Guided Tours

From Athens: Meteora Monasteries & Caves Full-Day Trip

Visitors inside a Meteora monastery during a 1-day tour from Athens by train.

Meteora monastery perched on a rock formation in Greece, surrounded by lush green landscape.

Interior of the Monastery of Varlaam with frescoes and stone columns, Greece.

Tour group at Meteora rock formations during 1-day train trip from Athens.

Duration

10 hr - 14 hr

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 3 days before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Audio guide

Enhance your experience with multilingual audio guide

Guided tour

Transfers included

Meals included

Indulge in a sumptuous meal as a part of your experience

4.6/5

(518)

Tania

Sep 2025

Verified booking

4/5

The place is stunning, definitely worth visiting. The guide Vaso and both our drivers wery very nice and helpful. I must say we didn't actually visit the Hermit cave, only the caves were mentioned from afar. Also boarding the buses in the morning was a bit chaotic, there where 4 buses on both sides of the street and it took a long time to figure out which one each person was supposed to be in (I arrived 40min early and still was the last to board the bus), as everyone is sent to the same bus and the poor driver was overwhelmed with the queue of people asking where to go. I feel like there must be an easier, more organised way to do this.

Cristina

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

Our trip to Meteora was an unforgettable experience. The scenery is breathtaking, but what really made the difference was our guide, Rula. From the first moment she transmitted passion and knowledge, explaining the history and details of each monastery in a close and very pleasant way. In addition, she was always attentive to the needs of the group, making everything flow with calm and enjoyment. Thanks to her, we not only saw a wonderful place, but we understood and felt it. I recommend the visit 100% and, if possible, with Rula as a guide!

Shanna,

Sep 2025

Verified booking

5/5

Even though the place was a 4 hour drive from Athens, it was well worth the wait. It was out of this world! Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. The drivers were also great. I purchased lunch with the trip and it was decent for the price. The day before I booked the trip, something came up and I needed to reschedule. When I called the agency, Anastasia helped me rebook my trip. I was grateful to her for that. I will book with this agency again if I have the privilege of returning to Athens.

Skip the hassle and experience all of Meteora in one seamless day. Travel from Athens in a luxury, air-conditioned coach and enjoy a curated journey through all six cliff-top monasteries.

Your guide will share how monks scaled 300-meter cliffs with rope pulleys and tell tales of hermits who lived in silence for decades.

Climb the stone stairways to 3 to 4 active monasteries in Meteora, like the Great Meteoron, the oldest and largest, or Varlaam, home to a towering 12,000-litre rain barrel still in use today.

Walk a short trail to the Hermit Caves of Badovas, where monks once lived in cliffside grottoes, climbing with ropes and ladders that still hang above the cave mouths.

Choose the lunch upgrade and enjoy comforting dishes like baked feta drizzled with honey, cinnamon-laced moussaka, and crispy spanakopita at Kastraki Village.

Round-trip, luxury coach transfers to and from Athens (with free Wi-Fi, USB chargers, and air-conditioned facilities)

Meteora tour with panoramic views of all 6 monasteries

Entry to 3 to 4 monasteries (subject to the day’s schedule, as some monasteries are closed on specific weekdays)

Entry to the Hermit Caves of Badovas

English-speaking driver

Expert English or Spanish-speaking tour guide (based on option selected)

Smart audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese

Traditional Greek lunch at Kastraki Village (based on option selected)

Bottled mineral water

Pick-up and drop-off from your hotel in Athens

A small offering of €3 to €5 per monastery

Guide inside the monasteries (multilingual audio guides available)

Tips for the guide (optional)

