DELOS, the island of god Apollo
Description
Delos is one of the best preserved ancient towns, a rival to Pompeii. For the people back then Delos was very special, as they believed it was the birthplace of god Apollo. Today people who visit it can get an idea of the life back then, by seeing the ancient houses, temples, shrines, the theater, and more. An interesting detail is that all the houses of Delos were fitted with bathrooms, and a sophisticated system of sewers would take the used waters to the ocean. Delos was the first Duty Free place in history, as well as the first melting pot. It was also famous as a slave trade center, and the visitor will see, among other things, the big slave market. The guide will narrate the history of the place from the prehistoric times, to the archaic period, to the Athenian domination, to the Roman occupation, to the present day. *Not recommended for people with walking problems.
Tour Options
Itinerary
People will visit the theater district (the best preserved part of the ancient town), will get into different ancient houses and admire mosaic floors, water cisterns, marble colonnades, and more.
Visit the ancient theater, that could accommodate 6,500 spectators. Information will be given about the ancient theatrical performances, the actors, etc.
Visit the sanctuary of Apollo, and see what remains of his temple and of his gigantic statue. See the huge slave market (Delos became very rich thanks to the slave trade). Visit the exact spot where according to the mythology Apollo was born, guarded by impressive marble lions.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The guide will pick up travelers from their location.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for people on a wheelchair
- Not recommended for people with walking problems
Reviews(22)
A visit not to be missed with a guide of great experience that communicates historical knowledge very well. Thank you very much.
Delos Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, don't want to visit? Of course not, and when I do. Once purchased the excursion we disembark in this island that is in fact an open-air museum, where the history, not only of the site, is touched by hand. The numerous open-air ruins are the subject of continuous research and archaeological work, it is particular to walk along the ancient streets and streets and enter what were homes and shops. The Avenue of Lions, the main attraction, is impressive and imposing and no matter if the statues are copies, you can admire the originals in the nearby museum with free admission. Do not miss the opportunity, if you happen to visit this island you will not regret it. P.S. don't forget hat and sunscreen, on the island there are no plants and the sun beats like a blacksmith.
It's a good tour, and our guide was very knowledgeable, providing a detailed history of Delos. But overall, I think the tour is somewhat overpriced.
An interesting & large UNESCO site which is in various stages of being excavated & reconstructed. A museum on the Island of Delos houses the original artifacts & it is well set out. We liked the leaflet that indicted various routes/a map around the island showing where things were & how long it would take you to walk there. Very useful for us as we did not take a guided tour. Really worth visiting. We caught the boat over in the afternoon when it was slightly cooler & no queue for the boat. We noticed that the morning boat/s over had very very long queues. Also, we sailed backed between 6.30pm & 7.00pm & were able to watch the beautiful sunset- an added benefit! Wear a sun hat & suntan lotion, take water& wear covered shoes in case of snakes & it has uneven surfaces. Highly recommend a visit.
Nicolaus’s background as a history teacher truly showed. Very intelligent and knowledgeable guide. Would highly recommend him.
Excellent excursion! Delos is very interesting and unique. The history is so different from other archaeological sites we have visited. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting. You need a guide for this site. I have mobility issues, so this was difficult for me, but very much worth it. The ferry ride to and from the island was a beautiful and relaxing trip. The ferry, at the Mykonos end, is located in an area that is pedestrian only. A few years ago, I would barely have noticed the walk, but now, especially at the end of the tour, I did find it very difficult. Our driver was excellent and even convinced security to allow him to drive a little way into the pedestrian zone to assist me. Overall, driver and guide were both fantastic. Finding our driver when we left our ship was quick and easy, and we returned to our ship with plenty of time to spare before departure.
We visited Delos on our own. We found the ancient civilization interesting to see.
History really lives within. Visiting this sacred time is a must do, if you visit Mykonos for a few days, since the island is only accessible by Mykonos. Detailed guided tour amongst Ancient Greek heritage. Better have comfortable shoes, a bottle of water and a hat with you.
Had a great day visiting these ruins which were moore extensive than I would have expected. We had aa windy day, but the ride was not bad at all. Definitely worth the few dollars to hav a guided tour. It would have been very difficult to sort out the place without a guide.
An area with many ruins, some still intact over a quite wide area, we had a guided 1 and 1/2 hour tour which covered maybe 1/3 of the area. Getting their in rough seas can challenge some, a windy day will create it
