Athens Day Trip: Ancient Olympia and Corinth Canal Private Tour
4.8
16 Ratings
Athens
Embark on a private day trip from Athens to Ancient Olympia and the Corinth Canal. Discover the engineering marvel of the Corinth Canal and immerse yourself in the history of the ancient Olympic Games at Olympia.
Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Athens - Pickup from your chosen Hotel, Airbnb or apartment in Athens
  • Corinth Canal - Visit the Isthmus Canal, one of the most important projects and 19th century engineering masterpieces, playing a catalytic role for the Mediterranean trade.
  • Olympia - Olympia village: In the western Peloponnese, in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios river lies the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. You will be amazed by the serenic feel that this village creates.

“La Belle Helene enjoying delicious authentic Greek home cooked meals.

Stroll amongst the village shops.

  • Archaeological Site of Olympia - Temple of Zeus: Dedicated to the god Zeus the Doric temple built in the second quarter of the 5th century BCE was the very model of the fully developed classical Greek temple of the Doric order.

Temple of Hera: Known as Heraion this ancient Archaic Greek temple was dedicated to Hera, queen of the Greek gods. The temple was built in approximately 590 BCE. In modern times the torch of the Olympic flame is lit in its ruins by the god Apollo.

The Hippodrome and later Stadium: The Hippodrome was a wide flat open area where the starting and finishing line was defined by a pole. Horse and chariot races took place here.

The Palaestra: Built in the 3rd century BC as part of the gymnasium complex it was used to practice boxing, wrestling and jumping.

The Workshop of Pheidias: This is where the great sculptor crafted the gigantic chryselephantine statue of Zeus listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

  • Philippeion - Philippeion: The only circular building inside the Altis. One of the finest examples of ancient Greek architecture, it was dedicated to Zeus by Philip II of Macedonia after his victory at Chaironeia in 338 BCE. The monument was completed by his son Alexander the Great.
  • Archaeological Museum of Olympia - The Archeological Museum of Olympia: Exhibits incredible artifacts from the site.

Statue of Zeus: A giant seated figure about 13 m tall. The huge ivory and gold statue was bigger even than that of Athena in the Parthenon.

  • Museum of the Olympic Games - The Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity: Since 2004 a new museum is in operation. The museum was based on the collection of Georgios Papastefanou who was the first to believe in the possibility of spreading the Olympic Idea and Education through a museum.
  • Archimedes Museum - The museum of Archimedes (Mathematician) regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. A unique museum in the center of ancient Olympia dedicated to the “Greatest Mind” of all time. Visitors will have the opportunity to see replicas of his inventions and to interact with them.
  • Athens - Return to your chosen Hotel, Airbnb or apartment in Athens
What's Included
  • Skip-the-line tickets available upon request
  • Complimentary on-board WiFi access
  • Knowledgeable Tour Drivers, experts in Greek history
  • Exclusive Private Tour experience
  • Refreshments including bottled water and wipes provided
  • Convenient hotel or port pick-up and drop-off service
  • Travel in comfort with a private first class vehicle
  • Multilingual drivers fluent in English
  • Enjoy homemade Greek biscuits
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees to the ancient Olympia site - 12 eur pp at the site
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off (from 40 eur additional cost)
  • Food & Drinks
  • Tips & Gratuities
Additional Information

Marvel at the remarkable Corinth Canal (Isthmus Canal), a great feat of modern engineering.

Ignite the Olympic flame at Ancient Olympia, the original site of the iconic Olympic Games.

Tour the Archaeological Museum to witness some of Olympia’s most prized pieces of art and historical artifacts. Notable features of the Museum include the statue from the Temple of Zeus, widely regarded as some of the best surviving examples of ancient Greek sculpture, the 5th century BC Winged Victory by Paiongs, the 4th century BC Hermes of Praxiteles, and a replica of the restored ancient Olympia site.

