We will pick you up from your accommodation on your private car or van
After leaving Athens, in about 1 hour drive, our first stop will be the Corinth Canal where you can gaze the breathtaking view from the bridge and take great photos. The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the isthmus at sea level and has no locks.
After about 2 and a half hour drive we will reach Sparta which is 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).
The Museum of Olive and Greek Olive Oil, in Sparta, transports you to the culture, history and technology of the olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. The Museum's objective is to highlight the ineffable relation of the olive with the identity of our country and, more generally, the Mediterranean basin. The olive and olive oil are presented here from different optical angles: the economy, nutrition and the olive's uses, religious worship, art and technology. The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil offers you the opportunity to see the very first testimonies about the presence of the olive tree and the production of olive oil in Greece: Rare fossilized olive leaves, 50,000-60,000 years old, from the island of Santorini, the oldest findings offering proof of the presence of the olive tree en Greece Linear B Tablets of the 14th century BC (exact replicas), with the first written testimonies about the olive and olive oil.
After about 1 hour and 30 minutes, we will reach mythical Monemvasia. This is a living medieval city, developed on an island that is connected to the Greek mainland. A fortress and a prosperous city of the Byzantine empire Monemvasia (literally means one entrance) still survives, the narrow streets, the mansions, the small houses, the churches , the wall, the gate and the citadel, the city is still inhabited. Here history comes truly alive, you can have lunch by the sea upon the old wall and walk in the city continually discovering new points of interest.
We will return to Athens and drop you off at your accommodation.
Harry did a great job driving us to Monemvasia, a beautiful old village carved into the side of an island that's connected to the mainland by a short isthmus. On the way, we stopped in Sparta, where we walked around its Acropolis, and visited an excellent small museum about the history of olive oil. Harry added dimension to our tour with stories about life in Greece today. Thanks Harry!
Harry was great! He was very knowledgable and made great conversation the whole way. Would do this again with others if I had the chance .
Fantastic tour. Worth the drive. The olive oil museum is very well done and informative. Sparta was interesting. The highlight was Monemvasia! Wow. Try to spend most your time here! The car was excellent, the driver , Dimetri was courteous and informative.
It was exactly what I was looking for and I am glad I did this tour. Monemvasia is stunningly beautiful, a true gem. Would recommend seeing. I have been to Athens several times before and had already done the more common day tours. I had always wanted to see Monemvasia but I only had 1 day free and thus this booking was perfect for me. Was picked up on time from my hotel in a clean, comfortable air conditioned Mercedes SUV with charging port for my phone. The drive is long but gorgeous scenery along the way in the Peloponnese with sights of mountains, farms of olive trees and water views. There was enough time for stops including 2 bathroom/ coffee stops. There was a quick stop at Corinth Canal for classic photo stop along with a quick stop at Leonidas statue in Sparta. Ruins at Sparta are sparse, not much there, but it was free and had beautiful vistas. The Olive Oil museum is small but interesting. These stops broke up the drive. But the true highlight was the medieval fortress town of Monemvasia. No cars inside main gate, just a labyrinth of winding streets of shops and restaurants, surrounded by a fortress wall and stunning views of the sea sparkling in the sun, the bluest of colors. Had time for lunch at a restaurant recommend by the driver with one of the most picturesque views overlooking the water that I have ever eaten at, and good Greek food too. Only had 2 hours to enjoy the town so it was short but I am happy I got to see it. The young driver Jason was very friendly, curteous and prompt (and English speaking). He is not a licensed guide so he did not go over history or accompany me on sites, I explored the sites on my own but I was expecting this when I signed up as it was as described as such on tour page. I had just wanted a private driver to get me/to from Monemvasia in a single day and the trip was exactly as promised. Lots of driving for sure, about 10 hours total, but it went by fast and was comfortable drive.
Truly the highlight of our trip. We loved every minute of it. The food, the wine, the conversations, everything was incredible and perfectly timed. Can’t recommend enough!
Definitely one of the hidden gem tours from Athens! Our tour guide Harry was very accommodating and knowledgeable which makes for good conversation on the commutes.
This trip is well worth the experience. George our driver was very knowledgeable about the history and culture and he made our day more enjoyable. Would recommend.
We had the most amazing time on our trip! Theo was incredible—knowledgeable, friendly, and went above and beyond to make it a special experience. Even though it was a full-day trip, it went by so quickly. He planned the stops perfectly so it never felt long or tiring. The company was also very accommodating and allowed us to customize one part of the itinerary to better fit our interests, which we really appreciated. Highly recommend!
