We start our tour early in the morning from Athens till Meteora. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel/ apartment or the airport/ port. The travel time is about 4,5 hours.
Kalabaka is a town and seat of the municipality of Meteora in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population was 12,000 at the 2011 census, of which 8,330 in the town proper. The Meteora monasteries are located near the town.
We arrive at Meteora and visit up to three Monasteries. Breathtaking at first site, the Monasteries are of great cultural and natural importance. Split from earthquakes, weathered from the wind and the water over millions of millions of years, these immense rocks are an authentic masterpiece of mother nature. The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries. The six (of an original 24) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor. Please be modestly dressed. Women are suggested to wear long skirts & long sleeves. If you do not have, you will be given a skirt on your way in.
Free time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends and family or shopping at Kastraki, a picturesque village near Meteora.
Thermopylae is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur springs. In Greek mythology the Hot Gates is one of the entrances to Hades. Thermopylae is the site of a battle between the Greek forces and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides of Ceos in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie." Thermopylae is the only land route large enough to bear any significant traffic between Lokris and Thessaly. To go from north to south along the east coast of the Balkan peninsula requires use of the pass, and so Thermopylae has been the site of several battles.
As we leave the magnificent Meteora behind us, let us not overlook the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BCE, which has long been the topic of cultural motivation, as it is perhaps the most famous military last stand of all time. The monument of the Great Leonidas, King of Sparta, in Thermopylae, will grace our path on our way back to Athens in the late afternoon. Thermopylae is world-famous for the battle that took place there between the Greek forces (notably the Spartans, Lakedemonians, Thebans and Thespians) and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie."
Leonidas was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles and Cadmus. Leonidas was son of King Anaxandridas II. He succeeded his half-brother King Cleomenes I to the throne in c. 489 BC. Leonidas had a notable participation in the Second Persian War, where he led the allied Greek forces to a last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) while attempting to defend the pass from the invading Persian army; he died at the battle and entered myth as the leader of the 300 Spartans. While the Greeks lost this battle, they were able to expel the Persian invaders in the following year.
We start our way back to Athens late in the afternoon. The drive is about 4,5 hours.
This is a must see if you have the opportunity to visit Greece. Very beautiful. We did it as a day trip from Athens. It's a long day but still quite enjoyable. Our tour included a stop at Thermopylae and a visit to the museum dedicated to the famous battle of the 300 Spartans. Costa was our guide/driver for this excursion. He was excellent.
Vasilis, our guide/driver, made our tour very enjoyable. He was very attentive to our needs. Meteora was breathtaking. A once in a lifetime experience.
Excellent experience. We enjoyed seeing the monastery where James Bond was filed. The area is so beautiful one can see why it was used by the monks. The food at our lunch was very good and traditional. I would recommend it.
I would say the view makes the drive worth it! It is amazing. We enjoyed seeing where James Bond was filmed, as my husband said - if the view was good enough for Hollywood it is good enough for us. He was right! What a view!
It’s a bit of a drive from Athens, but definitely worth it. Our guide/driver, Spyros, was excellent. He had the inside info on when to do what to avoid the crowds. First class service, door to door, and in Meteora. We got to tour 3 of the incredible monasteries/convents at our pace, plus Spyros knew where to get the best pictures. A good break in the long drive was Thermopolis. A long day, but so good. We really enjoyed it.
An Unforgettable Meteora Experience with My Athens Transfers! We had a wonderful experience with My Athens Transfers on our full-day tour of Meteora. The breathtaking rock formations, the spectacular monasteries perched high above the ground, and the incredible scenery made this excursion one of the highlights of our trip to Greece. The company took excellent care of us throughout the entire day, making the experience comfortable, enjoyable, and truly memorable. Visiting the monasteries and witnessing the unique beauty of Meteora up close was simply amazing. We highly recommend My Athens Transfers to anyone looking to explore Meteora and discover one of Greece’s most extraordinary destinations. Their excellent service helped make this experience even more special! Thank you, My Athens Transfers, for a fantastic day and unforgettable memories in Greece!
We created a custom 3 day tour from Athens to Meteora and My Athens Transfers did a great job! We wanted more than a day trip to Meteora, and stayed at a beautiful local hotel for two nights. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy the area. Dimitris was our personable and knowledgeable driver, and was flexible with what we wanted to do and see. We got to visit five amazing monasteries, more than we could have hoped for, thanks to Dimitris’ familiarity with the area. We highly recommend My Athens Transfers!
