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Food tours in Olympia: what to eat and which tour to book
Modern Olympia (Archaia Olympia) is a small town in Ilia (Elis), in the western Peloponnese, built around one main street next to the archaeological site and surrounded by olive groves. It is not a city with a market scene: food here means Greek taverna cooking, local olive oil and wine from the Ilia countryside, grilled meat, and the home-style oven dishes (magirefta) that Peloponnese tavernas cook every morning. Many visitors arrive on day trips from the cruise port at Katakolo, about 35 km away, so the restaurants nearest the site are busiest at lunchtime and quieter in the evening, when the town is mostly overnight guests and locals.
Use this page to decide what to eat and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Olympia
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Souvlaki and gyros σουβλάκι / γύρος (souvlaki / gyros) | Grilled pork or chicken on skewers or shaved from a vertical spit, served in pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips, or as a plate. | Grill shops (psistaries) on and just off the main street. | roughly €3.50–5 per pita; €10–14 for a plate |
| Greek salad and wild greens χωριάτικη, χόρτα (horiatiki, horta) | Tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and feta with local olive oil; and boiled wild or cultivated greens dressed with oil and lemon. | Every taverna; best in summer, when tomatoes are in season. | roughly €7–10 a salad; €5–7 for horta |
| Rooster in wine κόκορας κρασάτος (kokoras krasatos) | Rooster slow-cooked in red wine and tomato with spices, usually served with thick pasta (hilopites or macaroni). Common across the Peloponnese. | Traditional tavernas, often on weekends or by order; ask if it is on that day. | roughly €11–16 a plate |
| Home-style oven dishes μαγειρευτά (magirefta) — μουσακάς, γεμιστά, παστίτσιο | Moussaka, gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers), pastitsio and stews cooked in the morning and kept warm; ask to see the trays. | Tavernas in town and in the surrounding villages. | roughly €8–13 a plate |
| Fresh fish and seafood φρέσκο ψάρι, καλαμαράκια, γαύρος | Grilled fish, fried calamari and small fried fish such as anchovies (gavros), with salad and oil-and-lemon dressing. | Harbour tavernas in Katakolo, on the coast west of Olympia. | roughly €8–14 for small fried fish or calamari; larger fish priced per kilo |
| Local olive oil and olives ελαιόλαδο, ελιές | Ilia is a major olive-growing area, and the groves come right up to the archaeological site. Tavernas pour local oil generously; shops in town sell bottled oil and olives. | Tavernas and food shops on the main street; small producers in the area (ask locally about visits). | roughly €8–15 for a litre of extra virgin oil in a shop, more in tourist packaging |
| Ilia wine κρασί Ηλείας | Wineries in Ilia make whites and reds from Greek and international grapes; many tavernas also serve their own house wine by the carafe. | Tavernas in town; wineries in the wider Ilia area offer tastings, usually by appointment. | roughly €5–8 for a half-litre carafe of house wine |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Main street (Praxitelous Kondyli)
The town's main street runs from the archaeological site through the centre, lined with tavernas, grill shops, cafés and souvenir and food shops. Places closest to the site cater most to day-trippers.
Villages around Olympia
Nearby villages such as Floka and Miraka, a few kilometres away, have tavernas used by locals, often with home-style cooking and grilled meat.
Katakolo harbour
Small port about 35 km west, where cruise ships dock; the waterfront has fish tavernas and cafés. Busy and pricier on cruise days.
Pyrgos
The regional capital, about 20 km away, where locals shop: bakeries, butchers, delis and a weekly street market (laiki) with farmers' produce.
Food tours in Olympia compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katakolo:Olympia Guided Tour,Olive Mill Tour & Cooking Class | 5 hours | from €749 per group | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Ancient Olympia: Private Tour site, museum, bee farm, winery | 5 hours | from €120 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Olive oil mill guided tour and olive oil tasting in Ancient Olympia | 1 hour | from €10 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Katakolo:Olympia Experience, Olive Mill & Greek Home Cooking | 5.5 hours | from €360 per group | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Katakolo: Olympia Tour, Olive Grove & Greek Cooking | 5 hours | from €179 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Olympia: Group Tour with entry tickets & tasting experience | 5 hours | from €115 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Katakolo:Olympia Guided Tour,Olive Mill Tour & Cooking Class
On GetYourGuide · run by Nassos Tours
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €749 per group
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 6 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Transportation by clean, air-conditioned vehicles of your choice. Explore the Archaeological Site & Museum with a Licensed tour guide Free wi-fi on the road Entrance to Olive mill – Olive Oil Tasting Experience Entran…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Upon your arrival at Katakolon Port, our staff will be waiting for you at the designated meeting point, just outside the main building of the Hellenic Coast Guard (right below the blue “John Latsis” sign). You will easily recognize us, as we will be holding a sign with the name of the owner and founder: “NASSOS TOURS”. Please make sure to arrive at the agreed time so we can start your experience promptly and smoothly.
