Maritsa
What to order: local mussels steamed with ginger and a seafood pasta for the middle of the table, with a Greek white from the list
geocalia
Day itinerary · 38.38° N · 22.38° E
From the oracle to the harbour, a day from Athens with lunch facing the Gulf of Corinth.
The sanctuary of Apollo and the Charioteer first thing, the drop through olive groves to the sea, lunch in a former captains' café in Galaxidi and the afternoon in the harbour.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Atenas fromBarcelona 3 h 15Bilbao 3 h 45Madrid 3 h 45Málaga 4 h
Part of Galaxidi
Add to my trip
Total time13 h
By car2 h 30 each way
From Athens2 h 30 by car
TicketsDelphi €20 with the museum
On footAbout 3 h, uphill at Delphi
DifficultyMedium
Best timeApril – June · September – October
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Athens 2 h 30 by car
motorway towards Lamia, Livadia exit and the Arachova road
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1
Sanctuary of Apollo: the oracle, the theatre and the stadium In Delphi
€20 with the museum · climb up to the stadium
- 8 min on foot
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2
Delphi Archaeological Museum and the Charioteer In Delphi
The bronze Charioteer and the Sphinx of the Naxians
- 30 min by car33,6 km
- 3
- 8 min on foot
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4
Galaxidi's Harbours and the Captains' Houses
From Agora to Chirolakas among the shipowners' houses
- 6 min on foot
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5
Church of Agios Nikolaos in Galaxidi
The patron saint of sailors, at the top of the village
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Back home
Via Itea and Delphi; in Athens around 20:00
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Sanctuary of Apollo: the oracle, the theatre and the stadium
The classic Delphi excursion ends with lunch on the mountain road and a return to Athens. This plan changes the ending: after the sanctuary and the museum, you drop half an hour through the sea of Amfissa olive trees to the Gulf of Corinth and eat in Galaxidi, the captains' village, in a former café by the water. The afternoon is for strolling between its two harbours without hurry before going back. It is about five hours of driving in the day: if you can, take turns.
The day, hour by hour
7:00 · Leave Athens. Motorway towards Lamia to the Livadia exit and the mountain road via Arachova. You reach Delphi around 9:30.
9:30 · The Sanctuary of Apollo. Park next to the entrance and climb the Sacred Way between the treasuries to the Temple of Apollo, the theatre and, right at the top, the stadium. The ticket costs €20 with the museum. Allow two hours, uphill and with little shade: bring water and a cap.
11:45 · The Delphi museum. Eight minutes' walk along the road. The bronze Charioteer, the Sphinx of the Naxians and the friezes of the Siphnian Treasury. An hour and a half is enough.
13:45 · Lunch at Maritsa. You go down via Itea and follow the coast to Galaxidi. Maritsa is at Pera Panta, the shore opposite the big harbour, in a café where nineteenth-century captains met. Local mussels steamed, sea bass carpaccio, orzo with prawns or a seafood paella for two. Open every day from 12:00; at weekends, book.
15:45 · The two harbours. From the Agora harbour to Chirolakas along stone streets, among the shipowners' neoclassical houses, such as the Tsalangyra. A long hour's walk, with a stop for a coffee on the quay.
16:45 · Agios Nikolaos. The church of the patron saint of sailors, at the top of the village, with its carved iconostasis and the view over the rooftops.
17:30 · Back to Athens. Via Itea, Delphi and Arachova; you arrive around 20:00.
If you change something
If you reach Galaxidi before two, the Nautical and Historical Museum deserves an hour: paintings of sailing ships and figureheads for €3; it closes at 15:00 and on Mondays. From Friday to Sunday, Taverna Porto, on the quay next to Mama Square, is the other table: grilled fish and stews from Sofia's kitchen. And if the day feels short, sleep at Hotel Galaxidi, 70 metres from the harbour and with parking at the door, or see the one-night getaway to Delphi and Galaxidi.
Ascent150 m
Time2 h 30
Change the route
If you reach Galaxidi before 14:00: it closes at 15:00 and on Mondays:
Galaxidi Nautical and Historical Museum
Friday to Sunday, if you prefer grilled fish on the Mama Square quay:
Taverna Porto
With children or if the Delphi museum feels long: the pine forest by the sea and its coves:
Walk Through the Pine Forest and Coast of Galaxidi
If the day feels short: a night 70 metres from the harbour, with parking:
Hotel Galaxidi
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Taverna Porto
What to order: sardines or a grilled sea bream, a salad for the middle and one of Sofia's home-made desserts
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Galaxidi
All year by car. From November to March the sanctuary closes at 15:30, which is why it goes first. In July and August go into Delphi first thing and leave Galaxidi harbour for the afternoon, with the breeze. Maritsa opens every day at midday.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Delphi first
From November to March the sanctuary closes at 15:30.
- 2Book Maritsa at weekends
The tables at the water's edge fill up early.
- 3Ask the price of the fish
In Galaxidi the fish of the day goes by weight.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Delphi and Galaxidi in a day from Athens?
Yes, by car and leaving early: Delphi in the morning and Galaxidi half an hour away for lunch and a stroll.
How long does it take from Delphi to Galaxidi?
Half an hour by car, going down via Itea.
How much do tickets cost?
Delphi, €20 with the museum. Galaxidi's harbours and church, nothing; the Nautical Museum, €3.
Where to eat in Galaxidi?
At Maritsa, at Pera Panta, open every day; or from Friday to Sunday at Taverna Porto, next to Mama Square.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/greece/central-greece/galaxidi/itineraries/delphi-and-lunch-by-the-harbour
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.