Day trip to Olympia

(Excursions on Zante)

Just back from kalamaki 1st Sept
This is the one trip that we wanted to go on, so booked it along with 2 other trips (10% discount with 3 trips)

I'll run through the cost and the day
for 3 adults (1x 15yr old) and 2 children (under 13) it cost us 152 euros (thats with the discount) - booked through Eurosky (I think full price is 42e / 21e)
there is also a further charge to enter the site and museum - which is 9 euro for both per adult (18+)

-Coach pick-up (Tez bus) @ 7am
-ferried across to mainland (about 1hr 15m)
-coach to Olympia (arrived at 10.30 ish) - and were told that we were too early so had to stay at cafe for a drink until 11am
-walked up to Olympia Archaelogy site and met guide (approx 11.15)
-guided tour was informative, and lasted approx 45 mins
- at end of tour of archaelogical site we were given free time and instructions to meet at 1pm for tour around museum
- this left us just over half an hour of free time to walk around the site (not easy in 45c heat)

- we missed the 1pm meet for museum so took the time to look around the museum at our leisure

1.45pm our coach guide met us outside the museum and took us back into the town - where she recommended a restaurant for us to eat at (we didn't - so can't comment)

this then left us 2 hours+ until coach pick-up to shop around the town
(Personally, I'd have preferred longer on site and more time to look around the museum as this was the main purpose of the trip! but hey-ho!)

So for the full day (7am to 7pm) we were on site between 11:15 to 13:45 (2.5 hours) and had 2.5 hours of 'shopping time'

Neil: The statue of Zeus is not here, guide said it had been melted down (or destroyed), there is a picture of it in the museum though if that helps?!?

Natalie: couple of pics for you (If you still want them after 3 years!), but they don't really do justice to the place.

	Paul Farmer (Wednesday, September 03, 2008)	1 post by Paul Farmer
	- UK


Hi we are first timers to Zante and really want to go on this trip, any idea how much it costs, there will be 3 of us me, hubby and my son???

	helen mchale (Saturday, August 09, 2008)	1 post by helen mchale
	- UK


We went on the Olympia trip ,which we booked through thompsons,the guide Johanna was fantastic, If you decide to go on this trip do not eat in the resturaunt ( AMBROSIA) that the tour rep takes you to, instead go to the main street where there are much better looking resturants who serve meals that are more than likely edible and hot!!

	neil highman (Sunday, July 29, 2007)	View 6 posts by neil highman
	- UK

Hi all,

I am going to Zante on the 21st of September. Can anyone tell me if on this trip, do you get to visit the statue of Zeus????

Many Thanks

Neil

	Neil Anderson (Tuesday, August 08, 2006)	1 post by Neil Anderson
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Good
	Comfort :	Excellent
	Value for Money :	Good

We both enjoyed this trip as it was great to see the birth plpace of the Olympics. The ancient site was really interesting and the modern town of Olympia was a lovely little place with some pretty good shops n tavernas. What I would say is that it wasnt as good as the 2 day trip to Athens. This was fantastic and although we were on the coach for quite a while, it didnt feel like it because our guide, Vera, was fantastic and there was always something to look at out of the window. If you were gonna do just one of these trips, I would recommend Athens.

	Laura n Clint Jarman (Thursday, June 29, 2006)	View 4 posts by Laura n Clint Jarman
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Average
	Comfort :	Average
	Value for Money :	Poor

We said before we came back to greece that the one thing we both wanted to do was to visit olympia.The trip was nothing but a money making trip for the guide Gina, if we wanted to buy jewellery we would've stayed at our resort and spent the trip money on something else instead. The day went as followed left hotel 6.45am to meet coach to go to the habour, left habour 8.00am arrived Greece around 10.45am 30mins to Olympia, 1 hour at ruins (really nice there, wish we had spent more time here),couldnt hear what the guide was saying so it would be better to just go around on your own looking and reading the information boards, 40mins in museum again it is best to leave the guide and do your own thing, Met up with Gina 1.30pm followed her to centre of town (one main street) and there we had 2.30 hours to do as we wanted, as there was only gift shops and cafes and they all sell the same stuff so it was just find somewhere to have a drink and wait to be picked back up to go back to the hotel. I was so dissappointed that i have complained to my holiday company because it was a complete waste of money. Yes we saw the ruins and museum which are both superb but why take us shopping. You should get the choice to either stay in the ruins and museum or go shopping and i believe everyone would take the first choice not the shopping!!!! If you want value for money do the zakfari trip on zante best thing to do for enjoyment and value for money. The olympia trip is not value for money until they change the format and get rid of the shopping and spend more time at the place you went on the trip for

	stuart moore (Monday, September 26, 2005)	1 post by stuart moore
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Excellent
	Comfort :	Excellent
	Value for Money :	Excellent

