Meteora Monasteries Full Day Trip from Athens with Optional Lunch

Meteora monasteries and hermit caves

Meteora is breathtaking and unique. Well worth the long trip from Athens. Very comfortable buses and awesome local guide with excellent knowledge of history.

Day trip from Athens,...

Day trip from Athens, absolutely amazing day. It’s a good ride from the city, but doesn’t seem that long and plenty of scenery and stop offs. Well organised and Maria our guide was absolutely brilliant. Fantastic day.

Meteora Monasteries

The monasteries were fantastic. It is regrettable that they do not let you take pictures inside the main church rooms because I will never be able to remember everything. But, the best part of the trip for me was the fantastic guide Maria. She is an exceptional positive force in the universe. Exceptionally genuine, lovely smile, and very nice. You can't help but feel happy around this person. Since I was traveling by myself, I really had no one to speak to. But Maria made it a point to speak to me and made me feel much more included. I give the monasteries a 4.9/5.0 (just because I wish I could have taken pictures), but I give Maria a 5.0/5.0. You sort of feel that you are short on time, but since the places are small and no pictures allowed inside the main rooms of each monastery, the amount of time they allot for each stop is pretty right on target practically. All you can really do in such a place that has centuries of artifacts, frescoes, etc., is sort of generally take it all in. Staring at these things for longer time does not really broaden the experience. These are popular locations and so they were fairly crowded. But, people move along well, and so this isn't generally a problem. I will say that tourists in general should be more accommodating of their rules. Each monastery says women must wear skirts below the knee. It says this everywhere, on line, at the sites, etc. But still every place we went, there were people arguing about it. It is not about how much skin is exposed, they don't allow women to wear spandex pants, shorts, jeans pants, short skirts, only skirts that go below the knee. They provide these as temporary wrap arounds, but these active monasteries have historical customs, and we must abide. Wear a medium length skirt if you are taking this trip and save yourself the trouble of needing to discuss this at every stop. Men must wear shorts that go to at least the knee also, nothing shorter.

Spiritual experience!

It’s a lot of walking for someone with health conditions but if you can do it please take your time and do it. It’s a beautiful experience and you won’t regret it.

Meteora was surreal. Everything I imagined

Vasily was so knowledgeable and the experience was all I expected. Truly amazing place. Loved it. 😍 🙏

Great tour!

Maria was such a wonderful tour guide. She was so knowledgeable and also hilarious!! They brought us to a wonderful local restaurant with traditional Greek foods. Our tour guide and driver brought us to all the monasteries and gave many opportunities for picture taking. We had a wonderful time and highly recommend!

MUST SEE IN GREECE!

It’s a 14 hours trip but so worthy. This place is amazing and truly a wonder. Excellent tour guide who is knowledgeable and funny. Our driver going to Meteora is very helpful and kind. Overall an excellent and memorable day!

Awesome tour

Beautiful sites, guide and drivers were very good. History was fun to learn. Steps were a killer but worth it. I'd recommend the trip

Breathtaking views

Awesome! Very impressive, well worth the time to get there and back. Guide was very knowledgeable. Each monastery was unique. Hermit cave with scarves was memorable

Awe inspiring tour with a great guide!

Meteors was absolutely stunning and awe inspiring. It is amazing to think about the history of the monasteries being built on these peaks. Getting on the buses was a little confusing because they were on opposite sides of the street and everyone seemed a bit anxious trying to figure out which one was theirs so no one would miss their bus. The restaurant stop along the way had great cafeteria style food but the workers screamed again and again at everyone to get in line and probably needed to relax a little. But other than that, amazing trip with an outstanding tour guide! Definitely a must see!

Divided...

I'd recommend this tour to others with some reservations. It's a very long tour and the coach bus wasn't the most comfortable or cleanest. However, our tour guide whose name I unfortunately forgot was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and shared some fun stories from her childhood as well as some background and historical information that I would not have learned online or from other places. It is a very long tour and it does get very exhausting about halfway through the tour. At the risk of being disrespectful, by the third monastery, I felt that if you see one, you've kind of seen it all. It may be better to have an option of riding the bus up, do the tour, than stay over at one of the local hotels to return the next day.

