NOV- MARCH the tour operates 4 times per week; every Monday-Wednesday-Friday + Sunday
Apr- October the tour operates; every Monday-Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday + Sunday

PRICES: Our discounted prices are not matched. The price of the tour services without lunch are:
1) Nov-Mar: The adult price for the tour = 69.00 € + 8.00 € entrance fees
Apr-Oct : The adult price for the tour = 69.00 € + 15.00 € entrance fees
2) The child’s price for the tour = 55.00 € (no entrance fees apply)

– Lunch(3 course menu) is served in a restaurant outside modern Delphi and costs 15.00 € extra for everybody.
– Fill the booking request and start the communication. We shall get back asap.

The tour services include:
– transportation on modern air-conditioned buses
– the services of the professional tour guide all along, and
– Pick up/drop off from or near your hotel (See the list of hotels in the footer of this website).
– Shortstop in the picturesque village of Arachova, a popular winter destination in Greece.

MORE OFFERS and DISCOUNTS (only one discount allowed – the highest one):
a) GROUP DISCOUNT: Make a team of 5 full paying or more passengers and gain 5%

The ONE DAY DELPHI TOUR can be organized as a private excursion (cost-shared between the passengers):

In this private tour a) entrance fees, lunch, and drinks are not included in the price, plus
b) a local professional tour guide, can be arranged to meet you in Delphi at an extra cost.

WRITE A REVIEW ON OUR SERVICES. Your feedback helps us get better service.

Copied from a client’s blogpost:
The tour which I joined was organized by G.O.TOURS. Information about the tour can be found at their website at http://www.gotours.com.gr/en/
However, I did not book through their website. I booked it through ASTORIA TRAVEL https://astoriatravel.gr/
After browsing through the web, I found that ASTORIA TRAVEL offers the cheapest tour packages in Athens. Initially I was quite skeptical. How can this tour agent offer such a low price (20% cheaper) compared to the travel company’s price? Is this a scam? Well, believe it! It was not a scam. I even booked my first two nights in Athens at Hotel Arethusa (next to Syntagma Square) at a very cheap price through ASTORIA TRAVEL.

 

POPULAR TOURS: 1 day Argolis | 2 days Delphi-Meteora | 3 day explore Meteora | 4 day classical & Meteora | 5 day explore Meteora | 1 day cruise

 

HOW TO BOOK A TOUR | BOOKING FORM | PAY ONLINE | CONTACT US

 

Time	Tour Plan	Services
7:30	Start the pick up service and come to the terminal	Depart from the terminal at 08.30
11:30	Arrival in modern Delphi village	On the way, 20 mins break near Levadia
11:45	Visit the ancient site & the museum	Entrance fees – See the price you paid
14:30	Drive to a local restaurant 3 km from Delphi	Lunch, is optional – See the price you paid.
15:30	Start the return towards Athens	Stop at the village of Arachova
18:30	Arrival in the centre of Athens	Hotel drop off by 19.30

If there is a site to visit in Greece then Delphi is this place. The sheer magnificence and grandeur of the location strike you. God Apollo had chosen the best spot to build his temple. Below the site, a valley ringed by mountains provides breathtaking views from any location within the site.

Delphi was considered to be one of the most important cities of ancient Greece. It was believed to be home to the goddess Gaia, or Earth, and later to Apollo after slaying Gaia’s son, the snake Python. The Pythian games—similar to the Olympic Games—were held here every four years to honor Apollo’s slaying of the Python dragon.

According to the myth, Zeus released two eagles. The one flew east and the other one flew west. They both met over Delphi, determining that the centre of the world was there. A temple dedicated to the god Apollo was built there in the 7th c BC. The Temple of Apollo housed the great Oracle of Delphi, the world’s greatest source of income for a thousand years. The Oracle was the most eminent feature of Delphi, and some of the most important people from all over Greece—including demigods, according to Greek mythology—visited her to seek advice. The oracle of Apollo became a religious centre where common people and kings alike, came to consult “Pythia”, the priestess of the sanctuary. In a room, below the Pythia, the priests listened and interpreted her vague and wild cries, and put them into ordered language.

Above the entrance to the temple of Apollo, the visitor reads ‘Know Thyself’ and ‘Nothing in Excess’. These sayings were read and pondered upon by all of the great kings, warriors, and noblemen who came here for advice. The true wisdom of the Oracle lies not within the words of the Oracle’s priestess, but within the walls of the temple itself.

