An Olympia day trip from Kyllini takes you from the ferry quay across the plain of Elis to the sanctuary where the Games began. More day trips from the ports of western Greece are on Greece Tours. Inside: the two bookable trips, the ferry from Zakynthos, the drive across Elis, the site, the farm stop, … Read more
Olympia horse riding puts you in the saddle on the sandy coast of Elis, the land that hosted the horse races of the ancient Games. More rides and tours across the mainland are listed on Greece Tours. This page covers the rides you can book, Kourouta beach, the cruise-day fit, the ancient hippodrome, the Olympic … Read more
An Olympia food tour joins a visit to the ancient sanctuary with local tastings or a meal in the countryside of Elis. For more days out, browse Greece Tours. This page sets out the tours you can book, how they run, the foods you taste, where they start, the season and common questions. What is … Read more
An Olympia day trip from Nafplio crosses the Peloponnese from the Argolic Gulf to the sanctuary of Zeus, where the ancient Olympic Games were held, and returns the same evening. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours. The sections below cover the tours you can book, the route, timing, the … Read more
An Olympia day trip from Patras is a full day from the city or its ferry port down the west coast of the Peloponnese to Ancient Olympia, home of the ancient Olympic Games. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours. The sections below cover the tours you can book, the … Read more
An Olympia day trip from Kalamata is a full day north-west across the Peloponnese to the sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, with time at the site and the museum, on a group tour with a beach stop at Kalo Nero or a private day with your own driver. Tours across the rest of the country are … Read more
Olympia transfers are private car, minivan and taxi rides that collect travellers at Katakolo cruise port, Athens, Patras, Kalamata or a hotel and drive them to Ancient Olympia and the village of Archaia Olympia, or back. Bookable routes also run onward to Athens Airport and Piraeus. Greece Tours lists the transfers that start in Greece. … Read more
An Olympia VR tour shows the ruins of Ancient Olympia as they once stood, through virtual reality glasses or a VR audio app used on the site. The tours run as a VR glasses tour with an audio guide, as an entry ticket with a VR audio tour, and as a half-day trip from the … Read more
Katakolo is a small, colourful port town on the west coast of the Peloponnese, best known as the cruise gateway to Ancient Olympia. Though most visitors pass straight through it on their way inland to the great sanctuary, Katakolo is a pleasant place in its own right, with a walkable seafront of tavernas, cafés and … Read more
The mythology of Olympia is as rich as its ruins, for the sanctuary was woven through with legends that explained the origin of the Olympic Games and bound them to the gods. Several founding myths were told: that Zeus himself founded the Games after defeating his father Kronos; that his son Herakles established them after … Read more
Kaiafas Lake is one of the loveliest and most unusual spots in the western Peloponnese, a tranquil wetland at the foot of Mount Lapithas in southern Ilia, famous for its healing thermal springs, its long pine-backed beach and its ancient mythology. The sulphur springs that rise beside the lake have been prized for their curative … Read more
The sanctuary of Ancient Olympia was far more than the Temple of Zeus and the stadium. Within and around the sacred Altis stood a whole complex of monuments serving the worship of the gods and the running of the Olympic Games: the great ash Altar of Zeus, the ancient shrine of Pelops, the council house … Read more