Ancient Olympia, Sparta and Mycenae Discovery
Get picked up by your Greek tour guide from an agreed-upon location and begin the tour.
See the site of the ancient "Sacred Forest," the name of Ancient Olympia. Built on the north riverbank of the Alfeios, it is one of the greatest UNESCO World Heritage Sites, set within an incredible natural landscape that evolved into the biggest religious sanctuary of the ancient world.
Visit the Temple of Zeus, where the 12-meter-high golden and ivory Statue of Zeus was displayed, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Here, also see the Philippeio, a unique circular construction and a gift to Zeus from Alexander the Great's father, King Philippos II, a temple completed by Alexander the Great himself.
Next, head to the Ancient Olympic Stadium, the Palaestra, the athletic field where wrestlers fought, Hera's Temple, and the Museum of Ancient Olympia. Learn about the Roman reconstruction that allowed the Games to continue without interruption until they ceased in 393 CE by the edict of Theodosius I, Emperor of Byzantium.
Arrive at the Cave of Kaiadas. It was a pit or underground cavern in Sparta into which state prisoners, or their corpses, were thrown.
Proceed to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Basse, a well-preserved temple built between 450 and 400 BCE. It is the only monument that combines three architectural styles - Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian - and was designed by the Parthenon architect Ictino after a suggestion by the priests of the Delphi oracle.
Tour the ancient city of Sparta, where you will see its Acropolis, its ancient Theater, and some Roman-era houses. Here, see the tomb of Leonidas, whose corpse was transported and buried in Sparta in 430 BCE, the statue of Lycurgus, the legislator of ancient Sparta who established the system of military education in Spartan society according to Apollo's Oracle in Delphi, the Museum of the Olive Tree, and the Kaiada, where bone findings show that no Spartan children with birth defects were executed there, but rather adult males and females such as traitors, sentenced criminals, and prisoners of war.
Explore ancient Mycenae, the kingdom of the mythical Agamemnon. Here, see the Gate and the Tomb of the Lions, the tomb of Agamemnon, the "Treasure of Atrea," in excellent condition and the most impressive of the nine Mycenaean tombs, as well as the Cyclopean Walls of the Mycenaean Acropolis.