The Pythian Games held in Delphi were one of four Panhellenic games held in ancient Greece, and they attracted competitors from all over the Greek world. Founded in the 6th c. BC and held in honour of Apollo the Games originally centered around the talents the god exemplified – music and poetry. However soon, athletic competitions were added as well. The best known was a great chariot race, held in the stadium of Delphi. The winners of the Pythian Games received a laurel wreath.

The 6th c. BC saw the political rise of Delphi ushering in a golden age that lasted until the arrival of the Romans in 191 BC. Numerous treasuries were built in the Sanctuary of Apollo to house votive offerings of grateful pilgrims. In the 4th century BC, a theater accommodating 5,000 spectators was constructed nearby. It was restored in 159 by king Eumenes II and later by the Romans.

The oracle of Delphi was abolished in 393 AD by Theodosius of Byzantium, the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Byzantine Empire. No longer used, the temples fell into disrepair and their materials were plundered for new buildings.

Delphi was the most sacred place in the ancient world and thousands of pilgrims visited here, from kings and philosophers to common people to hear the prophecies of the Oracle and to watch and compete in the ancient games held here, the Pythian Games, similar to the Olympics.
The archaeological site is one of the best in Greece with ancient temples and shrines placed along the sacred way, making Delphi one of the best places to visit all year round. The site consists of the temple of Apollo, the treasury houses of the City-States, the ancient theatre, the stadium at the top of the hill, the gymnasium, and hippodrome. The sanctuary was built in an imposing location, on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus. The Temple of Apollo, the treasury house of the Athenians, the Polygonal wall, the treasury houses of the different city States — where treasures from all over Greece were kept, and the Theatre are some of the most important buildings.

The remaining part of the ancient site, bellow the road, with the temple of Athena Pronaia, the Tholos (a circular structure with 3 of its original 20 doric columns restored), the gymnasium, and the sports facilities, used for training for the athletes that took part in the “Pythian or Delphian Games”, is not visited in the guided tours. Choose the tour without lunch and when the group is having lunch you can visit them on your own, without the tour guide.

Today, next to the archaeological site, there is an impressive museum, displaying findings from the local excavations, that started in 1892, masterpieces of Ancient Greek sculpture. The highlights are offerings by the oracle visitors, such as the famous bronze statue of the Charioteer, the statue of Antinoos, the famous athlete Aghias, the two “kouros” statues, the Roman “omphalos”, being the sculptured stone that represented the navel of the world, and many others.

When you finish with the sightseeing, you proceed to a local restaurant for lunch (optional), and after lunch, the driver stops for 40 minutes at the nearby traditional village of Arachova. The bus arrives in the center of Athens at +/- 18.30.

By Provoensis, United States, 11 posts, 38 reviews. Re: Astoria Travel, Jul 31

My experiences with Astoria Travel have been varied in scope, but ALWAYS extraordinarily positive. I cannot praise Kosta and his team highly enough. From small-scale arrangements for my wife and me to multi-day academic tours for groups of 30+ university students, our experience has always been top-notch.
I regularly travel with a university group to Greece, and other colleagues from my university (in the USA) have been booking arrangements through Astoria Travel since 2003, sometimes 2 – 3 groups per year. Kosta’s heartfelt inclination to provide a high-quality academic experience for our students really shows. Above all, his reliability and his determination to help us provide an affordable program for them is apparent from beginning to end. On each program, he has been constantly calculating how we can shave down costs to the students’ advantage. He really tends to the smallest details.
Trustworthiness may be the most important aspect of a travel agent’s involvement with a group. In the many facets of our several tours arranged by Astoria, I have yet to be surprised by any bill or expenditure. Everything has been transparent and anticipated.
I recommend to all my colleagues at my university to work their Greek travel arrangements through Astoria Travel. For us Greece means Kosta.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Re: Astoria Travel Meteora trip Reviews.
Hi SomeGirl111. All the bus tours in Greece are organized by three Tour operators. The travel agents do not organize, they sell these guided tours at discounted rates. So, whoever you decide to buy your tour from, you will end up sitting in one of the T.O. buses. All three T.Os. use modern, air-conditioned buses., and knowledgeable professional tour guides. You travel on the same bus as visitors that paid the full brochure price. Astoria Travel was established in 1958 and is still operating and prospering. So, your question should be: is the price that they sell the tours organized by G.O.Tours, CHAT, or KEY Tours, good? What differs between the travel agents, is how fast they reply to you, and the way they answer your request. Being in the travel trade for such a long time, I am sure that they know the way to satisfy their clients.

