Embark on an extraordinary day trip from Athens to the Unesco World Heritage Site of Meteora. Explore centuries-old monasteries, enjoy breathtaking panoramic views and uncover hidden gems of Meteora that most travelers won't know about. If you join the tour from November to January, you will also have the opportunity to witness the famous Meteora sunset from a stunning panoramic viewpoint. Your journey starts as you board our private, air-conditioned bus at 07:45 AM, conveniently departing from the street across the Central Railway Station of Athens (Stathmos Larisis). Sit back and enjoy a scenic bus ride through the enchanting countryside, offering picturesque glimpses of mainland Greece.
By noon, you'll arrive at Meteora, where your friendly local tour guide will await you, to begin an unforgettable adventure through this natural wonder called Meteora. During this guided tour, you'll be able to see all the majestic monasteries of Meteora and even step inside three of them to explore their captivating interiors. Also, discover the hidden treasures of Meteora, including the ancient hermit caves and the magnificent St. George Mandilas cave. Moreover, uncover the 'secret' side of Meteora accompanied by your local, knowledgeable, English-speaking guide learning about why hermits chose to settle in these imposing caves a thousand years ago. Immerse yourself in the rich history and intriguing myths of Meteora, as you hear detailed explanations and fascinating stories. If English isn’t your primary language, don’t worry! We also offer free audio guides in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Also, capture amazing photos during multiple photo stops.
Additionally (exclusive to this tour), discover the charming small town of Kalambaka located in the foothills of Meteora. If you choose the option with lunch, enjoy a delightful, traditional Greek lunch at a local restaurant. Your meal will include a fresh salad, a choice of main dish (with multiple options to cater to your preferences), freshly baked bread, and refreshing water. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available. If you choose the option without lunch, enjoy some free time in the charming town of Kalambaka to explore its numerous restaurants, cafes, and local shops. Relax under the breathtaking Meteora formations or take a short walk to the heart of this small picturesque town.
The Roussanou Monastery, also known as Arsani, stands on top of an impressive vertical and steep cliff of Meteora, between the Monasteries of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas and Varlaam.
The Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas is literally suspended in air on a small rock and is the first monastery that we meet on our way from Kastraki village to the stone forest of Holy Meteora.
The Varlaam Monastery or Monastery of All the Saints is located on an imposing rock exactly opposite of the Great Meteoron and it is the second largest monastery of Meteora.
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity is the third oldest monastery in Meteora and is the most difficult to reach, since visitors should cross a downhill path and then ascend 145 steps carved into the rock. It is said that the first hermits used a rope ladder and a net to build it and they spent 70 years to carry the all the materials needed.
The Monastery of Saint Stephen’s (Agios Stefanos) is located just above the city of Kalambaka and is the most accessible monastery in Meteora, as there are no steps to reach the entrance and the access is easy through a small stone bridge.
The Monastery of Great Meteoron or Transfiguration of Christ, expresses the greatness and history of the Holy Meteora, as it is the oldest and most important monastery.
Come evening, we'll set off on our journey back to Athens, and you can expect to arrive there at approximately 10:15 PM.
Our guide Maria was so fantastic! She was so knowledgeable, very fun and definitely made our tour amazing. Thank you so much to her and our driver George.
The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The cafe stops were terrible. People working there were screaming at the tourists like if we were animals. Meteora monasteries are beautiful. Be prepared for a long day and bring your own pastries and snacks so you don’t have to deal with rough, rude people. Do the prepaid lunch because restaurants in that town, not so great, rude people.
We had an absolutely amazing day. It was just so good. Our drivers Ilias, George and George were fantastic. Our guide Maria was THE BEST. I would recommend this trip to everyone. Super, super, super.
The drive from Athens and the drive back takes up a lot of the day. Having Wi-Fi and charging ability for our smart phones, meant that we could take photos of the scenic drive to Kalambaka and I was posting many photos for my friends to see along the way . In the middle of each drive, we stopped at a nice travel center where there was fresh and packaged foods and plenty of space to move and use the restrooms. The time at the “Rocks” as our bus driver.Vasili called them is shorter than you imagine but still plenty of time. We went inside three monasteries and stopped the bus several times for scenic views and photo opportunities. Kosta, our local guide was full of information about the history of the area from how the rocks were formed to how the area was settled. He shared factual and legendary information to give us a full picture. We went to three monasteries., the first one had the most steps, and according to my smart phone, I walked up the equivalent of 12 flights of stairs! Many in our group were there just to enjoy the wonder of it all, for myself, it was also a religious pilgrimage. I was traveling by myself I felt that both our driver for Vasili and our guide Kosta made sure that I was getting all of my questions answered and having the full experience. An excellent value for the money for anyone. This would not be enjoyable for somebody who is not fully ambulatory and could not climb stairs..
