Private guide for Olympia
 

We will be docking in Katakolon and looking for a private guide to take us from the ship and tour Olympia. Thank you

For some reason, Greece makes it VERY difficult to get what you want. You must be a LICENSED Guide to accompany tourists inside a Site -- so all those "taxi guides" are no use. BUT ... where to find a licensed guide?!?!? Sometimes they're around the gate to an ancient site, but if you try to hire one, they make you wait until they collect a group.

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION -- Someone on another website gave me a link to an official-type site ... but the text is in Greek, German or French, NOT english. Go Figure!! However, the French page is a French-Greek-English Hybrid. There is a list of Guides ... including one that works OLYMPIA Hurray! There is an e-mail. NOTE: the e-mail has a greek component OTO but don't use it -- the greek explanation above the list says that OTO should be @. At least give it a try!!

ADD=ONS -- Her fee is probably for meeting you at the site... you'll need to taxi from your cruise ships to Olympia & back ... or pay her to come in a car & fetch you . And do not expect it to be cheaper than the ship's excursion.

Good luck!

Travelerjan, thanks for your reply.....so what is the website?

Try sending an email through this site,
http://www.olympia-greece.org/to-olympia.html

I'm sorry.... I was so busy looking at the website & interpreting, I forgot to give the lilnk. Yiassas may have a better link, also, I'll check that out. Here's my link:
http://www.tourist-guides.gr/guides.aspx?lang=fr&id=76

Travelerjan, you are right, the website is Greek to me! Did email and it wasn't bounced back. Have you used this person?
Yiassas thanks for the website. I sent an email for pricing. Have you used this guide?

No, I haven't used them, I only live a couple of hours away!
I just happen to keep tons of useful Greek sites in my favourites!

Yiassas, since you are almost a local, I have a few questions. How far is Olympia from the port? I am expecting very hot weather in late July, am I correct? Any shade?

At a rough guess I'd say 25-30km, & yes very hot in July!
Tips:
Buy the combined ticket for site & museum, €9 against €6 individually.
Do the site 1st as it's cooler in the morning, then the well aircon'd museum later as it's getting hot!
There are some trees around the site to take a breather in the shade, but make sure you have water, hat & comfy footwear!

In Sept will stop in Katakolon on a Tuesday as a cruise stop, from 12 noon to 7 PM. I am reading this thread with interest as I am inclined to rent a car and drive to Olympia, see the ruins and the museum, spend a little time (and probably money) in Olympia town. But I wonder if I would be happier with a guide for the ruins?
Question: Are there guides available at the ruins? Do they have to be booked in advance?
Are there self-guided walks available?
Thanks for any info regarding on site guides.
(Thank you, yiassas, for the link, and I have emailed that person.)

Here is a comprehensive map of the site, in English,
http://www.planetware.com/map/olympia-map-gr-oly_e.htm
I think using that with some reading up on the site you can do it quite easily without a guide.
If you still would prefer one I hope the response is good from the link I gave you.
Could someone please let me know when you get a reply & whether it's helpful, thanks!

I went to Olympia with a tour, but I found myself wandering away from the guide and taking pictures. I had read extensively about the site and museum before I went, so I found it quite interesting even without the commentary. It is a beautiful place, and I would go without a guide if you have trouble finding one.

Thank you. I have not emailed that tour guide site as I have concluded that I will rent a car, get to the museum first, (apparantly it closes at 3) and then tour the ruins. The olympia-greece site mentioned above gives a great explanation of things. I will print that up. Plus, guide books are available at the museum, plus, last year's cruise by the same ship featured a lecture in the am before docking. Good enough for me. Rental it is.
Thanks again. I got many similar answers from the same inquirey on cruisecritic.