From Athens:meteora Caves & Monasteries History Day Trip By Train

It is a long day but well-organized. Up and out early and a classic Greek delayed return. Still well worth the time. A must see on the UNESCO tours in this lifetime. Breathtaking views, classically adorned monasteries, and a rich history make this day away from Athens a great idea.

I had wanted to see Meteora for over ten years . I must admit I did have high expectations. Steve and Our guide Lena were spot on with everything they did to make our day one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had in my 64 years of travelling. Exceeded even my high expectations! Thanks again. Tim and Ros

Brilliant! Such knowledgeable and friendly guides, who are local to the area. Quick to respond to any queries. Would highly recommend this tour.

Meteora was amazing! Our guide was a university trained archaeologist who grew up in Meteora. She was amazing. We learned so much about the area and the culture. Probably will be the best tour we had in all of Greece

Fantastic lot of information by tour girl and was in a small tour only 5 of us. Train trip and bus was very long there and back. But well worth i

It was an incredible tour one of the best i have ever experienced! Tour guide Panos was amazing, as it was small group it made an experience even better, tour guide gave us enough time to visit the Monasteries in addition to that made few additional stops for us to take photos with breathtaking views. I can't recommend enough how memorable and amazing tour was! Thank you!

This is a LONG day trip and if you’re not prepared for lots of sitting and then lots of walking and hiking up steep stairs and cliff side paths…then get prepared. It’s a lot of travel for a scoot 3.5 hours of site seeing and you’re not really able to look into the monasteries in detail. If you want to say you went but don’t feel you need the depth of a longer tour, this could be for you. Additionally, the train/bus combo is cumbersome and in my opinion would have been better to just opt for the full bus tour. If you have the time for a 2 day trip that includes other sites like Delphi and/or the Hermit Caves, that would be a good use of such a lengthy journey. Lunch was good and offered big portions. All that to say our local tour guide was great and views were awesome!

Amazing day, informative and wonderful guide. What spectacular and spiritual place. It is a very long day, we left our accommodation at 7am in Athens and arrived back at 10 am. So be prepared. Just a heads up to anyone that does do the trip from Athens, Athens station( Larissa) is up above the underground station and our train left from platform 8. Check your carriage and seat number to avoid confusion. They come round to scan your ticket.. Enjoy

The views were amazing, great atmosphere. Guide was great, breathtaking sights, would visit again, truly an unique experience.

It was a total of over 12 hours worth of travel for just 3 hours worth of tour. It was not worth the time or money

Place is absolutely beautiful, everything went easy, fluid, on time, guide was very knowledgeable and friendly

Breathtaking experience, my granddaughter and I would highly recommend the trip. Long day from Athens but worth it

Panos was AMAZING! He was so knowledgeable and a lot of fun! The views were just breathtaking! Definitely a tour not to be missed!

Travel guide was great! We got to go insode 3 monasteries and walk around at our own pace. There was plenty of time at each stop. It was a long travel day but was worth it. This was a really nice experience!

This was my first trip to Athens and Meteora, traveling by train and bus from station to station, and taking a local tour of the caves and monasteries. I enjoyed a lunch of delicious Greek food and, as a solo traveler, loved the beautiful sights. Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way!"

I am sure the trip would have been wonderful, but we were confused by the 3 different sets of directions for meeting the train in Athens and missed it. PLEASE BE AWARE that no one will meet you at the train in Athens! They will send you train tickets by e-mail (Be sure to watch closely as I missed these! I thought the guide I assumed was meeting us at the train station would have them.) You board the train at 8 am without a guide/tour director. They will meet you in Kalambaka and take you by bus to Meteora (I assume since we didn't make it that far!)

This was an amazing tour. It was organized and well run. Time management was excellent and it felt like enough time at three monasteries. Kris was an amazing guide. Lunch was additional was reasonable for €15. It was home cooked food. Great photo opportunities. Only downside is the long transport time from Athens… but what can you do?

