We will begin with a drive along the coast. On the way you will view of some Greek seaside villages and the island of Salamis (where the historical naval battle took place between the Athenians and the Persians). Our first stop the Corinth Canal. Opened in 1892 separating the Peloponnese peninsula from the rest of Greece and connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. You will have time to walk across on a pedestrian bridge to admire the canal closer, (if you’re game) on some days bungee jumping is an option.
After the stop at the canal we will head towards Mystras driving into the southern Peloponnese peninsula through the mountainous landscape of the Greek country side. Reaching Mystras you will automatically understand why this location stands so unique within the Greek sites. Known as the ghost city, fortified on a citadel, Mystras is one of the two locations in Greece that preserves not only medieval churches but also ordinary houses, mansions and palaces of the Byzantine Empire in combination with Frankish elements.
Walking in the site on the upper point you will reach the citadel and enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding areas while walking down hill you will meet the palaces and the Royal courtyards. Although known as the ghost city most of the monasteries are still in use and the monks will gladly show you around their small society. Before you exit you will come across the chapel of St. Demetrios, on its floor survives a plaque depicting a two head eagle (the symbol of Byzantium). It was on this very plaque that Konstantine Palaiologos kneeled before he was crowned the last emperor of the Byzantium.
Following that we will spend the rest of our time in Sparta known as the eternal rival city of the Athenian Democracy. Sparta revolved around a different Cosmo theory for the ancient Greek standards. Initially known as the birth place of Helen of Troy and the Kingdom of Menelaus (in Mycenaean period), Sparta was organized as a purely military society in the ancient Greek period. It was the city of the two Kings were a few aristocrats ruled and of course the city where Leonidas and his 300 Spartans marched from to face the Persian army Thermopylae in 480 BCE.
Continuing we will pass in front of the stadium where the statue of King Leonidas stands marking the ending point of Spartathlon race (Athens – Sparta 245,3 km).
We will visit the museum of (olive and) olive oil and learn many things about the most famouss products of Greece.
We will drive back to Athens.
My experience was incredible! I traveled alone, and Panos was nothing short of respectful, attentive, and professional. He explained everything clearly and pointed out significant landmarks throughout the entire journey. I highly recommend him and will definitely book with him again!
Theodore, an exceptionally knowledgeable and amiable history guide, is an invaluable resource. I highly recommend this company to anyone seeking a truly enriching historical experience.
I'm so glad that I picked this tour - Mystras was amazing and well worth the long drive. The Isthmus of Corinth and Acropolis of Spartas were nice bonuses too and worth a short visit. This being a customisable private tour, I skipped the Olive Museum to spend more time exploring the awe-inspiring, very late Byzantine era fortress, churches, ruins, and restored palace in the fortified mountain-top city of Mystras. Nikos, my guide and driver, was excellent, dropping me off near the top of the mountain and meeting me with the car at the bottom, making it an easier downhill walk. He explained everything on the long drive, answered questions and suggested a great spot for lunch.
Nikos was a terrific guide. He was on time and in a roomy van. He drove us to the Corinthian canal, took us to Sparta, an olive museum( which is an interest to us), we walked the path in Mystra, had a lovely meal and headed home. We had a lovely day and appreciated how helpful and knowledgeable Nikos was. What a fun day!
Visit to Mystras was excellent. Great walk through the ruins of the Byzantine era city. Spectacular views of the countryside, and a very good lunch in town. Our guide Theodore was great. Very friendly, and he was a wealth of knowledge on the history of the area. The only somewhat dissapointment was Sparta. Visiting Corinth would be a better option for those who haven't been there.
Terry was our guide for this one day trip. He is very knowledgeable and we had a great conversation during the long commute to Sparta. Mystras was mesmerizing and a must visit to the archeological site while Sparta mostly was a stop by experience and we found the visit to the Sparta museum was a tad less luscious. A private tour is expensive but you get to have a more personal and flexible experience which we appreciated.