This was a very long day but so totally worth the time. George was our driver and a great ambassador for Greece. When we asked if we could see the sites of ancient Corinth from Biblical times he was glad to add that to our trip. That was a highlight to us! Sparta and the Olive museum were quaint and a nice break on the drive. But the real highlight was the trek to visit Monemvasia. This ancient town was so worth the drive. This is a great tour to see a lot of southern Greece!
Find a tour operator that cares more about their customers. The night before this tour was set to begin, the manager messaged (no call, I didn't see the message until hours later) me and says there could be delays to due farmers strikes. I didn't know what that was at the time so I wasn't too worried. Until I was stuck on another tour, waiting in traffic for hours where people literally had to exit their vehicles to relieve themselves. This obviously is not the fault of the tour operator but I messaged them again asking if we should cancel, they said it should be fine. I then discussed with locals and other tourists who explained the issues they faced and it sounded like a nightmare for a tourist. So the morning of, I said I didn't feel comfortable with proceeding but the driver showed up anyway and the manager refused to cancel and refund or reschedule the trip. The driver was incredibly nice and patient and this doesn't reflect him at all. The company itself should be more flexible with their customers. They're dealing with people in foreign environments and comfort matters. Given what I was told by others (multiple locals, drivers, operators) and my own experiences, I didn't think it was advisable but they disagreed. They are the experts so I'm sure they are right but their information came from local police and the police were the ones blocking the roads so I find that to be unreliable information. If they had given me more notice, perhaps I would have canceled within their refund window but they themselves didn't tell me the tour was going to be delayed until that window closed anyway, that should go both ways and if something unexpected like this happens, there should flexibility on both sides. I could have done the tour another day, accepted a partial refund or anything but they did not work with me at all. We're talking about protests and police road blocks being added to an already full day tour. So again, I would look elsewhere or just rent a car. Viator has requested a refund for the second time so we'll see if they make it right but until then, I feel I must warn other travelers. The company will probably respond saying they showed up and waited and it was outside of the refund window (all true) but again, things changed, new factors were introduced and this is a customer service business. I'm sure this tour would have been great given my messages with the driver but don't expect any support or kindness from the management.
The trip was wonderful! Theo was amazing! He picked us up right from our doorstep on time with a big smile and big heart! We had great conversations on the road on politics, history, cultural and many other topics which was great. On top of his description, he prepared a two-page info sheets to read before each site which we found very helpful. He was very attentive, accommodating and went way and beyond to make us comfortable. We are a family of 4, with two kids 14 and 8. We all enjoyed the trip very much. Highly recommended.
The trip was wonderful! Theo was amazing! He picked us up right from our doorstep on time with a big smile and big heart! We had great conversations on the road on politics, history, cultural and many other topics which was great. On top of his description, he prepared a two-page info sheets to read before each site which we found very helpful. He was very attentive, accommodating and went way and beyond to make us comfortable. We are a family of 4, with two kids 14 and 8. We all enjoyed the trip very much. Highly recommended.
Amazing and beautiful tour of Monemvasia. Our guide Harry was great. We had time to explore the city at our leisure and eat at a very good restaurant. Thank you so much for this tour.
We had a fantastic time with our guide Harry, such a great guy he showed us around Sparta and the surrounding areas all the ruins and various historic sites. Harry was very knowledgeable and kept us in great spirits we had a lot of laughs and learnt so much about the history of the area even a bit of language good places to eat and be entertained Really can’t say enough and highly recommend the Tour and especially Harry. Nothing like be shown the sites of Sparta by a Spartan
The trip was perfect, it was a long distance but the attention and service made it very light. Excellent driver (Harry) has explanations for every question and always was very kind and profesional. Everything was punctual and well done. Exceed by far the expectations by far.
This was 1 of 4 tours I booked with Crispy Local during our vacation in Greece. Our plan was to stay in Athens and take day-trips to expand our experiences by seeing as much of Greece as possible. This driver was fantastic and easy conversation made the trip seem to go by quickly. We first went to Sparta (or Sparti, as they call it) and toured the ruins and the statue of King Leonidas. We then proceeded to Monemvasia where the driver recommended a small restaurant with a great view - I think it was the best meal we had on our visit. At first, Monemvasia seemed like a maze, until we realized that all the streets seemed to run in parallel and were mostly connected. The water was SO blue, and clear it was amazing.
