2-Day Tour to Ancient Olympia, the Cliff-Hanging Monasteries of Lousios Gorge and the Arcadia Mountain Villages
€1,780
Experience the birthplace of the most important athletic event of all time, the Olympic Games but also authentic Greece from a local point of view. A two-day trip to the mountain villages, gorge, Losios river, and monasteries of the Arcadia region in central Peloponnese plus the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece; Olympia.
Why this tour?
☼ Although Ancient Olympia is a branded and famous site, it will be the visit and stay at the Arcadia mountain villages that will provide a sense of hospitality and authenticity making the tour an experience rather than just a visit to a “site”.
☼ More importantly, the additional day will be an amazing stepping stone to Ancient Olympia. Not only will it make traveling more relaxed and not rushed but it could end up becoming the highlight of this tour to … Olympia! The landscape, the Arcadia mountain villages & monasteries, the overnight stay, the people, the food … all unique and very authentic.
☼ It is a great mix. A very famous site with the Peloponnese landscape.
☼Expect a great overnight location and unique accommodations.
Ancient Olympia Museum [© Eudaimonia Olympia Private Tour Dimitsana Arcadia monasteries Athens Greece]
: 2days – 1night
Language: English
Departure: 8:00 a.m. from Athens or 8:30 a.m. from Nafplio
You can book this private tour of Ancient Olympia with the Arcadia cliff-hanging monasteries and mountain villages of Dimitsana & Stemnitsa online now. The pricing shown is for 1 or 2 people (not per person).
For more pricing details & options please see the “Pricing” tab below or Contact Us to get a quote for more than 2 people.
Day1: Meet your private driver/guide for your 8:00 a.m. departure. In a short trip of no more than 2 1/2 hours, we shall reach our destination in this “real Greece” experience.
Starting from Athens, we drive towards the Corinth canal and make a quick 10 min stop to see the Corinth canal. If we start from Nafplio town we drive directly towards the mountains without the Corinth canal stop. We head towards Tripoli town (mountainous center of Peloponnese) and start our village exploration of mount Mainalo in the region of Arcadia. Not for nothing is the name Arcadia used as a shorthand for bucolic beauty.
The main destinations are the awesome villages of Dimitsana & Stemnitsa and also a couple of cliff-hanging monasteries. Dimitsana is one of the most attractive villages in the mountainous Arcadia region. It is set on a double hump overlooking the Lousios river. In this beautiful stone-built village, there are six beautiful churches since the Frankish and Norman rule. Just two km south of Dimitsana we shall be visiting the Water-Power Museum containing a reconstructed watermill, tannery, and gunpowder mill showing how the basic pre-industrial techniques used water as the main energy source for the production of various products.
Stemnitsa village has a medieval feeling with the stone-made houses, cobble-stoned alleys in an amphitheatrical structure. The amazing Prodromou & Emialon (or Philosofou) monasteries will be visited and of course Lousios river, the gorge, and the remaining of ancient Gortys. All monasteries are in the beautiful gorge of the Lousios river and one of them requires an easy 15-minute hike.
The gorge of Lousios is one of the most important and beautiful natural monuments of Peloponnese, ideal for hiking, rafting, and kayaking while a drive around will reveal amazing landscapes.
Somewhere in between these sites, you will enjoy a traditional Greek lunch and drink in a place to be arranged by your local driver. For those seeking to discover real Greece, these villages are must-visits any time of the year. There will also be free time for you to wander around through the narrow stone-built roads of both villages before relaxing and spending your night in a beautiful guest house.
Day2: Start with breakfast with the fresh mountain air and the view of the Lousios gorge before a 1.5 hours drive to ancient Olympia.
On the way, we stop at the traditional village of Lagkadia. A special place of natural beauty, lots of sightseeing, and a photographer’s playground! Lagadia village is the homeland of skilled stone craftsmen and for many generations built houses, churches, and schools all over Greece. The village houses are the living proof of their amazing talent and made them famous as the best in the art of stone building.
Then, we move on to Olympia. You can walk through the impressive ruins of the area where athletes trained and ran in the ancient stadium; just as the ancient Olympians did after their victory 3,000 years ago. In front of the Temple of Hera burns the Olympic Flame during the modern-day Olympic Games. You can also visit the world-famous museum and get the chance to see some unbelievable sculptures such as the sculpted decoration of the marble temple of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the famous Hermes carved by the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles.
Tour the monuments of the archaeological site, including the former gymnasium and Palaestra (where athletes practiced before competing), stadium, hotel & crypt. Let your imagination run to the times that Greece’s finest athletes strove to honor the gods through the Olympic ideal.