Our guide had a wealth of knowledge he was so positive so happy and so patient with us. It was hands-down, our favorite part of the entire trip. His kindness and his representation of this beautiful country was five star.
We had an excellent private excursion to Meteora and would highly recommend it! Our driver, Aris, picked us up right at our hotel in Athens and was extremely personable and knowledgeable. The drive to Meteora is quite long, but Aris made the journey so enjoyable with his interesting conversations and knowledge of Greece. Meteora itself was absolutely breathtaking, and the entire day was one of the highlights of our trip to Greece. Thank you, Aris, for such a memorable experience!
We had an excellent private excursion to Meteora and would highly recommend it! Our driver, Notis picked us up right at our hotel in Athens and was extremely personable and knowledgeable. The drive to Meteora is quite long, but Notis made the journey so enjoyable with his interesting conversations and knowledge of Greece. Meteora itself was absolutely breathtaking, and the entire day was one of the highlights of our trip to Greece. Thank you, Notis for such a memorable experience!
This transportation/tour option to Meteora work out well for us, as it allowed us to decide how long to spend at each of the Monasteries, and provided the most comfortable and quickest way to get to the Monasteries on a one day trip. At Compo della batteglia della Termopili stop, and we chose not to watch the short film, but used the stop to get out of the car for a couple minutes. In general this stop and the Leonidas Monument/Thermopylae Area did not seem to add anything of interest to the trip, as other than the area in general there was no actual historical sites to see in the areas include on this tour. The drive to and from the Monasteries was long, but the car was very comfortable. The driver was very good, but was not a tour guide. He did answer our questions, and pointed out few things when traveling to Meteora. We followed our drivers advise as to which Monasteries to visit and he told us a little information on each of the Monasteries. Although we explored the Monasteries we visited in detail, we choose not to spend too long at any of the Monasteries. So, we had the time to visit another Monastery, but choose not to visit the fourth Monastery that day in part due to the stairs involved. The Monasteries are beautiful, but there were a lot of people visiting, so without a driver we would of had much longer walks from the parking areas used be cars and some buses. Our driver was able to drop us off and pick us up at the entrance gates, which saved us a lot of time. We choose not to purchase the lunch ahead of time, but our driver recommend a restaurant that had very good food and seemed reasonably prices. The company provided good communication ahead of our tour date, and our driver picked us up at out hotel at our selected time of 7:30. Even though we say 3 of the Monasteries and had a leisurely lunch our driver got us back to the hotel around 18:30.
Spyros was a great guide and driver! He picked up and dropped off my sisters, nieces and me right at our door. He was informative, interesting, patient, personable. Spyros knew so much about our Meteora tour and made the long drive there and back comfortable.
We had the pleasure of having Spiros as our driver to Meteora. What a treat! Spiros was full of facts about his Greece and made our long drive to Meteora informing and memorable. The views and history of the area are spectacular! It's remarkable to see the way these monastaries were built and learn the history around it all. We had an amazing lunch and Spiros made our return so enjoyable! Thank you, Spiros!
Great overall experience. Awesome conversations.
Spiro was an amazing guide! He had such great insight and historical knowledge. He even took us to a few spontaneous views that were amazing. We had a great time with him!
Fantastic time with Mr. Dimitris Tabone! Very cordial, caring, and attentive during our whole trip and was adaptable in our private tour to Meteora!
We did a one day trip to Meteora. We had an amazing time . We got to see 3 monasteries. The Admission was about 5 euros per person. Some only accepted cash . I would definitely go back .
Alex was a wonderful guide on our trip up to Meteoroa. Very knowledgeable and we enjoyed visiting this beautiful UNESCO site as well as seeing the surrounding countryside.
Great tour with our driver/guide, Costa. He was super friendly and energetic. Very quick with things and knowing where to go for the best views. Costa planned the day very wisely and efficiently. We appreciated all help to make it as smooth as possible. Highly recommend this tour and recommend Costa!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
We had a great time! Micheal was professional and had great recommendations for which monasteries to see and food to eat!