Great site to see!

We had a lovely time on this tour. Bus stops halfway there and back for bathroom and snacks. Meteora is gorgeous and if you love nature/culture, this is a great way to spend a day if you have an extra day in Athens. Our guide, Maria, was super nice and lunch was also good!

Breathtaking Views

Excellent tour with well versed guide Kate and bus drivers. Recommended cafe has nice and good food too.

Don’t miss this!

This was a wonderful day trip from Athens. There was a mix up at the beginning with buses but that was fixed. It was a lot of fun and our guide was knowledgeable about the area. The lunch was delicious. A little advice: ladies should be in dresses below the knee and shoulders covered. Wear good walking shoes. The first monastery we went to had over 350 steps. It’s costs 3 euro per person per monastery and they only take cash.

Fabulous!

Very informative and well organized from beginning to end, including lunch and local transfer in Meteora! Very scenic and certainly great experience to go back in times! Provides fabulous views of Meteora and monasteries!

Majestic Meteora

Our tour guide Maria was fantastic. What she doesn't know about Meteora and the surrounding monasteries isn't worth knowing. She was very knowledgeable, funny and did all that she could to make sure that we all enjoyed ourselves. It was surprisingly foggy and wet but that did not stop us from having a fantastic time. The views are breathtaking and the monasteries were majestic. The only reason I have not given 5 stars is because of the journey to Meteora. We were not provided with much information and later found out that lots of coaches leave Athens for various trips to Meteora so you will not be sharing the same coach as other people on your trip. We were next to people on a 3 day trip which was worrying at the time! Given that the journey each way is 5 hours long and the coach doesn't have a toilet, we also found the 1x 25 minute rest break each way to be too short and did not really have enough time to buy food and sit down to eat given the queues for the toilets.

AMAZING experience- just needs a couple tweaks

This was an amazing once in a lifetime must do! The tour guide Katrina and our bus driver were both amazing. If you are going to be in Athens- you need to experience this. If I had some suggestions- firstly- the bus boarding experience was LESS than ideal. There was a very large group of people waiting to board one of two busses who, unbeknownst to any of us- were assigned to specific people. Needless to say - it was chaotic trying to figure out who was suppose to be on which bus and when we got to one of the rest stops- at least 10 people had to do a bus swap because they found out they were on the wrong bus. Secondly- Viator should make it MUCH clearer that there is a dress code for the monasteries. Luckily we got word from a friend that guys had to wear long pants so we came prepared but many guys were turned away for wearing shorts. Women also had to wear skirts but the monasteries provided the women with wraps. Other than that- the trip was definitely worth it.

Awesome Meteora Day Tour from Athens

The most memorable parts of this 15 hour day tour were visiting an amazing UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SIGHT. You see extraordinary, unusual looking weathered sandstone high rock formations that jut out of the landscape and on top of these the early day monks built their Monasteries. The mind boggles as to how they could possibly build these many centuries ago. Below these Monastery's is a lovely Greek village Kalambaka, farmland and currently a mostly twisted dry river with mountains on the other side. The view which ever way you looked was nothing short of spectacular. We passed the Hermit Caves on the bus and then snaked our way up the hills to visit 3 Monastery's and view another 3. The first was The Holy Monastery of the Great Meteoro with approximately 370 steps. The Church of the Transfiguration is quite magnificent with 14th century Frescos on every arched ceiling and walls and an incredible Museum. The second was the Holy Monastery Varlaam with 167 steps and again had an amazing Church & Museum. The third was the Holy Monastery of St Stephan which had beautiful gardens, Church and Museum It is a Convent run by Nuns and Monks live their as well.. This Monastery has very few steps. Tips:-men & women- no singlets & no shorts allowed. Women are recommended to wear a short/long sleeve midi/long dress or midi/long skirt and blouse with short/long sleeve top. They will give you a sarong to wear if you turn up in shorts or singlet. The 15 hour tour is very long, strenuous and tiring but WELL WORTH IT if you're not frail or elderly. Be aware there are limited toilet stops through out the tour. Sunscreen, hat, good comfortable shoes and water is a must in warmer months. I am 69yrs old and not the fittest person and I coped well. We absolutely loved every minute. If we had more time we would have done the Tour with an overnight in Kalambaka. We highly recommend this tour as one of the most interesting and fascinating tours we have ever done. Susan & Trevor Logan, Busselton West Australia

