2-Day Trip to Delphi from Athens

My husband & I booked this tour after considering many different options on how to visit Delphi. I had previously visited Delphi years ago but this was my husband’s first visit. Delphi is a major archaeological site and we felt a day trip would not provide adequate time to fully appreciate it. The Viator description of the tour is misleading, mainly because it leaves out details of the trip itinerary. The 2-day trip visitors are herded through the site & museum tour at the same frenetic pace as the day trippers and once you exit the site & museum with your group (as you must because the bus with your overnight luggage awaits to take you to your hotel) so the day trippers can eat a buffet lunch there (which is not included for the 2-day trip visitors) you cannot return to the site or museum without purchasing another ticket (at a cost of 12€ per ticket). The trip doesn’t depart from Athens until 8:45 am and the Viator description that the tour includes “exploring the mountain towns of Levadia and Arachova” are actually rest room breaks for 30 minutes at a truck stop outside Levadia and 15 minutes at Arachova. The tour doesn’t arrive to the site until noon at the height of the heat of the day and crowds. You only actually get about 2 hours total at the site & museum with the tour.

It was definitely worthwhile to take a two day trip in Delphi. The accompdation provided at the Amalia Hotel was excellent—the dinner and breakfast that was included in the plan were brilliant and the hotel had a swimming pool, which was open from morning till 8pm. The accompdation provided didn’t feel overpriced at all. Athena Pronea that I visited in the morning is open to public for those of you who want to visit this site. The tickets for the Delphi archaeological museum and the Temple of Apollo cost altogether 12Euros. The town of Delphi is fairly small that I was able to get around on foot to all the sites and the town.

This trip was made by mistake because I want the 2nd day to be in Meteora. However, it was a blessing as we were able to get around the village of Delphi which was beautiful. Hotel Amalia where we stayed was beautiful, more like a 4star hotel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We'd been to Delphi before, and wanted to spend more time there than a single day tour gave us. The nice thing about this tour is that there is plenty of free time, to explore the town and/or return paying admission again to the sites. The tour guide on Day 1 was exceptional - and we appreciated his engaging narrative. The included meals were good as well. We had some challenges with the initial hotel pick-up, and there were a couple of other instances where communication could have been better around the timing of the itinerary. Our bed in the hotel was extremely uncomfortable, which made Day 2 less enjoyable than it would have been after a good night sleep.

This was a very enjoyable and relaxed tour. The tour guide gave an interesting and entertaining commentary during the drive to Delphi, and an informative tour of the archaeological site and museum. There was sufficient time at the site for photos and/or personal exploration. I didn't go all the way up to the stadium at the top of the site, as it was a very hot day and I didn't have the energy, but it's worth going at last part of the way up, as you get really good views of the site from higher up. There's plenty of time in the afternoon to explore the town, which really consists of only two main streets with a few steep side streets or steps going up to the higher parts of town. The trip included an overnight stay, plus dinner and breakfast, at the Amalia Hotel. The hotel was very nice and the meals quite acceptable if unremarkable. From the hotel it is no more than a half hour walk back to the museum and archaeological site, and a further 15-20 minutes will take you to the Sanctuary of Athena, which is much less crowded than the main Delphi site and entry is free. I took a walk there on the morning of the second day and almost had the place to myself, apart from a busload of tourists who only stayed about 15 minutes before they were herded back onto their bus. The town itself was not at all crowded when I visited at the very end of August. I would definitely recommend the two day tour if you have the time and if you are interested in exploring beyond the main archaeological site and museum, or want to return to the main site or museum when it's less crowded.

Excellent guide. Very good hotel apart from food which was certainly not 4-star standard.