🇬🇷 Episode 7 — Meteora in two days: monasteries, viewpoints and a walk

In this article

A dawn flight, a hire car, then rocks rising one by one from the plain: on 31 October, we left the sea for a completely different setting.

After four nights in Santorini, we took a very early flight to Athens, collected the car and drove to Meteora. The change was complete: huge rock formations with monasteries built on their summits.

We planned two nights here.

Practical information: Meteora has been UNESCO-listed since 1988. Six active monasteries remain from around twenty that once existed. Allow roughly four to five hours to drive from Athens, depending on your route.

Arriving beneath the rocks

The terrain is a major part of the experience. Sheer walls, rounded formations and isolated rocks change with each viewpoint. We enjoyed seeing them from the roads and from beneath the cliffs, where their height feels different.

The approach remains a strong memory: shapes emerge, the scale grows and the perched buildings become visible.

Roads link several monasteries and viewpoints. We drove between most stops, then continued on foot for the visits.

Make time for viewpoints. The landscape is not just a backdrop between monasteries; it is a large part of what makes a stay here worthwhile.

Visiting Varlaam

Monastic communities settled among these rocks in search of isolation. Hoisting systems recall the difficulties of building and supplying them. These remain places of worship, where dress, silence and photography rules matter.

Varlaam was one of the two monasteries we visited.

Its approach, stone buildings, courtyard and church form a remarkable ensemble. Our photographs include the domes and large jars in the courtyard.

After seeing it from outside on its rock, you discover the interior. Originally there were no stairs: monks hoisted visitors and supplies using nets and a winch.

Discovering Holy Trinity

We also visited Holy Trinity, or Agia Triada.

The stairs and the monastery’s position make the approach memorable. At the top, the relationship between buildings and terrain becomes clear. If the setting seems familiar, it featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.

These visits involve stairs. Allow for them in your programme and go at your own pace.

Wear clothing that meets monastery requirements: covered shoulders and limbs, long trousers for men and a long skirt where required for women. Do not rely on borrowing clothing there. Respect photography bans displayed inside churches.

Checking opening days

We hoped to visit other monasteries, especially the Great Meteoron, but they were closed when we passed.

Over two days, we had to plan around openings. Each monastery has its own weekly closing day.

Our main tip: check opening days and times beforehand, as they vary between monasteries and seasons.

Enjoying the views early in the morning

We explored viewpoints around the monasteries, particularly enjoying the first morning light.

One morning we went out before breakfast, then returned to the hotel. The scenery and quiet made the early start worthwhile.

Some rocks offer spectacular compositions. Use appropriate access paths and do not let the pursuit of a photograph lead you onto unsafe ground.

A short section of the trail from Kalambaka

Late one afternoon we began the trail from Kalambaka up towards Agia Triada.

The path begins in woodland between the rocks, passing a small chapel. We did not complete the ascent on foot because we ran out of time.

This walk gave us a different sense of scale beneath the cliffs. Our drone continued the visual exploration from above, while we left the walk unfinished.

Doupiani House Hotel and Panellinion

We stayed at Doupiani House Hotel in Kastraki, for around US$93.5 a night including breakfast in low season.

We loved the Meteora views, setting and breakfast. It is an address we would happily remember for another visit.

For dinner, we returned to Panellinion in Kalambaka both evenings. The aubergine dish, around US$11, was generous and delicious; the meat was excellent too.

Our meals cost about US$27.5 for two in 2023.

We would return to Meteora for a longer stay, for both the visits and the atmosphere.

The loop continues with Delphi, Arachova and Hosios Loukas monastery. For accommodation, journeys and budget, see our full Greece itinerary.

Map: mainland Greece

Find our sightseeing stops, accommodation and restaurants. Suggested places we did not visit are marked separately on the map.

Episodes from our trip to Greece

• Full itinerary — Greece in 11 days: Santorini, Meteora, Delphi and Athens
• 🇬🇷 Episode 1 — Oia and Ammoudi: our first steps in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 2 — Imerovigli and Skaros: our favourite views in Santorini
• 🇬🇷 Episode 3 — Pyrgos, Emporio and Megalochori: Santorini’s villages
• 🇬🇷 Episode 4 — Southern Santorini: Zoodochos Pigi, Perissa and Red Beach
• 🇬🇷 Episode 5 — Santorini boat trip: volcano, hot springs and Thirassia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 6 — Santorini sunsets: our viewpoints and favourite restaurants
• 🇬🇷 Episode 7 — Meteora in two days: monasteries, viewpoints and a walk
• 🇬🇷 Episode 8 — Visiting Delphi: Apollo’s sanctuary, museum and Athena Pronaia
• 🇬🇷 Episode 9 — Athens: our visits from the Acropolis to Lycabettus
• 🇬🇷 Episode 10 — Cape Sounion at sunset: the Temple of Poseidon

Planning your visit

UNESCO — Meteora.

Currency note: prices were paid in euros. US dollar amounts use an illustrative conversion of €1 = US$1.10 for readability; this is neither a live rate nor the rate applied to our 2023 payments.