Nick was a very informative driver and good food recommendation
Great experience, it’s a journey but completely worth it. You’ll never see anything like it, our tour guide Nick was fantastic, it’s a good 4 hour drive from Athens, you definitely get a quick stop on the way there and back, we were able to do 2 of the monasteries, then to a look out that has the most amazing views perfect for photos! We had lunch at a Tavern that was delicious. Then the journey back, it’s a full day but so worth it. Pack some snacks and water and go enjoy a drive through beautiful Greece and learn about the scenery.
Thank you very much for a fantastic tour today. We had a great time and really appreciate Alex kindness and professionalism. It was a pleasure meeting you. All the best!
Nick was a lovely driver/tour guide and we had a great time!!
Best tour of our entire Greece trip! The private driver “Mike” was wonderful, full of knowledge, fun and great with our young two boys on the trip. Navigating through crazy Athens traffic like a pro and out to the monastery’s on the scenic highway I felt we were in great hands with a real professional, I’ve been on some trips in other counties where I would be on the edge of my seat worried the time about going so far and back, Mike made this trip from start to finish so relaxing and at the end I felt like we were all family. Would highly recommend if making a full day of going to see the monasteries on the tops of mountains you request Mike as your guide and chauffeur!!!
This is the best way to experience Meteora and is well worth the extra cost of a private tour. Our guide Mike was fantastic! He was very professional, accommodating and incredibly knowledgeable on the historical and current aspects of the trip. Mike provided us with great tips and suggestions for visiting each monastery that saved us time and allowed us to enjoy our experience to the fullest. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in visiting Meteora and if Mike is your guide, it will be an even better experience.
We were prepared for an incredible experience, which is exactly what we got. The bonus we were not expecting was our fantastic guide Dimitris Tabone! He was extremely knowledgeable and was kind enough to answer a barrage of questions. Dimitris made and amazing experience exceptional. I would highly recommend this trip as well as our guide to everyone!!
Alex was a fantastic host, driver, and communicator. He is extremely knowledgeable and helped us understand the history behind each location we visited. Would highly recommend!
Driver Alex was awesome! Very clean and comfortable car and had cold bottled water available He is very knowledgeable about Greece/Athens history and happy to answer our questions. Would definitely recommend him to others.
We really enjoyed spending the day with our wonderful driver, Alex. We couldn’t have had a better experience. Alex was professional, courteous, and knowledgeable on Greek history and had an impressive collection of music to entertain us on the drive. We also stopped at the Battle of thermopylae Museum and Memorial on the way to Meteora. Pictures don’t do justice to the sights of the monasteries. We were so impressed by Alex that we scheduled a tour to the Temple of Poseidon with him for the next day. I highly recommend My Athens Transfers.
Be prepared for lots and lots of stairs. Did I mention stairs? Oh yes, there are stairs but the views are almost magical.
Scenic beautiful drive to Meteora in a comfortable vehicle with George. There were 4 of us but we paid just a little more to get a Large Van since we knew we’d be on the road for 4 hours each way. George picked us up at 6:30am and we arrived to Meteora about 4 hours later with a bathroom and coffee/breakfast pickup in between. George recommended 2 monasteries and gave us an opportunity to visit another one or add more panoramic stops; we chose the panoramic stops as it’s absolutely beautiful there. There were many large buses at the Monasteries and we were glad that we had George and our private vehicle as we could pick how long we wanted at each stop vs a set schedule. Lunch was a good selection and reasonably priced. Overall tour was about 12 hours and worth it.
Scenic beautiful drive to Meteora in a comfortable vehicle with George. There were 4 of us but we paid just a little more to get a Large Van since we knew we’d be on the road for 4 hours each way. George picked us up at 6:30am and we arrived to Meteora about 4 hours later with a bathroom and coffee/breakfast pickup in between. George recommended 2 monasteries and gave us an opportunity to visit another one or add more panoramic stops; we chose the panoramic stops as it’s absolutely beautiful there. There were many large buses at the Monasteries and we were glad that we had George and our private vehicle as we could pick how long we wanted at each stop vs a set schedule. Lunch was a good selection and reasonably priced. Overall tour was about 12 hours and worth it.
Worth making this trip to Meteora!! Sceneries was nice and amazing! The Driver ~ Πανος Κολοβος is nice and friendly.
