Full Day Marathon Tour
private tour by minivan

Pickup from the hotel for a 6-hour tour to Marathon, the site of a legendary ancient battle between the Athenians and the Persians that influenced the world’s history, and birthplace of the modern-day marathon race.

The tour takes us to the north of Athens, towards the seaside city of Marathon where in 490 BC a huge Persian invading force led by Darius was met by the Athenian army under the command of Miltiades. Once victory was secured, a Greek soldier called Phidippides was dispatched to bring the good news back to the anxious citizens of Athens.

Legend has it that he ran the whole distance to arrive in the city as fast as he could, relaying the triumphant message with his last breath, before dying from exhaustion. The modern-day marathon race has been established on this myth, and the official distance is canonized at 42.195 kilometers, in accordance to Phidippides’ legendary run.

The route from Athens unravels along the same ancient paths used at the time, leading to the Marathon Tomb. The monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers of the historical battle serves today the starting point of the Classic Marathon race.

But Marathon is not only about history, as it sits on a long coastline bustling with seaside restaurants, cafeterias and marinas, and is very popular to Athenians thanks to its proximity to the city.