Ancient Sparta & Mystras Private Day Tour from Athens

based on 38 reviews

Duration:10 hours (approx.)
Location: Athens, Greece

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This amazing tour will give you the opportunity to discover the history of Laconia combining Ancient Greek and (the lesser known) Medieval Greek history. Visit Sparta, where Leonidas reigned and travel back in Byzantine era walking around towers, palaces and churches in Mystras.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Corinth Canal
We will begin with a drive along the coast. On the way you will view of some Greek seaside villages and the island of Salamis (where the historical naval battle took place between the Athenians and the Persians). Our first stop the Corinth Canal. Opened in 1892 separating the Peloponnese peninsula from the rest of Greece and connecting the Saronic Gulf to the Corinthian Sea. You will have time to walk across on a pedestrian bridge to admire the canal closer, (if you’re game) on some days bungee jumping is an option.
2. Archaeological Site of Mystra
After the stop at the canal we will head towards Mystras driving into the southern Peloponnese peninsula through the mountainous landscape of the Greek country side. Reaching Mystras you will automatically understand why this location stands so unique within the Greek sites. Known as the ghost city, fortified on a citadel, Mystras is one of the two locations in Greece that preserves not only medieval churches but also ordinary houses, mansions and palaces of the Byzantine Empire in combination with Frankish elements.
3. Archaeological Site of Mystra
Walking in the site on the upper point you will reach the citadel and enjoy a magnificent view of the surrounding areas while walking down hill you will meet the palaces and the Royal courtyards. Although known as the ghost city most of the monasteries are still in use and the monks will gladly show you around their small society. Before you exit you will come across the chapel of St. Demetrios, on its floor survives a plaque depicting a two head eagle (the symbol of Byzantium). It was on this very plaque that Konstantine Palaiologos kneeled before he was crowned the last emperor of the Byzantium.
4. Acropolis and Ancient Theater
Following that we will spend the rest of our time in Sparta known as the eternal rival city of the Athenian Democracy. Sparta revolved around a different Cosmo theory for the ancient Greek standards. Initially known as the birth place of Helen of Troy and the Kingdom of Menelaus (in Mycenaean period), Sparta was organized as a purely military society in the ancient Greek period. It was the city of the two Kings were a few aristocrats ruled and of course the city where Leonidas and his 300 Spartans marched from to face the Persian army Thermopylae in 480 BCE.
5. Leonidas Monument
Continuing we will pass in front of the stadium where the statue of King Leonidas stands marking the ending point of Spartathlon race (Athens – Sparta 245,3 km).
6. Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil
We will visit the museum of (olive and) olive oil and learn many things about the most famouss products of Greece.
7. Athens
We will drive back to Athens.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : NorthStar64434464935
The tour was really fun! Special requests were no problem either - we visited an olive oil museum in Sparta -, a little gift at the start, a nice driver... That's what makes vacations so enjoyable!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-21 10:29:33

Posted By : 711marcw
We booked this tour after seeing and being impressed by the movie "300". As a reminder, this film tells the heroic battle of 300 Spartans in the Strait of Thermopylae against the Persian army.

As the distance between Athens and Sparta is around 250 km, this tour involved a lot of time in the car and you would think it could have been boring. On the contrary, our driver Alexander performed magic and gave us a university level course on the history of ancient Greek civilization. During the entire trip, he told us everything about Greek mythology, down to the smallest detail. This allows us to understand how the ancients thought and why they built their city in this way.

Mythological awareness also transforms our understanding of archaeological constructions: although a stone will always look like a stone, knowing that King Leonidas could probably have sat or walked on it sparks the imagination and makes everything much more fascinating.

We made a first stop at the Corinth Canal and were able to take some impressive photos.

Arriving at the archaeological site of Sparta, we were able to see the remains of the ancient city. Restoration work was still underway to try to rebuild as much as possible of what time and invasions had destroyed. Bearing in mind the many stories our driver Alexander told us along the way, we could better imagine what life was like here thousands of years ago.

We also visited the Spartan Museum where we could see well-preserved statues, sculptures and other relics.

A next stop was planned in the "newest" medieval city of Mystras. We explored the site on foot, but we were still too impressed by the Spartan archaeological site, and we were not in the mental state to appreciate this “modern” site. So we changed the plan and asked our driver Alexander to return to Sparta for shopping and walking in the streets. On our way, we discovered pretty statues in the (new) town evoking the glorious past of this town.

On the way back to Athens we had some more fun and exciting talks with our driver Alexander. We are delighted to have carried out this tour and we can only recommend Alexandre to lead it. Congratulations Alexander!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-26 11:30:14

Posted By : Meander55175828424
Great touring guide, realy knows a lot!

Epic scenerys and lots of information about history an myths!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-11 10:25:52

Posted By : R5716JOstephens
We were delighted to learn that Babis and Alice would be our tour guides for the second time for a Private Sparta Day tour. For years, my mother's family has been attempting to find family in the Sparta area, which was what prompted this tour. When we mentioned this in passing, Babis did a great deal of research attempting to locate our municipal village in Sparta. Ultimately we found and visited the village, where no one in Greece spoke English, and we did not speak Greek. This prompting our tour guides to become our translators. The end result was that we met family and learned so much more about our histories. It was the first contact of American Greeks with their Mainland Greek family in 50 years, and our guides went out of their way to facilitate this connection.
Through this connection, we learned of more Greek family in the United States. We were delighted that the Greeks kept insisting that Babis and Alice were part of the family, and they are more than welcome at our next reunion.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-02 04:18:54

Posted By : csjones2000
Nasos was a fantastic driver who has a lot of historical knowledge. Nasos was on time, made all the stops we requested, and gave us enough time at each stop to enjoy the sights. Nasos knew his way very well and when roads were stopped, he quickly navigated around so that we even had time to get to our ship on time! We highly recommend Nasos and if we come back, we will look forward to his help!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-10-01 12:29:27

Posted By : Roam50567200621
Thank you Alexander for a great day. We loved not just the sites but your knowledge of each area and the mythical stories and your enthusiasm. It was great to learn more about not just the past but what life is like in the present. We hope to visit again some day. Chrissie and Ross, NZ
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-09-21 12:43:42

Posted By : 166elysel
Nasos and Mano made this a trip I would never forget. They personalised it and made it the highlight of my holiday. I cannot thank them enough
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-08-30 15:59:06

Posted By : abbeyw522
We had an amazing time on our tour. Sparta and Mystras were both awesome towns and places to visit. What really made the tour great was our tour guide Nasos. He personalized our experience and brought personality to the tour. Him being a local was a plus as well because he knew much of the history of the area and local places to eat and see. If we ever come back we are asking for him personally!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-07-12 05:31:03

Posted By : Q7935YBchristinak
Professional and friendly driver. Would definitely book with Olive Sea Travel again next time ! Thank you!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-07-07 13:08:29

Posted By : elizabethsY3714AW
Alexander was a wonderful tour guide. He arrived on time to pick us up at our hotel, and provided us with water. He was very knowledgeable, kind and engaging. He gave us a great recommendation for lunch and made sure to get us a table. His van was immaculate and comfortable. He dropped us off at the top of Mystras and waited for us at the bottom so we could walk down at our own pace (instead of walking UP), which was very much appreciated. We had a terrific day, and enjoyed his conversation in the car. We would definitely ask for Alexander again if we return to Athens.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-06-16 13:25:30