Question 1

Itea and Delphi on Your Own

Accepted Answer

An independent day here means getting yourself up the road to Delphi and back, by regional bus or taxi. Once there, the archaeological site and the museum are within walking distance of each other and of the modern village. Getting up the hill: KTEL Fokidas buses run between Itea and Delphi, and taxis are available in Delphi for the return. Timetables change, so confirm them at the Itea office before you set off. The sanctuary of Apollo: Follow the Sacred Way uphill past the treasuries to the Temple of Apollo, then climb on to the theater, which held about 4,500 spectators. The site has no restrooms. The museum: Fourteen rooms hold the finds from the sanctuary, among them the bronze Charioteer, the frieze of the Siphnian Treasury and the Sphinx of Naxos. The museum also has restrooms, a café and a gift shop. Tickets and hours: In 2026, one ticket covering the site and the museum cost €20, or €10 reduced. From April to October the site opened at 8 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. until the end of August, earlier in September and October, and the museum opened at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Check before you go. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, so allow for the drive back down to Itea. Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match the local clocks or your phone. Greece keeps Eastern European Time, two hours ahead of UTC, and three hours ahead from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. Carry your passport: Police may ask for identification and may not accept a copy, so keep the passport itself with you.

Question 2

Getting to and Around Delphi from Itea

Accepted Answer

Itea itself is small enough to walk, but Delphi, Amfissa and Galaxidi all need a bus, a taxi or a tour. Amfissa is 13 km north-northwest of Itea, Delphi 17 km to the northeast, and Galaxidi lies southwest along the coast. KTEL Fokidas, the regional bus company, serves Itea, Delphi, Amfissa and Galaxidi, with offices in Itea at 28is Oktovriou 31 and in Delphi at Apollonos 8. The road up to Delphi climbs in hairpin bends, and parking near the museum is limited, which is one reason many visitors let someone else drive. Modern Delphi is a small village, and the museum and the site are both within walking distance of it. Taxis are available in Delphi.

Question 3

What to Eat at Itea and Delphi

Accepted Answer

Olives are the local crop: the plain behind Itea, running up toward Amfissa between Mount Giona and Mount Parnassus, is covered by an olive forest. The foothills of Parnassus hold millions of olive trees, some of them centuries old. The Delphi museum has a café, which is handy between the site and the galleries. Modern Delphi has plenty of places to eat, and some of the larger hotels have restaurants.

Question 4

Tipping in Greece

Accepted Answer

Tipping in restaurants was not traditionally a Greek custom, though leaving a small tip on the table is now common in tourist areas. Tipping taxi drivers is uncommon. Restaurants: A small amount left on the table is the usual gesture. Currency: Greece uses the euro.

Question 5

The Delphi Museum and the Charioteer

Accepted Answer

Greek myth made Delphi the center of the world, the point where two eagles sent by Zeus from opposite ends of the earth crossed paths, marked by a stone called the omphalos, meaning navel. Here Apollo's priestess, the Pythia, spoke the oracle's answers, and people traveled from across the Greek world to hear them. The Charioteer, a life-size bronze about 1.8 meters tall, was found at Delphi in 1896. An inscription on its base names Polyzalus, tyrant of Gela in Sicily, who dedicated it after a chariot victory in the Pythian Games of 478 or 474 BC. The Pythian Games, held every four years in Apollo's honor, ranked second only to the Olympics, with musical contests in the theater and athletic events in the stadium. Winners received a wreath of laurel. Greek cities built small treasuries along the Sacred Way to hold their offerings and show off their wealth. Of these, only the Athenian treasury has been put back together almost completely; French archaeologists rebuilt it between 1903 and 1906. The museum first opened in 1903 to show the finds of the French excavations, and it is arranged chronologically in fourteen rooms on two levels. The poet Angelos Sikelianos and his wife, Eva Palmer, brought ancient drama back to the restored theater with their Delphic Festivals of 1927 and 1930.

Question 6

The Oracle of Apollo: A Brief History

Accepted Answer

People were leaving offerings in a cave on Mount Parnassus around 4000 BC, but the sanctuary of Apollo and its oracle date from the 8th century BC. Its authority faded in Roman times, and a village grew over the ruins until archaeologists moved it in the 1890s. 8th century BC: Worship of Apollo took hold here, and the sanctuary and its oracle began to grow. Around 595 BC: The First Sacred War began against Kirrha, Delphi's port at the head of the gulf, accused of overcharging pilgrims; after about ten years the town was razed. 6th to 4th centuries BC: The oracle was at the height of its influence, consulted by cities planning wars and new colonies as well as by private people. 548 BC: The Temple of Apollo burned down, and a new temple was built in its place. 191 BC to 86 BC: The Romans drove out the Aetolians who held the sanctuary, and the Roman general Sulla later plundered it. Late 4th century AD: The emperor Theodosius I finally ended the oracle, and in later centuries the village of Kastri grew over the ruins. 1827 and 1830: In September 1827, during the Greek War of Independence, the steamship Karteria under Frank Abney Hastings destroyed Ottoman ships anchored off Itea. In 1830, Ioannis Kapodistrias signed the decree founding a town at the landing then called Skala Salonon, today's Itea. 1890s: French archaeologists began the Great Excavation, and Kastri, a village of about 100 houses, was moved to a new village nearby. Where to learn more: The Delphi Archaeological Museum, beside the archaeological site in Delphi, tells the sanctuary's story from the 8th century BC to late antiquity.

Question 7

Delphi with Children

Accepted Answer

Delphi suits children who can manage a hot, steep walk, and the museum makes a good break from the sun. With younger children, a shorter visit to the museum plus time on Itea's beaches may suit better than the full climb. Younger children: The site has no restrooms and is open to the sun, so plan the museum first, where there are restrooms and a café. Back in Itea, the town has beaches such as Trokantero. School age: The story of the two eagles and the navel of the world, and the Python slain by Apollo, give the site a hook. In the museum, look for the Charioteer and the Sphinx of Naxos. Teenagers: The walk up the Sacred Way past the Temple of Apollo to the theater is the full climb. Bring water and sun protection.

Question 8

Accessibility at Delphi

Accepted Answer

The archaeological site of Delphi is on a steep slope, so only part of it can be seen by visitors with limited mobility. The museum is accessible, with ramps and an elevator. Visitors with limited mobility can ride a golf-cart-type vehicle free of charge up to the level of the Temple of Apollo, if they contact the local Ephorate of Antiquities at least seven days ahead. The vehicle cannot carry a fixed-frame wheelchair, and its use depends on the weather. The cart tour starts from the entrance of the Sikelianos Museum, which is reachable only by private vehicle. Parking near the Delphi museum is limited. Assistance dogs are welcome across the site. A metal detector gate stands at the museum entrance.

Question 9

Shopping at Itea and Delphi

Accepted Answer

The museum's gift shop sells items related to the archaeological site. In the modern village of Delphi, the shops on the main streets cater mainly to visitors. The museum has a café as well as the gift shop.

Question 10

Beaches in Itea

Accepted Answer

Itea has town beaches along its shore, among them Trokantero, Vrachakia and Anagneika. From the beach you can see across the gulf to Galaxidi and the Peloponnese. A string of small islands lies in the Gulf of Itea, among them Agios Dimitrios, Agios Konstantinos and Agios Athanasios. Agios Dimitrios, the farthest out, lies roughly halfway between the harbors of Itea and Galaxidi. Galaxidi, southwest along the coast, is built around a natural double harbor.

Itea (Delphi), Greece

Good to know

What Cruise Travelers Should Know About Itea and Delphi