Day trip to Olympia

We booked this tour through Dionisos Tours at Tsilivi costing 25 euros (plus another 9 euros for entry to site and museum). The trip itself was organsied by TEZ Tours and we found our coach guide, Kostas, to be very good. Once there an Archaeological guide takes you around museum and site, again our guide was very good and she spoke excellent English and managed to help create some of the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, because of the devastating Earthquake alot of Olympia ruins lay as they fell. Anything standing is only due to the fact that it has been restored.

We really enoyed this trip and the only downside was that you don't get long enough in the museum (plus a 7:15am start), other than that a great day.

Absolutely brilliant day, lovely site, really interestin and we had a brilliant guide who was very knowledgeable and funny! Only problem was it tipped it down whilst we were there and we got soaked!!! All part of the experience though! Would hvae liked to spend a little more time there rather than in the olympia village which was so unlike any part of greece i have ever known it was unreal! Really worth doin if you can but shop around for prices we paid 29 euros which was very reasonable.

We have just returned from Zakynthos and during our stay we went on the day trip to Olympia. It's a very long day with pick up from Alykanas at 6.20am and drop off around 8.30pm, but it is well worth the loss of sleep. The ferry crossing is OK and the coach is comfortable. The archaelogical site (what most people know as Olympia) is really lovely. The weather was really hot and you are out in the open all the time, so take water with you. People also recommend a hat and lots of suncream, but it wasn't that bad. The guide we had was excellent. She was really interesting and is obviously passionate about the site. Her English was excellent and she even knew slang phrases. My only complaint is that if you want to go to the shops as well and have the guided tour, you have very little time to wander around the site on your own. We were then taken to the shops,which are mainly jewellers and leather shops. We also stopped in an attempt to go to a castle, but unfortunately they had shut early as it was the end of the season. However, Olympia is well worth a visit. We booked through our Kosmar rep (using Eurozante) cost 40 Euros

I went to Olympia last October and booked my trip with Spring Tours. It was a lovely day. Not too warm and we stopped for lunch overlooking the most beautiful valley near the Olympia site. (I forget the place exactly, sorry) Petros and Takis were truly brilliant guides and looked after everyone to make sure they were o.k. and back on the coach and ferry on time. I was presented with an olive branch and crown of laurel which I wore all day and for the journey home. See my photo as I wait to board the ferry! Taken by Takis. Our driver Vasillis was brilliant, he was the same driver for the Athens trip last October also. The guides who explained all the history of Olympia and the museum were very enthusiastic and easy to understand. Remember to always take your camera, hat and your own drinks and snacks because you will get hot and thirsty and hungry on all of these one day trips. If you miss a great photo opportunity then you will kick yourself later. I must do this trip again in September because the olympic games will be held in Greece next year and I am sure that we will be seeing some of these areas on T.V. An unforgettable day for many reasons.

If you do this trip, don't do it with Thomas Cook!
The English rep wasn't interested in us as clients and was appaling!
What Thomas Cook failed to tell us is that, although you have paid to go to Olympia, you have to pay an extra 6 euro each to get in when you get there and you have to pay an extra 2 euro to get into the Olympic museum. Both are parts of the trip which you need to do, but Thomas Cook failed to tell us.
The trip is well worth doing and remember to take a camera.

I really enjoyed the day trip to Olympia. It was totally amazing especially if you love history and the archeologists are there working as you walk round. However, it was very hot. If you do this trip make sure you take a bottle of water and a hat - you'll need them!!

I did this trip with Dionis tours booked in Tsilivi for 29 euros. And can safely say it was the highlight of my stay on Zante.
The guide we had round Olypia was Mario and his commentry made the ruins come alive! It costs an additonal 7 euros to enter the site and this is collected on the coach to save you having to queue.
With time to spend in the town be brave and dont listen to the guide when he says Olympia is expensive to eat, I had a toasted sandwich and fresh lemon juice for 4 euros!! With ample time left for me to shop!