Ancient Olympia: Private Tour site, museum, bee farm, winery
On GetYourGuide · run by Theocar
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €120 per person
- Rating
- 4.3 ★ from 27 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Olive oil mill guided tour and olive oil tasting in Ancient Olympia
On GetYourGuide · run by OILYMPIAN KOUFOLIAS-OLIVE OIL MILL
- Length
- 1 hour
- Price
- from €10 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 7 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tour of the third-generation family-run Olympian Koufolias olive mill Visit to the open-air exhibition of historic olive oil production machinery Tour of the modern olive oil production facilities Video present…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- *
Katakolo:Olympia Experience, Olive Mill & Greek Home Cooking
On GetYourGuide · run by JK Travel & Tours
- Length
- 5.5 hours
- Price
- from €360 per group
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Katakolo: Olympia Tour, Olive Grove & Greek Cooking
On GetYourGuide · run by Κυριακούλα Καντη
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €179 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Transportation from Katakolo Port and return transfer Air-conditioned vehicle with professional local driver Free Wi-Fi and bottled water during transportation Licensed English-speaking guide at Ancient Olympia Entran…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Κατάκολο, Ελλάδα
Olympia: Group Tour with entry tickets & tasting experience
On GetYourGuide · run by Olympia Insider
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €115 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 4 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Pick-up/Drop-off Skip-the-line Ticket Access/Admission to Ancient Olympia Local tour director throughout the program Expert local tourist guide/archaeologist Transportation in a fully air-conditioned coach Sampling ol…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- My team will meet you at the port, within the port area - at the central gate of the port, by the sign board "PORT OF KATAKOLO, JOHN LATSIS" We will be holding a paper sign with the name of our agency "THE TRAVEL INSIDERS"
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
There is no street-food scene beyond souvlaki and gyros shops and bakeries selling pies (tyropita, spanakopita) and koulouri. These are the quick, cheap option between visiting the site and the museum.
Sit-down meals
Most eating is at tavernas: shared salads, horta, oven dishes, grilled meat and house wine. Greeks eat lunch from about 14:00 and dinner from about 21:00; in a small town some kitchens close earlier outside the summer season.
Cooking classes
Cooking experiences around Olympia are typically held in a family home, farm or village outside town and may include olive oil tasting or a visit to an olive grove. Check transport, since many are not walking distance from the centre.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about €20–30: pie or koulouri breakfast, souvlaki lunch, simple taverna dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about €40–60: two taverna meals with house wine |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | about €80+: a long dinner with fish, or a winery visit with tasting |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Straightforward: Greek salad, horta, gemista, briam (baked vegetables), gigantes beans, fava, spanakopita and fried vegetables are on most menus. Vegan options are good during Orthodox fasting periods; ask whether dishes contain cheese or meat stock.
Halal: Halal food is very limited in a small Greek town, and pork is common in souvlaki and gyros. Chicken, fish, vegetable dishes and salads are the practical options; ask about cooking fat if it matters.
Gluten-free: Grilled meat and fish, salads, horta and many oven dishes are naturally gluten-free, but pita, pies, rusks and fried foods are not. Say 'choris glouteni' (without gluten); awareness varies between tavernas.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Tavernas right by the site entrance with picture menus, reheated food and higher prices aimed at one-time day visitors. Walk further along the main street or ask your hotel where locals eat; evenings are often better than the lunch rush.
- Fish charged per kilo, with a large fish cooked without telling you the total. In Katakolo or anywhere fish is sold by weight, ask to see it weighed and agree the price before it is cooked.
- Olive oil and 'local products' in souvenir packaging at several times the shop price. Compare prices with an ordinary food shop or supermarket, or buy from a producer.
Top tours & activities in Olympia
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Where should I eat when visiting the archaeological site?
The main street of Olympia is a few minutes' walk from the site entrance and has many tavernas and grill shops. The ones closest to the site are busiest at midday with groups. A souvlaki or a pie is the quick option; for a proper meal, walk further along the street or come back in the evening.
Do I need to tip?
Service is not usually added to the bill. Rounding up or leaving about 5–10% for good service is normal in tavernas, and small change in cafés. Card tips may not reach staff, so leave cash if you can. Bread is often charged as a small cover; that is legal if it is listed.
Are restaurants open all year?
Olympia is a year-round destination because of the site and museum, but the town is much quieter in winter, and some tavernas close or shorten their hours outside the main season, roughly November to March. Check opening hours locally or with your hotel if you visit off-season.
Can I visit olive groves or wineries?
Yes. The area is surrounded by olive groves, and there are wineries in the wider Ilia region. Most visits are by appointment, and you will need a car, taxi or organised trip. Ask at your hotel or contact producers directly a day or two ahead.
What time do people eat?
Greeks eat lunch from about 14:00 and dinner from about 21:00, later in summer. Tavernas in a tourist town like Olympia usually serve from late morning, so you can eat earlier, but an early dinner will be mostly among other visitors.
How much should I budget for food per day?
On a tight budget, about €20–30 covers a bakery breakfast, souvlaki at lunch and a simple taverna dinner. Two full taverna meals with house wine come to roughly €40–60 per person. Fish dinners in Katakolo or winery tastings push the day to €80 or more.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.