Amazing experience in Meteora

Vassilis, our guide, and Dinos, our driver, made the whole journey really special. Super knowledgeable guide and very kind driver! We had lots of fun while exploring the area of Meteora. Highly recommended tour not only for the sights, but also for our great Greek hosts!

Six Star

Absolutely amazing! If you are in Greece don't this adventure! Everything about this tour was perfect!

BEST thing to do visiting Greece!!

Excellent tour of breathtaking sites!! Maria was superb in her narration. The monasteries were incredibly ornate and remote.

great trip

The pick up point was easy to find but the bus driver was rude and unhelpful. The trip was long but once we got there it was very nice. The food was tasty, and the tour guide was fun and informative and very helpful. It was a lovely day out and I would recommend you go and see this magical place.

A long worthwhile bus tour of the Central valley of Greece and Meteora

This is a bus tour, 4 hours up the central valley of Greece. A rest stop midway is welcome relief. Lunch was in Meteora and included in the tour. Opportunities to climb and enter a few of the Monasteries was available with many steps. The tour actually began in Meteora with the addition of a guide who was excellent and conversant in English detailing the history and Monasticism. Unfortunately there was no narrative while driving 4 hours, a video or recorded history would have been a great addition since we did indeed passed some significant history, ie. Delphi.

Excellent tour and transportation.

Excellent tour. The bus was great, comfortable and a smooth ride. They stop half way there and back for bathroom and food. The rest stop is big with many food options. Lunch was delightful. The monasteries are remarkable. Be ready for a long day. You get your monies worth.

Excellent tour

The tour itself once you reach the Meteora was breathtaking. Our guide was Katherine and she was so very very amazing. The busride was very comfortable. Be prepared for a long day but worth it. It does get hot. In general in Greece it may be a good idea to have a small hand fan. The only thing is that the food stops were very average.

Very educational

Learned much about the are and the Greek Orthodox Church. The tour guide was also great and the scenery beautiful.

Meteora ...An out of universe experience !!!

Meteora trip was just awesome. The tour was well organised with local Greek lunch and our tour guide was very nice.overall a day well spent

Meteora is a must!

Excellent guide and driver in Meteora, Apostolis and George! Lovely day with a lot of interesting history in beautiful and unique surroundings! Easy drive from Athens to Meteora on the new highway, and coffebreaks along the road.

She made the whole trip more exciting and informative. Awesome!

The tour guide, Mary! She is awesome, passionate and tirelessly explained the histrry and the background

Best tour guide

Jim What can I say about him? There are no words to describe him but let me try. Knowledgeable, energetic All around ambassador

Highly recommended!

The tour guide was excellent! He was very entertaining and patient in answering all of our questions.

Beautiful experience- great guide!

Beautiful experience- great guide! Great value for the cost. The lunch was marvelous and we all enjoyed it very much.

Maria saved our trip :)

The weather was not cooperating - it was cold, rainy and windy. We couldn’t see much of it. But our guide Maria was great! She’s funny and so knowledgeable. We really enjoyed her guide!

Meteora done right

Demetrius and George were great. Wonderful, informative experience and they put in the effort to make it memorable. Remember to pack for the weather in Kalambaka as it gets quite chilly inland. Try not to sleep through the ride on the way to Kalambaka as there is no daylight on the way back for the landscape views.

Great experience visiting the monasteries and convents etc.

Our guide when we arrived in Kalamata/Meteora was great! Finding the right bus at Larissa in the beginning was a bit chaotic!

Metheora Tour

Beautiful place and good and knowledgeable guide ! It was a great experience for us to discover these place.