The tours was well organized and well done. I contacted the travel agency and they sent me the tickets for the train and bus ride round trip. Kris was truly a phenomenal guide. He gave us info and photo ops and was so informative. He had it timed precisely. It was enough time in each monastery. We did three…the two largest and the nunnery. The trip there was long on the train and bus. Expect a day from 730am until 10pm with an opportunity for lunch (great restaurant that felt like a home cooked meal) and 3.5 hr actual tour, Kris made every minute count, truly enjoyed it and did feel it was worth the long travel time.

Awesome tour! Part of the railroad is construction (destroyed by flood) so I had to get off the train at Paleofarsalos and switch to a bus to go to Kalambaka. It was a long trip but the view in Meteora was definitely worth it. The "how to get to Kalambaka from Athens" instructions and the introduction to each monastery were very clear and informational. Our guide was very knowledgeable and good at taking photos!

Had a wonderful day with Panos and the driver. We where taken out for a nice lunch in the village of Kastraki and then where taken to three separate monasteries with stops for spectacular views of the gorgeous scenery. Highly recommended and ask for Panos!

We loved our guide!! He was so knowledgeable!! And so kind! Everything he said, was so interesting!! Professional!!

The tour was absolutely incredible. Travelling through the Greek countryside by train to begin with gives you an opportunity to glimpse the beautiful Greek countryside outside of the standard tourist areas and the ride itself is very comfortable and relaxing. Upon reaching Kalambaka station you’ll be greeted by your guide for the day. The tour was hosted by Pan who was very friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. He showed us the hermit caves, all the monasteries and some spectacular landscapes. The history of the area, both modern and ancient, was insightful. The monasteries all have different days they close so depending one which you would prefer to visit inside you should check which day to book your trip. The Great Meteora monastery is a must visit as it is the largest and oldest. You do get to see all of the monasteries from the outside, 3 inside and some simply stunning views. The buffet lunch was delicious and a had a good selection providing much needed energy for the visit to the site itself! Worth noting is that there are a lot of stairs and in places it gets quite narrow when you’re ascending and descending. You get the option of leaving backpacks and bags on the buses and I would highly recommend that. A fantastic experience.

A really nice, knowledgeable and well planned tour that hit all the spots and then some. I highly encourage this tour as we got to do items most other tours didn't. He made it simple as a one-click option that included instructions and the train ticket from Athens.

Started off at the train station. We took the train because we thought it would be a comfortable. We however did ride a bus from one train station to the next because the tracks got washed out in a flood during the spring. We go to the small bus pickup and our driver was there. Great young guy. Very friendly. Took us around the town, got lunch at a nice little family restaurant and headed on up the mountain. I believe he took us to all the stops and have us plenty of time. Brought us back to the train and explained how the ride back proceeds. Over a great experience and would recommend.

Meteora was unique and fascinating. The guide was AWESOME. She answered questions, stopped when we wanted extra photos (a small group was nice). The driver was great too.

Trip by train and bus was long, but really worth it to see this amazing Unesco site of Meteora and it's monasteries. Our guide, Panos, was entertaining, friendly, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this day trip!

The monasteries and the views were unforgettable. Truly outstanding. Our guide Joanna and driver Costa were outstanding. Truly professional in every way. They made the trip even better. Whilst the train trip is long, it is comfortable and the organisation and instructions were very easy to follow. This day trip to Meteora is a must do, it is clearly one of the most outstanding destinations for scenery in the world. Be prepared to climb a number of stairs, but I recently had a knee replacement and handled it ok. A very long day, and would do it again I a heart beat.

The Meteora tour was absolutely beautiful! The Tour director Juliana and driver Steve were very accommodating, had extensive historical knowledge, what to see and where to get that perfect memorable photo. The monasteries were a sight to see with minimal crowds. A definite relief from most other historical sights to see. Lunch was fantastic. The train and bus connection was actually quite restful. Fields of blossoming sun flowers majestic mountains and rolling fields were pleasing to eye. It was also an opportunity to enjoy some idle time with my wife and son playing a card game. Sometimes being a captive audience is good thing. Enjoy!