* You collect your tickets from us and settle the account anyday before departure.
* Be at the LARISA railway station in Athens at least 30 minutes before the train departure.
* Your train comes at 07:10 am. Find your carriage and seat.
* 07:20 – The train departs and following a scenic route it travels straight from Athens to Kalampaka(last stop).
* 11:30 – Arrive in Kalampaka and meet our English-speaking driver outside the railway station.
* 11:45 – Drive to Meteora. Visit up to 3 monasteries. See old hermitages and cloisters in the caves.
* 16:45 – Return to Kalampaka. Stop at a local restaurant for a light meal (not included in the price).
* 17:00 – The train departs from Kalampaka and arrives in Athens (LARISA station) at +/- 22.45.

To make a booking you deposit 40.00 euro per person and you settle the balance when we meet in Athens.

CANCELLATION POLICY: 15.00 € p.p. is not refundable. In case of a strike, the full amount is refunded.

The price for the 3.30 hours private tour of Meteora includes your return B class train ticket and the taxi hire from the moment that you arrive until the moment that you tell the driver that you have seen enough and want to get back to Kalambaka and have something to eat.

– 1 passenger: Train ticket (B class), 86.00 € p.p.
– 1 passenger: Train ticket (A class), 98.00 € p.p.
– 2 passengers: Train ticket (B class), 82.00 € p.p.
– 2 passengers: Train ticket (A class), 94.00 € p.p.
– 3 passengers: Train ticket (B class), 76.00 € p.p.
– 3 passengers: Train ticket (A class), 88.00 € p.p.
– 4 passengers: Train ticket (B class), 69.00 € p.p.
– 4 passengers: Train ticket (A class), 81.00 € p.p.

Following the Covid-19 measures the train runs in 50% capacity
resulting to a surcharge of 15 € p.p. that must be added to all prices.

To secure your booking, please, click and see the terms, find the pay online link in the footer, and, deposit 40.00 € p.p.

THE PRICE INCLUDES:

* Return train ticket. Pay 12.00 euro, and upgrade the train ticket to A class (recommended).
* Upon arrival, you meet our bus driver and for 3 hours, you visit up to 3 monasteries.
* Visit hidden beauties & explore the area with a local, English-speaking leader.

NOT INCLUDED in the price:
* No professional tour guide service is included. It’s you and the taxi driver.
* 3.00 euro per person, is the entrance ticket to each monastery, and
* Your lunch and drinks on the train and while you are in Kalampaka.

April-October, the tour operates Monday-Tuesday-Saturday & selected Thursdays. CLICK and see which Thursdays.
November-March, the tour operates ONLY on Mondays. CLICK and READ details and prices of tours in low season.

Pick up / drop off from or near your hotel starts at 07:30, departs from the terminal at 08:30, and returns at 18:30

HOTELS at Olympia: (3*) NEDA, KRONION, or similar | (4*) OLYMPIC VILLAGE or EUROPA or ARTY GRAND
HOTELS in Delphi: (3*) FEDRIADES or HERMES or PARNASSOS and (4*) AMALIA or APPOLONIA

PRICES: In Greece the guided tours are organized by 3 big Greek tour operators and are offered by travel agencies at different prices. We believe that our prices cannot be matched. We have secured the best deals in all aspects of travel.

