Athens to Delphi to Olympia - 1 day?
 

Planning a trip in July for 2 families (kids range in age from 10-15). Thinking about leaving early in the AM to drive from Athens to Delphi, spend a bunch of hours there, then drive Delphi to Olympia to spend a couple of nights there (and then 3 nights in either Monemvasia or Gythio). Is Athens to Delphi to Olympia too much in one day (we are fine getting into Olympia late - plan to eat dinner on the way, so really just want to get to our destination). One family a little more "hearty" travelers, but would really like to avoid spending just 1 night in Delphi, 1 night in Olympia if possible. Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Yes it can be done but I enjoyed staying overnight at Delphi because during the day the site was jammed with bus groups and other tourists - only after official closing hour did ancient Delphi's ancient stones take on a romantic life for me - the setting is so so awesome with just mountains and scrub land around - this was much more special to me than just doing a hurried tour with mobs of others during a potentially scorching day.

And Delphi has loads of inexpensive hotels and is a low-key but pleasant watering hole - I know what you mean by one-night stays but I would consider it at Delphi - rather than one very long and very fatiguing day in a potentially cramped car with kids.

It takes about 2,5 hours to drive from Athens to Delphi.
If you calculate 4 hours to walk around and see the museum, it will take another 3 - 3,5 hours from Delphi to Olympia.

It is doable yes, but you will be passing by some great sites and towns that are worth seeing such as :

the Osios Loukas Monastery, a Unesco world heritage site

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosios_Loukas

Galaxidi and Nafpaktos : two beautiful cities on the way to Patras. Nafpaktos has a beautiful small medieval harbour and a fortress on the top of the hill overlooking the town, the harbour and the Peloponnese.

An overnight in Delphi or even better, if you visit Delphi on the first day, i would recommend an overnight in Galaxidi or Nafpaktos :)

Overnight at Delphi for sure. One night is enough for Olympia;the historic site iand museum afe very worthwhile but the town not so much.

Olympia can easily be visited in half a day from a beach resort like Loutra Killini