At the end of the day, we return to your accommodation or cruise ship in Athens or Nafplio with a few stops (to stretch and have a drink) at the stone-built villages of the area and possibly an extra historic monastery. The tour can be done the opposite way by firstly visiting Olympia and the mountain villages on the second day (depending on the time of year). [© Eudaimonia Nafplio Delphi Olympia Private Tour Athens Greece]
☼ Private tour!
☼ Hotel, airbnb, or cruiseship pickup and drop-off.
☼ Private driver/tour leader.
☼ Non-smoking vehicle & driver.
☼ One-night accommodation (including breakfast), arranged at an awesome stonebuilt guesthouse and based on double or triple occupancy depending on your group/family. Contact us if in doubt.
☼ Lunch is also included on both days and at selected locations.
☼ In-car bottled water & tour information booklet.
☼ Each person is allowed one normal size suitcase and a small carry-on bag.
☼ Flexible itinerary.
☼ Evenings out transport.
☼ Optional: Vegetarian lunch can be arranged in most cases. Please let us know in advance.
☼ Pickup and drop-off in areas outside of Athens or Nafplio (additional cost).
☼ Excess luggage not allowed.
☼ Entrance fees to the sites (Olympia €12 and €6 during off-season children under 18 are free – Water power museum €3).
☼ During lunch: Seafood or fish is excluded due to variable pricing.
☼ Dinner.
☼ Professional guide (optional).
☼ Shopping stops unless required by yourselves.
☼ Gratuities (optional).
The pricing shown for this tour is €1,780, which is the total for 2 (two) people and includes the sites mentioned in the itinerary, plus accommodation/breakfast and lunch/drinks.
Discounted pricing: We have alternative ways of payment (family rates, solo travelers, small booking payments, pay on the day of the tour, etc). Please, contact us to get the best rate depending on your payment method, number of people, and ages.
PS. Payments made by PayPal are subject to an additional cost of 5%-6% (the approximate fee that PayPal charges on all transactions), and prices by Amex are subject to an additional 2.80%-3%, which the client must pay to Eudaimonia on the day of the booked tour. There is no extra charge if you pay by any other credit card.
© Eudaimonia Nafplio Delphi Olympia Private Tour Athens Greece
From Athens or Nafplio town. Your hotel, airbnb, cruise ship (Piraeus or Nafplio port) or a pre-arranged meeting point very close to your location. For other starting locations please contact us.
[1] winery visit & wine tasting
[2] Ancient Corinth
[3] Ancient Messene (will add 2+ hours to the return trip)
Please contact us for details and pricing. Not all add-ons can be included in all tours either because of time limitations (daylight time, closing times of sites) or because of the time of the year, etc. Some add-ons require an earlier starting time than the typical 8:00 a.m. pick-up.
These are reminders and additions to things you have already read in other sections.
All our tours include lunch and drinks, and all multi-day tours include quality accommodation. Professional guide, dinner (on multi-day tours), and all kinds of tickets (sites, trains, boats, etc) are not included. You can read more about “What is included & excluded in our tours and why!” from our FAQs-not-4-DUMMIES.
☼ To keep our vehicles fresh and comfortable, we ask that guests avoid eating or drinking (except water). Water is always available, and we’ll stop along the way as needed if you need to snack.
☼ Fish and seafood are not included in our budget, as their costs cannot be estimated with sufficient accuracy in advance. Pescatarian guests are invited to enjoy our delicious vegetarian cuisine during the tour. In the evenings, we’ll recommend the best spots for fresh seafood so you can experience it at your leisure. Got allergies, several restrictions, or foods you don’t enjoy? Tell us in advance, and we’ll do our best to please you!
☼ After you book, we will ask for some of the following: any food allergies, a single passport number (required by local authorities), names of all passengers, luggage details, pickup/drop-off locations, and a WhatsApp number, which is very helpful during the tour.
☼ Luggage is typically not included on day tours. In other situations (multi-day tours or transfers), we expect a maximum of one checked bag per person [65x40x25 cm or 26x16x10 inches] and a carry-on or backpack. We do not allow luggage on the vehicle’s seats or in your laps to protect both our passengers and our vehicles. If you have additional luggage, please let us know in advance. We can arrange for a larger vehicle or help you store part of it. We may have to cancel if you … surprise us!
☼ If you are too tall or heavy, we need to know in advance! If we have advance notice, we can arrange the appropriate vehicle. Please use 225 lbs (105 Kg) as the maximum weight you need to inform us of. If in doubt, please let us know your weight and height before you book, and we’ll get back to you. It’s not a personal question, but for your own comfort! We can use a larger vehicle if we have advance notice.
