Marathon & Thermopylae Day Trip

Duration: 10 hours

This tour takes you to Marathon and Thermopylae, two of the most important battlefields of the Greek History, the places where the Great Wars against the Perisans took place.

Discover the place where the Marathon battle beteween the invading Persians and the defending Greeks in 490 B.C. took palce and Thermopylae where the renowned battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. between the outnumbered Greeks and the Persian fleet took place and let the history come alive in front of your eyes.

The reference list of what you will see and experience during the Marathon and Thermopylae Day Trip includes but is not limited to:

  • 9m-high tomb at Marathon
  • Marathon Race Museum
  • Archaeological Museum of Marathon
  • “Marathon Youth “
  • The battlefield of Thermopylae
  • “Thermopylae’s Innovative Centre of Historical Information”
  • Monument of King Leonidas
  • Sea Side village of Kamena Vourla for lunch break

We can customize this tour to your needs.
If you want to skip or add something, please let us know in advance.

Meet your chauffeur early in the morning in the lobby of your accommodation to start your Marathon and Thermopylae tour. You will first visit Marathon. Marathon is known in the history for its renowed battle beteween the invading Persians and the defending Greeks in 490 B.C.

The legend has it that immediately after the battle, one of the soldiers named Phidipedes left from the Marathon heading to Athens. He ran all the way from Marathon to Athens for 42,195 km or 26miles without any stop and he bust into the assembly only to announce the good news, that we have won “nenikikamen” and then collapse due to exhaustion and died. This historical reference was the inspiration of the modern marathon as a sports event as we know it today.

Today’s visitor will see the 9m-high tomb that has been erected at the site of the battle in memory of the 192 Athenians who offered their lives. 10 columns on the top of this memorial represent the 10 tribes of which Attica was originally consisted of. The tomb was discovered in 1880’s by the amateaus archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.

If time and mood permits it worth the spent time visiting the Marathon Race Museum to introduce yourself to the history of the sportsmanship and the Archaeological Museum of Marathon, that included a variety of important exhibits of the area of the Marathon with the most notable finding is the “Marathon Youth”.

Time to leave behind the Marathon and continue to Thermopylae. Lay back in our luxurious Marcedes mini van and take your time to take in all the information you earned. After approxiamtely 2,5hrs we will arrive in the battlefield of Thermopylae.

Today’s visitor can gaze the monument standing opposite the historical hill of Kolonos representing King Leonidas in full armour. This monument was erected in 1955 at the expense of Greeks living in America and it has been engraved on it the famous saying that refers to King Leonidas and his men: “Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie.”

The scenery has pretty much changed at the battlefield nowadays. For this reason, “Thermopylae’s Innovative Centre of Historical Information” is a must see on the spot to help the visitor understand the morphology of the ground and the narrow passage of the battlefield, that due to erosion has changed.

After the visit to the battlefield your driver will take you back to Athens. Lay back and take your time to take in all the diverse experiences gained on this tour.

Entrance fees to the Marathon Tumulus and to the Marathon Museum are 4 Euro pp

Free admission for:

  • Journalists
  • Persons under 18 (with current identification to prove age)
  • University students from Greece and the E.U
  • University students and Students of Higher Education Institutes
  • Technological Educational Institutes
  • Military Schools or equivalent Schools of member states of the European Union
  • Schools of Guides, upon presentation of their student identity card
  • Young people, under the age of 18, after demonstrating the Identity Card or passport to confirm the age

Free admission for all on the following dates:

  • 6 March
  • 5 June
  • 18 April
  • 18 May (International Museums Day)
  • The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)

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To buy your tickets in advance click here

  • Summer Period: 1 April – 31 October
  • Winter Period: 1 November – 31 March

Opening hours for the archaeologica of Marathon Tumulus:

  • Winter:
    Tuesday – Sunday 8:00 – 15:00
  • Summer:
    Tuesday – Sunday 8:00 – 20:00

Opening hours for the archaeological area of Marathon Museum:

  • Winter period: 08:00-15:00
  • Summer period: 08:00-20:00

All sites and museums are closed or have reduced opening hours, on the following holidays:

  • 1 January: closed
  • 6 January: closed
  • Shrove Monday: 08.30-15.00
  • 25 March: closed
  • Good Friday: until 12:00 closed
  • Holy Saturday: 08.30-15.00
  • Easter Sunday : closed
  • Easter Monday: 08.30-15.00
  • 1 May: closed
  • Holy Spirit Day: 08.30-15.00
  • 15 August: 08.30-15.00
  • 28 October: 08.30-15.00
  • 25 December: closed
  • 26 December: closed

For updates on opening hours please click here

There are a few things that are useful for you to know before participating in one of our tours:

  • Comfortable clothing and sensible, flat-soled walking shoes are recommended for most locations. Sun glasses, a hat and sun screen are also suggested since the Mediterranean sun is extremely hot during the summer months.
  • Photography is permitted in almost every site throughout the tours and if it is prohibited you will be informed beforehand.
  • Local currency (euros) might be needed in order to pay at the spot small entrance fees and small expenses.
  • In case one of our guests has some special needs, is under certain medication or has a limited walking endurance you can let us know during the organization of your customized tour and we will make sure that small breaks are incorporated into your itinerary.
  • Also it is suggested that you bring with you a small bottle of water or something small to eat in case you need to during the tour.
  • Furthermore if an individual has advanced accessibility needs you can let us know and allow us to customize the tour to fit your needs.
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