Three choices	Double room	Single room
Option 1: 3* hotel with breakfast	225.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 273.00 €	285.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 333.00 €
Option 2: 3* hotel – half board	265.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 313.00 €	325.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 373.00 €
Option 3: 4* hotel – half board	320.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 368.00 € includes complimentary arrival transfer	395.00 + 48.00 entrance fees = 443.00 € includes complimentary arrival transfer

* Child (4 – 12 y.o.) pays 75% of the tour price (No entrance fees apply)
* Infants up to 4 y.o. travel free of charge when they share the parents’ double bed

NOVEMBER – MARCH, the entrance fees drop from 48.00 to 24.00 €

The tour services include:
– transportation on modern air-conditioned buses with ample storage space for your luggage.
– entrance fees to sites and museums visited
– 1-night hotel accommodation at Olympia, and 1 in Delphi
– 1 breakfast in both, Olympia and Delphi
– 1 dinner at Olympia, and 1 in Delphi (if you choose to pay half board)
– Pick up/drop off from/near your hotel (See the list of hotels at the foot of the website)
– The services of a professional tour guide.
– All taxes except the “hotel overnight tax” (1.50 – 3.00 € per room, per night).
– If you choose to pay the 4-star price, an arrival airport transfer is included.

Special discounts: (One option of 5% discount is applicable).
* Persuade a friend, share a triple room with your friend, and save 5%
* Persuade your friends, make a team of 5 or more adults and save 5%

WRITE A REVIEW ON OUR SERVICES. Your feedback helps us offer a better service.

Copied from a client’s blogspot:
The tour which I joined was organized by G.O.TOURS. Information about the tour can be found at their website at http://www.gotours.com.gr/en/
However, I did not book through their website. I booked it through ASTORIA TRAVEL https://astoriatravel.gr/
After browsing through the web, I found that ASTORIA TRAVEL offers the cheapest tour packages in Athens. Initially, I was quite skeptical. How can this tour agent offer such a low price (20% cheaper) compared to the travel company’s price? Is this a scam? Well, believe it! It was not a scam. I even booked my first two nights in Athens at Hotel Arethusa (next to Syntagma Square) at a very cheap price through ASTORIA TRAVEL. Read more details in the testimonials section…

Visit Epidaurus, Nafplion, Mycenae, Olympia & Delphi

The Amazing open THEATRE OF EPIDAURUS
The priests of the sanctuary of God Asclepius were excellent surgeons. On the grounds of the sanctuary, the administration of the Asklepion, in order to entertain the patients, decided to build a theatre. Today, next to the sanctuary of Asclepius, there is a small museum, displaying the instruments and tools used by the priests, and excellent surgeons, to perform even brain operations.

NAFPLION – “The town of the Venetians” in Greece. (Short photo stop).
Modern architecture hasn’t spoiled the old town of Nafplion, which is a feast for the eye. The town was in the hands of the Venetians for 200 years and when they gave it back to the Greeks, they also left their signature on the old charming town. Nafplion was the capital of the Greek state in the early 1830s. Here, is the first palace for the young Bavarian Prince, Otto, the first king of the new country after the revolution against the Turks. The old town is beautiful, with old mansions and paved roads. The town’s fortresses, the Palamidi and the Akronafplia played a key role during the war of independence. The Venetian influence is everywhere justifying the town’s name as the “Greek Venice”.

MYCENAE – “City in gold”
Mycenae, the city that controlled both the land and sea routes, was the kingdom of the mythic Agamemnon. Myths related to history have inspired poets and writers over the centuries from Homer and the Greek tragedies of the classical period to contemporary literary and artistic creations. The site was uncovered in 1874 by Heinrich Schlieman, who also excavated the site of Troy. You enter the citadel through the impressive Lions’ Gate.

OLYMPIA & the OLYMPIC GAMES
The site of Olympia was the location of the ancient Olympic Games, with the first recorded win in 776 BC. In addition to the numerous temples and sanctuaries, there are remains of sporting structures, such as the ancient Olympic stadium, the Gymnasium, the Palestra, and others. See the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame, the seven-echo stoa, and the archaeological Museum where among the other exhibits you will see the statue of Nike and the beautiful Hermes of Praxiteles.

DELPHI – The famous “temple bank”.
The Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, location on the oracle of Apollo, was the spiritual centre of the Greek world. Situated in a spectacular natural setting on the mountain of Parnassus, it was the symbol of Greek cultural unity from the 8th century BC onwards.

Short photo stop at Corinth canal
Visit the sanctuary of Asclepius and the Epidaurus Theatre
Visit the Mycenae Archaeological site & Tomb of Atreus
Visit the Olympia Archaeological site & Museum
Visit the Delphi Archaeological site & Museum
A short stop at Nafplion town

* Read the 4 steps 2 book that you find in the footer and we look forward to receiving your request.
* When we receive the message from the bank that the money has been deposited, we’ll send you the voucher.