Well worth the time. Beautiful scenery.Tour was on time and a comfortable drive. Dimitris was a pleasure to deal with and made sure we had everything we needed.Restaurant we went to for lunch was good but the service left much to be desired -starters served before the drinks and the main served at the same time as drinks - all within 5 min. Restaurant is a pass and was not a nice end to the tour - felt rushed and waiter was not interested in providing service. Food was good - service ruined it.
The Meteora trip was very interesting. Our driver was very friendly, knowledgeable. On our way to Meteora, he explained a lot of historical facts about the area and ancient Greece.
We had the best day with Vassilios. He picked us up at our Airbnb and we went to Meteora and toured three monasteries. We then had an amazing Greek lunch on our own and then he drove us back to Athens. This experience is a must do! It was so nice having a private driver to be able to go at your leisure and he was willing to stop whenever we needed. Highly recommend!
We had an incredible experience visiting Meteora! The tour was very well organized and our guides Spiros & George were very knowledgeable, sharing interesting history and stories that made the monasteries & other stops even more fascinating. The views were absolutely breathtaking and the timing of the stops allowed us to take it all in without feeling rushed. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Greece—it was truly a highlight of our trip!
A great experience and we got to see all of the top viewing points and monasteries. The drive from Athens was fast and comfortable. Costa was an amazing guide, answered all of our questions, found us a great lunch and took us to the best places. Thank you
A perfect day!!! Fortis, our guide, was on time and remained professional throughout the day. The vehicle was comfortable and clean. The drive was scenic and at a safe pace laden with rich history and highlights. Meteora exceeded my expectations; internet photos cannot do justice to this spectacular phenomenon. The included lunch was delicious. MASTER Fortis, as I would prefer to call him, was exemplary and represented the company and the people of Greece with his professionalism, integrity, kindness and intelligence. We our super glad to have done this tour. With love from St. Lucia.
We were a family of four adults…it was the best decision to have a driver/guide which let us sit back and enjoy the journey in comfort!
The whole experience which included the company and especially our knowledgable and polite driver, Fotis, was amazing. This tour truly enhanced our Greek trip to magical Meteora. Highly recommend, totally worth it, we miss the experience already!
Such an amazing trip. Fotis is a very kind, professional guide. He arrived on time, explained well the arrangement and tried to introduce the surrounding areas, history during the rise. We departed from hotel at 0630, stopped for coffee & BF after around 1.5 hrs, then another 2 hours drive to the 1st monestery. Visited totally 3 monesteries and being brought to a small town for lunch. Also stopped by a few spots for taking photos. Each monestery we spent around 30-40 mins. Door to door a total 12 hours trip. Though the total cost is a bit expensive, the car is very comfortable, and it is more flexible, less crowd comparing to the group tour. Worth to spend for such special experience. Once again, thx for Fotis's whole day arrangement we really enjoyed and will surely have a wonderful memory to this place.
Our driver and guide was Panos (Panayiotis). We were very comfortable with his driving and he was very knowledgeable about the history of the region of Meteroa and each monastery we visited. Panos took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch and the whole day was very pleasurable. We definitely recommend Panos, as well as this full day excursion, to anyone considering visiting the amazing region of Meteroa. Thanks Panos!
incredible day, Alex was veey professional and knowledgable. He went out of the way to make sure that all our needs were catered to, ww were already so sad that it ended, he took ua tl the best spots for photos. an unforgetable day! thank you alex
The reviews were on point with this trip! We didn’t want to try and navigate the train station like other bookings were doing so we paid extra for this. Well worth it! We enjoyed a quiet trip up to Meteora and enjoyed the peaceful Monetaries. Afterwards, they take you to the most peaceful Greek restaurant at the base of the “mountains”.
Wonderful day! Alex was very friendly and stopped multiple times for us to take photos. He got us to our first site early so there were very few people there! Very comfortable car and ride.
Had a great day with Costa. He is so knowledgeable and shared lots of great info. An amazing time and unforgettable scenery.
The trip was a lot of fun. Fotis, our tour guides made the travel go by. He was very knowledgeable of the history and a lot of fun to talk with. I would recommend this trip and request Fotis if you want a good guide.
Spiros was absolutely incredible. Knowledgable, thoughtful, friendly, and immediately we felt comfortable and cared for. Would 100% recommend. Meteora is a memory that will last a lifetime and Spiros was the icy on the cake.
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