The distance is 98km and lasts approximately 1½ hour. We reach the dam of the picturesque Kerkini Lake in the area of Lithotopos. Each season of the year the lake hosts different species of birds, therefore every visit hides a different surprise for the traveler. The beautiful flamingos though, can be found there all year round and their characteristic pink plumage colors the blue surface of the lake giving enchanting views combined with the verdant surrounding landscape. The horse riding area is located next to the dam where we can enjoy a ride and feel part of this wonderful natural scenery (optional and upon notification). Later on, we have a coffee break and then continue our trip to the east part of the lake, visiting a traditional farm with impressive buffalos that walk next to us; observing their movements in their natural environment and learning their unique history.
This was a Very good tour. We seen a lot of birds, free horses ruining round and a pleasant monetary... Recommend it to anyone.
If you are a birdwatcher, this is a 5 star tour! If you are not, it is a 4 star… 1.5 hour drive through the countryside to see a beautiful lake, by boat, The guide is a safe, friendly, driver & the van is clean. The highlight of the tour was the birds we saw, which was worth the 8 hour investment, to me. I would recommend this tour to all my birdwatching friends. By chance, most of us were birders, with binoculars, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together spotting birds, the boat trip, and the taverna lunch.
We took this trip while staying in Thessaloniki and really enjoyed it. The scenery at Kerkini Lake was beautiful and we were amazed at all the birds we saw. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We like the smaller group (there were 7 of us) and the fact that the guide stopped at many places to be sure we saw as many birds as we could. We opted for the additional boat ride and it was one of the highlights of the trip. This was a great day.
Everything was fine from the start. This strip took us to the wet lands where we've seen horses and cows running freely around the lale. The main highlight in my opinion is the boat lake trip where we encountered many bird species including the white pelican,The price for the boat is a reasonable 10 euro. After we went to see a buffalo farm followed by an exquisite lunch also reasonably priced. Nico our guide was fantastic in his explanation and had a very pleasant approach to the group. I highly recommend it to everyone in love with nature.
Our guide Nico was very good with lots of information along the journey, fantastic day all round ,, lots to see with wild horses, cows, buffalo and the bird life was great
I booked this trip but turned out I was the only one so it was like having my own private tour. The 2 people accompanying me from the company, Yiannis and Katerina were both amazing company who made the trip feel more like a day trip out with friends rather than going on a mass tourist tour. The only downfalll was that as I was by myself and there were not enough people to fill in the minimum number of people required to do the boat trip on Kerkini lake. However, this was countered by going on an excursion around the area. We did get to see quite a few birds in the area like flamingoes, pelicans, cormorants and herons. In addition we got to visit a water buffalo farm and got to try some in a local restaurant. Highly recommend this trip and thank you for making it very interesting and fun. Can't wait to use their services again.
When you read about this tour it seems to be like a fantastic nature experience. That is not true! You sit mostly in a car och go out for a few minutes to se the flamingos about 100 meters away! The guide says that if we stay for a long time the birds comes closer, but there is no time to stay (wich had been a nature experience) more than a couple of minutes and like "check, I should be happy, I saw flamingos"... For the boattrip you had to pay 10 euros extra and that was definitly not worth it. It was not fun at all when the driver of the boat drives towards a pelikan and scares it so it has to fly away!!! Two persons in the group wanted to do the horseridning. The guide phoned about it and got to know that the horse owners was not at home. This should be booked before the tour starts...!? About the buffalos the company writes that you can see "impressive buffalos that walk next to us; observing their movements in their natural environment". We stopped at a farm where the poor animals was standing in their own faeces! Is that what you call for "natural environment" in Greece!? DONT GO ON THIS TOUR if you are looking for a nature experience. That is only waist of money and time! :(
This day trip was fantastic to get to see Kerkini Lake and the ecosystem it supports; birds, buffalo, goats etc. Yiannis was a great tour guide, super friendly and chatty. The only thing I would say is that there is not an opportunity to walk anywhere and it looks as though there are some good trails around, it is also quite a short trip so there would be time to add a walk in.
Our tour to Lake Kerkini was wonderful. The drive was easy and comfortable in our small bus. We lucked out with beautiful weather and were able to take the boat on the lake to approach flocks of flamingos and pelicans, as well as observe cormorants, herons and egrets, gulls and terns, and even a grebe. It was also a treat to see some of the farm animals in the area - cows, buffalo, and goats. Our guide Giannis was friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgable, and I enjoyed learning about the region from him. Note for birders considering this tour: this was not really a birding trip, and others in the group will probably not be birders. We stopped in several locations along the lake to observe the wildlife, but never for too long in any one place. No pausing for an hour to identify every peep on the shoreline! This is not a criticism of the tour, but just an observation in case it helps set expectations for anyone. I highly recommend this tour for anyone wishing to get out of the city to see some birds and wildlife in a gorgeous setting.
Seeing the birdlife was good. Also the boat ride on the lake with the masses of pelicans was a spectacle to see. Lunch was enjoyable. Nikos was a good guide.