As all our other trips we booked this through Ken at Tsilivi Travel, saving €30 on the reps prices. On top of the cost of the trip you also have to pay €6 entry fee into Olympia (NOTE: the Olympia Museum is NOT open at all in 2003), instead you can go to the Olympic Museum in Olympia at a cost of €2, this is an interesting museum charting the history of the modern olympics. Children under 16yrs are free to both of the attractions. We had a very good guide in Olympia who explained everything to the finest detail, the Olympia site tour takes about 1 hour, take plenty of water it was 35degC in May 2003. If you are into history, you will enjoy this trip.

This is the 2nd time I have been to Olympia, each time the coach takes you to a "Taverna", (where your tour guide gets a free drink and meal). Rip Off Prices, 3 Lemon Fantas & 1 water €8, Greek Salad €5 etc. You feel obliged to eat/drink in this Taverna, save a fortune by going up into Olympia a 2 minute walk away. Local Bakers do Cheese Pies €1, drinks €1, local cafes also have the same food as the Taverna but at a sensible price. Shopping time is available in Olympia, the shopkeepers are over keen, if you stop to look at anything you are ambushed - especially from the Jewellery Shopkeepers - its a Greek thing!

The trip takes about 12 hours, we were picked up @7.15am and returned @ 7.30pm, if you need any more info regarding this trip e-mail me at grahamcork@tiscali.co.uk

Could have been viewed as a pile of rocks, but the significance of the 1st ever olympics and the tour guides informative but (maybe a bit long speech) helped to fill in the gaps, we had a great day although didn't like the shopping bit after in Olympia itself.

We booked this through our rep and it was a very good day. For lunch they took us to a taverna and to be honest we don't like eating in places that cater for massive groups. If you're prepared to break away and take a walk up the main road there are a couple of nice places to eat up there. Sorry I can't remember their names.

This was a fantastic day.Marios the guide was unfortunate..he didn't draw breath and thought he was in an university lecture hall, he also had rather strange views on women and olive oil! If you want the Greek perspective he's your man, a lot more went on here than he will let on...i.e the Romans!What did the Romans give us...or them?

Again, we booked this trip through Tsilivi travel, and a marvelous time was had by all of my family. The travelling is an hour and 15 mins ferry crossing then a bus trip of about another hour to the Olympic site. Sadly we arrived in the pouring rain, but the "on site" guide delt with the weather conditions in a manner second to none. The day consisits of a museum trip and then a visit to the "Olympic site". Each has an small additional charge (kids under 18 go free) and if you pay for both the museum and the site at the same time you get a slight discount. After the museum finished, thankfully the rain stopped and we managed to do the outsite visit in the dry. The on site guide was fantastic, with loads and loads of info. All in all the trip was brilliant....... but please please, if the guide says NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY in the museum, please do as he asks, High intensity flash light will damage the statues in the long term, so respect what you are looking at. Just turn the flash off on your camera there is enough room lighting for the pictures to still come out clear enough.... if you want to see what I have taken with no flash, email me at Peter@the-glorious-game.fsnet.co.uk

Our tour rep to Olympia did not tell us that extra money was to be paid out. When we booked the day trip we were led to believe that was the only cost to visit the Sanctuary. Otherwise, it was a good trip. A bit longer with the guide could have helped to appreciate the site. Noisy school kids put us off.

We didn't think much of this trip, the tour guide we had, spoke like she had done her speech so many times she did;nt have to be enthusiastic,there was nothing over 6ft high, it was very hot with limited shade. Withoout the paper guide you had no idea what anything used to be. The museum was the bast part.

We booked through Smile tours in Kalamaki. The ferry crossing was good if a little crowded, and the coach trip wasn't too long. The guide at Olympia, Marios was very passionate and knowledegable about his subject if a little hard to follow at times. Great trip if you are into Greek mythology and the history of the Olympic Games. Watch out for the restaurant they take you to - not the best value. There are plenty of others on the main road, two minutes away. Also beware of the heat - 100 degrees plus!

The Olympiad remains were amazing, and what Marios didn't know wasn't worth knowing. The only down side was that we had to rush around the ruins and the museum and then had loads of time wandering around the small number of shops and cafes in Olympia town; obviously the coach guide was on commission there.

Booked through Tsilivi Travel. The whole thing was Briliant, Our Guide Marios was very good and can tell a tale or two!!! Very hot but lots of shade. Culture etc is amazing. Not enough time to see everything at a leisurely pace. Well worth the Visit.

