BEYOND ATHENS TOURS Full day tour to Ancient Olympia

Name: BEYOND ATHENS TOURS Full day tour to Ancient Olympia
SKU: PRD-737
Availability: OutOfStock

FULL DAY 370€

A full day private tour from Athens to Ancient Olympia will allow you to explore the birthplace of the Olympic Games and visit the temples dedicated to the gods Hera and Zeus.

Ancient Olympia is located in a valley in Elis west of the Peloponnese peninsula, 270 kilometres from Athens. It is here that the first and most important event in ancient Greece, the Olympic Games were held in honour of Zeus, father of the gods and men. It then became a tradition to host the games every four year from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Ancient Olympia was also important to writers, poets and historians where they recited their work in front of a large audience. The games continued for almost 12 centuries until they gradually lost importance and were suppressed by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 393 AD. The Modern Olympic Games were re-established in 1896 and are now held every four years in different cities around the world.

In less than four hours from Athens, visitors can experience history through the impressive ruins which stand here till this day. What is there to see today? The sanctuary of the Ancient Olympia is known as the Altis which consists of various buildings. The most important temple is the Temple of Zeus,dedicated to the father of the gods. Built in the 5th century BC it once contained a 12 meter high statue of Zeus, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. Part of the temple’s sculptural decorations can be found in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. On the northwest corner of the sacred precinct of the Altis stand the Temple of Hera, the wife of Zeus — the oldest monumental temple in Greece. The temple was constructed in Doric style with sixteen columns at the sides.

The Ancient Stadium of Olympia can be entered through an archway and is located on the west side of the Altis. It could once seat approximately forty-five thousand people. The starting line is still visible to this day, in case you decide to participate in a run. .

Our guests may also visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia which houses the artefacts from the Ancient Olympia. The famous exhibit of the museum is the Nike of Paeonius, dedicated to the goddess of victory.

At the end of our full day excursion to Ancient Olympia we can enjoy a traditional Greek dinner in a local restaurant by the sea where we can share our experiences from a memorable day. At the end of the full day sightseeing tour we will return you to your hotel.