A wonderful experience

A trip of a life time! Meteora should be seen by everyone. The drive from Athens to Medora is long, but there are plenty of stops on the way. Our tour guy was informative, accommodating, and very funny. She gave us plenty of opportunities for picture taking and was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. We highly recommend this incredible tour.

Great local guide

The trip from Athens to Meteora is extremely uncomfortable (outside temperature of 30C but bus extremely hot as driver never engaged AC). Once you survive the trip up the local guides are wonderful, personable and knowledgeable. The monasteries are amazing! The rock formations extremely impressive. Ride back to Athens unremarkable because sleep is the order of the evening/night. Very good trip but could be great with a tweak to procedure on the ride from Athens to Meteora.

Meteora excursion

The trip from the village to the monastery with our guide Maria was amazing and extremely informative. It was a wonderful experience to see. My only suggestion would be to examine how to meet the bus in Athens. I was dropped off early in the morning there were 30 buses plus on that street. I arrived at quarter after seven and could not locate the Meteora bus. I ran up and down both sides of the street and the side streets trying to locate the correct. It was 755 when I finally located the bus. It left at 8:10 I was getting very anxious that I was going to miss the excursion, that would be the only part that I would make better. I was not the only one that was a little concern and had to rush and find the bus. There were several other tourists as well had difficulty. I would highly recommend examining this part of the tour on the experience was amazing, particularly in the monasteries.

Amazing experience but a little disorganized

Maria was an amazing tour guide explaining everything throughly and answered any questions we had. However the transfer at kalabaka was very disorganized, we were left behind at the transfer point due to a language barrier as another couple took our place with our tour group . Imagine being a tourist being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no idea what’s happening, luckily someone else from another tour company contacted them and they came back for us. I HIGHLY recommend that the tour company have the guests name printed on a piece of paper( LIKE THE OTHER TOUR COMAPNIES DID) so everyone knows which tour guide to go with especially if they can’t pronounce your name. Maria however saved the day we really enjoyed this trip, its a can’t miss experience and worth the long journey

very good

the guide maria was very professional, interesting and amusing. the organization and food were perfect

Unique

Coastas and Katherine the guides were great. I learned a lot, and the place is of course a UNESCO protected area. Out of this work!!!!!

Very interesting

Very interesting and according to expextation.A lot of information and there is time for visiting, pit stop.

Breathtakingly beautiful place!

Meteora is breathtakingly beautiful, I’m so glad we decided to experience this place! Maria was a perfect guide, she was very knowledgeable, friendly, and personable. In the few little rest times we had, we very much enjoyed talking about cats with Maria. I highly recommend this outing to anyone- while it is a long day, it is 100% worth the journey. You will not be disappointed with any aspect of this experience. Our driver (can’t remember his name) was also a great photographer and very nice. The place we stopped for lunch was also great, everyone was friendly and catering to the needs of customers, and the food was superb! It was an exemplary experience, I highly recommend booking.

Worth the long trip

Our tour guide Dimitri was amazing. He gave enough facts and has a good sense of humor. Its a long bus ride but it is abolutely worth it. The views are breathtaking!

Meteora was amazing!

This was such a cool place to visit! Huge cliffs with monasteries on them. I’ve never seen anywhere like this place in the world. Such beautiful views. We had a great lunch (extra cost) at a local spot also that was very good. Long day on the buses from Athens (5 hours each way) but well worth it. Book this tour!

Nice tour

It is a fantastic place and the driver was very polite and nice our tourist guide was very nice and helpful , nice food

Had an unforgettable...

Had an unforgettable experience with the tour team, special thanks goes to Caterina. Can't memorise the name of the driver, I beg his pardon, they were both so passionate about their work.

Breathtaking views

Amazing experience. Guide was well educated in the history of the region and the monasteries. Lunch service was great.

Just beautiful

It’s a long trip to get there and I almost lost my patience on the way! However it was worth all the hours. This place has to be experienced - it’s mind blowing beautiful - landscapes that reminded me about Lord of the Rings. The guide was knowledgeable and had a welcoming energy. Only minus is the few short breaks. However still full recommend