☼ An adult must always accompany children (minimum age is 8 years). Please let us know if anyone gets car sick! Greece is not flat!
☼ Due to uneven surfaces, most tours are not suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users. We apologize for this, but if the sites don’t or can’t accommodate people with mobility issues, we can’t help.
☼ We are flexible on tour duration, so there is no rush during the tour. We also expect you to be reasonable and respect your driver/tour leader’s efforts. Sometimes there are specific restrictions (like not missing the sites’ closing times during the off-season or catching a train, boat, etc.) which will “dictate” our itinerary/timing and require your full cooperation!
‘Eudaimonia’ is the trading name of Eudaimonia Private Tours of Greece, a tour provider officially registered under the Greek National Tourism Organization with business license number 1245E70000044101. The ‘client’ or ‘customer’ is the person or persons who have made a confirmed booking with Eudaimonia.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR TOURS, TRANSFERS AND SERVICES
(a) Cancellation Policy for day tours, half-day tours, and transfers:
☼ Cancellations made greater than 60 days before the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus service fees, as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 75% of the agreed total tour fee minus service fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 30 to 7 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus service fees.
☼ Cancellations made 7 days or less before the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
EXPENSES: In addition to the above, but only after the 60-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning or are part of the day or half-day tours or transfers, such as site tickets, train/boat tickets, or any other bookings for the client (wine tasting, restaurants, etc.), will be deducted from the amount to be refunded.
SERVICE FEE: Finally, a service fee of 9% (of the total amount agreed) will also be deducted from any refundable amount, including the 60-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(b) Cancellation Policy for multi-day tours (at least one night stay/overnight or more):
☼ Cancellations made greater than 90 days before the scheduled tour date will be fully refunded minus expenses and services fees, as mentioned below.
☼ Cancellations made between 90 to 60 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 75% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and services fees.
☼ Cancellations made between 60 to 30 days before the scheduled tour date will be refunded 50% of the agreed total tour fee minus expenses and services fees.
☼ Cancellations made 30 days before the scheduled tour date will incur a 100% charge.
EXPENSES: Additionally to the above, but only after the 90-day full refund period, all of Eudaimonia’s expenses agreed upon through the email exchange of communication concerning or are part of any multiday tour, such as site tickets, train/boat tickets, hotels booked for the client, or any other bookings (wine tasting, restaurants, etc), will be deducted from any amount to be refunded. This will be an amount of approximately 25%-30% of the total tour cost.
SERVICE FEE: Finally, a service fee of 18% of the total amount agreed will also be deducted from any refundable amount including the 90-day full refund case. This corresponds to the time spent on the client’s booking.
(c) Special client-specific arrangements/agreements & cancellation policy:
There may be client-specific payments & bookings (full or partial) agreed upon through e-mail communication mentioned -for example- as “non-refundable” or different from the main cancellation policy “refund dates”. Then, these client-specific agreements will precede any other interpretations made from this main cancellation policy. Therefore, it is the specific written (email) agreement between each client and Eudaimonia that can only precede this main cancellation policy -if it is different- and determines the cancellation policy for each client.
(d) Other issues:
Eudaimonia reserves the right to make subtle changes to tour itineraries. Eudaimonia reserves the right to substitute vehicles and/or drivers should they arise. Eudaimonia reserves the right to change or cancel your booking without any penalties beyond offering a full refund. Should change and/or cancellation prove necessary we will give you -if possible- reasonable notice & where available, offer you a comparable alternative. If an alternative is not available or acceptable you will be entitled to a full refund.
Eudaimonia encourages all clients to communicate as early as possible concerning cancellation issues which could allow the agency to offer a better refund – partial or full- to a client despite the standard cancellation policy described in this document. This is a decision not to be discussed with or disputed by the client and will be made entirely by Eudaimonia to better serve the client if it is possible.
Eudaimonia itineraries are flexible, and if possible, the requirements of clients will be facilitated. Eudaimonia reserves the right to vary, modify, or cancel any itinerary, either partly or wholly. Itineraries published are sample itineraries only and may be amended without notice. Eudaimonia also reserves the right to use alternative vehicles to those advertised.
Eudaimonia is not responsible for the costs of any other travel arrangements affected due to our cancellations or rescheduling of any tour departure.
Bookings can only be used by the client/s to whom the booking was initially arranged; no other person can use the booking in any circumstances.
The client will be asked to produce a valid photo and/or passport number identification.
(e) Force Majeure
It is only at Eudaimonia’s discretion to refund fully, partly, or not at all if a customer cancels under certain conditions including even “Force Majeure”. Eudaimonia strongly recommends that the client purchase travel insurance.
The Client agrees to all the above when booking any of Eudaimonia’s tours and services.
