Sparta and Mystras day tour

Private day trip to Sparta the kingdom of Leonidas, and to Mystras the fortified Byzantine town. The city of Sparta located in the southern part of the Peloponnese, 215 kilometers from Athens. The city lies between the Taygetus Mountain and the river Eurotas and is the capital of the prefecture of Laconia.                  
 

 

Description

Starting from your hotel and taking the Athens – Corinth National Road, we see, on our left, the Saronic Gulf. We also see the small island of Salamis, where the famous naval battle occurred. After about an hour, we make our first stop at the famous Corinth Canal. It is a 30 minutes short stop for photos.

We leave the Corinth Canal behind us and head southwest. We will reach the city of Sparta after about an hour and a half. We will begin with a stop in front of the statue of Leonidas, known from the Battle of Thermopylae, where the renowned Spartathlon ultra race ends every September, with the runners kissing the feet of the statue. Afterwards, we will visit the ruins of the ancient city of Sparta.

Just above the town of Sparta lies the fortified town of Mystras or Myzithras. The history of Mystras begins in 1249, when Prince William II of Villehardouin fortified the city with a wall. 10 years later, the city surrendered to the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.

In the fortified castle town, you will admire the palaces of Michael Palaiologos as well as numerous Byzantine churches. This visit lasts at least 2 hours. Afterwards, you will have lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will visit the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil.

Upon completion of this visit we take the road back to where we started our tour.

Duration 10 hours

Note : Sparta and Mystras are included in several Multiday tours which we highly recommend

Check our    The best sites of Peloponnese in 3 days , the Explore Peloponnese - 4 Day tour  and

The round of Peloponnese in 5 days