Ancient Olympia (birth place of Olympic Games) & Corinth Canal, Private Day Tour

Tour at a glance

Itinerary

1. 1
   Corinth Canal

   Aprox. one hour after leaving Athens we will reach our first stop, the Corinth Canal. The Corinth Canal is one of the oldest man-made canals in the world and a very important navigational route in Greece, connecting the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf. The canal’s position, thereby also separates the peninsula of Peloponnese – conveniently converting it into an island – with the Greek mainland. And, while the Greece canal is quite narrow, it is a fact that the canal is a vital lifeline for ships wanting to enter the Aegean Sea. Spanning a distance of 6.3 kilometres, the Corinth Canal has a depth of 26 feet and its width alters between a minimum of 69 feet and a maximum of 82 feet at the bottom and at the surface respectively. Surrounded by walls standing at a height of 170 feet, the canal helps a ship to save a journey of 185 nautical miles.

   30 min Admission free
2. 2
   Tripoli

   Half an hour later we will be at Tripoli. Tripoli is the largest city in the central part of the Peloponnese. It is the capital of the regional unit of Arcadia. We may have a short stop here for a coffe / snack or just rest for a few minutes.

   30 min Admission free
3. 3
   Archaeological Site of Olympia

   Aprox. one and a half hours later we will be in Olympia. The archaeological site of Olympia includes the sanctuary of Zeus and the many buildings erected around it, such as athletic premises used for the preparation and celebration of the Olympic Games, administrative buildings and other lay buildings and monuments. The Altis, the sacred enclosure and core of the sanctuary, with its temples, cult buildings and treasuries, occupies the centre of the site. It is surrounded by a peribolos, or enclosure wall, which in the late fourth century BC had three gates on its west side and two on the south, and is bordered on the east by the Echo Stoa, which separates the sacred precinct from the stadium. The enclosure wall was extended in Roman times and two monumental entrances were created on its west side.

   2h Admission not included
4. 4
   Archaeological Museum of Olympia

   The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most important museums in Greece, presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the Olympic games were born. The museum's permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period. Among the many precious exhibits the sculpture collection, for which the museum is most famous, the bronze collection, the richest collection of its type in the world, and the large terracottas collection, are especially noteworthy.

   1h Admission not included
5. 5
   Olympia

   After concluding your tour to the sites and the museum, you will spend some time at the picturesque small town next, crossing the bridge of river Kladeos. You will find many small cafes and restaurants here to relax and possibly have lunch.

   1h Admission free
6. 6
   Athens

   After finishing with your lunch and everything in the small town of Olympia, we will start the return trip back to Athens. We will be back after aprox. three hours.

   Pass by (no stop) Admission free

Meeting & pickup

Hotel pickup is included for all travellers.

Traveler pickup is offered Pick up time can be scheduled according to your preferences. Please make your request at the special requirement’s section & we will contact you after your booking. Travelers can be picked up from all Athens centre & Piraeus Hotels. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points. For pickup from Airbnb or any other location/apartment, please provide the exact address. Please note that in case the requested pickup location is in a pedestrian zone or it is not accessible by cars/vehicles, we will notify you, upon booking, of the best alternative pick up location. Please be at the meeting point 5-10min before your scheduled pickup time, in case parking or waiting time for your driver is limited. Piraeus Ferry Port Piraeus, Athens centre Drop off is at the same location as pick up

Schedule

Good to know

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Our company complies with all the health instructions of the World Health Organization about COVID-19.
• Please note that your personal professional driver, will provide commentary in fluent English, en-route but cannot enter the archaeological sites. We can arrange for you to have a private licensed guide to escort you in the sites, at an extra cost, depending always on the availability. You may contact us on the phone number or by the email provided by Viator and we will confirm accordingly.
• The proposed itinerary may need to be adjusted in case of emergencies or special circumstances that are out of our control (e.g. extreme weather conditions, police instructions, safety reasons etc).

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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Frequently asked questions