Leave behind the bustling city of Athens on a one or two day trip to Delphi! The area is famous for its ancient oracle, which influenced kings and countries and is interlinked with Greek mythology and history.
The trip through the Greek countryside is incredibly beautiful, and visiting Delphi feels like stepping back in time to a strange and mystical place. Your tour guide will show you around and tell you its detailed history. You’ll also have plenty of time to explore on your own.
One of the best Athens day trips, Delphi can be experienced in a few different ways. We’ve listed the different tours and their pros and cons so that you can find the perfect tour for you and your family!
Know before you book:
- Bring walking shoes and sunscreen
- Not wheelchair accessible
- There are no shops at the ruins, so bring snacks and water
Highlights:
- Visit the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
- Explore the ruins on a guided tour
- Enjoy pictureque views over the Greek countryside
The ancient Greeks considered the oracle of Delphi to be the very center of the world. Hugely influential, the oracle made the area rich, as people came from across the classical world to consult the oracle.
Visit this millennia-old site, sitting on the slope of Mount Parnassus with a gorgeous view over Greece. It’s an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in history and culture, at one of the most important historic monuments in the world!
You can tour Delphi in one day, with ample time to explore the site on your own after the guided tour. Our favorite option, however, is a two-day tour that includes a trip to Meteora and the uniquely positioned monastery there. On this tour you’ll sleep at a nearby village, and get a greater feel for the beautiful place and culture.
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Athens to Delphi Tour Prices 2021
The cost of the tours starts at about USD $80 for a single day tour. This excludes lunch, but you can request it for a small additional fee, or pack your own. Two-day trips from Athens to Delphi and Meteora start at USD $170 and include hotel accommodation and meals!
Compare prices across the ticket providers below:
Athens to Delphi Times
The ruins of Delphi are open to visitors all day. The trip from Athens takes approximately 2 hours, so most Delphi tours leave the city at around 8:30. You’ll arrive back in Athens in the evening, both for the one-day tour and the two-day tour.
Monday – Friday: 7am – 7pm
Saturday – Sunday: 7am – 7pm
Best time to go
The best time to visit Delphi is in spring. The combination of spring flowers and snow on the mountains makes the incredible location even more picturesque, and the summer crowds are gone. Of course, summer is also a lovely time to visit if you don’t mind the crowds.
The Oracle Delphi
Once dedicated to Gaia, the mythology of the oracle says that Apollo took over the shrine when he killed Gaia’s offspring and oracle protectors, and claimed it as his own.
The myth states that once this was accomplished Apollo lept onto a Cretan ship in the form of a dolphin, initiating his first priests. Young virginal women were eventually chosen as the liaison with the gods, and spoke in cryptic messages after going into a trance. Known as the Navel of the world, it was considered to be the center of all things.
The Oracle stood for centuries as an important part of the classical world, and influenced many decisions which shaped history. It has stood for millennia, and despite its ruinous state, it is a very impressive thing to see.
Day Trips from Athens
If you are particularly interested in the Delphic oracle, the one-day trip is perfect, and includes everything you’ll want to see! If you’re keen to see more of the Greek countryside and other historical locations, the two-day tour is an amazing opportunity.
Day Trip to Delphi from Athens
Stand in the footsteps of ancient heroes and seekers of wisdom. On this Delphi day trip from Athens, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of the ruins, with lots of history, mythology and fun facts from your guide.
You will also visit a picturesque mountain town and explore the museum and the crafts. This is a great opportunity to experience rural life in Greece and the influences of history on modern culture.
- Transport
- Guided tour
- Lunch (optional)
- Leisure time
- Entrance fees
- Gratuity (optional)
- Drinks and snacks
The tour starts out at a central location in Athens, or at your hotel. After a two-hour luxury bus trip, you’ll arrive in Delphi and have time to stretch your legs and relax before embarking on your tour! When booking, you can request lunch, or pack a picnic to enjoy with a panoramic view of the mountains and the coast.
Each of the single-day tours offers different additional services, like a three-course meal and a visit to the museum. So before you book, make sure you’re picking the best one for you!
