Temple of Apollo Epicurius
Temple of Apollo Epicurius
4.5
About
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.

Top ways to experience Temple of Apollo Epicurius and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles19 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
0

gpants1
Sydney, Australia132 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
This is off the beaten track and takes a bit to get there but it is quite astounding. This temple is a UNESCO site and is one of the most complete examples of its type. It’s preservation and reassembling is an on going project and whilst this continues a massive tent has been erected. Quite a feat in itself.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicky K
Uckfield, UK176 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
An impressive site but took a ages to get there by car (awful steep mountain roads), driving through the mountains was really pretty and quite an experience in itself, but can be hair raising!

The site itself is small but the temple is better preserved than the acropolis in Athens. Surrounded by terraced steps it’s a really peaceful spot.
Written 11 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Saso P
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia15 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
The frieze of this temple is in British Museum, so bare columns don’t excite me so much. I actually feel sorry that all those most precious parts of the helenic culture ended in foreign museums.
It is a nice half a day trip with some magestic sceneries, but I was not impressed with the covered columns.
Written 17 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ron S
New York City, NY5 471 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We drove to Bassae from Kyparissia. The views are breathtaking, but the zigzagging road is littered with fallen rock and requires constant attention. There's practically no ongoing traffic which makes life a bit easier. Driving from Bassae to Olympia is less stressful but no picnic either.
The site is terrific. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is in a remarkable state of preservation.
Written 25 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tallnsmiley
Anchorage, AK36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Friends
This place is simply extraordinary and a MUST SEE if your in Greece. It was the VERY FIRST Greek UNESCO site, and that alone tells you how special it is and speaks volumes beyond words given the amazing archeological sites in Greece.

I actually discovered this phenomenal place by accident when I took a wrong turn after I left Ancient Olympia, I saw it listed on a road sign and decided to give it a go and was sooooooo glad I did. What ensued was an absolutely magical drive thru gorgeous rural Greek countrysides, culminating upon the majestic mystical mountain where the site is located.

The atmosphere is electric with arcane energy up there and the very earth itself takes on enchanted properties previously unbelieved, and it suddenly becomes crystal clear why the ancient people chose that very special site for this fantastic wonder.

The views up there are absolutely awesome and after witnessing the outstanding magnitude of the site its hard to know what's more impressive.... the fact the ancient people got all that super heavy building material way, Way, WAY up there, or the fact they were able to build it way, Way, WAY up there !!!!! Either way it's truly an exceptionally tremendous and incredibly monumental feat !!!!!!! Birthplace of Western Civilization indeed :) It's remote, yet you'll be be well rewarded for your efforts with the experience of a lifetime !!!
Written 18 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

panayiotis vyras
Athens, Greece186 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Couples
The temple is covered by plastic, to protect from rain. It's found in a remote location, on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere but scenery is spectacular.
Written 18 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nick P
Zakynthos, Greece12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Friends
An hour and a half north of Kalamata – about the same from Pyrgos – is the temple to Apollo Epicurius at Bassae Vasses. It sits at the peak of a mountain top. There are old photographs Apollo Epicurious that show you what it looked like in its element, but for many years now – decades my Taxi driver Fotis thought having driven these mountains for years – but the temple is now under restoration covered by a tent. The newly restored parts are worth seeing, as is the temple in in its propped up form. Columns lean both ways, foundations show where they’ve collapsed. It takes little time to imagine this as an unrecognisable mound of sculpted grey limestone – without the props. But the Greeks continue to restore it. There are works out in the yard, documentation of fallen stone and a sense that one day this will be worth seeing again. It’s worth seeing now. It’s enormous. You simply can’t get the view of it from a distance which is what all monuments need.

The Ancient Phigaleans who lived 13km away (there are ruins) dedicated the temple and sanctuary to Apollo Epicurious (the healer) in the 5thC BC to protect them.

I could not find a day excursion to this place. So I hired a taxi. Fotis had never been, but his colleagues told him how to get there. I negotiated a price and went. Had I booked a tour group that included this, I would have been in for many thousands. But I got to hear about Fotis, the state of economy, his aspirations and he mine.

The road up is also a treat. The smells of the Peloponnesian mountains in summer is special. Herbs and wildflowers and figs and plane trees, oaks and pines cover the mountains. They go on forever. There are springs along the road we took. You can stop and drink cold water gushing from the fountain. At one point, long into the drive, I catch sight of the tent in the distance. It’s huge. It looks close, but it is still huge. It can’t be far, I thought. But going around mountains is not the same as a straight line. We then lost sight of it. We drove and at each turn looked to see if we were on the right path. A while back, before ascending the steepest part of the ranges, Fotis stopped and asked some old men on a verandah – ‘keep going, there are no turns’ they said. So at each town or crossing, Fotis stopped, looked and one of us said they did say ‘keep going no turns’. It took some more time, but there it was up ahead. We drove around the peak of the mountain to the front to get to it. The path generates plenty of anticipation. But the road stops outside it. Like the men said, ‘keep going, there are no turns’. The closer you get of course, there are road signs.

When we got there, it all came back to Fotis. He’d been to these villages around here a few times. He’d seen the tent before. I mentioned that my grandparents both came from around here. From Delfini. He said he saw it on the screen when looking up the route – we kept an eye out for it, but we didn’t catch it. The temple was enough to see. I bought him a ticket, we’d come so far together.
Written 29 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MMP
Luxembourg186 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016
Ictinus and Kallicrates build the Parthenon too Vasses (ancient Bassae) was always a sacred place, host to numerous temples. The region’s name means "little valleys". And indeed, the mountainous Peloponnesian land creates a magical landscape and within it rises the imposing site of the temple. The mountains of Kotylio, Lykaio, Tetrazio and Elaio stand guard around the valley of Vasses. All the gods of antiquity - Pan, Aphrodite, Artemis, and of course, Apollo, as both ‘Vassitas’ and ‘Epicurius’, that is, “the helper” - were worshipped in this natural sanctuary, and it was here that one of the greatest religious centres of the entire of Hellenic world was to be erected. it has a feeling of a great place, an enigma and a fascination on such perfect architectural a combination of Power beauty and harmony
Written 1 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DalesM921
Iowa City, IA354 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Business
The same architect did the famous Parthenon in Athens. This temple is huge. It is undergoing reconstructions and is under a giant tent. This is good for all weather types. The downside is you can't get a far away picture of the temple due to it being covered by the tent, but the size of it is not lost from inside.
Written 12 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A T
London, UK15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2016 • Family
Well worth the long drive to get there. The temple is as well preserved as its cousins in Agrigento. Also, as it is under a tent you can visit at the hottest hours.
Written 15 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 12
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

TEMPLE OF APOLLO EPICURIUS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)