What to do in Katakolon/Olympia for the day??

We have never been to Katakolon for Olympia, Greece before.

I was wondering what not to miss in Olympia & what would you recommend doing here for the day??

Also is there anything to see/do in Katakolon??

I guess Katakolon is the port town for Olympia,so I guess we will need to get a bus or some sort of transport to Olympia??

Any ideas / suggestions are welcome :)

We have never been to Katakolon for Olympia, Greece before.

 

I was wondering what not to miss in Olympia & what would you recommend doing here for the day??

 

Also is there anything to see/do in Katakolon??

 

I guess Katakolon is the port town for Olympia,so I guess we will need to get a bus or some sort of transport to Olympia??

 

Any ideas / suggestions are welcome :)

Katakolon is a small fishing village that has turned into a cruise port. You can easily walk from the ship though out the village which has a few cafes, restaurants, and some small shops. For a first visit you should go to Olympia..whether you do it on a cruise line excursion or on you own. Going on your own would mean renting a car...using the train (which does not always seem to be running) or book a local transfer excursion. Olympia is about its extensive ruins and the the small (and very modern) museum.

Hank

I agree with Hank that Olympia is the "must do" thing for this port. You get to see the ruins of the place where the original Olympic games were held -- including the stadium (where you can still see the "starting line" for foot races). There are also several temples on the site. It's worth having a guide or some printed information; the signage is not very informative by itself. Allow a good amount of time to see the lovely museum beside the site. It's not large but it has some very interesting findings in it (and the signage is much better than on the site).

If the ship tour isn't too pricey, it's an okay alternative here, as you do get a guide. But there are other options including a bus service that is usually soliciting passengers near the pier (and is much cheaper).

Can anybody recommend a guided tour to Olympia? I'm not opposed to renting a car or getting there on train but I like the idea of a set and forget type thing. I definitely don't want to book a ship excursion.

Can anybody recommend a guided tour to Olympia? I'm not opposed to renting a car or getting there on train but I like the idea of a set and forget type thing. I definitely don't want to book a ship excursion.

We were just in Olympia and used mamousis tours. http://www.askistours.com . Theodorous was the driver for the day and did a great job of telling us about the area . he also booked a private guide for us for the ancient site and museum. The guide was an archeologist who was fantastic.

We had been to Olympia before without a guide and you really get so much more out of the experience if you know what you are looking at.

Can anybody recommend a guided tour to Olympia? I'm not opposed to renting a car or getting there on train but I like the idea of a set and forget type thing. I definitely don't want to book a ship excursion.

I can recommend The Travel Insiders. They are very helpful and adaptable. They provide guided and unguided options.

https://www.the-travel-insiders.com/

I can recommend The Travel Insiders. They are very helpful and adaptable. They provide guided and unguided options.

https://www.the-travel-insiders.com/

That's what I went with, 39 euro PP for guided.

That's what I went with, 39 euro PP for guided.

Did this include the entry fee to Olympia Sanctuary and museum? How long were you at Olympia?

That's what I went with, 39 euro PP for guided.

Did that include the entry fee to Olympia Sanctuary and museum and how long were you at Olympia?

Thank You guys for the information about Olympia very helpful! :)

We were there last month and rented a car with Avis (45 euro) near the dock (reserve online). Super easy drive to Olympia and plenty of free parking near museum. Very few cars on the roads and we were able to stay as long as we wanted. We arrived before the tours and was able to take pics and enjoy it empty for a little while! Then you can drive to a winery or beaches if you have time.

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We were there last month and rented a car with Avis (45 euro) near the dock (reserve online). Super easy drive to Olympia and plenty of free parking near museum. Very few cars on the roads and we were able to stay as long as we wanted. We arrived before the tours and was able to take pics and enjoy it empty for a little while! Then you can drive to a winery or beaches if you have time.

 

 

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Did you use a guide for the archeological site or museum. I have been considering a car rental but I also want a guide for the Olympic site. If you did not use a guide, did you still get a good feel for the site and history?

Alan.

We used rick steves guide and site map which was pretty decent. It's really not a big site. You'll also walk by some shops that sell plenty of books.

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We were on a RCL cruise in Sept.2015. We did a ships tour to the Olympic site with a tour of a small family owned winery. Mercouri Winery was a standout of our trip. After a tour we had a tasting under some trees on a bluff overlooking the sea, they served us local meats and cheeses with the fabulous wines. We loved it!

We also rented a cor from Avis in Katakolon, fast and easy and it's close to the port. We drove to Olympia where we had enough time before most of the tours arrived. We walked around on our own with some printed out details of the site and history which we read when something interested us. Than we drove towards the mountains (Lambia) and on to a lake close to Kevtpo. We did some photostops in a few small towns and at the lake. After that we drove to a small beach close to the port. (37.685923, 21.312828). Not to good for swimming but for a short alright. After that stop we headed back to Katakolon to return the rental car. Also very fast. Thanks Avis. There was enough time left to get a drink in a restaurant and some souvenir shopping before we got back on the Norwegian Jade. And yes we did have navigation brought from home.

We were just in Olympia and used mamousis tours. www.askistours.com . Theodorous was the driver for the day and did a great job of telling us about the area . he also booked a private guide for us for the ancient site and museum. The guide was an archeologist who was fantastic.

We had been to Olympia before without a guide and you really get so much more out of the experience if you know what you are looking at.

Took me a couple of hours to figure out that there's a big difference between Akistours.com and Askistours.com

Not trying to be offensive or say anything mean or disparaging. Just letting others looking at this thread know.

Just found this while looking for information on Katakolon:

https://www.greecetravel.com/peloponnesos/katakolon/index.htm

We also rented a cor from Avis in Katakolon, fast and easy and it's close to the port. We drove to Olympia where we had enough time before most of the tours arrived. We walked around on our own with some printed out details of the site and history which we read when something interested us. Than we drove towards the mountains (Lambia) and on to a lake close to Kevtpo. We did some photostops in a few small towns and at the lake. After that we drove to a small beach close to the port. (37.685923, 21.312828). Not to good for swimming but for a short alright. After that stop we headed back to Katakolon to return the rental car. Also very fast. Thanks Avis. There was enough time left to get a drink in a restaurant and some souvenir shopping before we got back on the Norwegian Jade. And yes we did have navigation brought from home.

Sounds appealing to rent a car. Did you reserve online or in person? Do you drive on the left side of road? Very interested. Thanks for info. We’ll be there next April.

Sounds appealing to rent a car. Did you reserve online or in person? Do you drive on the left side of road? Very interested. Thanks for info. We’ll be there next April.

I rented it online, worked well. On the pickup the handwritten contract was ready to sign. Even I had to get fuel before the trip, that I can make it, we were early at Olympia-Site. They said that every customer has to fill up what they use, 20 Euros was more than enough for the day. There is a gas station just outside town on the righthand side. And yes, you drive on the right as in most of europe and also in the united states.The mainroads are good and traffic is light. The smaller roads can get a bit bumpy, but it's only a rental car, right. I suggest you get a very good map or navigation if you wanna do more than just Olympia, just to be sure you're on the right road. Traffic Signs on bigger roads are in two languages so no problem, rural streets sometimes are only in greek letters written. Here is a small map of the route we took: https://ibb.co/b66WwR

Did that include the entry fee to Olympia Sanctuary and museum and how long were you at Olympia?

I don't see an answer to this question? Does anyone know the cost that they would care to share with us?

Took me a couple of hours to figure out that there's a big difference between Akistours.com and Askistours.com

Not trying to be offensive or say anything mean or disparaging. Just letting others looking at this thread know.

Thank you, much appreciated.