Our professional English speaking guide and driver will meet clients at their cruise ship at 09.00AM (or earlier if required).

Delphi, the sacred site of the oracle of Apollo, remains one of the most beautiful settings and fully preserved sanctuaries of ancient Greece.  Its buildings, remains and sculptural treasures provide a vivid testimony of Greek culture at its apogee. Delphi is located approximately 120 miles northwest of Athens.  Located on a high mountain terrace and dwarfed to either side by Mt. Paranssos, it’s easy to see why the ancients believed Delphi to be the center of the earth.

Home to Apollo, Delphi is one of the most enchanting sites in Greece.  Overhanging the gorge of the Pleistos, the modern village of Delphi is traversed by a single main street brimming with brightly-colored souvenirs and other products of the local crafts.

According to Plutarch, who was a priest of Apollo at Delphi, the oracle was discovered by chance when a shepherd noticed that his flock went into frenzy when it approached a certain chasm in the rock. The chasm exuded strange vapors. The shepherd also came under its spell and began to utter prophecies when he drew near. Fellow villagers also experienced this strange phenomenon and chose a woman to sit over the chasm on a three-footed stool and to prophesy.  Originally, a priestess was chosen from among the local virgins but later determined that she had to be a woman over 50 whose life was beyond reproach.  On oracle day, the seventh of the month, the Pythia (priestess) would receive pilgrims who sought divine guidance in matters of war, worship, love or business.  For over a thousand years, a steady stream of pilgrims made their way up the dangerous mountain paths to the oracle.  The line of questioners often formed days in advance and, after an animal sacrifice, each was presented to the Pythia.  Her strange, garbled answers were then translated into verse by the priests.

The Delphi Museum contains a rare and exquisite collection of art and architectural sculpture principally from the Sanctuaries of Apollo and Athena Pronoia.  The most famous exhibit is the Charioteer, a delicate bronze work created in about 470 BC to commemorate the victory of a Syracusan prince in the chariot races.  Another masterpiece is the pair of Kouroi (archaic male figures) representing Cleobis and Biton, twins who died of exhaustion after pulling their mother’s chariot for 45 stadia (just under five miles).

Other prized pieces are fragments of silver bullion from the 6^th century BC, large chunks of the beautiful and meticulously carved Syphnian frieze, and a magnificent group of three dancing women around an acanthus column, carved from Pentellic marble.

Online bookings can only be made more than 7 days prior to the requested tour date.