Private Tour of Olympia Archaeological Site and Museum: Journey through Ancient Greek History
5.0
40 Ratings
Unnamed Road
Embark on a private tour of the Olympia Archaeological Site and Museum, immersing yourself in the rich history of Ancient Greece. Explore the ruins of temples, stadiums, and workshops, and marvel at the impressive collection of artifacts in the museum. Perfect for hotel guests and cruise ship passengers (subject to availability).
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Archaeological Site of Olympia - In the archeological site, among several other remains of important buildings, you will see the gymnasium and the palaestra, the round Philipeion, the workshop of Phidias where the gold and ivory statue of Zeus was built, the temples of Zeus and Hera, the altar where the Olympic torch is being lit in the modern days and the ancient Olympic stadium.
- Archaeological Museum of Olympia - In the archeological museum are housed all finds that were excavated from the archeological site. Bronze and clay offerings (tripods and figurines), armor, vases, the tools and cup from Phidias’s workshop, the gorgeous Hermes by Praxiteles, the Nike by Paeonios and the very impressive and very well preserved classical statues from the pediments of the temple of Zeus etc.
What's Included
- Audio tour guide system
- Licensed tour guide services
What's Not Included
- Private transportation
- Entrance fees for the archaeological site and museum
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Upon your arrival in Olympia, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the Archeological Museum, also known as the New Museum, and the Archeological site.
Within the archeological site, you’ll discover a plethora of significant structures, including the gymnasium and palaestra, the circular Philipeion, and Phidias’s studio where the marvel of the golden and ivory Zeus statue was crafted. Not to mention there are the noteworthy temples of Zeus and Hera, the altar that is now used to ignite the Olympic torch in contemporary times, and of course, the historic Olympic stadium.
Unearthed artifacts from the archeological site are proudly displayed at the Archeological Museum. The collection features bronze and clay offerings inclusive of tripods and miniatures, armor, vases, tools, and a cup from Phidias’s workshop. Admire the stunning Hermes sculpture by Praxiteles, the Nike by Paeonios, and remarkably well-preserved classical statues from the temple of Zeus’s pediments, among others.
This fascinating excursion is primarily suitable for individuals lodging at local hotels. For those aboard cruise ships, please note that this tour’s availability may vary.
Location
Unnamed Road
You will be met at the entrance of the archaeological site of Olympia by the ticket booth.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(40 Ratings)
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Alveretta_s
Apr 29, 2024
History Alive - Georgia did an incredible job showing us the ruins of Olympus. She was very fun to talk with and made history come to life. Her expansive knowledge was impressive and we could not have been happier with our afternoon spent with her.
Review provided by Viator
A9296hrjeffb
Oct 25, 2023
Niki created a very special day for our family. - The tour was awesome, and Niki was fantastic. She immediately blending into and became a part of our family. Both Niki and the driver took special care to make sure we had a wonderful day, giving us the history on the drive from katakalon and taking us to see the entire site…… the ruins at Olympia are inspiring. We even ran on the track. The tour was perfect, the visit to the museum was great, and the stop for lunch was special. Thanks Niki!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
01skigal
Sep 29, 2023
Amazongly knowledgeable English speaking guide - Our tour of the Archialogical site and the museum was fantastic. Niki is an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. Several local people told us how good she was and they were right.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coastal676681
Sep 7, 2023
Great guided tour with Niki! - Fantastic experience!
Our guide Niki was proving important background information to make the experience more wholistic. We drove from Athens ourselves back and forth on the same day. Long drive, but definitely worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denisepb2356li
Sep 7, 2023
Private Tour Ancient Olympic Archeologic Site - The Ancient Olympic Village has grown over the years due to new excavations. Looking at these rocks without a guide does not do justice to the history or the richness of the culture.
Gregory was an excellent guide. He described the ancient customs and culture. He shared knowledge of the archeology of the site. He was witty, knowledgeable, a great story teller and very patient with our many questions. He moved at our pace. We could tell he loved the site and his work.
The private tour was well worth the price.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa66761072407
Aug 31, 2023
Wonderful visit of ancient Olympia ! - We really enjoyed our tour with Niki as she explained us a lot of greek mythology and history of both Olympia and Greece. She answered all of our questions with kindness. She is a wonderful person and speaks french very well. We definitly recommand her to visit Greece.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kateh00100
Aug 17, 2023
Perfect experience!! - Niki was an absolutely amazing tour guide. I arrived in Olympia for research towards writing a 100-page thesis on the history of art and architecture of the Olympics, and I can’t imagine a more perfect guide than Niki to help start.
My mom, who joined me on my trip, and I very quickly felt more like friends with Niki than simply being on a tour.
Despite the fact that I do not know any Greek and I am still learning these histories, Niki was incredibly kind, patient while I took notes, and of course very historically knowledgeable about the subject (I asked her many questions for dates/other details/cultural info and she could name them instantly), while also making sure we understood the context (where we were within the site, geographic reasoning for the site itself, political context, etc). I really could not have imagined a better experience. Thank you Niki!!!!
I also recommend going as early as possible in the day to avoid the heat and crowds, which we did- Niki was also great to help avoid these on the tour as well.
I highly, highly recommend this tour and booking through Niki’s tours!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseeg1102
Aug 9, 2023
Great experience! - This was a great experience! Too often we underestimate the importance of a tour guide to better understand important archeological sites. The whole family including the teens enjoyed and appreciated the historical knowledge and the interesting stories that Niki shared with us. This gave us a whole new perspective of the importance of the games and provided some good background to understand the links with other important sites in Greece. Beyond our expectations. Thank you Niki!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Illinoissammie
Jul 29, 2023
Private Tour Of Olympia - We booked a private tour of Olympia and were lucky to have Deena as our guide who was there to meet us when we disembarked from our cruise ship in the port Katakolon. On the drive to Olympia she gave us an interesting history lesson of Olympia and upon arrival, she immediately took us to the museum knowing that the crowds would be heading there after their tours of the actual site. The museum was uncrowded and she gave us a fascinating explanation of the various exhibits. It was then we went on to tour the archeological site. Once again she gave us wonderful explanations of what we were viewing. She was a delightful guide and was knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic and friendly. Would highly recommend this company which replied promptly to emails and gave explicit directions of where to meet our guide when we left our ship.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulie328
Jul 18, 2023
Excellent and thorough exploration of Ancient Olympia - We met our guide Theano outside the entrance of the archeological site first thing in the morning and proceeded to spend the next 3 hours with her. Theano did a tremendous job of explaining the origin of the games and educated us a bit on Ancient Greek history and mythology throughout. As a licensed archeologist, she expertly highlighted all of the various structures at the site and their significance. She was engaging and asked our teenage son questions. After we raced at the stadium, she had snacks for us, which was a nice treat. In the museum, Theano helped us appreciate the significance of the collection and the most important works. Having Theano take us around greatly enhanced our experience and enjoyment of this ancient site!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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