  • Animals or pets allowed
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Infant seats are available on request if advised at time of booking
Location
Athens
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(16 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Alicials2745rg
Apr 19, 2024
Great experience! - Wonderful experience! Peter was fantastic and very helpful. He went out of his way to help us get pictures! I would recommend booking a guide for inside the museum and ruins at Olympia, but Peter had a great video outlining what the buildings looked like originally for us to watch after visiting. Very interesting experience! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louistw1557ex
Sep 28, 2023
First time at Ancient Olympia! A must see! - Our private tour of the Ancient Olympia archaeological site and museum was an unforgettable experience for us history buffs. Our exceptional driver guide, Yannis, made the day truly remarkable. His deep knowledge and passion for history shone through as he shared fascinating insights throughout the tour, giving us ample time to explore the site at our own pace. To top it off, we enjoyed a delightful lunch at an authentic Greek taverna, savoring the flavors of Greece. As an unexpected bonus, we were treated to a free upgrade to a luxurious Mercedes Van for our journey. This tour was a perfect blend of history, culture, and comfort, and we can't recommend it enough. Thank you, Yannis, for making our day at Ancient Olympia so special!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dimitra_k
Sep 26, 2023
Awesome driver, great experience, learnt a lot - This is a lovely and memorable experience Our driver Manos was well versed in history, was fluent in English and made every effort to make sure we had a great time. Manos we cannot thank you enough for all your efforts! Olympia and Isthmus Canal were both amazing and definitely worth the trip
Review provided by Viator
Brian_l
Sep 22, 2023
Amazing Tour of Ancient Olympia and Corinth Canal - Visiting ancient Olympia was a bucket list experience for me. Seeing (and learning about) the Corinth Canal was an unexpected bonus. Our guide, Yannis, was amazing. Yeah, the ride to and from Athens was a little long, but the stories and history that Yannis shared along the way made the time pass by quickly. I'll be recommending this trip to my friends and family.
Review provided by Viator
Alice_c
Jun 29, 2023
A long fascinating day with an excellent driver - I wish I had a picture of Basilli, our driver, to share. He was our favorite part of our tour! He spoke enough English to answer our many questions about life in Greece. He patiently waited for our two nieces to bungee jump in the Corinth Canal (and took pictures for us!). It was a long drive to Olympia from Athens where we had lunch at a cafe and wandered the multiple historical and archeological attractions. You could spend many hours taking it all in, but it was very hot outside in late June with little shade. Don’t miss the Archimedes museum just down the street in town for some hands on exploration with the kids. Archimedes was such an amazing mind! Basilli navigated the tight crowded streets in Plaka with a big van (we had 10 people) to bring us almost to our hotel doorstep at the end of the very long day. He was our family for the day, and we were grateful to his family for loaning him to us. :)
Review provided by Viator
Marksi5191fy
May 11, 2023
Long day but great tour - Yannis was my tour guide. If you are lucky enough to get him, you are I'm great hands. Super knowledgeable, made you feel like family and shared so much great information. It is a long day but we'll worth it and I seriously can't say enough about what a great guide Yannis is. Thank you for a great tour and day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dream63095912744
Apr 3, 2023
Best day in Greece! - Yannis was amazing! His knowledge was outstanding and you could tell he had a passion for history. He could tell the stories in a way that was easily understood and entertaining. He was willing to to answer questions we had whether it was about ancient history, Greek mythology, biblical history or current Greek life and culture. He always made us feel safe and well looked after. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janet
Nov 7, 2022
Ancient Corinth - We did a tour of ancient Corinth with Tas. He was so informative and knowledgeable we learned a ton. He also is a very kind and sweet man. We will book with him anytime we’re back in Greece.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeffrey_w
Sep 22, 2022
Great tour - Our tour of the Corinth Canal and Olympia was fantastic. Yaning was our driver. He was so knowledgeable about Greek history. We really enjoyed it.
Review provided by Viator
Anonymous
May 31, 2023
We had hard time to... - We had hard time to communicate with the driver. He was quiet. When arriving a point, he just let us get off the car and did not say how long we need to spend, what time we come back to the car. He did not explain any of history or any information about the trip.
Review provided by Viator
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1
Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today