# Ancient Olympia Visitor Guide > Ancient Olympia visitor guide: 2026 tickets and opening hours, the stadium, Temple of Zeus and museum, getting there from Athens or Katakolo, and when to go. URL: https://theauthenticgreece.com/ancient-olympia/ Last updated: 2026-10-30 --- Ancient Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games and one of the most rewarding archaeological sites in Greece, less dramatic in setting than Delphi but greener, gentler and full of stories. In a valley of pines and olive trees where the Alfeios and Kladeos rivers meet, you can walk through the tunnel into the original stadium, stand where the Olympic flame is still lit, and see some of the finest sculpture of the ancient world in the museum. Half a day covers it well, and one night in the modern village lets you visit when it is quiet. ## Quick facts - **Where:** the region of Elis in the western Peloponnese, about 300 km from Athens and around 35 km from the cruise port of Katakolo. - **Tickets:** around 20 euros in 2026 for a single ticket covering the archaeological site and the museums; check before you go. - **Hours:** in 2026 around 08:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 08:30 to 15:30 from November to March. - **Time needed:** two hours for the site, one to two hours for the museums. - **Getting there:** about three and a half to four hours by car from Athens; buses run via Pyrgos. - **Good for:** history and sport fans, families with children of school age, and Peloponnese road trips. ## A short history Olympia was never a city. It was a sanctuary of Zeus, run by the people of Elis, and a religious centre long before it became famous for sport. According to tradition the Games were first held in 776 BC, and they took place every four years for more than a thousand years, until the late fourth century AD, when pagan festivals were banned under the emperor Theodosius I. During the Games a sacred truce allowed athletes and spectators to travel safely from all over the Greek world. Winners received only a crown of wild olive, but they returned home as heroes and were often rewarded for life. After the sanctuary was abandoned, earthquakes, floods and the shifting rivers buried it under several metres of silt, which is one reason so much survived. Systematic excavation began with the German Archaeological Institute in 1875, and work continues today. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989. ## What to see at the site The site is flat and shaded by trees, a welcome change from the steep slopes of Delphi, but it is spread out and the ruins can look like a jumble without some orientation. Pick up the free map at the entrance or use one of the licensed guides who wait by the gate. ### The gymnasium and palaestra Just inside the entrance are the training areas. The gymnasium was a vast courtyard where athletes practised running and throwing, and the palaestra next to it, with its rows of re-erected columns around a square courtyard, was used for wrestling, boxing and jumping. Beyond them lie the workshop of Pheidias, where the great sculptor made the statue of Zeus (it was later converted into an early Christian church), and the Leonidaion, a large guesthouse for distinguished visitors. ### The Temple of Zeus The heart of the sanctuary, the Altis, was dominated by the Temple of Zeus, a huge Doric temple of the fifth century BC. Inside stood Pheidias’s gold and ivory statue of the seated god, around 12 metres tall and counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today the temple is a platform of massive fallen column drums, toppled by earthquakes, with one column re-erected to show its scale. Standing next to the drums gives a better sense of size than any photograph. ### The Temple of Hera and the Olympic flame The older Temple of Hera, at the foot of the wooded hill of Kronos, is one of the oldest monumental temples in Greece. In front of it, the flame for every modern Olympic Games is lit by the rays of the sun, focused with a parabolic mirror in a ceremony performed by actresses dressed as priestesses. The altar area is roped off but easily seen. Nearby are the Nymphaeum, a monumental fountain built by the Roman benefactor Herodes Atticus, the row of treasuries built by Greek cities on a terrace below Kronos, and the Philippeion, a circular building begun by Philip II of Macedon after his victory at Chaeronea in 338 BC. ### The stadium The highlight for most visitors is the stadium, entered through a vaulted tunnel, the Krypte, used by athletes and judges. Just before the tunnel, look for the bases of the Zanes, bronze statues of Zeus paid for by fines imposed on athletes caught cheating, with their names inscribed for all to see. The stadium itself is a long, simple earth track with grass banks where up to around 45,000 spectators once stood. The stone start and finish lines are still in place, and the track is roughly 192 metres long. Racing your companions down the track is almost obligatory, and early morning is the best time to do it. ## The museums The **Archaeological Museum of Olympia** is one of the best in Greece and should not be rushed. The central hall holds the sculptures from the two pediments of the Temple of Zeus: on the east, the preparations for the chariot race between Pelops and Oenomaus, and on the west, the battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs with Apollo in the centre. The metopes show the Labours of Heracles. Separate rooms hold the **Hermes of Praxiteles**, a marble statue of Hermes holding the infant Dionysus, and the winged **Nike of Paionios**, which once stood on a tall pillar in front of the temple. Look out too for the bronze helmet dedicated by Miltiades, the Athenian general at Marathon, and a small cup from Pheidias’s workshop inscribed with his name. A short walk away, the **Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity**, housed