Meteora Full Day Private Tour from Athens including Lunch
Description
Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Meteora, a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries on this private, full-day excursion from Athens. Travel in private, air-conditioned vehicles and get around all the sites your group is interested in visiting within the extensive mountain complex before returning comfortably to Athens. • Walk around the rock formations and visit up to three of the monasteries for an up-close look at ancient hermit life • Take photos and create lifelong memories at this picturesque yet imposing natural beauty • Enjoy authentic Greek food in Kastraki village • Return to Athens via Thermopylae, hearing battle tales along the way where 300 Spartans fought 100,000 Persians
Tour Options
Itinerary
We start our tour early in the morning from Athens till Meteora. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel/ apartment or the airport/ port. The travel time is about 4,5 hours.
Kalabaka is a town and seat of the municipality of Meteora in the Trikala regional unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population was 12,000 at the 2011 census, of which 8,330 in the town proper. The Meteora monasteries are located near the town.
We arrive at Meteora and visit up to three Monasteries. Breathtaking at first site, the Monasteries are of great cultural and natural importance. Split from earthquakes, weathered from the wind and the water over millions of millions of years, these immense rocks are an authentic masterpiece of mother nature. The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox Monasteries. The six (of an original 24) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and the name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor. Please be modestly dressed. Women are suggested to wear long skirts & long sleeves. If you do not have, you will be given a skirt on your way in.
Free time for lunch at a traditional Greek tavern with your friends and family or shopping at Kastraki, a picturesque village near Meteora.
Thermopylae is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur springs. In Greek mythology the Hot Gates is one of the entrances to Hades. Thermopylae is the site of a battle between the Greek forces and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides of Ceos in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie." Thermopylae is the only land route large enough to bear any significant traffic between Lokris and Thessaly. To go from north to south along the east coast of the Balkan peninsula requires use of the pass, and so Thermopylae has been the site of several battles.
As we leave the magnificent Meteora behind us, let us not overlook the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BCE, which has long been the topic of cultural motivation, as it is perhaps the most famous military last stand of all time. The monument of the Great Leonidas, King of Sparta, in Thermopylae, will grace our path on our way back to Athens in the late afternoon. Thermopylae is world-famous for the battle that took place there between the Greek forces (notably the Spartans, Lakedemonians, Thebans and Thespians) and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by Simonides in the famous epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here obedient to their laws we lie."
Leonidas was a king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed descent from the mythological demigod Heracles and Cadmus. Leonidas was son of King Anaxandridas II. He succeeded his half-brother King Cleomenes I to the throne in c. 489 BC. Leonidas had a notable participation in the Second Persian War, where he led the allied Greek forces to a last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) while attempting to defend the pass from the invading Persian army; he died at the battle and entered myth as the leader of the 300 Spartans. While the Greeks lost this battle, they were able to expel the Persian invaders in the following year.
We start our way back to Athens late in the afternoon. The drive is about 4,5 hours.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This private tour is exclusively for your group, ensuring a personalized and flexible experience. Pickup time can be adjusted upon request. Your driver can pick you up and drop you off either at the same location or at different locations of your choice within Athens. * Hotel pickups: Your driver will be waiting in the hotel lobby. * Apartment pickups: Your driver will be waiting outside the building entrance. * Cruise port pickups: Your driver will meet you at the disembarkation gate, holding a sign with your name for easy identification. * Airport pickups: Your driver will be waiting in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name. We monitor all incoming flights to ensure a timely pickup, even in case of delays.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Our drivers are not official tour guides, but they are knowledgeable and can provide fascinating commentary in fluent English. Although they will not enter the sites with you, they can answer all of your questions about the places you visit with this tour.
- Third party activities and especially extreme sports are not allowed during the tour. This can be a cause for immediate cancellation of the tour.
Reviews(146)
Alex was a wonderful guide on our trip up to Meteoroa. Very knowledgeable and we enjoyed visiting this beautiful UNESCO site as well as seeing the surrounding countryside.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Meteora and exploring the beautiful countryside. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Alex. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back to Greece again soon!
Great tour with our driver/guide, Costa. He was super friendly and energetic. Very quick with things and knowing where to go for the best views. Costa planned the day very wisely and efficiently. We appreciated all help to make it as smooth as possible. Highly recommend this tour and recommend Costa!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
We had a great time! Micheal was professional and had great recommendations for which monasteries to see and food to eat!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
Nick was a very informative driver and good food recommendation
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
Great experience, it’s a journey but completely worth it. You’ll never see anything like it, our tour guide Nick was fantastic, it’s a good 4 hour drive from Athens, you definitely get a quick stop on the way there and back, we were able to do 2 of the monasteries, then to a look out that has the most amazing views perfect for photos! We had lunch at a Tavern that was delicious. Then the journey back, it’s a full day but so worth it. Pack some snacks and water and go enjoy a drive through beautiful Greece and learn about the scenery.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
Thank you very much for a fantastic tour today. We had a great time and really appreciate Alex kindness and professionalism. It was a pleasure meeting you. All the best!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
Nick was a lovely driver/tour guide and we had a great time!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
Best tour of our entire Greece trip! The private driver “Mike” was wonderful, full of knowledge, fun and great with our young two boys on the trip. Navigating through crazy Athens traffic like a pro and out to the monastery’s on the scenic highway I felt we were in great hands with a real professional, I’ve been on some trips in other counties where I would be on the edge of my seat worried the time about going so far and back, Mike made this trip from start to finish so relaxing and at the end I felt like we were all family. Would highly recommend if making a full day of going to see the monasteries on the tops of mountains you request Mike as your guide and chauffeur!!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are truly delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience with us. Your kind words are greatly appreciated and serve as a wonderful motivation for our entire team to continue delivering exceptional service. It was our pleasure to be part of your visit to Greece, and we sincerely hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on a future trip. We wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon!
This is the best way to experience Meteora and is well worth the extra cost of a private tour. Our guide Mike was fantastic! He was very professional, accommodating and incredibly knowledgeable on the historical and current aspects of the trip. Mike provided us with great tips and suggestions for visiting each monastery that saved us time and allowed us to enjoy our experience to the fullest. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in visiting Meteora and if Mike is your guide, it will be an even better experience.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. Your kind words truly mean a lot to our team and motivate us to continue providing the best possible service to our guests. It was our pleasure to be part of your trip to Greece, and we hope to welcome you again in the future! Thank you once again for choosing us.
We were prepared for an incredible experience, which is exactly what we got. The bonus we were not expecting was our fantastic guide Dimitris Tabone! He was extremely knowledgeable and was kind enough to answer a barrage of questions. Dimitris made and amazing experience exceptional. I would highly recommend this trip as well as our guide to everyone!!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. Your kind words truly mean a lot to our team and motivate us to continue providing the best possible service to our guests. It was our pleasure to be part of your trip to Greece, and we hope to welcome you again in the future! Thank you once again for choosing us.
