Marathon, Thermopylae, Thebes/Plataea, Herodotus Private Tour 10h
Description
We visit Historical Battle fields as travelers, not as tourists. We get as excited as you to travel, to enjoy the history & scenery. If you want to see most of Herodotus History Greek Persian Wars, then combine all battle fields in a full day tour. The tour starts with convenient pickup and takes you to Marathon fields, Tomb, & museum. Continue via Marathon lake to Thermopylae. Visit battle fields, Leonidas Memorial, Kolonos hill, Hot springs & Museum. Next to Thebes, visit a Unique Museum. Nearby visit Plataea Acropolis, Battle fields & Kargathia Spring. Drive via Mount Kithaeron, pass by Elefsina port and take the coastal road back to Athens This is a tour strictly to see the battlefields, museums and the scenery (drive via mountains), there are few ancient ruins to see.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Visit Marathon battle fields and read the amazing history that is captured by the location and the burial mound, fill the area with a unique meaning. This 10m-high burial mound, sits 1km west of Marathon beach. Ticket: 5€ Reduced: 3€
These battle fields become, one of the most popular coastal resorts in Attica located 40 km north east of Athens. Marathon bay or Schinias has a great reputation for its crystalline waters and the comfortable facilities.
5 km from Marathon bay, this excellent museum displays local discoveries from various periods, including Neolithic pottery from the Cave of Pan and finds from the Tomb of the Athenians. Every Tuesday Museum is closed
The Athens Marathon is like no other on Earth. Staring line is in Marathon modern town and the finish line is in Athens’ magnificent Olympic Stadium, the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games.
Lake Marathon is a water supply reservoir formed from the construction of Marathon Dam at the junction of Charadros and Varnavas Torrents near the town of Marathon. It was the primary water supply for Athens from 1931, when it became operational, until 1959. In 1959 water from Lake Yliki became available.
Thermopylae is world-famous for the battle that took place there between the Greek forces (notably the Spartans) and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie. This passage from north to south along the east coast of Greek peninsula requires use of the pass and for this reason Thermopylae has been the site of several battles.
Next to the monument of Leonidas, in the historic Thermopylae, lies the innovative museum, dedicated to the 480 BC battle that changed the course of Greek history. Ticket 3€ /Next to the monument of Leonidas, in the historic Thermopylae, lies the interactive museum, dedicated to the 480 BC battle that changed the course of Greek history. Ticket 3€ / Discount 1€
The baths of Thermopylae is known for the battle of Thermopylae between the Greeks and Persians in 480 b.C.The Hot Gates is "the place of hot springs" and in Greek mythology it is the cavernous entrances to Hades.
Drive via Thebes and visit the Archaeological Museum. One of the most important museums of Greece since some of its collections are rare or unique. The exhibits originate from excavations all around Boeotia and cover a long chronological period spanning from the Palaeolithic to the Post Byzantine periods. Every Tuesday Museum is closed General/summer admission: 10 € Reduced/ winter admission: 5 €
We visit the battle fields in Plataea and we travel back in time 479 BC. We see Gargathia spring, which was the place of the beginning of this Battle.
Drive via Mount Cithaeron, Eleutherai, on the old Athens-Thebes National Road, north of the Villia junction, encompasses part of the lowland and rocky hill, where the ancient fortress, known as Gyftokastro, stands. Eleutherai was allegedly the birthplace of Dionysus, who founded the homonym city and was thus called Dionysus Eleuthereus. Originally a Boeotian city, Eleutherai went over to Athens in the sixth century BC. The cult statue of Dionysus Eleuthereus was reportedly moved from Eleutherai to Athens on Peisistratus' orders, leading to the establishment of the homonym sanctuary on the south slope of the Acropolis. Strategically located on the borderline of the Athenian territory, with control over the narrow passage between Athens and Thebes and overlooking the plain of Oinoe, Eleutherai was part of the Athenian defense network in the fourth century BC. Next we pass by Elefsina (seaside) and follow the coastal road to Athens
Return to Athens
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
For Private Tours: Traveler pickup/drop off is offered from/to your hotel/apartment in/ from Athens center up to 7 km, at the arranged time of your tour departure or your tour return. We recommend that this tour starts at 7.30 am or earlier in summer time If for any reason this is not convenient, you can adjust the time according to your needs.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- You Have the options of 3 different Vehicles types: Sedan up to 3 adults or family of 4 (2 adults + 2 kids - up to 11 years old free) - Minivan ( from 1 to 8 persons - 2 kids/ up to 11 years old free ) - Minibus ( from 1 to 14 persons - 2 kids/ up to 11 years old free). Price varies by Group Size or Vehicle type.
