We visit the famous Meteora monasteries from Athens. A great long trip and a long day but worth the visit!
Meteora ("suspended in the air") was the hiding spot for the monks from the Romans. We explore two (or 3) amazing monasteries depending on your fitness and timing. We drive around the Meteora maze finding different spots to take photos and enjoy the amazing views.
Then, you head for a great (included) lunch & drinks under the guidance of your tour leader. No fixed menu! Authentic Greek food, location, and people; away from the tourist traps.
On the way back to Athens, we also stop to stretch at the battlefield of Thermopylae and the famous 300 of King Leonidas of Sparta.
A totally private tour! No strangers in the same car, so totally flexible to your needs!
It's a long long day starting from 7:30 am to be back at your hotel around 8:00 pm or even later. Any other way to visit Meteora, such as train or bus will simply mean a lot more traveling time and less amazing Meteora!
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Non smoking vehicle and driver
✔ Bottled water
✔ In-car INFORMATION BOOKLET for all tour activities and sites.
✔ Optional: Vegetarian lunch can be arranged in most cases. Please let us know in advance.
✔ Great lunch & drinks
✔ Totally private transportation
✖ Tickeks to the monasteries; at 3 EUR per monastery per person
✖ Luggage that is more than a normal back pack; unless pre-arranged differently
✖ "Touristy" stops at souvenir, etc shops unless you wish differently!
✖ PROFESSIONAL/LICENSED GUIDE (optional)
✖ Gratitudes (optional)
Pickup Locations
1. Hotel Lozanni
2. Perianth Hotel
3. Pagration Youth Hostel
4. athensotel.com
5. Omiros Hotel
6. Candia Hotel
7. Classical Fashion House Hotel
8. Hotel Diethnes
9. Acropolis View Hotel
10. Alassia Hotel
11. Rio Hotel
12. King Jason Hotel
13. Lozenge Hotel
14. Athens Starlight Hotel
15. Delphi Art Hotel
16. Hotel Nafsika
17. Hotel Oniro
18. Hotel Androniki
19. Hotel Orea Thessalia
20. Hotel Aphaea
Additional Info: Any Athens hotel or Airbnb, the Athens airport, Piraeus port. Possible extra cost for some locations.
Itinerary
1
Meteora
Meteora is one of the most impressive and peculiar geological formations in the whole world. A place of unsurpassed natural beauty, where divine creation met human intervention. We shall be visiting two (or three) of the monasteries that are open on a specific day.
The gigantic rocks of Meteora dominate imposingly over Kalampaka town. This masterpiece of nature reveals all its glory for centuries as a unique geological phenomenon in beauty and an important monument of Orthodoxy.
Duration: 60 minutes
2
The Great Meteoron Monastery, built on an imposing rock, is the oldest, the biggest, and the most important among the monasteries of Meteora which are preserved today.
Duration: 60 minutes
3
Varlaam Monastery
In 1350 a daring ascetic named Varlaam ascended to the rock. The monastery was named after him. He built three churches, a small cell and a water tank. After his death the rock remained abandoned for about 200 years until 1517 when the two priest-monks Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades started to construct the first buildings from the beginning.
Duration: 45 minutes
4
Probably the most photographed monastery. According to historical sources Holy Trinity must have been built between 1458 and 1476.
Duration: 60 minutes
5
Battlefield of Thermopylae
We take a break at the Thermopylae battlefield location with King Leonidas statue. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes I over the course of three days, in 480 BC.
Duration: 30 minutes
6
Back to Athens around 7:30 pm.
Duration: 2 hours
Additional info
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