We had an awesome day with Panos! He was so friendly, attentive, and patient. We appreciated his knowledge on all the historic sites we visited. He drove us to every destination safely and with great care. Lastly, the itinerary was perfect - our personal highlight being Mystras castle. Thank you, Panos, & be well!
There is no better way to see Sparta and Mystras and as a fan of hoplite history, getting to see Sparta in person was an unforgettable experience. The statue of Leonidas is absolutely amazing and only a short distance away is the ruins of Mystras. It is easily one of the most beautiful sites to see and is very accessible. Our driver Andreas was also absolutely outstanding, the drive was very enjoyable and he made it all the better with his stories and insight into the areas we drove by. He was flexible with our travel and brought us to a restaurant near Mystras that was unbelievably good. This trip was worth every penny spent!
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and very personable. He totally planned an enjoyable time during the visit of each site. Going to see Mystra and Sparta was a highlight of our trip.
HIGHLY recommend the drive to Mystras!! Get out of the city and see the countryside!!!! It was BEAUTFUL!! Sparta was incredible. It was more about the atmosphere than the ruins, just the feeling of walking the ancient ruins was magical. Nikos was amazing. Super prompt, accommodating, full of history and FRIENDLY!! He gave us our time to explore how we wished and used the car ride to fill us in on all things Greece. Vehicle was very comfortable and the ride didn’t feel long with all of the amazing conversation. And the iced bottled water came in clutch in our hike down the mountain. YES NIKKO!!!!! Thank you for everything and we hope you visit the Fingerlakes!! Call us!
This trip is the best among the tours we have joined in recent years. The minivan is very comfortable. Our driver Theodore is knowledgeable and informative. He provided answers to our questions about Greek and Sparta and we history lovers were very impressive. For those who like European history and at the same time hiking or exploring, you must not miss this excursion.
Out of a few day tours we’ve had, this was one of the most relaxing trips. The driver was humorous, informative and made a very comfortable atmosphere. We loved the wide range of knowledge we gained about Greek history especially when we’re history lovers ourselves.
Terry was our guide for the day and he was the best! He was an excellent driver, full of knowledge, very attentive to our needs, and flexible to what we wanted to do on the way. He shared a lot of the history along the drive making it interesting and fun. It was a great way to see some of the country, and seeing Mystras was really incredible. Thanks for a great day Terry!
We had a wonderful time on this tour. We went to a monastery in the mountains, where we saw beautiful views, amazing ruins, and got to watch an impressive storm pass from the church on the mountain. We also visited Sparta, saw the statue of Leonidas, and visited the museum. The day ended with a delicious late lunch at a local restaurant. Worth the visit. Lots of walking and climbing, so dress for a hike and bring sunscreen and water.
We booked this day trip from Athens because we wanted to see some Sparta sites and get some history. Pick up was easy from our hotel, we got to go exactly where we wanted, got some great tips from the friendly guide, and we’re back in time for a nice dinner. There’s no way we could’ve had the flexibility if we had booked it with a bus, and we’re really pleased with the entire experience. Marios did an amazing job.
Terry was absolutely amazing! He was such a great tour guide with amazing knowledge of the area! Very interesting facts! Helped customize our journey due to disabilities and we had an absolute amazing time! We can’t say enough amazing things about this tour and Terry specifically. We felt so well cared for- amazing stop for lunch and we saw everything we were hoping for and more! Absolutely worth the tour and you will be in good hands! Very appreciative of the team making our vacation such a memorable one! And certainly recommend this tour.
We did this tour with our guide Terry. Between my wife and I, we had an incredible time. Terry was so knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. I highly recommend this tour and guide for anyone visiting Greece.
