k_traveler

We’re traveling to Athens in late May for a few days, mostly to see the Acropolis/Acropolis museum, and hopefully a day trip to Delphi.

Any suggestions for books/articles about these places to read beforehand, or walking tours or audio tours you’ve used that help bring these sites to life?

Also, any suggestions for the best way to do a day trip to Delphi? Right now we’re thinking take the first bus in the morning from Athens.

Thanks!

Heimdall

<i>Blue Guide Greece</i> and <i>Greece An Oxford Archaeological Guide</i>, the latter by Christopher Mee & Antony Spawforth, are possibly the best guides for Greek antiquities, but they cover museums and sites over the entire mainland. Either book is one you are likely to treasure, and keep for future reference.

An overnight trip to Delphi would be better than a day trip. That said, I visited Delphi on a day trip myself. You can book day trips with several different Athens tour companies, among them Chat and Key. Both have websites with details and prices.

mariha2912

There are many guide books about Delphi, you'll see them sold everywhere while on the area, but they are small books rather than guides you can read on the spot. Two of the most popular and worthy are one of Pierre Amandri,a French archeologist who actually excavated and discovered and researched and lived in Delphi for decades, and one of the famous Greek archeologist Manolis Andronikos who became famous when he discovered the tomb of Philippos on Vergina. Although Andronikos had no direct relation with Delphi, I suggest his book because it is a bit more "easy" for the averrage traveler. The Amandri one is full of more scientific details and technical terms and not so easy to read. They both contain feedback such as history and myths and info on the most important finds both on the sites and in the museum. Unfortunately nor those two boooks nor any I am aware of, have been updated on the museum which has been renovated and lay out has slightly changed since 2004. So sequence they present the exibits is not right, but info is still reliable.
You may see Manolis Andronikos's Delphi guide book here (3rd one):
http://www.antiqbook.com/search.php?...ord&page_num=1
In case link can't work, I am sure you'll come out with info through a simple google research...

About Delphi day trip, I too suggest and overnight. You can easily DIY as a day trip, departing Athens on the 7.30 am public bus and returning lets say on the 6.15pm bus from Delphi. But it will be rushed and you'll not been able to enjoy the location when hordes of visitors have departed.
May I suggest something if you are into staying one night there?
On Many, quite likely the lower site will be open till 7pm or so. So if you travel light, on a day pack or something, I suggest to take 1 pm bus from Athens and ask driver to drop you off by the Athena Pronaea Temple entrance. You can descent the stairs and explore this and the gymnasium site,then pass by Castalia spring, maybe stop and enjoy the views and then walk to the modern village. You may want to check if this lower site is open till 8pm as traditionaly it closed near sunset. In that case I suggest maybe the 3.30pm bus from Athens and same procedure. You will really enjoy a sunset in Delphi area, even better near or IN the sites, light is different and there is a feeling some people discribe as "spiritual" or "magic" or I'll just say a scenic and special landscape : ))) Most crowds will have departed, and this adds on the experience. Lower site will be very quiet on the afternoon, you might even be there your selves. Now, for this evening, go on modern Delphi, walk around, check the local shops (lots of interesting stuff among usual touristy tat, you just have to look carefully. If you are interested you may buy some local honey or olives/olive oil too. Ask localy!) Anyway, check in your hotel, relax, enjoy a dinner on a valley view tavern, maybe open a bottle of wine on your balcony (ask a room with a view of course!) Next morning I suggest to wake up as early as possible, get some breakfast and be in the upper site before 9-quite likely opening time will be 8 on May... Lots of climbing involved and you want to visit this at the cooler part of the day. Plus, the earlier you go, the more quiet the site will be. Do not forget to go all the way up to the stadium. After finishing with the upper site, go for the museum. It is airconditioned and so handier to visit as heat increases during the day. Unfortunately, no matter which you do first, site or museum, you can't avoid crowds latter in the day on the other part of your visit... Now, it is your call how much you want to send on those and how early you want to be back in Athens, but you have to walk back all the way to Delphi bus station for the bus to Athens. You may be able to catch the 1.30ish pm one or the 4.15ish one or even a latter one if you wish to have a leisure lunch in Delphi. I suggest not to show up last minute for bus tickets though. Either have purchase on morning,either be by the stop at least 30 minutes in advance... No worries for traveling back to Athens in the middle of the day, because nowdays there are modern air-conditioned comfortable coatches running this route.
Bus shedules here:
http://www.ktel-fokidas.gr/?module=d..._id=29&lang=en
You need Ktel(Inter city bus) station B near Liossion street in Patisia area in Athens for Delphi. Cost is about 15+euro/person one way and trip lasts about 3 hours including a 10 minutes rest stop.

k_traveler

So I’m trying to figure out how to make Delphi a one-night stop instead of a day trip. We only have 2.5 days/3 nights on mainland Greece (our flight arrives in Athens at 14:00 the first day from Rome). Does it make sense to go straight to the bus station and spend the first night in Delphi? Or we may consider driving from the airport to Delphi, but I’m a little intimidated to drive in Greece. How is the Athens airport to Delphi drive?

mariha2912

If you haven't been in Athens before, than I really think you may want to spend all your time in Athens. Plenty to see and do! But it is your call... A car hire is very handy because it gives you flexibility if you want to take in some sites on the way to Delphi or even explore Delphi's surrounding area. Plenty to do and see although to be honest your time frame is very limited! It is modern highways from airport till Thiva, then it is a narrow but easy two lanes road till Delphi. Last 30 kms or so of the route is on a bit twisty and mountainous roads but nothing too difficult. Yes, getting to Delphi straight from the airport without backtracking in Athens twice is a good idea. Even if you go for the bus, it is still a good idea because you do save one unpacking/packing session. City bus X93 connects Athens airport with both Ktel (Intercity) Bus Stations in Athens. Remember you need the Liossion one for Delphi.
http://www.oasa.gr/xmap.php?id=px93
(Aerolimenas Athinon=Athens Airport , St.Ypera/kon Leof.Liosion=Liossion Bus Station . Use the Forward/Backward Direction Buttons accordingly to check timetables)