Check Price & bookTwo-day Tours – Athens to Delphi Greece
The two-day tour includes the same experience as the single day tour on day one. After that, you’ll sleep in a lovely little hotel in the nearby village of Kalaba.
On day two you will visit the extraordinary rock formations of Meteora, where monasteries were built centuries ago. This is one of the largest monastery complexes in the world! You’ll find the structures balancing on top of multiple mountainous rock formations.
Built to be hard to reach, these monasteries require some uphill walking, and are unfortunately not wheelchair accessible. They are, however, incredibly picturesque and unique, and well worth a visit if you are able.
- Guided tour
- Transport
- Entrance fees to Delphi and Meteora
- Hotel accommodation
- Meals (if specified)
- Free time
- Drinks
- Meals (if specified)
- Gratuity
Specification: Athens To Delphi Tour
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Photos: Athens To Delphi Tour
Anonymous –
Delphi is amazing and definitely worth spending more time than the day return from Athens tour allows. This two day tour with overnight stay at the Amalia hotel is MUCH better – one has the chance to visit the site at one’s leisure, in the later afternoon after the day trippers have gone the museum is open until after 6 and before they arrive the next morning. The day tour doesn’t give enough time to visit all the sights. Strolling around the site when it is almost empty is very atmospheric. The hotel is pleasant, courteous staff, spacious comfortable rooms and magnificent views to the gulf.
Anonymous –
The remote mountain setting makes Delphi a magical place, and a photographic dream if you have the patience to wait for fellow tourists to move out of shot!. There is too much to see in one day, so the 2-dayer is highly recommended. In fact, the 1-dayer doesn’t even visit the Tholos site, where many of the postcard pictures are taken, and there was barely time to sprint to the top of the site where the stadium is. Delphi town has some lovely restaurants for the evening stay. Pick up from the Athens hotel was on time, although other pick-ups meant that it was over an hour before we left the city. Return to Athens on day 2 was by about 6pm, again all seamless. The guided tour on day 1 was good, albeit rushed, and our guide Joy’s narrative on the coach on the way there appeared to be aimed at 12-year olds. Staying for Day 2 allows exploration of the site at one’s own leisure – fabulous.One word of warning – parts of the site are quite steep, with only rough paths, so people with mobility issues might find it tough. And don’t forget the museum – fascinating. Recommended trip, but only as a 2-dayer.
Anonymous –
We booked the two day trip but travelled with a party doing a one day trip. The coach was extremely comfortable and the guide was both knowledgeable and amusing. Arriving at the site after a journey of some two and a half hours, we were taken first to the museum. It was bedlam in there with several tours arriving at the same time. It was often difficult to hear the guide’s expert information for the noise of other groups. She sped us efficiently through the museum and then gave us a whirlwind tour of the site. There was not much more than two and a quarter hours allowed for the whole visit before being whisked to the hotel for lunch for all of those on a day trip. Then they returned to Athens. Had I been on the day trip I would have been very annoyed as proper time was not allowed to see the sights. However, as I had been to Delphi before, I knew that more time would be needed. The rest of the afternoon was spent seeing the sights not visited in the morning, especially the sanctuary of Athens one of the most photographed ruins in Delphi, but missed by those on a day trip. Then back to the Amalia Hotel which was very comfortable with spectacular views. The seventies design of the hotel is charming because of the inspired use of natural materials, mostly stone and wood, though it makes for a babble of voices in the dining room with no fabric to deaden the sound. Dinner and breakfast included were from the buffet and more than adequate. The two day option makes it possible to return again to the site for the morning. We got there early before the rush and before the heat of the day. Then after lunch we were picked up by the following day tour and driven back to Athens. If I had been on the one day tour, I would award it two stars, but as a two day outing it thoroughly deserves five.
Anonymous –
Loved the trip to Delphi. The tour guide was well informed. it was good to have the second day on our own. Drank from the sacred spring and walked down to Athena’s temple. Only one drawback . . our tour guide made ongoing generalizations and sexist comments about women which I thought were inappropriate. The one black mark in an otherwise good trip.