Going to the place where the Olympic Games began has been on my bucket list for many years! I was finally able to visit the Archaeological Site of Olympia in October of 2025, and it truly exceeded my expectations! The Olympics began in the year 776 BC in Olympia, and still to this day, the flame of the modern Olympic Games begins its global journey here! It was amazing to visit in person, and I highly recommend making your way to Olympia for a memorable visit!
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Is the Archaeological Site of Olympia Worth Visiting?
I think you’ll already know by now that 1000% the Archaeological Site of Olympia is worth visiting. Now I’ll be honest, I took a course in university about Sport in Greece and Rome and since then visiting Olympia has been at the top of my bucket list. It truly felt like a dream come true, and I’m so glad that I got a chance to visit.
I am a huge Olympics fan and always watch the summer and winter games. Knowing that it all started at this ancient site is so surreal. I wanted to see this place in person, and I truly feel that this was my favourite experience while visiting Greece. My family joined me on this trip, and we all drove from Athens to Olympia in October of 2025.
Yes, it is a bit far out of the way, and you’ll have to designate specific time to go to Olympia. If you are a history buff, Olympics fan, or someone simply wanting to learn more about Ancient Greek life, then visiting Olympia is a MUST!
Driving from Athens to the Archaeological Site of Olympia
Olympia is located in the Western Peloponnese of Greece. It can be a bit challenging to reach, so we decided to rent a car from Athens and drove for about four hours to the site. The journey begins on a toll road out of Athens, making it relatively easy initially. However, for the last hour or so, you’ll be driving through the mountains on very winding roads, which can cause motion sickness. It’s definitely something to keep in mind ahead of time.
We did stop at Kapsia Cave to break up the drive from Athens to Olympia. We didn’t realize that we would actually have a guided tour while stopping here. The tour was 30 minutes long and certainly worth a visit. The cave is very interesting to walk through, and it was a perfect family-friendly activity to break up the long car ride. The cost of the tickets was €4.00 per adult.
We also stopped at Lagkadia while driving through. This mountain village was completely unexpected to us, so we just had to stop for a few minutes to take some photos. They do have a few lovely-looking cafes, and if we weren’t on a time crunch, it would have been amazing to stay for a short visit while passing through.
Touring the Archaeological Site of Olympia with a Guide
I strongly recommend finding a tour guide for your visit to Olympia. There is just so much information about this historical place, and it was beneficial to have someone explain the sites at Olympia as we walked through the site.
We found Niki from Niki Olympic Tours, and thought that she was an excellent tour guide. She was extremely insightful about the history of Olympia and the Olympic Games. She clearly explained the different areas of the grounds, how they were used in history, and provided pictures of what the grounds and temples used to look like when they were still standing.
We walked around the sites, took photos, and enjoyed learning stories that took place many years ago. It is amazing to see the structures and stones that have been recovered and to see the original carvings of Olympic Champions’ names on the stones! Niki was especially excellent as we were a multi-generational group including kids, parents, and grandparents. By having a guide, it truly added to our experience and made it quite memorable for all of us.
Our tour finished in the stadium area, where we walked and ran on the running track. This is a great spot for photos, and we had such a fun time there!
There were two options for us (a group of 7) to choose from with our tour guide:
- A 2.5h tour that included the Olympia Site and the Archaeological Museum – €200.00 Total
- A 1.5h tour that only included the Olympia Site – €150.00 Total
Note that this fee did not include the entrance tickets to the museums or the Olympia Site. We opted to book the 1.5-hour private tour. This worked well for our group as we stayed longer at the stadium area and enjoyed running and walking on the original Olympic track!
Exploring the On-Site Museums at Ancient Olympia
The Olympia site opens at 8:00 am, so we found it quite easy to find parking, and it wasn’t too busy at all. We were set to meet our Tour Guide at the ticket counter at 8:30 am, right outside the Olympia site. Each adult ticket was €20.00, and this also included the entrance to the following museums in addition to the Olympia site:
- Archaeological Museum of Olympia
- Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity
- Museum of the History of the Excavations in Olympia
1. Archaeological Museum of Olympia
The main museum that was also very busy was the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. We spent almost an hour there, and it was very cool to visit after seeing the actual Olympic site, as we were able to make connections to the artifacts and understand what we were seeing more clearly! We spent about an hour there and felt that it was a sufficient amount of time to take it in!
2. Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity
This museum was personally my favourite one as it was solely focused on the games themselves. The museum overall is not too big, and it wasn’t busy at all. It is less than a 10-minute walk away from the Olympia site, and I highly recommend going there for a visit. It was very informative and great to learn even more about the history of the Olympic Games.
3. Museum of the History of the Excavations in Olympia
Unfortunately, this museum was closed when we were there. It is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and we visited on a Sunday. I did see in a review that it is generally closed; however, it may* be possible to ask someone at the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity, and they might open it for you.
Practical Planning: Tickets, Hours & Best Time to Visit
The Archaeological Site of Olympia is open from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm in the high season from April – October and from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm in the low season from November – March.
Tickets were €20.00 per person, which included entrance into the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity, and the Museum of the History of the Excavations in Olympia
I would recommend going around opening hours. We arrived shortly after 8:00 am as we were meeting our guide around 8:30 am. It wasn’t too busy at this time, although we were nearing the low season as we visited in October. I definitely did notice that it was getting busier towards the late morning time. It was nice having the tour while it was less crowded and running on the Ancient Olympic Stadium track before it got too busy!
FAQs About Visiting Ancient Olympia
How long should you spend at the Archaeological Site of Olympia?
We spent about 3-4 hours visiting the Archaeological Site of Olympia. Our tour itself was 1.5 hours, and then we spent another couple of hours walking through the museums and running/walking up and down the Ancient Olympic Stadium.
Can you visit Olympia as a day trip from Athens?
I would not recommend going to Olympia as a day trip from Athens. Our car ride was about 4 hours, and while it’s possible to do it’d be a very long day. We decided to make the most of our time on the peninsula, and we did a loop to make our way back to Athens. We stopped at Marathopoli, Kalamata, and Nafplion, and really enjoyed seeing these spots!
How do you hire a tour guide at Ancient Olympia?
We did some research online and were able to find Niki Olympic Tours. I highly recommend her as a tour guide. She was an excellent guide for our group of 7, which included both older adults and kids!
Final Thoughts About Visiting Ancient Olympia
Overall, I absolutely loved spending time at Olympia, exploring the site of the origin of the Olympic Games, and viewing ancient artifacts at the museums. This was a bucket list item for me, and it is definitely worth the visit out there! I would recommend going in the morning, right when it opens at 8:00 am, as by 10:00 am the site becomes very busy. There was even a line to get into the Archaeological Museum of Olympia by 11:30 am, whereas first thing in the morning, there was no line at all.
Having a tour guide was beneficial in gaining a thorough understanding of the origin of the Olympics and how they came to be. Booking a tour with Niki from Niki Olympic Tours would be a fantastic way to take in the sights and learn the history behind the games.
This was a fantastic trip to have, especially in October. The weather was only a little cool and perfect for exploring the grounds!
I hope this article helps you plan your trip to visit Ancient Olympia!