Giannis was very kind and informative throughout the trip. He answered all of our queries. The weather did not serve us well and unfortunately, because there was thunder and rain, we couldn't go on the boat on the lake. Make sure you use metro.gr for checking the weather forecast and not google because it's inaccurate. Nonetheless, Giannis took us on a nice detour to a beautiful monastery where we were greeted with homemade cakes and Greek coffee. We also went to a buffalo farm where we petted the buffalos before we ate some buffalo meat at a nearby restaurant. It was tasty! Kerkini Lake is wonderful for nature lovers and I highly recommend this trip.
Didn’t live up to promises. We completely missed the water buffalo, my assumption is because we spent hours on two visits to the Taverna and ran out of time. That was the main reason I wanted to go. The group luckily opted for the €10 optional boat trip or the only birds we would have seen would be the storks nesting atop telephone poles, and even then the driver didn’t stop so we could get a look. No flamingoes sadly. Very disappointing. I complained to organiser but have had no reply in passing weeks
Very nice relaxing day. We went in an 8 seater minibus. Everyone got on and the friendly chats were part of what made the day special for us. We couldn't take the boat trip because it was too windy but we all went on the horse ride instead. I haven't been on a horse for years but don't worry, inexperienced riders are tied to the saddle of one of the guides. Through the day we stopped to see many animals and birds. Nikos our driver was happy to stop anywhere you wanted to. We visited a beautiful monastery above the lake and Nikos was very knowledgeable about the paintings there. Our final stop was a lovely restaurant where we all sat together for lunch. The owner gave us free watermelon as a pudding and it was the nicest I've ever tasted!
It was a nice trip. Our guide was clever and committed and made bird watching exciting with his enthusiasm. It was a shame that you couldn't take the boat as there were few who could take the boat. However, I enjoyed the trip.
This was a great trip, the tour guide was nice and very helpful, the boat trip was amazing and the place we could go for lunch was delicious.
An amazing full-day excursion to the incredible Kerkini Lake National Park to be with the nature and wildlife of Greece including lizards, cormorants, pelicans, egrets, water buffalo and wild horses. Fantastic guide and a must is the boat trip and lunch in the traditional Greek taverna
A good day out our boat ride was very peaceful and we just watched the birds. We also saw storks on their nests horses in the marsh and water buffalo.
One of the best day trips from Thessaloniki, Bus was on time. Small group and amazing scenery and lake .Boat trip on lake was fantastic Coffee at the first stop was excellent .Local guide Nikos was knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with,. Lunch of buffalo was a bonus .
Kerkini Lake is one of the most beautiful locations I have seen in my life! It's breathtakingly awesome, full of color, calm and mighty! We took a boat and saw pelicans, flamingos, and some black birds, which I don't know the name of :) We also had delicious lunch at a cozy tavern after the boat trip. Nikos, our guide, was super friendly :) Plus, he looked like a true Greek man — just like an ancient Greek statue :) After going back to Thessaloniki, I felt fully recharged — as if I went on a three-day vacation :) Totally recommend!
+ the guide was very helpfull and polite - binoculars were not available which should be a must during a tour for bird watching. - tones of carbage around and in the lake .The villages around the lake should take care of this since in order to have an income from tourism you should try at least to collect carbage as often as possible.
Giannis Kotaridis was a perfect guide, he told us the story of the city. He was very polite and friendly. Hope to see you again.
Bird watching was fantastic, especially the flamingoes. Our driver was very professional. The mountain and farm scenery was also nice.
We were a small group of 3 persons and with guide Yannis it was like a trip with friends. We had a great time, boat tour, met buffalos from very near, tried sweets and meat from buffalo. All in all, great experience in the nature. I would recommend it to everyone how wants to have a relaxed time and just enjoy. Many thanks to Yannis for smooth organization.
Our small group spent an enjoyable day observing waterfowl along a boat ride on Kerkini Lake. Our gregarious and knowledgable guide, Lazaros, thoroughly explained the history of Central Macedonia and shared a delicious lunch with us at an atmospheric taverna in Vironia. We especially appreciated a side trip to Fort Roupel, a mountaintop military installation containing a network of tunnels actively used in resisting Nazi invasion during WWII.
The day was very enjoyable. The highlight was Yiannis's (our driver and guide) decision to visit a local monestery for the first time on this tour. The nuns were very hospitable, offering us desserts and coffee, as well as describing how the monestery came into being.
Kerkini is a natural paradise, a fantastic scenario where animals - especially birds and water buffaloes - fields, reeds, trees, men create a unique atmosphere that gives peace and releases energy. A relaxing day away from the noise of the city. Highly recommended.
On January 28, 2019, I made an excellent one-day escape with AMMON EXPRESS and guided Mr. Lazaros Archontopoulos to Lake Kerkin, Virginia, Fortress Rupel, Vovali Farm. The images from this tour will remain in my memory as well as the amazing historical and topographic information that Mr. Lazaros provided me throughout the journey. Once again, I am completely satisfied with this agency.We strongly recommend the company and Mr. Lazaros as its diamond guide!!!
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