Visiting Ancient Olympia without a private guide? Download our free audio tour.


For centuries, Ancient Olympia was home to some of the most boisterous parties, most thrilling athletic feats, and most dramatic religious rituals of the ancient world. Today, however, it looks like this: 
 


It's difficult to truly appreciate the site without a guide - someone to explain the stories behind the ruins. If you're planning to visit on your own, this free audio tour can help. We'll take you through the entire archaeological site, tell you what you're looking at, and highlight some of the most fascinating stories about each spot. Just download the mp3 file to your phone or iPod, press Play, and enjoy! 

Audiotour FAQ


Is this really free? What's the catch? 

Yes, it's really 100% free. I am a history buff and I did this for fun. I have a friend with a great voice who kindly recorded the audio for me. If it doesn't sound like it was recorded in a studio, please bear with me: it wasn't.

The one thing I do ask in return for using this free resource is: please email me (contact@elladaguides.com) and let me know what you thought. And if you like the tour, please spread the word to others who may be interested. Thank you!

How do I use the tour? 

You can download and use the tour free of charge by clicking here. Look for the download icon on the top menu:



The file is in mp3 format - simply load onto your phone or iPod and play as you would any other song or audio recording. The audio will tell you where to go and when to hit pause as you move around the site.


Is there a text version?
For a pdf transcript of the guide, email me at contact@elladaguides.com and I'll send one over.


Where can I go to learn more about Olympia and the first Olympics? 
Check out our recommendations for further reading here.

Who are you and why did you create this tour? 
My name is Katerina. Almost every year, my husband and I try to plan a trip to Europe (though we recently had a baby, so our wanderlusting days may be over for the near future). When we travel, we prefer to go on our own rather than joining a tour group. During our stay in Greece, we took a little detour to Ancient Olympia...and spent much of that first visit hunched over our map, trying to figure out what was what and why it was special.

After returning home and checking out a pile of books about the first Olympics, I realized that we had missed much of the story. It was fascinating to read about Apollonius the boxer and Pelops the king, about scandals and sacrifices, parties and processions - but it would have been even better to learn all this as we were exploring the site. So I did some research and put together this audio tour to enrich the experience for other travelers. I hope it makes your visit to Ancient Olympia even more magical!