in the old museum building, explains the sports, the prizes and the athletes with well-chosen objects. The ticket also covers the small museum on the history of the excavations. A separate Museum of the Modern Olympic Games is in the village. ## Getting to Olympia By car from Athens, the motorway runs west past Corinth to Patras and then south along the coast via Pyrgos, about three and a half to four hours in total. Driving gives you the freedom to combine Olympia with other sights, and our guide to [renting a car in Greece](https://theauthenticgreece.com/renting-a-car-in-greece/) covers the practicalities. Coming from central Greece, the Rio to Antirrio bridge makes it easy to drive on from [Delphi](https://theauthenticgreece.com/delphi-travel-guide/) in around three and a half hours. By bus, KTEL services run from Athens to Pyrgos, where a local bus continues the short distance to Olympia. Allow most of a day, and check connections in advance. Cruise ships call at Katakolo, around 35 km away, and many passengers visit Olympia on a shore excursion, which is why the site is busiest from mid morning to early afternoon on cruise days. Olympia fits naturally into a Peloponnese road trip. Head east through Arcadia to [Nafplio](https://theauthenticgreece.com/nafplio-travel-guide/) and the Argolid, or go northwest to the port of Kyllini for ferries to [Zakynthos](https://theauthenticgreece.com/zakynthos-travel-guide/) and [Kefalonia](https://theauthenticgreece.com/kefalonia-travel-guide/). If you start your trip in [Athens](https://theauthenticgreece.com/athens-travel-guide/), it is too far for a comfortable day trip, so plan at least one night. ## Where to stay and eat The modern village of Archaia Olympia is a single main street of hotels, souvenir shops and tavernas, a few minutes’ walk from the site. Staying overnight lets you be at the gate when it opens and see the site in the soft evening light in summer. The surrounding countryside is green and agricultural, and family-run hotels with pools on the hills above the village are a peaceful alternative. The area produces good wine and olive oil, and several local wineries welcome visitors by appointment. ## Practical tips - **Timing:** arrive at opening time, especially on days when cruise ships are in Katakolo, or come in the late afternoon in summer. - **Season:** winter hours apply from 1 November, with closing in the middle of the afternoon. The site is closed on certain public holidays. - **Tickets:** around 20 euros in 2026 for the combined ticket. EU citizens under 25 enter free and some dates are free for all; check the official ticketing site or call the site before travelling, as prices and concessions change. - **Order:** in summer, see the site first while it is cool and the museum when the heat builds. - **Bring:** water, a hat and comfortable shoes. There is shade, but the site is larger than it looks. - **Guides:** a licensed guide makes the ruins come alive; they wait by the entrance and prices are agreed in advance. If you have already seen the [Acropolis](https://theauthenticgreece.com/acropolis-visit/), Olympia offers a completely different experience: less about architecture, more about the people who gathered here for the Games. Give it a morning, walk the stadium and spend time with the pediment sculptures, and it will be one of the highlights of any trip to the Peloponnese. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much is the ticket to Ancient Olympia? In 2026 a single ticket of around 20 euros covered the archaeological site and the museums. EU citizens under 25 enter free and there are some free days each year. Check the official ticketing website before you go, as prices change. ### How long do you need at Ancient Olympia? Allow around two hours for the site and one to two hours for the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity. Half a day is enough for most visitors. ### Can you visit Ancient Olympia as a day trip from Athens? It is possible but tiring, with three and a half to four hours of driving each way. Spending a night in Olympia, or combining it with a Peloponnese road trip, is much more enjoyable. ### Can you run in the ancient stadium at Olympia? Yes. Visitors are allowed to walk and run on the original track, which is roughly 192 metres long. Early morning is the best time, before the heat and the crowds. ### What is the best time to visit Ancient Olympia? Spring and autumn are ideal, when the valley is green and temperatures are mild. In summer, arrive at opening time and avoid mid morning on days when cruise ships are docked at Katakolo. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much is the ticket to Ancient Olympia? In 2026 a single ticket of around 20 euros covered the archaeological site and the museums. EU citizens under 25 enter free and there are some free days each year. Check the official ticketing website before you go, as prices change. ### How long do you need at Ancient Olympia? Allow around two hours for the site and one to two hours for the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games in Antiquity. Half a day is enough for most visitors. ### Can you visit Ancient Olympia as a day trip from Athens? It is possible but tiring, with three and a half to four hours of driving each way. Spending a night in Olympia, or combining it with a Peloponnese road trip, is much more enjoyable. ### Can you run in the ancient stadium at Olympia? Yes. Visitors are allowed to walk and run on the original track, which is roughly 192 metres long. Early morning is the best time, before the heat and the crowds. ### What is the best time to visit Ancient Olympia? Spring and autumn are ideal, when the valley is green and temperatures are mild. In summer, arrive at opening time and avoid mid morning on days when cruise ships are docked at Katakolo.