Private Tour to Monasteries of Meteora & Thermopylae from Athens
Description
Be impressed by the natural beauty of the rocks and the way the monasteries are perched on some of the cliffs. Explore Meteora, the timeless monasteries that house both historical and religious treasures, standing between Earth and Sky atop enormous rocks. Admire the creation of God and man. Allow yourself to be enchanted by the breathtaking view and the picturesque architecture of Kalambaka, where you can savor traditional Greek cuisine. Additionally, visit the historic Thermopylae, the site of a battle that changed the course of Greek history. Book this full-day private tour to Meteora from Athens now
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will visit the "Thermopylae Museum", which is next to the monument of King Leonidas, in the historic Thermopylae, dedicated to the 480 BC battle that changed the course of Greek history, as 300 Spartans fought against Persian Empire. The Center presents history as an interactive narrative and discourse: In its three exhibition halls, multimedia applications offer visitors a virtual trip to the time and battlefields of the Persian Wars as described by the ancient historian Herodotus, while the very battle of Thermopylae comes alive at a digital 3D movie.
Our driver will pick you up at 08.00 am from your hotel or from Piraeus port. After you meet, you will start this incredible journey following the road towards Thermopylae. Afterwards we will visit Meteora, having our first stop at the Great Meteoro (or similar) which is the largest and the oldest of all. It was called the monastery that was "suspended in the air" (meteoro), due to the formation of the gigantic rock on top of which it was built. Our second visit is to the great monastery of St. Stephan. The Monastery of St. Stephan, (or similar) which is a small church built in the 16th century and decorated in 1545. This monastery rests on the plain rather than on a cliff. It was damaged by the Nazis during World War II who believed it was harboring insurgents and was abandoned. Then, nuns took it over and reconstructed it. Furthermore, you will admire a small treasure of Byzantine and Christian items, at the museum inside the monastery. This wonderful tour will be completed at the picturesque villages of Kalambaka, a small traditional town that is built at the foot of the majestic grey rocks of God, at the shadow of the great Meteora Monasteries, where you will have a traditional Greek lunch.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- 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
- Upon your booking please advise us the pick up place
Reviews(15)
Our private driver George made this trip better than what the description. He was so friendly and helpful and patient. He even took us to another area that a tour bus does not have access too. Private tour is the way to go. It costs more but you get more out of it and more personalize. The tour guide, Dimitri, was very informative. He knew his stuff. Our driver made the tour so much better since we had to spend a considerable amount of time together.
The best guide Agalos, he was friendly, knowledgeable and has a love of history. It was an awesome experience to visit these historic places with Agalos. His understanding and communication was instrumental in learning about the battle and monasteries. Best experience!
I just did the 8 day tour with Private tours Greece land/sea and gave my review. I wanted to give a very special thank you to our driver Spiros for a good part of the land tour. Spiros was with us for 2 days as he took us to Delphi/ Arachova ski resort/ Thermopylae and Meteora. I would like to acknowledge Spiros for giving us first class service all around. We were enthralled with all the knowledge and beauty he showed us. He was kind and considerate which made our time with him truly amazing and never to be forgotten! Again, thank you Spiros for making this a trip of a life time for all! With kind regards, Debra and family
Nancy, our private guide, was very knowledgeable about the Greek Orthodox Monasteries at Meteora. She was both charming and highly educated as she shared historical information with us. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time at the Monasteries and marveled at their construction atop the sandstone mountains. Our driver was very courteous and offered to stop for a late lunch which we enjoyed with local Greek wine! The only drawback to this tour was the four hour drive from Athens.
Our driver(Mr. George)was excellent! He was very thoughtful and kind. He drove us back and forth to see where is the meeting points for entry and exits.
Our private tour to Meteora was great. We got picked up at our AirBnB at 8am and took about 4 hours to get to our destination. The drive was easy and the van was spacious and comfortable. Our driver/guide, Kyle (Kyriakos), did an excellent job. He informed us that it was his first time taking guests to Meteora but he showed confidence in his driving and the knowledge he shared. He was attentive to our needs, offered suggestions for photo ops and gave restaurant recommendation where we all enjoyed a delectable lunch. Kyle also never rushed us and he gave us enough time to visit the monasteries and enjoy the spectacular panorama. And of course, Meteora is a must see. It’s a true example of a saying “pictures don’t do it justice”.
Five stars is not a high enough rating for our experience with Private Tours Greece! The company provided an exceptional experience for an overnight excursion to Meteora for a truffle hunt and monastery tours. Dimitra communicated promptly and was patience with all my questions. Our driver, Spyros, was not only our driver, but our concierge, information resource officer and comedian. I enthusiastically recommend Private Tours Greece to anyone looking for a trip provider. We TRULY received more than our money’s worth!
I think I wrote this review on the wrong site so I am rewriting it again just in case. Henry and Nick were really fabulous, awesome, beyond accommodating. We cannot describe how personal, fun, and upbeat this tour was. Henry was so knowledgeable he knew so much history. Nick was so much fun and he helped my husband in and out of our private van at every stop (my husband walks with a cane). Henry walked all the way up to the Holy Trinity Monastery with me because my husband could not. They took us to places where typical tours do not go to see some awesome ruins. I cannot say enough good things about them. At about 4:30 they dropped us at a wonderful restaurant and said they let the manager know what time we needed to be back at the train. To our surprise, Nick came back for us and even bought us dessert. We were stunned. If you want a once in a life time experience book this trip. I’m telling you, you will be so glad you’re not getting on a van or bus with dozens of others. So worth it! Note: you do not need a full skirt in the Monasteries. Wear pants and bring a small wrap and wrap it around your waist. Men and women were all going in with short sleeves so my husband never had to change into long sleeves. Also the train has a cafe car with cheap snacks, drinks, and beer. You really don’t need to bring anything on the long train ride. Bottled water was 50cents. Can’t get that in NY!!
I am glad that we booked this day Tour to Meteora. Hotel pickup was on time and we were greeted by our driver Mr. Alexandros who was an exceptional person and ready to go out of his way to meet our requirements. The drive was smooth and had time to stop for refreshments. He took us to the right stops at meteora and had plenty time to visit the Monasteries. We also had time for a tasty greek lunch at Kalambaka before driving back to Athens. I highly recommend this Tour.
It is an imperdible thing to do in Greece. The tour was amazing, definitely worth it. On top of the impressive monasteries on the top of the very high rock formations, we were very lucky to have our driver Mr Ioannis. He was outstanding, truly interested on making the trip, one of our best experiences, definitely he made the difference.
Hello! Thank you so much for your kind word! I hope to welcome you again in the future!