Delphi, Thermopylae private full day trip from Athens

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Delphi, Thermopylae private full day trip from Athens

10-11 HOURS UP TO 14 PERSONS FREE CANCELLATION
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€38 / adult

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 and visit Thermopylae, where the battle took place, and the statue of Leonidas.

Book a private driver-guide for a day trip to Delphi and Thermopylae and leave the travel logistics to an expert. After a pickup direct from your Athens hotel, you’ll travel to the sites, learning about the UNESCO-listed ruins of Delphi and Thermopylae along the way. Explore the sites independently and hear tips for must-see ruins to check out.

  • Avoid complicated public transport between Athens and Delphi
  • Stop at the Delphi ruins and the Delphi Archaeological Museum
  • Learn about the Temple of Apollo as you travel with a private guide
  • See the sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronaia, ancient stadiums, and theatres
  • Visit Thermopylae, where the battle took place, and the statue of Leonidas
  • See more with a preplanned itinerary around Delphi and Thermopylae
  • Escape the heat and relax in air-conditioned private transport as you travel
  • Your guides are not official site guides but can explain all about the sites on the way to and from Delphi

CULTURAL
CULTURAL
MUSEUMS
MUSEUMS
ANCIENT SITES
ANCIENT SITES
FOOD
FOOD

  • Professional drivers with deep knowledge of history (not licensed to accompany you in any site)
  • Hotel/ airport/ port pick-up and drop-off
  • Private transportation
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • WiFi on board
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch (With Greek Traditional Food option)

  • Licensed tour guide (upon request and depending on availability)
  • Entry or admission fees for archaeological sites
  • Gratuities

  • 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 most of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
  • Our company complies with all the health instructions of the World Health Organization about COVID-19
  • Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This could be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.
  • This is a private tour. Only your group will participate. The pick-up time is adjustable upon your request. Your personal driver will pick you up and return you to the same place or to the point you prefer.
    • In the case of a hotel pick-up, he will be waiting for you in the hotel lobby.
    • In the case of an apartment pick-up, he will be waiting for you at the entrance of the building.
    • For airport pick up, he will be waiting for you at the arrival hall holding a sign with your name on it so you can spot him upon arrival. We will track your flight and our driver will be there on time.
    • For port pick up, he will be waiting for you at the gate, just as you disembark, holding a sign with your name on it so you can spot him upon arrival.

  • Comfortable clothing
  • Athletic/ walking shoes are recommended
  • Hats, sunglasses, and suntan lotion are highly recommended

  • You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Tour itinerary

10 hours roundtrip | 4 places | 1 stop for lunch

PICK UP

Start our tour from Athens

We start our tour early in the morning from Athens. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel/ apartment or the airport/ port.

PASS BY

Thermopylae

Arrival at Thermopylae after a two-hour trip.

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.

15 MINUTES ADMISSION TICKET FREE

Battlefield of Thermopylae

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.

15 MINUTES ADMISSION TICKET FREE

Leonidas Monument

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.

30 MINUTES ADMISSION TICKET NOT INCLUDED

Thermopylae Museum

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.

30 MINUTES ADMISSION TICKET FREE

Archaeological site of Delphi

Free time for a walk at:

  • sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronaia
  • ancient stadium and theater

1 HOUR ADMISSION TICKET NOT INCLUDED

Delphi Archaeological Museum

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.

1 HOUR ADMISSION TICKET NOT INCLUDED

Temple of Apollo

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.

1 HOUR LUNCH

Delphi

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

30 MINUTES COFFEE

Arachova

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

Map Overview

Available Pickups

NOTE: Pick-up starts 10 minute(s) before departure.

We offer pick-up to the following places for this experience:

Tour info

Experience type

Day tour / activity

Difficulty

Easy

Booking in advance

Cut off: 1 day

Live tour guide

English


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Awards & Certifications

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Trip Advisor Reviews

This was by far one of the most interesting and informative tours I have ever received, all thanks to our amazing tour guide Panos! He was extremely knowledgeable in terms of Greek History, as well as World History. He graciously answered all our questions in great detail. We will always remember this awesome tour not only because of the amazing sites and history, but also Panos’s company and humor.

Saad R

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29/12/2022

A fabulous day out in the mountains! Our driver, Panos and guide George were informative and entertaining. The monastery, Temple of Apollo, and museum were fabulous. Lunch was included in a wonderful Cafe with a view. We ordered whatever we wanted. A stroll through a small picturesque village was a perfect ending. A great escape to country life in Greece.

Lori F

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10/05/2022

It was an amazing day that we will remember! The car was clean and the service was perfect. The driver was pleasant and knowledgeable, he took us to all the historical places in Athens and ancient Corinth and he told us everything we should know about the history that was so interesting. Thanks again for an amazing day!!

Kensey Miller

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11/07/2022

Our driver and Greek philosopher, Notis, was a pleasure to spend the day with. He is so knowledgeable about all things Greek. We visited three monasteries in the sky — all had incredible views of the cliffs. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the contemplativeness of this holy place. Thank you, Notis, for creating a memorable experience!

lorenzo

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11/10/2022

We had a wonderful day with Billy. It was a busy, packed day of sightseeing around the peninsula of Greece. He picked us up from the hotel right on time and showed us a great time all day. If you want to see a lot in one day, I would highly recommend this tour.

jdeluccia

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16/10/2022

We had Tom as our driver and had a very enjoyable day. We saw everything as described and it was amazing. Tom was good about helping my mother with walking disabilities get around and still see everything. We had as much time as we needed to see everything and still have lunch by the water. Thanks for a wonderful day!

CherylIndiana

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11/10/2021

Wonderful day exploring Ancient Corinth, Epidaurus, Nafplio full day private tour from Athens. Everything was just perfect and our guide was fabulous!! So Knowledgeable about everything that we saw. It was a wonderful day truly enjoyable thank you!

DanaB

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29/11/2022

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