This trip should have a warning for anyone who does not do a lot of cardio and wants a very long day from Athens. It's a taxi ride to the train station, 3 1/2 hours on the train to a bus for 2 hours to get to the tour van. then you have to do it all on the way back again. The bathrooms on the train are disgusting. Once you get to see the monasteries, they are beautiful but to get to them is a lot of steps and hills on uneven surfaces. They are very interesting, but I would not do this tour again. We did stop at a restaurant run by the locals and the food was amazing.

This was a fantastic tour! The main issue was it took so long to get there, 4+ hours, that we didn't get a chance to visit but 3 monasteries. But the views were breathtaking!

I would highly recommend this amazing tour. The only drawback is it's a long day, starting about 7am and not getting home until 10.45pm. But it's worth it to be able to fit so much into a one-day tour from Athens. Going part way by train is excellent - it's more comfortable and you get some amazing views of the plateaus and mountains you travel through. The public bus is only perhaps 1.75 hours of the journey. The lovely Penny and Mr Stathis met us in a mini bus at Kalabaka station and from that point, we spent 5 hours without wasting a moment. We stopped at many amazing viewpoints during the day to really see the monasteries and photograph the stunning landscape. We also went inside 3 monasteries (St Stephen, Varlaam and Roussanou, but this is variable as different monasteries are closed on different days), and we saw all the other monasteries from a distance, and in between we had a quick but delicious lunch (not included in price). Admission to the monasteries is also extra, but it's only about 3 Euro each. Ladies do literally have to wear a skirt (not long pants) but the tour company provided those to put over our clothes. Varlaam and Roussanou had 100 - 150 steps each, but they were neat and not hard to climb. St Stephen is the only monastery with no steps to get up (there are small staircases inside). Great Meteoron and Aghia Triada have 300 steps. If you have very limited mobility, you can't 100% guarantee you will be able to see inside one, but your chances are good, and if the weather is ok you will definitely get to see them from the outside. Meteora is not like any other sight I have seen and this tour was the best way to see them - I can't imagine how it could have been better.

Very well managed tour guide was knowledgeable. Very good trip. I recommend staying longer in Kalambaka

This was one of the highlights of our trip. The only downside was the bus ride between the train and when the tour operator picked us up. That part was cramped and hot. The tour operator and driver were amazing. They were very nice and strived to make a connection with everyone on the trip. The driver was amazing at taking photos and we felt like we had a professional photo shoot. The tour operator really loves the area and the culture and you could tell. They did everything they could to make our tour as good as it could be and they succeeded.

Don’t know if I would do train again as there were problems both ways but driver and guide were great and visit to monasteries beyond amazing

Tough trip by train. Had problems both ways. Would consider bus the whole way. Having said that guide and driver were wonderful. Helpful and informative. Amazing views and great day.

Can't really review this tour as it didn't happen through this company. It was communicated that I'd be traveling by bus instead of train and to check in to find my name on a list. It was not communicated however, that I'd be thrown on a bus with approximately 30 other people instead of 15 TOTAL as promised by the tour description. When I messaged to ask about this and pointed out my name was on the list with a different company, I got told there was a problem with the van and to ask the guide on my current tour. I specifically booked this tour due to the smaller size. The only reason I give 3 stars is because I still had a nice time and was given the promised bottle of wine despite the over-all chaos and lack of communication in having to make alternate plans. Maria with Visit Meteora however actually deserves the 5 star rating because she was fantastic and saved the day. She was very friendly, funny, and able to lend a local's perspective on the site.

