Athens to Meteora: Full-Day Monastery Tour with Countryside Train Ride and Winery Visit
4.7
41 Ratings
Athina
Embark on a full-day monastery tour from Athens to Meteora. Enjoy a scenic train ride through the Greek countryside, visit three monasteries, and explore the UNESCO-listed geological formation. Small groups and luxurious transportation provided.
Duration:
14 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Meteora - Discover the beauty and history of Meteora on a day trip from Athens. Take in stunning views of the Greek countryside on the comfortable train ride to the town of Kalambaka. Travel with a guide on a van or a bus and stop to capture pictures at six historic monasteries.\nStart from Larissis station, the main railway station in Athens where you will catch the train to Kalambaka. Throughout your train journey, indulge in the unique scenic routes that the Greek countryside provides.\n\nUpon arrival, meet your guide who will be holding a signboard with your name on it. Walk with your guide to the Meteora Monasteries where you can admire the amazing Christian architecture. Discover the over 700 years of history and influence of the monasteries.\nAfter the tour ends, you will be transferred to Kalabaka’s city center where you will have about an hour to spend under the shadow of giant rocks either having lunch or a coffee. You will get all the needed information on how to get to the train St.\n\n- Kalambaka - As soon as you arrive in Kalambaka, we will make a 20-minutes stop for refreshments. \n- Meteora - See all the six monasteries from the outside and visit three of them depending on the arrival day:\n- Great Meteoron monastery: is the oldest and the biggest one. \n- Varlaam monastery: the second biggest monastery\n- Saint Stephens monastery: the most accessible monastery\n- Holy Trinity: the most difficult accessible monastery (known as a James Bond movie was filmed there)\n- Roussanou Monastery: an easy accessible monastery\n- Saint Nicholas monastery: important iconography and the first one we meet on our way to Meteora
What's Included
- Explore the Hermit Caves
- On-board WiFi
- Complimentary bottled water
- Enjoy a bottle of local wine (0.7 L)
- Visit all six monasteries and explore the interiors of three
- Travel comfortably in a luxury Mercedes mini-bus
- Guided by a local English-speaking tour leader
- Inclusive of all fees and taxes
- Round-trip train tickets from Athens to Kalambaka with e-tickets emailed to you
What's Not Included
- Monasteries entrance fees which are 3€
- Gratuities (optional)
- Credit cards are not accepted for paying the monasteries entrance fees
- Travel insurance
- Option for another tour language (to be arranged at an extra cost)
- Pickup / Drop off from Hotel in Athens to railway station
- Licensed guide, inside the monasteries
Additional Information
Board the 08:28 AM train from Athens to Kalabaka and soak in the scenic beauty of the splendid Greek countryside. Upon reaching, a plush mini-bus awaits to transport you to the extraordinary realm of Meteora, a distinct geological marvel recognized by UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Our knowledgeable tour guide will provide comprehensive details about the medieval monasteries and arrange stops at breathtaking overlooks for photo opportunities.
~Whole day train excursion from Athens
~Tour all six existing monasteries
~Explore three of them from inside
~High-end air-conditioned Mercedes mini-bus for your conveyance to Meteora
~Complimentary Wifi
~Round-trip train tickets included in the cost
~All levies included except the monastery admission charges (credit card payments not accepted for entry fee)
~Enjoy the comfort and exclusivity of small groups
~If you are in Athens, this could be the perfect way to discover one of the world’s most magnificent landmarks.
- You will receive an e-mail with the train e-tickets a few days before the tour.
- Please make sure you have cash for the monasteries 3 euro each entrance
Location
Stathmos Larisis
Head to Athens railway station by your own and you must be there at 07.30 am in order to complete the boarding procedure on time.The train departs at 07:58 AM.At approximately 10:45 AM, the train will make a stop at Paleofarsalos, where you should exit and catch the connecting bus to Kalampaka.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(41 Ratings)
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Diane_s
Apr 6, 2024
Amazing - 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
Review provided by Viator
Northstar47628315943
Apr 5, 2024
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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sunil_m
Sep 16, 2023
Glorious views - 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 🤦🏾♂️
Review provided by Viator
Sachin_t
Aug 11, 2023
Amazing private tour of Meteora from pickup to drop off at the Kalambaka train terminal - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Joseyc524
Jul 12, 2023
Loved Athina and the rocks! - 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stina
Jun 23, 2023
Stunning views - 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_l
Jun 12, 2023
Day well spent - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Gobinda_s
Apr 11, 2023
Highly recommended trip to Meteora - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Taylor_c
Sep 23, 2023
Interesting Experience - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Sachas549
May 15, 2023
A beautiful scenery - 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.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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