The bus was comfortable, the driver and the guide were extremely friendly and helpful and the scenery was amazing
I am completely satisfied with the entire organization of the trip, lunch and guide. Guide was perfect and we saw and visited all the most important things. Strong recommendation for future visitors to Meteora.
The pick-up in Athens was very punctual, and the driver was excellent. The journey went smoothly, with a stop at a very clean rest area and spotless toilets. Our guide in Meteora, Maria, was absolutely wonderful: very kind, knowledgeable, and clear in her explanations. The monasteries were truly fascinating. I highly recommend this tour — it was definitely worth the price!
We loved this day trip. The coach ride was quite long but very comfortable and it does stop halfway for a bathroom break. The lunch was really amazing: a buffet of really good food including my favourite Moussaka. The guide Maria was wonderful. The monasteries are very beautiful and well worth the visit. Highly recommended.
Departed from Athens at 8.00, reached the first Monastery at 13.45, left Meteora at 18.00 and reached Athens at 22.15. Nicolas was a very nice and welcoming guide. Lunch was served hot, even got dessert, transport was air conditioned. We stopped along the way at some viewpoints for pictures.
Wonderful trip! Our guide Maria was amazing and very knowledgeable about everything. Highly recommended.
George our bus driver was awesome. He explained when we will stop for a break. Told us the password to connect. Maria , our tour guide. Was the best. Very informative. And she spoke clearly and loudly so we could understand her. Lunch was delicious. Great day. I'd reqiest both George and Maria again. And I'd choose same restaraunt. I give this a 10.
Was a great tour, with an easy start and and easy & quiet ride to Meteora. The guide was telling us a lot of information and I learned a lot. Would book it again!
Amazing Tour! Absolutely worth the day trip from Athens. My only complaint was that we could have had longer at the Monastery with the nuns.
Despite being a very long day, it was an excellent experience. Maria was a fantastic guide. She managed the group very well. Her knowledge is great and is clearly very experienced. Lunch was average, but also did not cost a lot of money. Our driver, Nicos, also deserves a mention. This trip is recommended.
The bus driver was very good the trip was on scheduled and our guide Maria was awesome. We are very satisfied !
It's a long day but worth the trip! Bus not so comfortable but Meteora is magnificent! A must see...Tour guide, Maria, was fabulous ..
Our tour guide was informative, brought local color to her narration and had a great sense of humor. Definitely a highlight of our trip!
Amazing tour guide Maria! She shared many interesting details and we had a wonderful time. You can really tell that she loves what she does and puts a lot of heart into her work. We traveled from Athens to Meteora in a smaller bus with about 18 seats. After arriving, the group was split into two smaller groups -we were only 8 people, which made the tour much more personal and enjoyable. Many other tours had large groups, but ours was a small group, which was great. We had about one hour of free time for lunch or to walk around in Meteora, while the other group continued with the same bus. After that, our tour in the mountains started with another bus in the same size. We visited three monasteries from the inside (entrance fee €5 each, cash only) and stopped at several amazing photo spots. On the way back we met the rest of the group and traveled in a larger bus where it was also possible to charge your phone, which was very convenient. During both the trip to Meteora and the return to Athens there was a stop after about two hours at a service station where you can use the restroom and buy food or drinks. We started at about 8am in the morning and returned at 10pm in the evening. Overall, a great experience and highly recommended! Thank you:)
Maria was very knowledgeable and a fun personality.
A perfect tour! Everyone was on time and friendly. Bus makes stops to use restrooms and get refreshments on the way. Lunch in city just outside of Meteora, and your guide joins trip at that time. Nikolas was very knowledgeable, friendly, and kind throughout the tour. It was a beautiful location and we were able to learn so much about the history of the area. Highly recommend this tour! It will be a long day, but absolutely worth the visit.
It was a great experience. The place is a combination of natural beauty, history and holiness. Each monastry was a unique experience. It takes 3.5 hours to get there from Athens. Kalabaka is a small town where the tour is actually started and decent eatery options, some cafes. Definitely recommended!
The experience was very good, the tour guide was impressive and amazing, she had an incredible knowledge about all the monastery and the place of kalambaka Overall
A great day out as you travel through the Spanish countryside, see a cute town, eat a lunch that offered a hearty variety of dishes and visit an awe-inspiring geographic, historical, and religious place. Only regret is we didn’t plan to overnight there so we could explore, hike and climb.
Really great day out and well worth the long drive. In hindsight I would have liked to stay overnight. The lunch was better than expected - good quantity, quality and lots of dishes to choose from.
