The Temple of Hera at Olympia, known as the Heraion, is the oldest temple of the whole sanctuary and one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. Built around 600 BC and dedicated to Hera, the queen of the gods, it predates the great Temple of Zeus by more than a century, and its worn … Read more
An Ancient Olympia guided tour is the best way to understand the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Much of the sanctuary survives as foundations and fallen columns, so a knowledgeable guide transforms the scattered stones into the vivid story of the Temple of Zeus, the ancient stadium and the Games held here for nearly twelve … Read more
Katakolo to Olympia is one of the finest and easiest shore excursions in the whole Mediterranean. When a cruise ship calls at the small western Greek port of Katakolo, the great sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, lies just thirty-five kilometres inland, under an hour away by road. From the pier you … Read more
Ancient Olympia sits in the western Peloponnese, and reaching it is straightforward once you know the routes. Most visitors come from Athens, about three and a half to four hours away by car or bus, while cruise passengers arrive from the nearby port of Katakolo in under an hour, and others drive in from Kalamata … Read more
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, a colossal image of the king of the gods that towered inside the Temple of Zeus for centuries. Made of gold and ivory over a wooden core by the sculptor Pheidias, the greatest artist of ancient Greece, it showed … Read more
The ancient Olympic Games were the greatest sporting festival of the ancient world, held at Olympia in the western Peloponnese every four years for nearly twelve centuries. Far more than a contest, they were a religious festival in honour of Zeus that drew athletes and spectators from every corner of the Greek world, halted wars … Read more
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the greatest museums in Greece, the home of the finds from the sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born. Within its cool marble halls stand the Hermes of Praxiteles carrying the infant Dionysos, the flying Nike of Paionios, and the vast sculpted pediments and metopes of the … Read more
The Ancient Stadium of Olympia is the running track where the Olympic Games were held every four years for more than a thousand years, the beating heart of the greatest festival of the ancient world. Reached through a stone-vaulted tunnel from the sacred precinct, its clay track still stretches its original 192 metres between the … Read more
The Temple of Zeus at Olympia was the largest and most important temple of the sanctuary, the greatest Doric temple in the Peloponnese and the setting for one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Built in the fifth century BC to honour Zeus, it housed the colossal gold-and-ivory statue of the god by … Read more
An Ancient Olympia day trip from Athens reaches the sacred sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born, with the Temple of Zeus, the original stadium and a superb archaeological museum. Make the long journey effortless with a guided tour or tickets from My Greece Tours, the cradle of the Olympics. This bucket-list excursion is a … Read more