WE BOOKED THIS BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS FULLY BOOKED I HAVE WORKED IN ZANTE FOR TWO YEARS AND THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME I HAD CHANCE TO GO.WAS GUTTED, I HAVE A FRIEND THAT LIVES IN OLYMPIA VILLAGE AND WOULD HAVE LIKED TO GO AND SEE THEM WHILE THERE, IF ANYONE AS ANY PICTURES OF THE DAY OUT COULD YOU PLEASE POP THEM ON HEAR SO I CAN SEE WAT I MISSED OUT ON. CHEERS

	natalie parkes (Thursday, September 15, 2005)	View 17 posts by natalie parkes
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Excellent
	Comfort :	Good
	Value for Money :	Good

FANTASTIC

What a humbling trip

To stand in the birthplace of the Olympic games, surrounded by all that history and thats not to mention the fact that its the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

I admit its a long day but its so worth it, even the restauant we were brought to was delicous not the happiest of staff but I didn't care as long as they fed me and made sure my Mythos was cold

	Greg Barrett (Thursday, July 28, 2005)	View 3 posts by Greg Barrett
	- Ireland

	Locations Visited :	Good
	Comfort :	Average
	Value for Money :	Poor

we went on monday 27th june, the trip was nothing but a money making trip for the guide Gina, nice enough lady but it seemed that any of the shops you visited all you had to do was mention her name and you would been given discount. The day went as followed left hotel 6.55am got to boat, left habour 8.30am arrived Greece around 11am 30mins to Olympia, 1 hour at ruins (really nice there, wish we had spent more time here), 40mins in museum, Met up with Gina 1.30pm followed her to center of town (one main street) and there we had 2.30 hours to do as we wanted, as there was only gift shops and cafes and it was so hot all you could really do was spend money . Forgot to mention that on the boat going out there they told us it was going to be 9 euros each to visit Ruins and Museum. Left Olymipa 4pm back to boat for the 2.30 hour trip back, this was the best part of day as me and my partner sat on life jacket boxes and had legs over side of boat, and we were graced by a pair of Dolphins for a short time. We got back to hotel 7.30pm long day.

	Deanna Bentman (Wednesday, July 06, 2005)	View 12 posts by Deanna Bentman
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Average
	Comfort :	Below Par
	Value for Money :	Poor

We did the Olympia trip on 18 June 2005.

We booked the trip via our Direct Greece rep. As per previous comments we were very annoyed when, having paid 40 euros each to go on a trip which, on the sheet provided by the rep, said "visit the ancient site of Olympia and its Museum", we were told on the coach just before we got there that we had to pay another 9 euros each to actually get into the site and museum. The guide on the coach asked who knew about the charge, and only half of the people on the trip said that their rep had told them that there was an extra charge.

The taverna recommended by the guide when you leave the site is overpriced and has only a small selection on the menu, so we ate elsewhere.

We got too much free time in the village itself: all the shops are the same.

On the way back, they were very disorganised with the coaches. We were told to get on a coach full of old Greek women, who said "no, no" and shook their heads at us, but the driver insisted it was the right one, so we put our heads down and snook to the back of the coach. We had a long tour all the way round the harbour as we dropped the old people off, then we pulled into a garage where the driver filled up with petrol and washed the windscreen.

All in all, the site of Olympia is "worth seeing but not worth going to see", and the trip is definitely not worth 49 euros per person, and if we had been told about the extra 9 euro charge before we booked the trip, we probably would not have gone.

	Sophie Disney (Friday, July 01, 2005)	View 7 posts by Sophie Disney
	- UK

	Locations Visited :	Average
	Comfort :	Average
	Value for Money :	Average

(*** Awaiting verification ***)

	geraldine gadsden (Monday, June 20, 2005)	View 2 posts by geraldine gadsden
	- Greece