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Tours to Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games
 Olympia is one of my favourite archaeological sites in all of Greece. You can almost feel the magic of the ancient Olympic games and ceremony as you wander around the ruins.
Excavations are ongoing with new treasures being unearthed. See the workshop of Phidius were he created the famous statue of Zeus, one of the ancient wonders of the world no longer with us.
The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC and reached their height of popularity in 576 BC. The festival was open to only Greek born men but later Romans were allowed to compete most likely because they were running the country by then. Slaves and women were not even allowed to be spectators and women caught sneaking in were thrown off a cliff. The events included foot races, wrestling, discus, javelin, long-jump, horse and chariot racing, and a type of boxing called pancratium. There were not only atheletic events but also writing, poetry and history readings, plus business transactions and treaties were made between leaders of city-states.
Visit Olympia as part of a four or five day Classical Greece Tour
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Four Day Classical Tour of Greece
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Go back in time to the centers of Ancient Greek civilization. The most outstanding classical sites are visited on this tour, reminding the visitor of the glory that was Greece.
DAY ONE: Leave Athens at 8:45 a.m. for the Corinth Canal via the new scenic highway (short stop).
Pass by Ancient Corinth then on to Mycenae (visit). Proceed to Nafplion and then on to
Epidaurus to visit the Ancient theatre. Overnight in Nafplion.
DAY TWO: Leave Nauplia in the morning via Tripoli - Megalopolis, for Olympia. Visit the Sanctuary of Zeus, the site
of Ancient Olympia and Olympia Archaeological Museum. Overnight in Olympia.
DAY THREE: Depart from Olympia in the morning via Patros to Rion, cross the Corinithian bay
by ferryboat to Antirion. Drive to picturesque Nafpaktos and from there on, via the scenic new road along the coast,
to Delphi. Visit part of the antiquities and Museum of Delphi. Overnight in Delphi.
DAY FOUR: Further sightseeing of Delphi to complete visit. Return to Athens with short stop
at the picturesque village of Arachova, built on the south slopes of Parnassus, and
famous for its attractive hand-woven carpets and quilts, as well as for its wine and cheese.
Departs Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Tour includes accommodation, entrance to all sites, 3 dinners and 3 breakfasts
2004 PRICE : EUR. 398 (A'class hotels) or 340 (Tourist class hotels)
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Five Day Classical Tour with Meteora
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Go back in time to the centers of Ancient Greek civilization. The most outstanding classical sites are visited on this tour, reminding the visitor of the glory that was Greece. The visit to the classical sites of the four day tour are combined here with a visit to Meteora and its famous monasteries.
DAY ONE: Leave Athens at 8:45 a.m. for the Corinth Canal via the new scenic highway (short stop).
Pass by Ancient Corinth then on to Mycenae (visit). Proceed to Nafplion and then on to
Epidaurus to visit the Ancient theatre. Overnight in Nafplion.
DAY TWO: Leave Nauplia in the morning via Tripoli - Megalopolis, for Olympia. Visit the Sanctuary of Zeus, the site
of Ancient Olympia and Olympia Archaeological Museum. Overnight in Olympia.
DAY THREE: Depart from Olympia in the morning via Patros to Rion, cross the Corinithian bay
by ferryboat to Antirion. Drive to picturesque Nafpaktos and from there on, via the scenic new road along the coast,
to Delphi. Visit part of the antiquities and Museum of Delphi. Overnight in Delphi.
DAY FOUR: Further sightseeing of Delphi to complete visit. Return to Athens with short stop
at the picturesque village of Arachova, built on the south slopes of Parnassus, and
famous for its attractive hand-woven carpets and quilts, as well as for its wine and cheese.
DAY FIVE: Visit the ageless monasteries perched high atop the huge rocks of Meteora. Return to Athens via Trikala, Lamia, Thermopylae (visit), and Kammena Vourla.
Departs Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. Tour includes accommodation, entrance to all sites, 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts
PRICE : EUR. 512 (A'class hotels) or 442 (Tourist class hotels)
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Click here to Book a Tour.
Athens & Area
- Delphi
- Epidaurus
- Mycenae
- Meteora
- Olympia
Classical Tours
- Islands Cruise
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