A great suggestion for a long day trip to some of the most interesting places in Peloponnese! This long day tour will take you to the Corinth Canal, (famous not only as a place of archaeological interest but as a famous landmark in Greece) and to Olympia the birth place of the Olympic Games.
Itinerary
Leaving Athens behind we drive on the coastal road towards the West. Our first stop (after approximately one hour) is the Corinth Canal. There we’ll make a short stop, enough to see the Canal, (approximately 6 km long connecting the Aegean with the Ionian Sea), take photos and visit the local cafeteria.
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.
Driving afterwards through the hills of Corinth and the mountains of Arcadia, among thousands of olive trees, we’ll arrive at prefecture of Elis where we’ll visit the archaeological site of Olympia.
You are going to visit the archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus (where the gold and ivory statue of the god was placed -one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world – work of Fedias) the Temple of Hera (where the lighting of the Olympic Flame takes place every four years) the original ancient Olympic Stadium and many more monuments. After the archaeological site we will visit the Museum.
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains finds from the sacred precinct of the Altis and the rest archaeological site dating from the prehistoric era. Among the many exquisite exhibits you we will see the famous marblestatues of Hermes of Praxiteles and the Nike (Victory) of Paionios.
After the conclusion of our tour in Olympia we can have lunch in the town and start our return trip back to Athens.
All our private tours are flexible. It is always up to you to change the itinerary according to your wishes.
Admission fees, hotel and food are not included in the price of the trip
Entrance Fees to the Sites
| Olympia | 12 Euros valid for the archaeological site and the Museum |
Sites’ Opening Hours
| Summer | Winter |
| From April 1st to October 31st | From November 1st to March 31st |
| 08:00-19:30 | 08:30-15:00 |
Reduced admission (50%)
| Original passport or copy necessary |
| Between 6-25 years old, from countries outside the E.U. |
| Senior citizens of the E.U. aged over 65 |
| Everybody from Nov. 1st to March 31st |
Free admission for visitors
| Original passport or copy necessary |
| Up to 25 years old from countries of the E.U |
| Children up to 5 years old from countries outside the E.U |
| Highschool & University students over 25 years old from countries of the E.U. (a certificate from the educational institution certifying tuition and its duration is necessary) |
Days of free admission for all to archaeological sites & public Museums
| March 6 (In Memory of Melina Mercouri) |
| April 18 (International Monuments Day) |
| May 18 (International Museums Day) |
| The last weekend of September (European Heritage Days) |
| Oct. 28 (National Holiday) |
| First Sunday of every month, from Nov. 1st to March 31st |
Holidays
| 1 January | Closed |
| 6 January | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| Shrove Monday | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| 25 March | Closed |
| Greek Orhodox Good Friday | 12:00 – 15:00 |
| Greek Orhodox Good Saturday | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| Greek Orhodox Easter Sunday | Closed |
| Greek Orhodox Easter Monday | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| May 1 | Closed |
| Holy Spirit Day | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| 5 August | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| 28 October | 08:30 – 15:00 |
| 25 December | Closed |
| 26 December | Closed |