- Booking hours: Tour is private & flexible (up to 10 hours). However we only request to have in mind the agreement hours. But if you like to extend it, please make a fair arrangement with your tour driver/ leader. Additional charge per hour is 35€ (Sedan) - 50€ (Minivan) - 65€ (Minibus).
- This is a tour strictly to see the battlefields and the scenery (drive via mountains), there are few ancient ruins to see. Your tour driver provides informative audio/ video documentaries & historical details as you travel.
Reviews(28)
As an American who has traveled the world a few times over I can say this is absolutely worth it. Christos was top tier and I ended up booking quite a bit with him after as well. I got to see all of Greece from a professional who watched my back the whole entire time. You are in absolutely good hands.
Always wanted to see the Greek/Persian battle sites saving Western civilization and this was the chance. Guide was Nikolaos; knowledgeable, interesting insights into the sites and additional aspects of Greek culture. It’s a long day but history buffs will enjoy it. If you’re just along with someone else, sit back and enjoy the beautiful Greek countryside. Nikolaos’s restaurant recommendation was spot on.
If you want to see the big 3 battlefields of Greece this is a must. The driver was very kind and played many informative videos.
Christo was amazing! I highly recommend this tour with him. I had gone on a tour with him last year and was excited that he was the guide for my latest trip. He is friendly, a safe driver (I’ve had reckless drivers before), knows Greece and brings booklets about places on visit (for you to keep). I had seen Thermopylae before so he was flexible and offered to take me to Salamis. Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plateau cover the Greeks fighting and finally pushing out the Persian invaders. Christo’s makes stops whenever you need a break or want a scenic photo, and he knows great photo spots and took pics of me at these locations. His car is clean and stocked with cold bottled waters, a charger for your phone, etc. I HIGHlY recommend his tour. By far the best guide I’ve had over taking several Viator trips. A+
Thoroughly enjoyed the day. Chris was a very good and informative guide, and we enjoyed spending the day with him. Good itinerary. After the trip, realized that there were several additional important things to see at Thermopylae that I wish we had visited or at least told about ... but full day and can't see everything with limited time.
Creating our itinerary was a bit difficult, but Alexa offered us everything we wanted to do. Our driver Christos was superb. The trip was amazing. Temple of Apollo, Thermopylae, Zeus cave. Excellent No complaints at all. Thank you. Definitely worth the cost of a 14 hour trip. Beautiful ride and sites.
We really enjoyed this tour. Nik is a great driver and very knowledgeable. We requested to visit specific areas and we were given that and much more.His historical knowledge is very in depth and he also knows the local areas very well. A family member is buried in a military cemetery in Athens and during the course of the day we asked Nik if we might be able to find the cemetery in order to pay respects. Of course he was happy to oblige and very helpful in locating the memorial. It was a great pleasure to meet Nik and we both highly recommend Greece Taxi
My bias: I teach ancient history classes at a university. Christos was an excellent driver because he's knowledgeable and friendly. He pre-games each visit by showing history-channel documentaries of the battles. Due to an unexpected detour, he took us to Delphi, which was easily my wife's (not a history professor) favorite visit. What's great about Marathon and Thermopylae is these sites were empty of tourists, which perfectly contrasts from the Disneyland experience of visiting the Acropolis in the summer. The museums at Marathon and Thebes were also empty. This tour is ideal for history buffs. Re-reading the relevant passages in Herodotus before the tour may provide extra pleasure. If you don't like history, you will spend a long day driving around, looking at a few empty landscapes, and seeing the area north of Athens, which is pretty empty except for Thebes. For non-historians, my wife recommends a daytrip to Delphi, which resembles Pompeii but with beautiful in the mountains and fewer tourists.
The tour was amazing! We had Christos as our guide and he was extremely friendly and helpful. He really cares about the sites and the tour (which were wonderful). It’s definitely a tour I’d do again with my friends. Just know that it’s a ton of driving but you’ll stop for a meal; and on top of that you see the Greek countryside in addition to the battlefields. Amazing experience that you need to do if you love history!
In early May 2024, I had the opportunity to take the Herodotus Tour, and I was fortunate to have Mr. Christos as my driver and guide for the day. The tour lasted the entire day, and we visited various historical sites such as Marathon, Thebes, Plataea, and Thermopylae. Mr. Christos was extremely attentive throughout the journey; he is a very friendly person and also passionate about the history of this beautiful country, Greece. The highlight of the tour was the local touches added by the guide, who introduced me to the delicious souvlaki gyros and Greek coffee. I loved it and hope to return to Greece soon to explore more routes with someone as great as Mr. Christos.
