Athens Trip Overview
This tour is an ideal destination to discover Ancient Olympia, the most important religious and athletic center of Ancient Greece. Our trip begins from Athens in the morning heading west and traveling by the sea along the Saronic Gulf. Our first stop will be the Corinth Canal, which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Afterwards, we will head to the central mountainous part of the peninsula of Peloponnese, located in Southern Greece, and pass by the central city of Peloponnese, Tripoli. We will continue driving along the western side of the coastline of Peloponnese and pass through the floodgate of Alpheos River, which is the longest river of the Peloponnese. About 15 minutes after the Alpheos River, we will arrive at the Archeological Site of Ancient Olympia. After experiencing the greatness and beauty of the ancient sanctuary, we will have lunch and then we will have a pleasurable drive back to Athens.
Additional Info
Duration: 12 hours
Starts: Athens, Greece
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Athens Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Athens, Greece, Greece
This tour is an ideal destination to discover Ancient Olympia, the most important religious and athletic center of Ancient Greece. Our trip begins from Athens in the morning heading west and traveling by the sea along the Saronic Gulf. Our first stop will be the Corinth Canal, which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Afterwards, we will head to the central mountainous part of the peninsula of Peloponnese, located in Southern Greece, and pass by the central city of Peloponnese, Tripoli. We will continue driving along the western side of the coastline of Peloponnese and pass through the floodgate of Alpheos River, which is the longest river of the Peloponnese. About 15 minutes after the Alpheos River, we will arrive at the Archeological Site of Ancient Olympia. After experiencing the greatness and beauty of the ancient sanctuary, we will have lunch and then we will have a pleasurable drive back to Athens.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Corinth Canal, Isthmia, Loutraki 201 00 Greece
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea and it cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth, separating the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It is 6.4 kilomotres in length and 21.4 meters wide, making the access impossible for modern ships. Currently, it is used mostly as a tourist attraction. The initial idea for constructing the Corinth Canal was tyrant Periander’s in the 7th century BC, who eventually abandoned that project and constructed Diolkos instead, an overland portage road where ships would be able to move overland across the Isthmus of Corinth. The first Governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, revived the idea of the construction of the modern Canal after the formal independence of the country in 1830. The construction begaun in 1880, however, due to financial reasons, the construction was completed in 1893.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Archaeological Site of Olympia, Archea Olympia, Olympia 27065 Greece
The archaeological site of Ancient Olympia is located near the small town of Olympia in the regional unit of Elis in Peloponnese, Greece. The town is located in an area rich in nature and in a valley created by the junction of the Alpheos and Kladeos rivers and with a great amount of beauty and tranquility. In the 10th Century B.C, Olympia became a center for worshipping Zeus. The religious place of Altis has one of the richest collections of masterpieces, monuments and works of art, from the Ancient Greek world, such as the temple of Zeus, the temple of Hera and the temple of Mytroon that was dedicated to the mother of gods, Rea or Kyveli. In addition, the remains of the sport structures that were built for the Olympic Games are located on the site. Ancient Olympia was a major Panhellenic religious sanctuary of ancient Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held every four years from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. It has hosted visitors from all over the Greek world. The Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and one of the Panhellenic Games of ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus. It has been widely written that during the Olympic Games, all the wars and conflicts were postponed until the Games were finished. This cessation is known as the Olympic Truce, which was announced before the Olympic Games to ensure the spectators could travel safely to the Games and return to their respective countries. The prize of the winner at the ancient Olympic Games was the olive wreath, also known as kotinos. It was a branch of a wild olive tree, twisted to form a circle. The revival of the modern Olympic Games was an idea of French Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894. Two years later, in 1896, the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens, at the renovated Panathenaic Stadium. The present time, Flame Lighting Ceremony ritual of the Olympic Games is derived from ancient Greece, where the sacred fire remained lit on the altar of the sanctuary of Hestia. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece and it presents the long history of the sanctuary of Zeus. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains findings from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period. In the museum one can see the famous statues of Hermes of Praxiteles and Nike of Paionios. The most precious exhibits of the museum are the sculpture collection, the bronze collection and the large terracotta collection.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Archaeological Museum of Olympia, Archaia Olympia, Olympia 27 065 Greece
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece and it presents the long history of the sanctuary of Zeus. The museum’s permanent exhibition contains findings from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period. In the museum one can see the famous statues of Hermes of Praxiteles and Nike of Paionios. The most precious exhibits of the museum are the sculpture collection, the bronze collection and the large terracotta collection.
Duration: 1 hour