MAP – ROUTE OF THE TOUR

From Trip advisor comments on Astoria Travel Athens.

rnohr, Boston, Massachusetts 3116, Reviewed October 15, 2017
Underrated travel agent service
I don’t know if people know about this gem of a service, but I would HIGHLY recommend using it for booking tours in all of Greece. Kosta is extremely serviceable and offers a GREAT deal on the tour.
I booked a 3-day classical Greece tour with Kosta and he was able to arrange it for a price that was cheaper than what the tour agency actually offered. He always responded promptly to emails and got back to me within 24 hours. Everything was arranged as would be expected.
I would recommend using this company for any needs before other people find out how great of a gem this is.
________________________________________________________________________

Re: Astoria Travel Meteora trip Reviews.
Hi SomeGirl111. All the bus tours in Greece are organized by three Tour operators. The travel agents do not organize, they sell these guided tours at discounted rates. So, whoever you decide to buy your tour from, you will end up sitting in one of the T.O. buses. All three T.Os. use modern, air-conditioned buses, and knowledgeable professional tour guides. You travel on the same bus as visitors that paid the full brochure price. Astoria Travel was established in 1958 and is still operating and prospering. So, your question should be: is the price of the tours organized by G.O. Tours, CHAT, or KEY Tours, good? What differs between the travel agents is how fast they reply to you, and the way they answer your request. Being in the travel trade for such a long time, I am sure that they know the way to satisfy their clients.
________________________________________________________________________
From: https://travelbunny8.blogspot.com/2016/07/greece-4-days-classical-greece-tour.html
(Visit the excellent blog site, read the description and comments)

If you wish to see the major sights of mainland Ancient Greece including UNESCO-listed ancient sites of Mycenae, Epidaurus, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora monasteries, then I recommend you to join a 4-Day Classical Greece Tour.
The tour departs from Athens and returns to Athens.

5 UNESCO World Heritage Site in 4 days. I have to warn you that 4 out of the 5 World Heritage Sites are in ruins. The tour which I joined was organized by G.O. TOURS. Information about the tour can be found on their website at http://www.gotours.com.gr/en/

However, I did not book through their website. I booked it through ASTORIA TRAVEL http://www.astoria.gr/price-tours-classical-4day.html that can be contacted at athens@astoriatravel.gr. I e-mailed Mr. Kosta and since I booked the tour through him in 4-star hotels, I got a free arrival transfer offer to my hotel. Actually, Kosta himself came to the airport and took us to the hotel.

After browsing through the web, I found that Astoria Travel offers the cheapest tour packages in Athens. Initially, I was quite skeptical. How can this tour agent offer such a low price (20% cheaper) compared to the travel company’s price? Is this a scam? Well, believe it! I even book my first two nights in Athens at Hotel Arethusa (very near Syntagma Square) at a very cheap price through Astoria Travel.

I took the First-Class package as the price difference was not much compared to the Tourist Class package and the complimentary airport transfer sounded attractive. During the tour, some of my fellow travelers took the Tourist Class package. Frankly, I don’t think there was much of a difference compared to the First-Class hotels. In fact, the Tourist Class hotels were located nearer to the town center while the First-Class hotels were located at quieter locations outside the towns providing small luxuries (swimming pools, good dinners, breakfasts, etc.)

The tour includes visits to two of the six monasteries of Meteora.

As the tour group was small, we got to know each other pretty quickly.

The only way to visit Ancient Olympia in a day is by hiring a self-driven car, hiring a taxi, or, taking our day trip.
With the extra expense of a local tour guide, experience a 3 hours guided tour in the ancient site and the archaeological museum, and, on your own, in the museum of the ancient Olympic Games.

– Starting from your lodging at 06.45 am, we stop at Corinth canal (photo-stop), and arrive at Olympia at 10.45 am.
– Meet the tour guide (recommended) and with her, visit the archaeological museum, and the  ancient site.
– When you finish the sightseeing, relax having lunch in the peaceful setting of the modern Olympia town, and
– At +/- 16.00 start the return trip and arrive in Athens before 20.00.

