Published on Sep, 2024
I was a little nervous to book this trip as, up until now, it had no reviews. I decided to take a chance based on the good reviews for the company in general, and it was such a good decision.
I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games, and I knew when I decided to go to Greece I had to find a way to go to where they started. This trip exceeded my expectations, and it may be the coolest thing I have done in Greece.
Please note that this trip includes the car and driver to and from Olympia NOT a guide in the actual archaeological site. I did the trip with my husband. Several days prior to the trip, my driver Xenofontas got in touch with me to confirm the pickup location. He was actually able to pick me up straight from my hotel. He was communicative and prompt, and we set off for the four-hour drive to Olympia. Xenofontas was an excellent driver and a pleasure to talk to. While he was not a tour guide, we got to talking about the differences between Greece and America, Greek battles of World War II, mythology...it was a long drive, but he made it feel short. When we actually got to the site, he directed us on how to get there and then left us to explore.
The site itself...holy cow. I recommend doing a tiny bit of research ahead of time so you have some idea what is actually at the site (I just read the Wikipedia article), but the museum and the site were both very self-explanatory. I didn't feel I needed a guide. I truly believe Ancient Olympia is wildly underrated and will become a massive tourist destination in the near future, but for now it was absolutely incredible to wander self-directed around the place where the games were born with minimal crowds. (Apparently this isn't a common place to go on a vacation to Greece?!) History felt very present--I felt like I might blink and be transported back to its heyday at any moment. And while the main draw for me was the origination of the Olympics, my husband, who is not a big a fan as me, thought it was one of the coolest archaeological sites he's been too (especially having done the extremely crowded Acropolis the day before).
I haven't mentioned the museum much because I was so blown away by the archaeological site, but it had some of the most gorgeous and well preserved statues. This included THE statue of the Nike whose image recently adorned the Olympic medals in Paris.
This is a long day. From Athens, the drive is four hours each way plus about 3-4 hours for sightseeing. Honestly, it was a super cool bonus to see so much of the Greek countryside, something I didn't think about when I booked the trip. Xenofontas provided water and was able to stop at any time for bathroom breaks and snacks. There are tons of options for food right next to the archaeological site and time to have lunch either before or after seeing the site. (You can also explore the adjacent modern town of Olympia, but I decided to spend all my time at the site.) I was tired by the end of the day, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Do yourself a favor and book this trip. I'd bet money it will be one of your favorite memories too.