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How many days in Olympia? 3 days, the sanctuary at opening time and the countryside of Ilia
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Ancient Olympia is a green valley where the rivers Alfeios and Kladeos meet, under the pine-covered hill of Kronos. For more than a thousand years the Games were held here in honour of Zeus, and the Olympic flame is still lit at the Temple of Hera before every modern Games. Most visitors arrive from a cruise ship at Katakolo or on a coach tour and stay two hours. Give it three days: one for the sanctuary and its museums at a calm pace, one for the mountain temple of Bassae, and one for the coast of Ilia, with a Frankish castle and long sandy beaches.
Short answer
One day is enough for the site and the main museum if you start at opening time. Three days lets you see the region around it: Bassae, Andritsaina, Chlemoutsi and the sea at Kyllini or Kaiafas.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: The sanctuary of Zeus and the stadium
Morning. Enter the site at 8:00, before the cruise groups arrive at about 10:00. The combined ticket for the site and museums costs about €20 in high season. Walk past the Gymnasium and Palaestra to the workshop of Pheidias, where the great statue of Zeus was made, and on to the massive drums of the Temple of Zeus. Then visit the Temple of Hera, where the flame ceremony takes place, and walk through the vaulted tunnel into the stadium, about 192 metres long. Allow 2-2.5 hours.
Afternoon. Spend the heat in the Archaeological Museum, 5 minutes' walk from the site. Its highlights are the sculptures from the pediments of the Temple of Zeus, the Nike of Paionios and the Hermes of Praxiteles. Next door, the small Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity shows equipment, prizes and inscriptions. Allow 2 hours for both.
Evening. Walk the main street of the modern village, Praxitelous Kondyli, about 600 metres of shops and tavernas. Eat outside the centre if you can; places on the side streets and towards the Kladeos are calmer. A meal costs about €15-25 per person.
Stand on the stone starting line in the stadium; it is allowed, and running the length is a classic photo. Bring water and a hat: there is shade under the pines, but not in the stadium.
Day 2: The temple of Apollo at Bassae and Andritsaina
Morning. Drive about 1h15-1h30 south-east through hill country towards Bassae, at about 1,100 metres on Mount Kotilio. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius, a UNESCO World Heritage site from the 5th century BC, stands under a large protective tent during long-term restoration. It is one of the best-preserved temples in Greece; entry is a few euros and opening days are limited, so check before you go.
Afternoon. Drive 14 km down to Andritsaina, a mountain village of stone houses and wooden balconies. Its library holds a large collection of old books and manuscripts, with limited opening hours. Have lunch under the plane tree in the square, by the old fountain.
Evening. Return to Olympia, about 1h15, and eat in the village or in Miraka and Floka, the small settlements on the hills just outside it.
Fill the tank before leaving Olympia. There are few petrol stations on the mountain roads, and they close early.
Day 3: Chlemoutsi castle and the Ionian coast
Morning. Drive about 1 hour north-west to Chlemoutsi, a large 13th-century castle built by the Frankish princes of Achaea on a hill above Kastro village. Its keep and the view over the Ionian Sea to Zakynthos are the reasons to come; entry is a few euros.
Afternoon. Swim at one of the long sandy beaches of the Kyllini peninsula, such as Kastro Kyllinis or Glyfa, with sunbeds and tavernas. The ferry port of Kyllini for Zakynthos and Kefalonia is about 15 minutes away.
Evening. Stop in Katakolo, the small port where cruise ships call, for fish by the harbour on the way back, or visit a winery in the hills of Ilia if you booked ahead. Olympia is about 35-40 minutes from Katakolo.
If you prefer to go south instead, the long beach and lagoon at Kaiafas, about 40 minutes from Olympia, has pine woods and a quiet sea.
Only have 1 day?
With 1 day, sleep in Olympia the night before, enter at 8:00, see the main museum by 11:00 and leave after lunch. With 2 days, add Bassae and Andritsaina.
Got extra days?
Extra days go to the medieval village of Karytaina and the Lousios gorge monasteries in Arcadia (about 1h45), to Nafplio and Mycenae (about 3 hours), or by ferry from Kyllini to Zakynthos (about 1 hour).
Where to stay in Olympia
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Olympia village | Small family hotels and rooms, 5-10 minutes' walk from the site. | €45-75 |
| Mid-range | Olympia village (edge, near the hills) | Quieter hotels with pools, walk to the site at opening time. | €75-130 |
| Mid-range | Katakolo / Kyllini coast | By the sea, 35-60 minutes from the site; good for beach days. | €70-140 |
| Comfort | Hillside resorts around Olympia | Larger hotels with spas and views over the Alfeios valley; a car is needed. | €150-300 |
Getting around
Olympia is about 300 km from Athens, roughly 3h30 by car on the motorway via Corinth and Patras or via Tripoli. KTEL buses from Athens Kifissos station go to Pyrgos (about 4 hours) with local connections to Olympia, about 25-30 minutes; check current timetables, as the suburban train between Pyrgos, Katakolo and Olympia has not always run. The village and the site are on foot. For Bassae, Chlemoutsi and the beaches you need a car; rentals cost about €35-60 a day.
What to eat in Olympia
Ilia is farm country, and the tavernas cook with what grows around them. Order lamb or goat kleftiko baked in paper, kontosouvli, pork with greens, and the vegetable dishes called ladera, cooked slowly in olive oil. The region produces white wines from Roditis, and the hills near Katakolo and Pyrgos have family wineries. Local feta and olive oil from the Alfeios valley are good buys. On the coast, eat grilled sardines and squid. A taverna meal with house wine costs €15-25 per person in the village.
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October, with highs of 20-28°C and spring flowers between the ruins. July and August are hot in the valley (often 33-38°C), so visit the site at 8:00 and the museums in the afternoon. In winter the site keeps shorter hours (roughly 8:00-15:00 or 17:00) and the village is very quiet.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €25 | €50 | €110 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €65 |
| Sights & tickets | €10 | €15 | €35 |
| Local transport | €10 | €25 | €45 |
| Total per person, per day | about €65 | about €125 | about €255 |
Approximate 2026 prices; the site and museums ticket is about €20 in high season and transport assumes a shared rental car after day 1. Greece charges a per-room, per-night climate resilience fee, higher from April to October.
Before you go
Common questions
How long do I need at Ancient Olympia?
About 2-2.5 hours for the archaeological site and 1.5-2 hours for the main museum, so half a day in total. Add 30-45 minutes for the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity. If you come from a cruise ship at Katakolo, you will have about 3-4 hours on shore, enough for the site and a quick look at the museum.
Can I see the Olympic flame lighting?
The flame is lit at the Temple of Hera a few months before each Olympic Games, in a ceremony with actresses dressed as priestesses. Public access is limited and tightly controlled, and the dates depend on the next Games. The site is often closed to normal visitors that day; check before planning a visit around it.
Is Olympia a good day trip from Athens?
It is long: about 3h30 each way by car and more by bus, which leaves little time on the site. It is much better to sleep in Olympia one or two nights, or to include it in a Peloponnese loop with Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Mystras. From the cruise port of Katakolo, it is only about 35-40 minutes away.
Is the site suitable for children?
Yes. The site is flat and shaded, and children usually love running the stadium. The paths are gravel and dirt, so a sturdy pushchair works better than a light one. Bring water, snacks and hats; there is a café by the museum. Children and young people from the EU often enter free, with ID.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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