection includes objects produced and used in the area from prehistory to its time under Roman rule. The principal pieces in the museum are Hermes and the Infant Dionysus (attributed to Praxiteles), some objects from the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paionios, as well as an oenochoe that belonged to Phidias. The extent of its bronze collection makes it one of the most important in the world.
The archaeological site held over 70 significant buildings, and ruins of many of these survive. Of special interest to Greeks of all times is the Pelopion, the tomb of the quasi-mythical king, ancestor of the Atreids, the two kings who led their domains to war against Troy. The Peloponnesus is named for Pelops. The tomb suggests that he may not have been entirely mythical.
its a nice and important place to visit ..we enjoy the ride and the company of the driver..he was friendly and he guide us with every detail...i reccomend that without second thought..enjoy Greece everywhere
Experience was amazing, especially if one is interested in the history this tour offered. Guide was amazing!
Yiannis was a great guide and the trip was wonderful!
Yiannis was an incredible guide! We really enjoyed his perspective on the history of Greece.
Yiannis was great, and made the long trip fly by.
Cristiano was punctual and very polite. He provided a safe experience to Olympia from Athens and I would request him over and over again. Thank you!
Yiannis and the trip to Olympia were fantastic! Good stops along the way, Yiannis was full of information to share and a friendly person to enjoy a car ride with. Worth booking!
Yiannis was an amazing guide/driver, we had a great time and the drive to Olympia so really didn't feel long. Both, Corinth Channel and Olympia are worth seeing. The time I had there also was enough to get a good impression of each of these places without the feeling of being in a hurry. After all I definitely can recommend the trip.
The trip and the tour were amazing. the guide told us about the history of the place. Thank you very very much!!!!!!!!!!!
Nikos was very pleasant and did nice job. He was on time for the pick up and offered adequate narration. Thank you Charles Albee
everything was fabulous highly recommend driver was great and knowledgeable and super friendly. it is totally worth the experience
This was a great trip. Nikos was the best driver I have ever had. I really enjoyed my conversations with him and learnt alot about Greece
Yiannis went out of his way to give us an amazing tour, including scenic routes and wonderful conversation in the car. It felt like I was on a road trip with a friend.
Incredible trip to Olympia and Cornith canal! Nikos was very informative and made a lengthy trip fun and enjoyable!!! Definitely recommend the tour and Nikos!!
The Corinth Canal is a very brief stop but it is worth seeing how deep of a canal was built. Pretty impressive. Ancient Olympia has a very nice museum and ruins of the Olympic village. There was less in the Olympic Village than we expected but it was worth going to as you can still see the outlines of the buildings and the race track.
It was a beautiful 4hr drive each way. Nicos was an excellent driver and very pleasant to talk to. Olympia was a very interesting place to visit.
Fantastic trip day trip from Athens to Ancient Olympia with Nikos. It was a long drive but well worth it. Seeing the birthplace of the Olympics that included the historic site and two museums was a bucket list site for me. We even had time for shopping and lunch in town. Thanks Nikos for your excellent driving and conversation during our travel.
We had a wonderful day with Niko! He was very informative along the way and made the long trip very enjoyable.
Travel time was approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes each way. Getting out from Athens at 8 am in the morning was busy and jammed. We were picked up by the tour operator and dropped back at our apartment. Tour operator Nikos was polite, friendly and knowledgeable. He was very informative about the area we passed by. We enjoyed the green and nice scenery on the way to Olympia. It was worth it to experience the Archaeological sites in Olympia. We saw amazing ruins of the ancient sites. The Museum was great to visit. Our visit ended with some local gyros, mousakas and beer. It was satisfying.
The trip was very well , very satisfied. Although at the site they had blno maps, they had WiFi but I couldn't connect. So a little aggravating, but other than that I could off stayed longer nger
The canal was amazing and Olympia was beautiful. Really enjoyed the museum and archaeological site. Did not think the Olympic games museum was worth it.
A long day but absolutely worth it for the history! I did this tour solo in the middle of winter on a cloudy day. Communication prior to the excursion and during was excellent. It is a very long drive and I’m sure if you are a person who can sleep in a car that would be perfect for you. The site itself is just a stunning piece of ancient history and it was pretty empty which made exploring quite fun. I spent too much time exploring for lunch but got some take away and ate it during the drive back. This might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I had a great day.