Well conducted trip of over 14 hours from pickup. Comfortable coach. Easy to locate coach opposite Larissis metro station. Driver held paper with list of guest names. Thanks to well experienced Maria, George with sense of humour. Book direct for possible lower price. I got mine at promotion rate. Thanks to responsive, efficient Dimitris for reservation. Recommend breakfast at Everest cafe next to Larissis station with friendly service. Pastries are well priced, delicious. Portable toilets located next to meeting point.
Definitely worth going: great tour, comfortable bus, wonderful place, amazing guide! Maria is very knowledgeable, she answered all our questions and showed us the best of Meteora. She is both very friendly and efficient as a professional. We visited 3 magnificent monasteries. Special thanks to Dimitris who helped with the logistics. Best value for the price!
The worst tour taken ever! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE TOUR! NEVER NEVER NEVER! We went on Saturday, all monasteries are open. The tour just did not take us to three small monasteries, but did not take us to the Great Meteoron Monastery, which is the oldest and biggest monastery. When I ask the guide, the just said we don’t promise which monastery will go, the attitude is very very very rude.
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Sufficient length of time. Outstanding visual experience. Fully recommend, Don't miss it!
We had a wonderful experience on my trip to Meteora. The scenery was breathtaking, and the overall experience was definitely worth the money. Our tour guide, Maria, was knowledgeable and friendly, which made the trip even more enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Despite the long drive the destination is well worth it. The bus was comfortable and the buffet lunch was ample and delicious. Unfortunate there is no English audio-guide but the verbal information provided was good anyway. Wish I had done a multi-day trip to see more of this spectacular place.
Good communication from the minute I booked. Found the bus, driver, Elias, left very close to the right time. We had a comfort/refreshment stop every 2 hrs. The optional lunch was great, well worth the €10. Our local guide, Nicholas was very informative, and told us the history of the area and provided a few laughs along the way! The driver stopped frequently for photo stops which was appreciated 👏 . My friend and I enjoyed the day very much! A great day, blue skies, couldn't have hoped for a better excursion, thank you Meteora Trip
Trip was very well organized. Booked the trip with discount and the process was easy. I even requested to change the date and the company replied promptly. Maria was a great tour guide and she was very funny, entertaining and knowledgable. George was a great driver who whisked us from Athens to Meteora on time, expertly navigated through the winding mountain roads, dodged goats and returned us safely back to Athens. I highly recommend your company to anyone who wants to visit Meteora.
This is a very long bus trip. 4 hours to get there and 4 hours back. Nice tour guide however. The lunch was not very good. Should have passed on it and taken the hour to walk around the town and find something. There were two break stops 2 hours into going and coming. Very crowded cafeteria style stop. Not good food. There were also alot of steps especially to the first monastery we stopped at - 370. We left at 8 am and got back at 10 pm. I felt like we could have spent the day in Athens doing something more interesting. If you really want to see monasteries- it's probably a good choice for you.
The whole experience was wonderful. Ilija drove us with utmost care and Maria our guide was simply superb. Thank you. Highly recommend.
The trip to Meteora is a very long excursion but the experience is priceless. The views are breathtakingly stunning. We visited three very different monasteries; all with their own charm. Our first monastery included a walk with some elevation; it is not for the faint hearted! It got easier after that! My favorite monastery was the nunnery! Lunch was excellent! The timings of all the stops were very good as it broke the four hour drive to Meteora! It is a long day but it is definitely worth it!
Amazing tour, our guide Vasilis was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, providing great commentary as we rolled past the sights. Lunch was genuinely authentic traditional Greek, which was so delicious. A brief staircase or two conquered, and the spectacular monastic sights were well worth the effort, highly recommended.
Do not recommend chosing to have lunch - disapointing experience. The trip was OK, I felt that there was a lack of information from the guide's side. Only a few facts... All in all, if I were to choose for the second time, I would better go own ny own or would have a local guide here.
The trip was wonderful, the bus was too comfortable, the guide was super ! The drivers are cool! Thanks a lot for the emotions!
Had a great time! Maria was wonderful. Funny and frank, she gave some great history of the area. At first, I wasn’t pleased that the bus ride was 3 hours each way. However, this tour is something that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. I feel like many European cities have the same nice churches and, to me, often times look the same. These monasteries are perched high up in the hills and have spectacular views of the valley below. All-in-all, it was a great trip and if you have a day, it’s worth the drive.
My husband and I recently took a day trip to Meteora, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Although it was a long day, it was absolutely worth it. Our guide, Katerina, was fabulous—friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly helpful throughout the entire trip. She highlighted the history and significance of Meteora and ensured everything ran smoothly. The bus was comfortable and well-maintained, and our driver did a great job . The scenery was breathtaking, and visiting the monasteries perched atop the cliffs was nothing short of magical. the walk up the stairs was worth it. We came away with amazing memories and lots of beautiful photos. Highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Greece!
Everything was perfect, very well organised and the guide -Kostas as well the driver were very friedly, profesional and experienced.
