Meteora & Thermopylae Tour
Duration: 2 daysDuring this tour you will learn in detail all about Meteora the complex of monasteries built “up in the clouds”. You will get the chance to admire the intricate creation of the monasteries which are built on natural sandstone rock pillars in central Greece and learn about the geology and the historic evolution of a place where natural beauty meets the power of human creativity.
The tours takes you also to Thermopylae where the renowned battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. between the outnumbered Greeks and the Persians took place. This tour is especially designed as an all inclusive authentic Greek experience divided in two days for your own comfort.
The reference list of what you will see and experience during thethe 2 Days Meteora and Thermopylae Tour includes but is not limited to:
- Meteora, the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece
- Undeniably sublime and breathtaking scenery
- Beautifully formed natural trails
- St. Stephen’s Nunnery
- Great Meteoron Monastery
- Roussanou Monastery
- Holy Trinity Monastery
- Varlaam Monastery
- St. Nikolaos Anapafsas Monastery
- Varlaam Monastery
- St. Nikolaos Anapafsas Monastery
- The battlefield of Thermopylae
- Thermopylae’s Innovative Centre of Historical Information
- Monument of King Leonidas
- Sea Side village of Kamena Vourla for lunch break
We can customize this tour to your needs.
If you want to skip or add something, please let us know in advance.
Day 1
Depart from Athens in the morning to start one of the most memorable trips in the Greek countryside. Lay back and enjoy the scenic drive of the Greek mainland. The driving time till Meteora is approx. 5hrs. There are only a few sites in the world that can take a person back to the dark ages. Meteora is one of them.
Meteora is one of the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece, inferior only to Mount Athos. The cultural and historical value of the site combined with the remarkable natural beauty of these uniquely formed monasteries has established Meteora as a protected site on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the 9th century AD the first monks gathered in the area and began forming a community that since then grew and flourished into the unique and beaming monastic community of Meteora. Of course our tour would not be complete without a short walk among the beautifully formed natural trails.
You will have the time to visit 3 of the open monasteries on the first day.
After your visit to the Monasteries your driver will eascort you to your accomondation in Kalabaka.
Day 2
In the morning take your time to take in as much as you can from the beauty and the majesty of the natural environment of Meteora. Your driver will pick you up to take you to the last 3 Monasteries. At the end of our path we will make a stop to rest, snap some photographs to remember this heavenly place and enjoy the undeniably sublime and breathtaking scenery.
After having visited Meteora, on the way back to Athens, after 2hrs driving, you will have a stop to Thermopylae. There, the great Spartan King Leonidas with a small Greek force defended Attica and Boeotia against the southward advance of Xerxes’ Persian army.
The scenery has pretty much changed at the battlefield nowadays. For this reason, “Thermopylae’s Innovative Centre of Historical Information” is a must see on the spot to help the visitor understand the morphology of the ground and the narrow passage of the battlefield, that due to erosion has changed. After the visit to the battlefield your driver will take you back to Athens. Lay back and take your time to take in all the diverse experiences gained on this tour.
Entrance fees to each monastery are 2 Euros pp
To stay informed about any applicable admission fees please click here
To buy your tickets in advance click here
- Summer Period: 1 April – 31 October
- Winter Period: 1 November – 31 March
Opening hours for Meteora Monasteries:
- Summer period:
- St. Stephen’s Nunnery: Visiting Hours: 9:00 to 13:30 and 15:30 to 17:30. The monastery stays closed on Mondays.
- Great Meteoron Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 17:00. The monastery stays closed on Tuesdays.
- Roussanou Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 17:45. The monastery stays closed on Wednesdays.
- Holy Trinity Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 17:00. The monastery stays closed on Thursdays.
- Varlaam Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 16:00. The monastery stays closed on Fridays.
- St. Nikolaos Anapafsas Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 15:30. The monastery stays closed on Fridays.
- Winter Period
- St. Stephen’s Nunnery: Visiting Hours: 9:30 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 17:00. The monastery stays closed on Mondays.
- Great Meteoron Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 15:00. The monastery stays closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- Roussanou Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 14:00. The monastery stays closed on Wednesdays.
- Holy Trinity Monastery: Visiting Hours: 10:00 to 16:00. The monastery stays closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Varlaam Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 15:00. The monastery stays closed on Thursdays and Fridays.
- St. Nikolaos Anapafsas Monastery: Visiting Hours: 09:00 to 14:00. The monastery stays closed on Fridays.
Opening hours for Centre of Historical Information of Thermopylae:
- Jan – Dec: Mon-Fri: 08:00:19:00
- Jan – Dec: Sat-Sun: 10:00-18:00
All sites and museums are closed or have reduced opening hours, on the following holidays:
- 1 January: closed
- 6 January: closed
- Shrove Monday: 08.30-15.00
- 25 March: closed
- Good Friday: until 12:00 closed
- Holy Saturday: 08.30-15.00
- Easter Sunday : closed
- Easter Monday: 08.30-15.00
- 1 May: closed
- Holy Spirit Day: 08.30-15.00
- 15 August: 08.30-15.00
- 28 October: 08.30-15.00
- 25 December: closed
- 26 December: closed
To stay informed about the sites’ opening hours please click here
There are a few things that are useful for you to know before participating in one of our tours:
- Comfortable clothing and sensible, flat-soled walking shoes are recommended for most locations. Sun glasses, a hat and sun screen are also suggested since the Mediterranean sun is extremely hot during the summer months.
- Photography is permitted in almost every site throughout the tours and if it is prohibited you will be informed beforehand.
- Local currency (euros) might be needed in order to pay at the spot small entrance fees and small expenses.
- In case one of our guests has some special needs, is under certain medication or has a limited walking endurance you can let us know during the organization of your customized tour and we will make sure that small breaks are incorporated into your itinerary.
- Also it is suggested that you bring with you a small bottle of water or something small to eat in case you need to during the tour.
- Furthermore if an individual has advanced accessibility needs you can let us know and allow us to customize the tour to fit your needs.