This was a pefect way to be able to see Olympia from Athens since there are no direct trains or buses. Traveling alone, it was nice to have a pleasant driver to chat with en route!
very very long drive from athens to olympia, but if you don't see a plan of another trip to greece, i belive olympia is a better choice than delphi. their staffs are excellent, the van is roomie and comfortable, we had 3 hours in the museum and temple site, it was just enough to see everything.
Xenofontas was a great tour driver. He is very kind and he knows a lot about Greek culture, which makes the tour very enjoyable. It was easy to communicate with him and he made our trip very comfortable. I totally recommend taking the tour with him, if you want to get to Ancient Olympia he is the best option.
We enjoyed the private trip to Olympia. The driver was very accommodating. The 3 hours to and back were good to have a snooze. Having watched the Paris Olympics and knowing the Winter Olympics will come to our state in 10 years it was nice to see where it all began. Someone had left an olive leaf headband in the stadium so we put it on! The museum had some wonderful exhibits. The restaurant right next to the museum had delicious food.
We spent an unforgettable day visiting Ancient Olympia! First we started early in the morning and in a few hours we reached the Isthmus of Corinth where the view from above is very beautiful! After a few hours we arrived in Olympia and went to the archaeological museum, which is worth visiting as it has a special aura! In the end and after spending some time in the museum of the archaeological site, which is very enlightening, we went for food in the center of ancient Olympia! It is easily accessible and easy to walk! The driver was very kind, experienced and willing to help us with anything we might need! I should note that we have traveled with our child who is 3 years old and they gave us a special child seat which was very positive! Also, Mr. Xenophontas told us that we can stop whenever we need something for the child or for and there are a lot of options across the road, so you can take a break for bathroom or something to drink! In general, we were very pleased and we will definitely choose another tour of the company for the time we will be in Greece, as it is a way to get comfortably to your destination, especially if you have a child!
I was a little nervous to book this trip as, up until now, it had no reviews. I decided to take a chance based on the good reviews for the company in general, and it was such a good decision. I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games, and I knew when I decided to go to Greece I had to find a way to go to where they started. This trip exceeded my expectations, and it may be the coolest thing I have done in Greece. Please note that this trip includes the car and driver to and from Olympia NOT a guide in the actual archaeological site. I did the trip with my husband. Several days prior to the trip, my driver Xenofontas got in touch with me to confirm the pickup location. He was actually able to pick me up straight from my hotel. He was communicative and prompt, and we set off for the four-hour drive to Olympia. Xenofontas was an excellent driver and a pleasure to talk to. While he was not a tour guide, we got to talking about the differences between Greece and America, Greek battles of World War II, mythology...it was a long drive, but he made it feel short. When we actually got to the site, he directed us on how to get there and then left us to explore. The site itself...holy cow. I recommend doing a tiny bit of research ahead of time so you have some idea what is actually at the site (I just read the Wikipedia article), but the museum and the site were both very self-explanatory. I didn't feel I needed a guide. I truly believe Ancient Olympia is wildly underrated and will become a massive tourist destination in the near future, but for now it was absolutely incredible to wander self-directed around the place where the games were born with minimal crowds. (Apparently this isn't a common place to go on a vacation to Greece?!) History felt very present--I felt like I might blink and be transported back to its heyday at any moment. And while the main draw for me was the origination of the Olympics, my husband, who is not a big a fan as me, thought it was one of the coolest archaeological sites he's been too (especially having done the extremely crowded Acropolis the day before). I haven't mentioned the museum much because I was so blown away by the archaeological site, but it had some of the most gorgeous and well preserved statues. This included THE statue of the Nike whose image recently adorned the Olympic medals in Paris. This is a long day. From Athens, the drive is four hours each way plus about 3-4 hours for sightseeing. Honestly, it was a super cool bonus to see so much of the Greek countryside, something I didn't think about when I booked the trip. Xenofontas provided water and was able to stop at any time for bathroom breaks and snacks. There are tons of options for food right next to the archaeological site and time to have lunch either before or after seeing the site. (You can also explore the adjacent modern town of Olympia, but I decided to spend all my time at the site.) I was tired by the end of the day, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Do yourself a favor and book this trip. I'd bet money it will be one of your favorite memories too.
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