In the ancient site, the stadium, and the Olympia Museum, there is so much to see, that visitors should give themselves at least half a day to explore and experience ancient Olympia.
_________________________________________________________________________

Prices in euro, per person

The trip is costly and this is the reason that there is no price for 2 passengers. Persuade one or more friends to join you and share the cost of this day trip.
The price includes: transportation and tolls. The entrance fees and the lunch mentioned are not included and are paid locally.
A local professional tour guide can be arranged for an extra fee.

• Bookings 3 -1 days before departure CAN BE DONE ONLY IN OUR OFFICE (48 Stadiou str. near Omonia square).
• In order to book the tour you must fill and submit the booking form found in the top menu of this website.
• Plan a 2-day trip combining ancient Olympia with the Venetian town of Nafplion, Homer’s Mycenae and the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, or, with the lakes of Polylimnio, Navarino, and Ancient Messene, an archaeological site generally accepted as the most beautiful site in Greece. We suggest hotels for you to choose.

Visit a similar One-day tour to Olympia and compare services and prices.

The minibus seats 9 passengers in 3 rows of seats.

Listen to Prof. Hale’s excellent lecture, and include Olympia in your itinerary.

Olympia became the most important religious and athletic center in Greece and must be included in everybody’s itinerary. The only way to visit Ancient Olympia on a day trip is by hiring a self-driven car or a taxi, or by taking our private day trip, preferably with the extra expense of a local guide.

Ancient Olympia, the Acropolis of Athens, and the Oracle of Delphi are 3 sites that the services of a professional tour guide are appreciated. There are a lot of myths and interesting stories about Olympia and the Olympic Games that the tour guide will talk about.
The professional tour guide will speak about:
* The four Pan-Hellenic Games, (the Games at Olympia were one of them. The other three were, the Isthmian, the Pythian, and the Nemean Games).
* Ancient Olympia was not a city as such. It was only the sanctuary, the stadium, the sports facilities, the VIP hostel, and the administration buildings,
* The city that was responsible for the organization of the ancient Olympic Games was ILIS, +/- 30kms from Olympia,
* The temple of Zeus, that housed one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the statue of Zeus, made by the Pheidias.
* The structures in the “sacred” sanctuary were dedicated to the gods, except the Philippeion and the villa of Nero.
* The Zannes, being the statues of the cheaters. (Emperor Nero was the biggest cheater of the ancient Olympic Games).
* The amazing organization of the ancient Olympic Games, similar and even better than today’s organization.
* The females had their own Games. They called them Heraia Games and were organized in favour of goddess Hera, Zeus’ wife, and sister.
* Learn the story of Kallipateira, the mother that disguised herself as a man in order to watch her son competing and winning in the Games.
* The story of Kinishka, the tomboy Spartan princess, a chariot owner, that became the first female Olympic winner.
* The lighting of the Olympic flame and the torch relay celebrated every year (summer, winter, youth Olympics, etc.).
* Following the Baron’s last wish, his heart was buried at Olympia, at the base of the monument in the I.O.A. grounds.
* The emblems (the five Olympic rings) of the modern Olympic Games, revived by Baron Pierre De Coubertin.

The ancient Olympic Games started about 3000 years ago, when Hippodamia, daughter of the local King, Oenomaus, fell in love and married Pelops. Pelops, a local hero, decided to name the whole peninsula after his name and called it Peloponnesus (= Pelop’s island). However only in 776 BC, the first Olympic Games win was recorded, and that year marks the first Olympiad. Since then, every four years the Olympic Games were held attracting athletes of Greek origin from all the Greek city States. A month before the opening ceremony, until a month after the closing day of the games, the Olympic truce was in effect and all hostilities were suspended, for the spectators to visit Olympia and return safely from Olympia to their city-states. At Olympia, the victors’ prize was an olive branch wreath.