Fantastic place to visit with the local tour groups banding together to ensure the lack of trains - flooding has ruined the track - doesn't stop people getting to site! Service stations are quite good so make the most of them.........it's a looooong journey! I sat in the wrong place en route so missed taking pics of the epic mountain roads inc getting close to sheer drops 😱 My phone battery was dead most of the way back having taken so many pics etc 😢 Our guide Chrissy was so amiable & enthusiastic about the area backed up with lots of information! Our driver Stathis was the one to let me know the change of transport plans which worked out.........he got us around with time for extra stops inc a Game of Thrones throwback! Be prepared for lots of climbing hills & steps plus the occasional sighting of a turtle 👀 The views & history are worth all the exercise..... I look forward to having the wine with friends at home even though my friend accidentally left hers on the bus back 🤦🏾‍♂️

Meteora Rocks team Chrysa and the driver did an amazing job taking care of us from arrival in Kalambaka to making sure we were fed to providing amazing hospitality from start to finish. Chrysa was an amazing guide who did an excellent job telling stories about the history of Monastery and the area. One thing I really loved about Chrysa was how she engaged our 7 and 11 year old kids on the tour. They enjoyed the tour because of Chrysa otherwise they could have been bored. At one point during the trip we had a thunderstorm heavy rains passed through, my wife and kids stayed back while waiting for the rains to clear. During this time, it was so cool of Chrysa to teach a little about the history of Meteora and have the kids report back to our group while we were on the move from one monastery to the next. I was really touched by this work from Chrysa. Well done to Chrysa and our driver for a great private experience.

We had an amazing tour guide Athina. She spoke English well and clearly. She also had a great personality and tons of information about the area and it’s history. The beauty of the rocks was amazing. There’s a lot of climbing to get into the monasteries. The train ride was super long, but the seats were pretty comfortable. The mini bus that picked us up from Kalabaka was also pretty comfortable. I would recommend the tour.

Amazing views, such a beautiful place, lots of steps, but soo worth it. Train doesn't have wifi, charging docs or eftpos and will not take large notes.

Train ride was fuss-free, though it took quite a while. As we were the only people on the tour, it became a private tour! Guide was knowledgeable and helped to take many photos. Was served some Loukoumi along the way. New and comfortable van. Great sights and a must-see when in Greece.

The scenery was beautiful, but too long of a ride. They should have people working on the train check the bathrooms to see if things needed to be replenish. No toilet paper when I had to use the restroom. They also said there would be WiFi but no one could log on.

The trip to Meteora was great. Our tour guide was truly amazing. She is a nice person, explained the formation of the rocks, origin of the monasteries, history, cultural part very well. My family including two of our kids (11 and 8) enjoyed the trip very well. The guide and the bus driver interacted with our family like friends. Recent train accident at Greece made the trip duration little short, but the guide and the driver still went above and beyond to get us see all three monasteries that they promised. They stopped many places in between for photoshoots.

It was an excellent tour. We had a great time. The guide was very talented and showed he knows the subject very well. The route we followed and the places we stopped to enjoy the view and take some photographs were amazing and to the point. Highly recommended tour and guide

The Meteora is a must see with its monasteries built on edges of cliff. Very beautiful site, excellent guide. The only draw back was the train ride from Athens. We knew it wold be long however we expected comfortable seating which it was not. I would however do it again for it is truly amazing.

Our experience on this tour was very disappointing. The company seemed disorganized and the transport van was very uncomfortable. The ride was rough (perhaps a problem with the suspension) and the A/C did not reach to the rear row where we were seated. The outside temperature the day of our tour was 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Our tour guide was very nice, but seemed very unsure of herself and had limited English. She became ill and had to leave the tour. A replacement guide was found, but her narration was very basic; I do not feel I learned much about the history of the monasteries.

An amazing experience that you can’t miss if you are in Athens ! The tour guide was very friendly and enthusiastic and provided the group with information about the local history of Meteora Rocks. Everything was smooth and easy so you can enjoy your time there. Also, it’s better if you stay the night because the city looks even more beautiful by night.

The guide and the driver was very pleasant and friendly who took good care of guests and sharing information about the sites.

The visits to the 3 monasteries were amazing. Celia is a great guide! The Taksiki restaurant recommendation was also perfect!