Delphi, Thermopylae full day private tour from Athens

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Delphi, home of the 4th-century-BC Temple of Apollo on this private, full day excursion from Athens. Travel in private, air-conditioned vehicles and get around all the sites your group is interested in visiting within the extensive mountainside archaeological complex before returning comfortably to Athens. - Your guides are not official site guides, but can explain all about the sites on the way to and from Delphi - Stop at the Delphi ruins, the Temple of Apollo, and Delphi Archaeological Museum - See the sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronaia, ancient stadiums, and theatres - Visit Thermopylae where the battle took place and the statue of Leonidas

1. 1

   Thermopylae

   Pass by

   Thermopylae is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur springs. In Greek mythology the Hot Gates is one of the entrances to Hades. Thermopylae is the site of a battle between the Greek forces and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides of Ceos in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie." Thermopylae is the only land route large enough to bear any significant traffic between Lokris and Thessaly. To go from north to south along the east coast of the Balkan peninsula requires use of the pass, and so Thermopylae has been the site of several battles.

2. 2

   Campo della battaglia delle Termopili

   30 min

   The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Ancient Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas I of Sparta, and the Achaemenid Empire of Xerxes I. It was fought in 480 BC over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. The battle took place simultaneously with the naval battle at Artemisium. It occurred at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae ("The Hot Gates") in August or September 480 BC. The Persian invasion was a delayed response to the defeat of the first Persian invasion of Greece, which had been ended by the Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. By 480 BC, Xerxes had amassed a massive army and navy and set out to conquer all of Greece. The Athenian politician and general Themistocles had proposed that the allied Greeks block the advance of the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae, while simultaneously blocking the Persian navy at the Straits of Artemisium.

3. 3

   Leonidas Monument

   30 min

   Leonidas was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles and Cadmus. Leonidas was son of King Anaxandridas II. He succeeded his half-brother King Cleomenes I to the throne in c. 489 BC. Leonidas had a notable participation in the Second Persian War, where he led the allied Greek forces to a last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) while attempting to defend the pass from the invading Persian army; he died at the battle and entered myth as the leader of the 300 Spartans. While the Greeks lost this battle, they were able to expel the Persian invaders in the following year.

4. 4

   Thermopylae Museum

   1 hour

   Next to the monument of Leonidas, in the historic Thermopylae, lies the innovative museum of the Lamia Municipality, dedicated to the 480 BC battle that changed the course of Greek history.

5. 5

   Delphi

   30 min

   Free time for a walk at: - sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronaia - ancient stadium and theater

6. 6

   Tholos of Athena Pronaia

   30 min

   An intriguing architectural marvel nestled within the archaeological site of Delphi. Tholos provides us with a window into the ancient world and the rich tapestry of beliefs and traditions. The Tholos of Athena Pronaia is a circular building with a distinctive architectural design, featuring a ring of Doric columns surrounding a central chamber. Built in the 4th century BCE, this unique structure served as a sanctuary dedicated to Athena Pronaia, a variant of the goddess Athena worshipped in Delphi.

7. 7

   Delphi Archaeological Museum

   1 hour

   Delphi Archaeological Museum is one of the principal museums of Greece and one of the most visited. It is operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Founded in 1903, it has been rearranged several times and houses the discoveries made at the Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi, which dates from the Late Helladic (Mycenean) period to the early Byzantine era. Organized in fourteen rooms on two levels, the museum mainly displays statues, including the famous Charioteer of Delphi, architectural elements, like the frieze of the Siphnian Treasury, and ex-votos dedicated to the sanctuary of Pythian Apollo, like the Sphinx of Naxos. The exhibition floor space is more than 2270m2, while the storage and conservation rooms (mosaics, ceramics, and metals) take up 558m2.

8. 8

   Temple of Apollo

   1 hour

   The Temple of Apollo, god of music, harmony, light, healing, and oracles occupied the most important and prominent position in the Delphic Panhellenic Sanctuary. The edifice with the partially restored colonnade visible today dates to the 4th century BC; it is the third temple built at the same place. The famous oracle, the Pythia, operated inside the temple, the location chosen, according to one tradition, due to a sacred chasm beneath the site emitting vapors, which were inhaled by the Pythia. Some ancient writers state that the Pythia then entered a state of delirium and uttering inarticulate cries, which were then turned into equivocal oracles by the priests. This interpretation is controversial, and has been challenged by scholars such as Joseph Fontenrose and Lisa Maurizio, who argue that the ancient sources uniformly represent the Pythia speaking intelligibly, and giving prophecies in her own voice.

9. 9

   Delphi

   1 hour

   Free time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends and family or shopping.

10. 10

    Arachova

    30 min

    Free time for a coffee before we start our trip back to Athens.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Our drivers are not official tour guides, but they are knowledgeable and can provide fascinating commentary in fluent English. Although they will not enter the archaeological sites with you, they can answer all of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
• Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.