Delphi is the site travellers most often say moved them most — more than the Acropolis, more than anything on the islands. It is built into the side of Mount Parnassus, looking down a valley of olive trees toward the Gulf of Corinth, and the ancient Greeks considered it the centre of the world.
The sanctuary of Apollo
The Sacred Way climbs through the ruins of treasuries built by rival city-states to house their offerings, past the reconstructed Athenian Treasury, to the Temple of Apollo where the Pythia delivered the oracle's famously ambiguous pronouncements. Above it sits a well-preserved theatre, and above that, a fifteen-minute climb further, the stadium — the highest and quietest part of the site, with the starting blocks still in the ground.
Most visitors stop at the theatre. Keep going.
The museum
Small, superbly arranged and essential. The bronze Charioteer is the reason to come — a life-size fifth-century figure with inlaid eyes that survived because an earthquake buried him. The twin kouroi, the Sphinx of Naxos and the omphalos stone are all here too.
Getting there and how long to give it
Delphi is about three hours from Athens by road. It works as a long day trip, but staying overnight in the modern village is much better: you get the site at opening before the coaches arrive, and the mountain evening is worth staying for. Arachova, ten minutes away, is a stone ski village that makes a more attractive base.
When to go
Spring and autumn are best — the site is exposed and there is very little shade. In spring the valley below is green and the wildflowers are out. Winter brings snow to Parnassus and a genuinely different atmosphere, with skiing thirty minutes away.
Delphi is steep. The climb from the entrance to the stadium is a solid twenty minutes on uneven stone with no handrail. If that is a problem for your group, the lower sanctuary and the museum still make the trip worthwhile — tell us and we will plan the timing around it.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.
- All things to do in Greece
- Greece travel guide — seasons, transport and trip length
- Greece tours — planned around real ferry sailings
- Talk to a Cooee travel specialist