I would highly recommend this tour! Our day began with a drive from Athens to the Corinth Canal. Our guide Andreas was phenomenal! Very personable, hospitable, and went above and beyond to ensure we had a good time. We missed the changing of the guard in our last tour, so Andreas stopped by the changing of the guard and allowed us to see it in the very beginning. He provided us with a detailed explanation of the significance of the guards, making the experience all the more authentic! Our first stop at the Canal was great! Andreas put on a video for us to watch while we were driving, which enhanced our experience and understanding all the more. Next we drove to Sparti where we stopped to see the statue of King Leonidas. This was a great experience as we got to take pictures with the statue and it wasn’t crowded. The olive museum was great!Not too busy and very interesting! The trip to Mystras was fantastic, the history was rich, the pathways were easy to follow, and the views were spectacular. Andreas drove us to the top and we walked down making it easier. The food at the tavern was delicious, the pork special came with crackling pork and the best potato’s I’ve ever had. All in all, this experience was better than we had hoped for. In addition to our itinerary, Andreas took us to places in Sparti and shared about his experiences growing up in that area. He made this an authentic Greek experience, he was genuine, knowledgeable, and made it personalized based on our preferences. At the conclusion of this tour we were not being dropped off by a tour guide, we were being dropped off by our new friend. If you are looking for a self-paced, authentic, and highly enjoyable experience, I strongly recommend booking with Olive Sea Travel. Both tours we did exceeded our expectations, when we booked we were looking for a private tour that was reasonably priced, not overly “touristy”, less crowded, and self-paced. Olive sea travel exceeded this expectations.
Our family had a wonderful experience with this tour! After a few days in Athens it was fun to explore the area outside of the city, and our driver/guide, George, was fantastic! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made us all feel incredibly comfortable. Mystras is beautiful and unique, and after our hike we had a delicious lunch in the town (George's recommendation). An excellent way to see the impressive mountains and countryside of southern Greece!
This excursion was definitely the highlight of our trip. Our guide, Alexander, was friendly, knowledgeable, easy to talk with, and seemed to enjoy showing us around as much as we enjoyed the sights. If my family and I find ourselves in Greece again, we’re certainly reaching out for another tour with him.
We booked this tour after seeing and being impressed by the movie "300". As a reminder, this film tells the heroic battle of 300 Spartans in the Strait of Thermopylae against the Persian army. As the distance between Athens and Sparta is around 250 km, this tour involved a lot of time in the car and you would think it could have been boring. On the contrary, our driver Alexander performed magic and gave us a university level course on the history of ancient Greek civilization. During the entire trip, he told us everything about Greek mythology, down to the smallest detail. This allows us to understand how the ancients thought and why they built their city in this way. Mythological awareness also transforms our understanding of archaeological constructions: although a stone will always look like a stone, knowing that King Leonidas could probably have sat or walked on it sparks the imagination and makes everything much more fascinating. We made a first stop at the Corinth Canal and were able to take some impressive photos. Arriving at the archaeological site of Sparta, we were able to see the remains of the ancient city. Restoration work was still underway to try to rebuild as much as possible of what time and invasions had destroyed. Bearing in mind the many stories our driver Alexander told us along the way, we could better imagine what life was like here thousands of years ago. We also visited the Spartan Museum where we could see well-preserved statues, sculptures and other relics. A next stop was planned in the "newest" medieval city of Mystras. We explored the site on foot, but we were still too impressed by the Spartan archaeological site, and we were not in the mental state to appreciate this “modern” site. So we changed the plan and asked our driver Alexander to return to Sparta for shopping and walking in the streets. On our way, we discovered pretty statues in the (new) town evoking the glorious past of this town. On the way back to Athens we had some more fun and exciting talks with our driver Alexander. We are delighted to have carried out this tour and we can only recommend Alexandre to lead it. Congratulations Alexander!
Great touring guide, realy knows a lot! Epic scenerys and lots of information about history an myths!
We were delighted to learn that Babis and Alice would be our tour guides for the second time for a Private Sparta Day tour. For years, my mother's family has been attempting to find family in the Sparta area, which was what prompted this tour. When we mentioned this in passing, Babis did a great deal of research attempting to locate our municipal village in Sparta. Ultimately we found and visited the village, where no one in Greece spoke English, and we did not speak Greek. This prompting our tour guides to become our translators. The end result was that we met family and learned so much more about our histories. It was the first contact of American Greeks with their Mainland Greek family in 50 years, and our guides went out of their way to facilitate this connection. Through this connection, we learned of more Greek family in the United States. We were delighted that the Greeks kept insisting that Babis and Alice were part of the family, and they are more than welcome at our next reunion.