Be prepared for a lot of steps and a long bus ride from Athens— But it is all worth it for the unforgettable views and great memories. The actual guide joined us at Meteora where we had lunch before exploring the first of three monasteries.
Even if the trip from Athens is quite long, the views and the monasteries are really worth. The guide was soo funny and shared a lot of info
Excellent local guide and transportation. Good stops along the way for lunch and for stretching the legs.
Meteora is an amazing site, one of a kind, a must see! I loved that the tour recquired some physical exertion, a bit of exercise use. The views were breathtakingly beautiful. The guide, Maria was very helpful. She told us interesting stores of the sites we saw . We had ample time during stops to eat and rest…and of we took so many photos!!!
Great tour and amazing scenery, we loved the tour itself. We paid cash euros for two monasteries to be able to go inside. They had skirts and pants for you to wear if you were not dressed appropriately. You had to pay to use the toilet so make sure you bring euros. Would be helpful if they just include one euro per person in the admission price. Tour guide was very nice and full of information. The bus ride was long and we made 2 stops each way. The AC didn't work very well and we had to keep asking to have it turned higher AC power. The people in Greece don't like to use AC, but being on a bus with 40 people it is necessary, even in May.
Our guide is Maria, who is very cheerful and energetic. The lunch option they offer is at a lovely local restaurant. After that we headed up mountain to the first monastery of our trip, Holy monastery of Saint Nicholas. It’s quite a walk uphill with many stairs but the view up there is magnificent. Then we drive through mountain to the second biggest monastery, Monastery of Varlaam, the chapel inside this place is very beautiful, painted with fresco technique. You could actually see the pulley lift they actually used in the old time here. Then our last visit is at holy monastery of Saint Stephen, you will have a nice view of Kalabaka town from up here. Chapel of this place is also lovely. Though you don’t get to visit every monasteries, you will have a chance at several photo stops along the way to look, soothe the atmosphere in and have a great photos of all of them. I think this tour is great option for travellers who base their stay in Athens but if you wish to see every single one of monasteries, you might need to stay a night at Kalabaka. Even though it’s quite a long ride to get here from Athens, I encourage everyone to visit Meteora. It’s definitely once in a lifetime experience :)
Maria was a great tour guide. Very caring and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend the tour. Well worth the long drive to and from Athens
This is a good trip, but it is a LONG day. You will be gone for approximately 14 hours; 8 of those hours are on the bus travels to & from Meteora. The bus we experienced was a modern motor coach with reclining seats. There was WiFi available but there were no USB charging ports as advertised, at least none by any of the seats we had. The bus will stop about halfway to Meteora for a rest stop with an opportunity to purchase snacks or a quick meal. This happens on the way back to Athens as well, although that stop is quick because everyone is ready to get back. Before going to the monasteries, we stopped for lunch in Kastraiki, a nearby village. You have the option on including the cost for lunch with your ticket purchase but we didn’t do this. The food was good and there is also the opportunity to purchase water and some snacks. Take advantage of the opportunity to use the restroom before leaving to visit the monasteries. Most of the monasteries do not have restroom facilities available for visitors. Then on to the monasteries! You will visit 3 of the monasteries. We didn’t not which 3 we were visiting until we arrived in Meteora. Be aware that most of the walks from the bus to the monasteries are challenging for anyone with disabilities. Almost all will include inclines and multiple flights of steps. You will also need cash (Euros) for the entrance fee to each monastery. $3-5 for each. The monasteries are very interesting and have great histories. You will enjoy the visits if you do some research ahead of time. There are several websites and YouTube videos. It was a good trip and I would like to visit the monasteries again in the future. The art work is very interesting and many tell stories of events. This trip is good for those with energy to walk and climb steps. Bring water and snacks. Those that have trouble walking long distances uphill or multiple flights of steps will likely find this experience challenging.
Worst experience ever. We were early in the meeting point to secure a good seat in the bus. People were confused waiting for the guide to direct us to the appropiater bus, finally 10 minutes before departing time, the operator representative showed up and direct me to one bus l. About 3 minutes before departure he just enter in the bus that I was sitting to tell me that I was in the wrong bus. We follow him and surprise there were only two seat available which were separated.I told him that we were early because we want to be together for such a long trip and because him we end up inn the wrong bus.He was very irrespectful and did nothing to solve the situation . We d3cided that with such an irrespectful person was not worth it to continue on this trip. I immediate contacted Viator to explain the situation and at first they recognize "they have been receiving a lot of complaint from this area" We just wanted to reschedule the trip with a different person or get a refund.Surpriselly Viatot did nothing for us and diectme to contact the tour operator which the name was on Greek and by the way they don't answer the phone We are very disappointed with Viator ,we did the booking with them and they didn't help a bit to solve the situation.
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