Harry was a fantastic tour guide, endless information about the area and history. Sparta, olive museum and Fortress was just ola kala. The food, atmosphere of the small town and locals was an amazing experience.
Momenvasia was great we also saw Sparta from the outside. Our driver George was also very kind accomodating and patient. Must view area with great views and historical significance.
We had an amazing time and Nick was so brilliant, we can’t speak highly enough of his professionalism, lovely personality and incredible knowledge ✅✅✅ Sparta and Monemvasia were wonderful, and the views around Monevasia were amazing.
Had an amazing time. Was able to visit the ancient site of Sparta and the archaeological museum before heading off to the majestic medieval town. Our driver Harry was excellent. Very knowledgeable and attentive to our needs. Would recommend this tour to everyone.
We had a wonderful day on this tour. Giorgos picked us up right on time and the car was clean and comfortable. He provided us with background information on the places we would be visiting and we enjoyed pleasant conversation and learned about Greek culture. There was a lot of driving involved for sure, but we were able to relax and request rest stops as needed. Monemvasia is spectacular! I would highly recommend.
This tour was so relaxing. Private car was so comfortable. Nathaniel allowed for time to do some quick shopping and bathroom breaks. Sparta was very cool, the museum was lively, small and no queues. The Olive museum was excellent and so informative. Finallly, monemvasia was spectacular. We had private time to have lunch, explore and shop. The tour guide is an amazing and knowledgeable young person. We had an amazing time. Thank you for offering such a wonderful experience 💗
What an amazing day. Just enough time for everything. The museums we visited in Sparta were small and so lovely. No long queues. The museum of olive oil was so interesting and important to this country. Monemvasia was absolutely stunning. We had time to ourself to have lunch, and explore and shop 💗. Nathaniel is an outstanding young person. Very knowledgeable. Just a great young man, all people in this world should be more like him.
This was a very long day trip to see not very much. The Corinth Canal is beautiful and worth the visit. However Sparta itself was disappointing and given that the Archaeological Site was free, that was indicative of how little there was to see there, The Museum of the Olive Oil was interesting and should you wish to buy Olive Oil, there is a great shop across the street from the museum that sells products from Sparta. Monemvasia is beautiful however the fortress was closed for repairs so we were limited to what we could do. I would not recommend this trip but I would highly recommend our driver Henri, who was personable and very knowledgeable. It was a pleasure to spend time with him.
Harry was fantastic driver, he was very knowledgeable and friendly. Sparta was a cool little town.Views at Monemvasia were picturesque. The whole drive was beautiful. It was a long day but 100% worth it.
We had a wonderful trip to Sparta and Monemvasia with Crispy Local. Anthony is an excellent guide, driver and host! It is quite a distance from Athens but it absolutely worth it. The views on the way to Sparta and Monemvasia are most of the time breathtaking (except for the industrial part of Attica). The Olive Museum is worth a visit. Sadly the remains of old Sparta are little, but you must have seen it, especially with the majestic Tayetos mountains at the horizon. Monemvasia is a fortified medieval town with small, labyrinth-like streets and great views over the see.
This was the best day trip we took during our stay in Athens! Easy pickup and dropoff at our Airbnb. Our driver, George, was very friendly and we had excellent conversation during the trip. All of the stops were historically significant and much less crowded than the sights in Athens. It was a beautiful drive through the countryside with amazing view of the Aegean Sea from several stops. I highly recommend this tour!
At first it seemed like a long drive when we glanced at it but it was so worth it. Our driver was absolutely super professional and very knowledgeable. He basically knew everything we asked about Greek history and ideas of where to spend our last few days. It is a day trip about 10 hours but we were still able to hangout in Athens when we got back for some drinks since everything closes late. He picked us up in a BMW which was very clean. Was not pushy or rushing us at all. We were able to explore on our own. Great communication. I was a huge fan of 300 and wanted to learn more about Sparta and the history behind the true story. Was kinda of surreal to walk the ruins and glance at the mountains I’m the background. The last location of monemvasia will completely blow you away. You will eat probably some of the most amazing food there and the sites are breathtaking. Plenty of stops on the way and they pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. Believe me, it is absolutely worth it. We were so happy we were able to fit this into our Athens trip.
Impressively going back in time and feeling and smelling what it was like in those times. Environment is secluded from the outside. Wonderful restaurants top quality!
Beautiful tour, Monvasia and Corinth not to be missed! The driver, Henri, is very helpful and professional. Not to be missed for anyone coming to Athens on holiday
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