Day 1 in Olympia

Welcome to the small town of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Upon arrival, make your transfer to your destination, arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do.

Once you have checked into your hotel, grab a bite to eat and then head out for your day of sightseeing. There are a number of sites and museums you can explore once you arrive: the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the Archaeological Site itself, the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity and the Museum of the History of Excavations in Olympia.

The modern village of Olympia (confusingly known as Ancient Olympia) is divided by its one main street, Leoforos Kondili. The town has the usual assortment of tourist shops selling jewelry, T-shirts, and reproductions of ancient pottery and statues, as well as more than a dozen hotels and restaurants. While in this part of town, we recommend you pay a visit to the small Museum of the Olympic Games. This museum is the closest to the main road, making it a perfect first stop.

The Museum of the Olympic Games contains numerous art, statues, paintings and other ancient works depicting the athletes, as well as information on the history and beginning of the games at Olympia in the 8th century BC. The museum shares different tales of how the games began, as well as the glory and fame surrounding Olympic champions, their prizes and the sacrifices to Zeus that were made followed by celebratory banquets when the champions returned to their cities.

After getting your bearings of the town, grab some dinner before heading back to your hotel for a restful night sleep.

Tip: Check on the admission hours for both the site and museum as soon as you arrive. The actual open hours fluctuate from the official hours more than one would expect.

Day 2 in Olympia

Wake up early today to visit the Ancient Olympus Site, an entire day should be reserved only for this. This archeological site has remains of homes, fields and more than 70 structures from ancient Greece, dating back to 4,000 years AD. The extensive ruins include athletic training areas, a stadium and temples dedicated to the gods Hera and Zeus. Some of the highlights that are must-sees in Ancient Olympia: The Museum of the Olympic Games, Temple of Zeus, Tempe of Hera, Palaestra and The Stadium.

Note: Several tours are available and we would highly recommend getting a guide to visit the area since just walking around with no indications can be hard to understand what was there and what the site was used for. There are a few explanation panels here and there but with so little information on each one. If you do choose to do a self-guided tour, the best way would be to buy a guidebook and explore it at your own pace.

The original incarnation of the Olympic Games lasted until 393 AD, when Roman Emperor Theodosius I abolished them as part of his mission to introduce Christianity to Greece. Temples were ransacked and centuries of earthquakes and floods finished off what was left of Olympia. By the time the site was rediscovered in the 18th century it was covered in 25 feet worth of silt and parts of the site are still being excavated.

The Olympic site was a whole self-contained town, with its own temples, accommodation block, bathhouses and public buildings. (Similar to the athletes` village of today`s Olympics.) Except that the heart of it then was The Temple of Zeus. This was Olympia`s most important building and housed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Statue of Zeus was a giant, 42-ft-high, gold and ivory statue of Zeus on his throne. It`s long gone now and there`s not much left of the temple either, but one column was reconstructed for the 2004 Athens Olympics to give a sense of its size. The ruins across the site have been heavily damaged so you have to use your imagination as you walk through piles of stone and crumbling pillars scattered amongst the olive trees to see them as a temple or gymnasium. The best-preserved statues, carvings and relics from the site are on show in the archaeological museum next door.

The site of the Olympic stadium that you see today was built in the 5th century BC, though underneath it are remains of older stadiums right back to the original. It`s not what you`d think of as a stadium today, but more like a field with a dirt rectangle in the center. But it could hold up to 45,000 spectators - a bit over half as many as the stadium for the London 2012 Olympics, to put this in perspective. Though it was a lot less comfortable, did not have seats or entrance to women.

Your admission ticket also includes the two museums located in the Ancient Olympus Site. The Archaeological Museum of Olympia is one of the most important museums in Greece. This museum presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the Olympic Games were born. The museum`s permanent exhibition contains finds from the excavations in the sacred precinct of the Altis dating from prehistoric times to the Early Christian period.

After a long day of exploring, head to dinner before getting back to your hotel for a good night`s rest. Note that if you are dining in Olympia, it is filled with tourists, overly priced and not serving a true representation of Greek food. If you have the time, find more authentic restaurants off the beaten path.

Additional Days in Olympia

Should you be able to spend additional days in Olympia plan to enjoy some of the festivals and cultural events that take place in town (usually in the summer months). Due to the historical importance of this site, many visitors attend these festivals that take place in the archaeological site of Olympia. The Festival of Ancient Olympia lasts from July to August and events usually take place in the Floka Theatre, a few miles from Olympia. These events include musical concerts, theater performances and lectures. The International Film Festival for Children and Young People takes place in December in various venues of Olympia and Pyrgos.

Your Last Day in Olympia

Depart your hotel for the train station where you will head home or make your way to more Greece adventures. Savor the memories of a very special time in Olympia.