TOTAL DURATION13 hours 30 minutes - 14 hours
MODE OF TRANSFERA/C Bus
FIRST DEPARTUREKalabaka
LAST DEPARTUREKalabaka
Timeline
Map
Start point
Larissa Station
Get direction
5 hr by A/C Bus
335.6 km
1. Kalabaka
Free Admission
15 min
31 min by A/C Bus
2.1 km
2. Kastraki Village
Tickets included (based on selection)
60 min
11 min by A/C Bus
4.7 km
3. Meteora
Tickets included
3 hr 20 min
6 attractions
Highlights
Great Meteoron Monastery
Get direction
30 min
Varlaam Monastery
Get direction
Tickets included
30 min
Rousanou Monastery
Get direction
30 min
St. Nicholas Anapausas Monastery
Get direction
30 min
Holy Trinity Monastery
Get direction
30 min
St. Stephen's Monastery
Get direction
30 min
46 min
6.2 km
4. The Hermit Caves of Badovas
Tickets included
60 min
6 min by A/C Bus
2.5 km
5. Kalabaka
Free Admission
30 min
3 hr 40 min by A/C Bus
340 km
End point
Larissa Station
Get direction
Your ending point would be same as your start point

You can cancel these tickets up to 3 days before the experience begins and get a full refund.

4.6
518 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from Spain, United States, France and over 10 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Ivan
Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
Meteora was amazing. The guide presented many good stories. However, the tour didn't match the description. We didn't stop in Kastraki village. We drive by it. The lunch was in kalabaka with only one restaurant. I walked across the railroad tracks to get some baked goods. We also didn't visit the caves. Again, we drove by. There was no audio guide or bottle of water. In short, we enjoyed Meteora, but the trip description needs a rewrite.
Jakob
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
We left Athens at 8:00 and returned at 22:15 from Meteora. It was a long day but worth it. Meteora Tours had wery good logistics with a comfortable bus, efficient refreshment stops and a good lunch meal. The local guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. The monastery visits were interesting and the landscape astonishing. All in all a "must do" experience and a "top 10" sight in Europe in our opinion.
Tony
Oct 2025
Verified booking
4/5
Overall good experience despite needing to confirm pick up as conflicting information on tickets and booking page. Long day so be prepared but the driver and tour guides were engaging and knowledgeable, the monasteries and scenery were beautiful, and the lunch was tasty. We stopped off to visit 2 monasteries and had a number of other photo stops throughout the day.
Chong
Oct 2025
Verified booking
3/5
1. It would be useful if the meeting information indicated to find purple bus rather than mentioning about sign. We were cross the road multiple times to find the correct bus. 2. Over on the ticket information on: - English speaking driver when the bus driver were not able to speak English. - no audio was provided - no water bottle was provided.
Guillermo
Oct 2025
Verified booking
5/5
Great tour guides and excellent transfer transport accomodations. Loved everything would do it again! Guides was fun and friendly, we stopped at all the major locations and they let us take as many pics as we wanted. I loved the stops for breaks and food we had. Such wonderful experience I highly recommend it to everyone.

What to bring

Bring some cash for entrance donations (€3 to €5 per monastery) and any purchases, as credit card facilities may not be available.

Opt for sturdy shoes with good grip, as paths can be uneven and include many steps.

Carry water and light snacks, especially during warmer months (June to August).

Don’t forget to bring your own earphones and a fully charged phone to listen to the audio guides comfortably.

What's not allowed

While outdoor photography is generally permitted, refrain from taking photos inside churches and of monks or nuns.

Flying drones is prohibited without special permission.

Accessibility

Meteora is not wheelchair accessible. All monasteries involve steps or inclined paths.

If you have mobility constraints, consider visiting monasteries like St. Stephen’s, which has a paved path and minimal stairs.

Additional information

Your tour bus will be across from Larissa train station on Theodore Diligianni Street, in front of Everest Café. Look for the 'Visit Meteora' sign.

Expect to visit 2 to 4 monasteries. Each has a weekly closing day (Great Meteoron on Tuesdays, Varlaam on Fridays), so the lineup may vary.

All monasteries require a €3 to €5 offering per person, payable in cash at the gate.

Tour guides are not allowed inside the monasteries. To continue exploring while inside, take advantage of the multilingual audio guides.

Tours use minibuses or local shuttles to transport visitors between sites.

Basic toilets are available at larger monasteries (Great Meteoron, Varlaam, St. Stephen) and may require a small tip.

The Meteora monasteries follow a strict dress code. Men must wear long pants; women need long skirts and shoulder coverage. Sleeveless tops and shorts are not allowed.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Meeting point

Please check your final voucher for the meeting point details and specific instructions.