Nasos was a fantastic driver who has a lot of historical knowledge. Nasos was on time, made all the stops we requested, and gave us enough time at each stop to enjoy the sights. Nasos knew his way very well and when roads were stopped, he quickly navigated around so that we even had time to get to our ship on time! We highly recommend Nasos and if we come back, we will look forward to his help!
Thank you Alexander for a great day. We loved not just the sites but your knowledge of each area and the mythical stories and your enthusiasm. It was great to learn more about not just the past but what life is like in the present. We hope to visit again some day. Chrissie and Ross, NZ
Nasos and Mano made this a trip I would never forget. They personalised it and made it the highlight of my holiday. I cannot thank them enough
We had an amazing time on our tour. Sparta and Mystras were both awesome towns and places to visit. What really made the tour great was our tour guide Nasos. He personalized our experience and brought personality to the tour. Him being a local was a plus as well because he knew much of the history of the area and local places to eat and see. If we ever come back we are asking for him personally!
Professional and friendly driver. Would definitely book with Olive Sea Travel again next time ! Thank you!
Alexander was a wonderful tour guide. He arrived on time to pick us up at our hotel, and provided us with water. He was very knowledgeable, kind and engaging. He gave us a great recommendation for lunch and made sure to get us a table. His van was immaculate and comfortable. He dropped us off at the top of Mystras and waited for us at the bottom so we could walk down at our own pace (instead of walking UP), which was very much appreciated. We had a terrific day, and enjoyed his conversation in the car. We would definitely ask for Alexander again if we return to Athens.
Hiking up to Mystras and seeing the beautiful scenery. It's was breath taking on the hike itself and picturesque. Our tour guide Nasos was magnificent and very knowledgeable. Would definitely do it again.
Our driver was amazing! We took this tour mainly to see Sparta but Mystras was a very pleasant surprise. Our driver Petros was knew so much! We talked almost non-stop al the way If we get here again I would insist on him as our driver
We loved our day trip to Sparta. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and friendly and funny. The Mystras stop was beautiful and a nice hike up to the top before descending down through the town. The stop at the Corinth Canal was beautiful as well. Definitely would recommend this tour and tour company to anyone for a fun adventure.
The tour was amazing. Our guide and driver, Alexander, was very knowledgeable and charismatic. We really enjoyed the history of Greece, Sparta and the Mystras that he told us throughout the drive. Overall, it was an amazing experience, 5 out of 5 rating and would recommend to everyone.
A highlight of our recent stay in Athens was the private day tour to Sparta and Mystras. We chose Olive Sea Travel on the basis of other reviews and we were not disappointed. Our driver, Lysandros, was excellent. Punctual; friendly; efficient/flexible in terms of managing the day's itinerary; and most importantly, very knowledgeable and informative. Thank you Lysandros. It was a pleasure to enjoy your company and conversation on what was a most interesting tour both in terms of the destinations and the countryside and sights en route. William and Christine Smith
If you are looking for a flexible and wonderful tour please choose this Sparta Private Tour. Chris was wonderful and knowledgeable about everything. Easy way to view everything on your own time. Mystras is a must see, bring comfortable shoes and be ready to take a lot of photos overlooking Sparta.
The knowledge of our “ Pilate “ Nasos and his co companion Andreas was exceptional. The trip has been the highlight of our week in Athens. We would highly recommend this excursion and only wish we had booked more. Thank you Nasos & Andreas for a fabulous day. From Mr Darin & Miss Gemma
We had the best day and guide with Theodoropoulos - it was amazing to be shown around Sparta by a local who made sure to show us all the secret spots and made sure we saw the best of Sparta and Mystros. The time spent at each stop was perfect (we were never rushing or waiting around) and he had lots of really good local recommendations. All round an amazing day!