Booked the trip through Tsilivi Travel at a cost of 28 Euros per person, half the price charged by Libra. A brilliant day out, the site guide Marios was informative and an excellent communicator. The trip is advertised to finish at 21.30 hours, but we returned to our apartments at 19.00 hrs, so the day is not too long.

We made the mistake of booking via our rep and it cost us 2 times what it would have if we'd booked through one of the tour operators in town.

Really interesting day. Would have liked a bit longer on the archaelogical site and less time in the museum. We booked through Pelargos Tours in Laganas, the guide Marios was very good.

Excellent day out - Booked the trip through Dionysis cost 9000drc. You definitely need to take some bottled water with you as it gets very hot, it is a full day out, caught the coach at 7.00am got back at 8.30pm. Our guide was Tim he was really nice a good laugh.

We paid 9000 per adult and 4500 per child, with Pelargos (but extra 2000 per adult for site entry (kids free)). Organisation was good. A long day but a good trip for adults, less so for the kids who got bored looking round the Olympia site. The museum was better - at least its air-con'd. The coach stops at the most expensive restaurant in town: we went into the town where there are plenty more. The shops are interesting, mostly very expensive but some bargains to be found. The crusader castle at Kilini looked worth a visit, but the coaches just do a 5 minute stop for photos.

made a mistake on the previous message it was 11,000dr not £11 but still fantastic value

We went to Olympia with Dionysis tour company and found them to be the best in Tsilivi. Having used many companies last year for day trips these are the ones we would travel with again. The trip to Olympia was great, the guide for the bus and ferry was Tim a great New Zealander (and if you ever read this Tim we did get all 6 coins-the lady with the coin you didn't have in Aug). The guide at Olympia was so full of knowledge and made the day equally enjoyable. The shops were as every other resort and the restaurant they used was average, but you could eat in the town if you wanted. All in all a very good day and worth going on for £11!!!

It is a full day trip. From your resort to the ferry (departs at 8am). One and a half hours on the ferry. 50 mins on the bus and then three hours at the museum and site. Followed by an hour for lunch and shopping time. Theoretically you return on the 5pm ferry, but do not expect it to depart on time. The site can become crowded and it will be hot, but this is an experience not to be missed. Expect to pay £15-20 on the street and anything up to double that from your Rep.

It took about 3 hours to get to olympia from our starting point at kalamaki but 1.5 hours was on the ferry to the main land so it wasn't too bad and well worth it. the tour guide marios was fantastic making the whole place come to life. we spent about 3 hours at the site and 2 hour for lunch and shopping in the town olympia. take plenty of water as it is a whole day and it is hot and don't go the the place the support for lunch as it is a rip off. a great day out and the next time the olympic flame is lit you can say you've been there and experienced some of the magic for yourself.

HOW MUCH TIME IS SPENT SITE-SEEING DURING THE DAY ? OR WHETHER MOST OF THE DAY IS SPENT TRAVELLING (BOAT,COACH) ? THANKING YOU IN ADVANCE

Thomsons u r Great... Excellent day out with a great guide called David Conquest who made the day worthwile. Our guide at Olympia was called Angalos who was fantastic and so enthralling, the day at the site and museum was worth the meeting at 6.50am. Reccomend it to all, see your rep, good day for £26.00

This was a good day out - even though it was an early start (by holiday standards 7.20 pick up was a bit hard to take!). Book local and it's half the price. We went with Dionisos and their tour guide around Olympia was superb - they use him all the time (used to be Mayor - has carried the Olympic torch). Kids got a bit of a kick out of it as well. Stop at Olympia village was expensive-if you don't want to spend twice as much on food as the resorts go into the village and get a snack rather than the taverna they support (I think it was called Mirabelle or something).

Excellent trip if you are interested in ancient history. Site of one of the seven wonders of the world. Best to take your own bottled water. We booked with Dionysis Tours - cost about £20 and we had two guides - one on coach and one round Olympia. Both were excellent.

Justin - Anything from £15 - £25 depending on who you book with (ie off street or via rep). Make sure you get a guided tour of the site and museum whoever you book with.

the trip was a really good day out the tour lady was very interesting. you learn loads about the history. the boat trip over was good, it made a really good day trip id do it again