Spending two nights in Olympia you can have the complete tour of Delphi as it is described in Delphi Full Day Tour, explore Olympia the birth place of the Olympic Games and also visit the monumental Temple of Epicourios Apollo in Bassae that lays hidden in the mountains.
Itinerary
Day 1
We depart from Athens in the morning via the national highway and pass by the towns of Thebes, Levadia and Arachova. Arriving in the Oracle of Delphi we’ll visit Castalia Spring, the main archaeological site (the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Theatre, the Stadium, etc.) and the Museum with the famous statue of Antinoos and the unique bronze statue of the Charioteer dating back to 475 B.C.
Our lunch in a traditional Greek restaurant in the picturesque town of Delphi, after our visit to the sites, will be the perfect way to recharge our batteries and enjoy the local cuisine! After finishing our lunch, we will head back to the archaeological site where we will make a stop to see the ruins of the Temple of Athena Pronea and the Tholos.
After the conclusion of our Delphi Tour we’ll depart for Olympia following a scenic coastal drive way along the Corinthian Golf. Passing through some picturesque towns and villages (Galaxidi, Erateini, Nafpaktos) we’ll eventually cross the bridge of “Rio-Antirio” (the longest cable bridge in the world) to get to Peloponnese.
Finally we’ll arrive in Olympia where we’ll have diner and spend the night.
Day 2
After breakfast we are going to visit the archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus where the gold and ivory statue of the god was situated. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world the gold and ivory statue of Zeus was the work of the famous sculptor Fedias. We will also see 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 Altis and the rest archaeological site dating from the prehistoric era. Among the many precious exhibits you we will also see the famous marble statues of Hermes of Praxiteles and the Nike (Victory) of Paionios.
After concluding our tour of Olympia we can explore the surrounding areas and have lunch in one of the villages there. Afterwards we’ll return to Olympia to spend the night.
Day 3
After breakfast we’ll depart from Olympia to visit the Temple of Epikouros Apollon in Bassae.
The Temple of Epikourios Apollo, one of the most important and imposing ancient Temples, stands in the bare and rocky landscape of Bassae 1.100 m. above the sea level. Attributed to Iktinos, one of the master architects of the Parthenon in Athens, the temple dates back to 420-400 BC.
Excavations have revealed that this surviving temple was the third to have been erected on the site. The remains of the two previous temples date back 600 and 500 BC. It is very interesting that some of the architectural elements of these two previous temples can still be seen today.
Our enjoyable visit to Bassae will finish with lunch in one of the nearby villages (Andritsena or Karytena) and afterwards we will begin crossing the mountains of Arcadia to start our return trip to Athens.
All my tours are private (vehicle reserved exclusively for you) and flexible. It is always up to you to modify the suggested itinerary according to your personal preferences, even during the tour, if feasible.