Our private guide and driver made this day trip exceptional. Both were knowledgeable in different ways and collaborated and corroborated information. We enjoyed the museum, walking tours and lunch. I suggest one wear secure hiking shoes or sneakers for Mystras. Thank you Olive Sea tour company for your excellent communication in the weeks and days before the actual tour. The Mercedes van was big & very clean.
Our driver and guide were phenomenal! thank you. We had an interesting drive from Athens, full of valuable information, walking tour on site, museum visit, delicious lunch at a quaint taverna, and fantastic hike around Mystras. I just hope I tipped enough because I wasn’t sure if custom- to give each the same amount or give one more. Also- be sure to wear sneakers or comfortable walking/hiking shoes with good grip.
We took this tour on July 3, 2022, and had an amazing day at Mystras and Sparta. Our driver / guide , Lysandros was very knowledgeable and accommodating, we got to visit all the sites we wanted to see and , learnt a lot of history about Mystras, Sparta, and Greece from him. We highly recommend this tour and Lysandros as a guide.
Our tour with Olive Sea given by Natos was superior, it was one of the highlights of our trip. He treated us as though he was showing sights to his friends rather than strangers he had just met. He added special sights, and filled us with knowledge we did not expect! One of the best tour guides we have ever had!!! We had the best day, despite the warm temperatures!!!
We loved this tour! Our guide/driver picked us up at our hotel in a clean and comfortable car. He was very friendly and fun. Extremely informative about every location we visited. He did an excellent job driving and parking. He had reservations ready for us at lunch and it was delicious. It was a stress-free day for our group because he was so prepared and knowledgeable.
This was the best tour! We loved our driver. Nasos new so much history and took us on little extras!
Overall it was a fantastic experience! My guides were incredibly knowledgeable and extremely helpful throughout. By the end, I felt like I’d spent a day touring Greece with friends rather than simply guides!
Mystras is an amazing place. Our driver Alex was top-notch with lots of information and friendly advice. A very memorable experience that we would recommend to others.
Our day trip to Sparta would not have been the same without Nasos. He made the trip an epic adventure! You will never meet anyone as kind and generous as Nasos. He knew all the secret spots for great photos, the best way to survive the hike to Mystras castle, and all the stories behind everything we saw. His genuine pride in his job and his culture being a Spartan himself just added to the experience. He is very gentlemanly and respectful. He made amazing recommendations for food and gift shops in the area. The city, the culture, the views were amazing and the trip well worth it. Nasos was more than just a driver or a guide. He took us on an adventure by sharing his love of his home and his enthusiasm was endearing and contagious. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Even if you have visited Sparta. Do it again with Nasos. You will feel like you are seeing it for the first time! We did and it made all the difference. We couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day!
Our guide/driver, Dem made our trip exciting, memorable and very special. We even got to add a stop to the itinerary, even though it was not included. I am going back with a promise to recommend this company and its services to my friends and family. Thank you for the lovely day!
We had a wonderful tour of Mystras and Ancient Sparta. Our tour guides, George and Jimmy, were very professional and accommodating. George was a great driver and went out of his way to make us comfortable and show us the sights. He is very knowledgeable about the area and he spoke perfect English! We went to a very good restaurant for lunch and then headed back to Athens. The car ride was 2.5 hours each way, but it went fast and the scenery was beautiful.
This tour was okay but extremely expensive for what we received. Our driver was good and had good knowledge and it was not his fault that the tour did not meet our expectations, however this tour should not be conducted when a number of the sites were closed. The ancient site at Sparta was closed so should not be. A Sparta tour. At Mystras the palace and Museum was closed. For almost $700 Australian dollars I was left disappointed. Basically we did not see much.
This was a great experience and well worth it. We loved getting out of Athens to see the beautiful countryside. Mystras is a beautiful site and we had a wonderful time exploring the ruins. Dem was a great driver and very knowledgeable.
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