The ancient oracle of Zeus at Dodona, 22 km southwest of Ioannina, was the most important oracular sanctuary in Greece after Delphi. The site sits in a quiet valley surrounded by the Tomaros range, with the ruins arranged along a single axis: the sacred oak grove (a single oak still grows from the site of the original), the small temple, the bouleuterion, and above them all the theatre — one of the largest in mainland Greece, seating around 18,000 and still used for occasional summer performances.
The site is calm and unhurried, very different from the crowds at Delphi. Allow 90 minutes for a thorough visit. A small on-site museum supplements the finds in central Ioannina. Buses go a few times a day; the easiest visit is by car or taxi.