The first recorded win in the ancient Olympic Games was in 776 B.C. and since then, the Games were held, between August 6 and September 19, every four years for over 1000 years, devoted to Zeus. The four years period between two Olympic Games was called an Olympiad and was used as a meter of chronology. The spirit of sport and friendly rivalry was the ideal of these Olympic games. The “Olympic truce”, that is the ceasing of fighting in the whole Greek world for as long as the Olympic games were on, was strictly observed with one or two exceptions. The Spartans in 420 BC were excluded from the games on the ground of truce breaking. In 426 BC emperor Theodosius II ordered the destruction of the temples and the Altis was burnt.
Taking part in the Games was a great honour for the athlete and his native city. The athletes were men of Greek origin that had not committed the crime of sacrilege(had done something unholy). The athletes competed nude. Women were forbidden to watch the games, with the exception of the priestess of goddess Demeter. Violation of this rule was punishable by death. According to Pausanias, the only time this rule was broken and the death sentence was not carried out, was the case of Kallipateira, daughter of the Olympic winner Diagoras of Rhodes, who came to the stadium disguised as the trainer to encourage her son Peisidorus who was taking part in the games. In her enthusiasm for his victory jumping over the trainers’ enclosure wall, her chiton fell down revealing her feminity. The Hellanodikai spared her life out of respect to her family, the Diagorides, who had three generations of Olympic winners: her father Diagoras, her brothers Eukleas and Kallianaktas nad her son Peisidorus. This incident was the reason for passing the law, which compelled the trainers to attend the stadium naked, like the athletes.

Organization of the Games.
The highest dignitaries of the Games were the 12 Hellanodikai (umpires), responsible for organizing the games and application of the rules. They had the authority to disqualify individuals because of violation of the rules and to impose fines and punish those concerned. They were helped by the alytai( a kind of policeman), the mastigophoroi (whippers), and the ravdouchoi(staff bearers). All of them answered the alytarch(chief of police). Being part of religious ceremonies, there was also, the theokoloi, who conducted the sacrifices, the spondoforoi, assigned to travel throughout the Greek world to announce the Games and the celebrations, the seers that gave prophecies and had special prestige, the priests for special sacrifices, the flute players, the dancers and the head of ceremonies.
Ten months before the beginning of the Games, the Hellanodikai stayed in a special building where they were informed of their duties and learned the rules of the Games. The athletes had to announce to them their participation one year before the Games began. One month before the Games they had to come to Olympia with their trainers in order to prepare themselves.
The Games lasted five days. On the first day, the opening ceremony was carried out. The athletes registered and in front of the Zeus Orkios, they and their trainers took a vow(orkos). They vowed that “they compete fairly and without violating the rules”. The Hellanodikai also took a vow to be honest and fair in their judgments. The second day included horse and chariot races in the hippodrome and the pentathlon. The third day was the most important. It included glorious rites devoted to the worship of Zeus in the morning. There was a large festive procession of priests, athletes, the Hellanodikai, and notables of Ellis and of the other Greek cities. In the afternoon the foot races were held. On the fourth day the so-called heavy events – wrestling, boxing, pankration, and the race in full armour took place. On the fifth and last day, the festive awarding of the prizes was carried out in front of the statue of Zeus. The crowning of the winners took place among the applause, the hymns and songs of the friends and relatives and the celebrations would last until the next morning. The Olympic winner received as a prize an olive tree crown as well as other important prizes in kind and money and the victory gave the athlete great fame during his lifetime and posthumously. A victory ode was written especially for him as well as a statue of the athlete was made. The statue portrayed the ideal of the “good and honest” man. His native city participated in his victory and his proud fellow citizens knocked down part of the city walls through which he made his entry.
The Events: The Olympic Games consisted of 10 events: running, pentathlon, jumping, discus, javelin, wrestling, boxing, pankration, chariot, and horse racing.
The foot – race is the oldest contest that took place in Olympia. The athletes were running nude, in an area around 600 feet (192.27m), called one Stadion. This distance gave its name to the area used for the performance of the event. The stadiums were situated on hillsides or in small valleys, thus enabling the spectators to follow the events. Later and as the crowd of spectators grew, artificial slopes were built and the spectators sat on the ground. The stadium at Olympia had a capacity of 45,000 spectators. There are no records of the achievements of the athletes during Archaic times as there were no means of keeping time.
Pentathlon The pentathlon was a combination of events. It included jumping, running, javelin, discus, and wrestling. The athlete had to combine many qualities and skills of the body.
Jumping Similar to the long jump. The athlete jumped into a pit holding halters in his hands.
Discus An event loved by the Greeks most and known from Homeric poems. A moment of discus throwing is captured in the famous statue of the Discus-thrower, opposite the Panathenaic Stadium, in Athens.
Javelin One of the favorite events of many mythical heroes. We find the “ekevolon” javelin throwing which was judged by the distance the javelin was thrown and the “stohastikon” javelin throwing where the javelin was thrown at a specific target.
Wrestling It is referred to for the first time in Homer’s Labours for Patroclus. One of the pentathlon events but also independent in the Pan-Hellenic games. Even today it is called Greek-Roman wrestling.
Boxing One of the oldest events, as shown by the early reference to the event by Homer and the representation of two children boxing on the mural from Akrotiri in Santorini.
The Pankration A combination of wrestling and boxing, it was considered as the most worthy event for men in the games.
The horse & chariot races Took place in the hippodrome, a space used for the horse races. The horse races comprised of various events and were conducted with horses, chariots, and a quadriga. The most spectacular event was the quadriga race, an event in which the most prominent historic personalities had competed.

Independently of the Olympic games, the HERAIA GAMES, foot races for women only in honour of goddess Hera, was also taking place in Olympia. These games were also held every four years. The women ran having their hair loose, dressed in short tunics. There is a perfect image of a statue in the Athens Archaeological Museum of a girl taking part in the games.

Olympia is still in our lives with the lighting of the flame and the torch relay, ceremonies that every year will bring back memories of this tour.

Despite the damage by the earthquakes and the floods, the site is worth your visit. The setting is magical, making it the most beautiful major site in the Peloponnese. Both, the archaeological museum and the museum of the ancient Games are among the finest in Greece, making your visit to Olympia a must. There is no modern equivalent for ancient Olympia – a religious and at the same time an athletic centre. Men travelled from every part of the ancient World to compete in these Games and the winners became legends. Over 50,000 spectators came to watch the Games every four years and support the athletes.
The area was buried under the alluvial deposits of the two rivers until its discovery in 1852. Since then, millions of people visit Olympia every year and admire its wealth and importance in antiquity. A visit to the original site of the Olympic Games is a moving experience. Running in the original stadium is an unforgettable one.
If your visit to Greece is short and does not allow you to join a longer tour, take our ONE DAY TOUR TO OLYMPIA and visit the huge, but walkable, sacred ancient site.

Ancient Olympia has cultivated ideals. The importance of taking part in the Olympics was a great honour, being an Olympic winner was even greater.
The ancient Greeks visited the sanctuary of Olympia every 4 years. Join one of our tours and visit it once in your lifetime.

The whole region of Olympia is filled with history and beauty, and it is not difficult to imagine the atmosphere of the ancient games so many years ago.
With the Archaeological Museum exhibiting findings from the area, Olympia is generally accepted as one of the most interesting and educational sites you will find in the Peloponnese.

The archaeological site of Ancient Olympia is one of the most popular sites to visit in the Peloponnese. Birthplace to the Olympic Games, and home of the Olympic Flame, Olympia is a site that every visitor to Greece should include in his itinerary.

Join one of the tours below and visit the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia:

• 2 days Argolis (Mycenae, Nafplion, Epidaurus & Olympia)
• 3 days classical tour to Epidaurus, Mycenae, Olympia & Delphi
• 4-day Monday’s special classical tour, o/night in Nafplion
• 5 days Classical tour as above & an extra day to visit Meteora
• 5-day Monday’s special classical tour & Meteora, o/night in Nafplion
• 7-day Grand tour of Greece
• Visit Olympia on the Intercity bus

thetis2017, Grantham, United Kingdom. “One day trip to the archaeological site at Olympia”

Kosta gives excellent value for money. He is highly knowledgeable, caring, and courteous. We shall definitely book another trip with him next year.
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GDS_10 Grand Rapids… Re: Astoria Travel

I can highly recommend Astoria Travel and Kosta in particular. He went out of his way to assist my wife and me during our visit to Athens in early May.
First, he got us rates in Athens’s hotels that were significantly lower than any we could book on the web. He gave us excellent advice about what would be open and what would be closed during a national strike on May 7 and booked us for a wonderful one-day cruise that day (at a rate lower than that advertised by other agents).
I had trouble finding someone to take us on a one-day trip to Olympia, Kosta volunteered and drove us there and back. He also accommodated my request to visit the site of the Marathon battlefield-again, driving us personally, explaining the vicinity and the history, and recommending a cafe and several special Greek dishes for lunch.
His English is excellent, he is knowledgeable, highly experienced, and extremely helpful.