Meteora Voyage Tips and guide

The monastery-crowned pillars of Meteora (Greek: Μετέωρα, Metéora) are among the most striking geological and cultural gems of Greece. The formation consists of a number of steep and narrow rock pinnacles near the town of Kalambaka (Καλαμπάκα, Kalabáka) in northwestern Thessaly, topped with a total of 24 monasteries, 6 of which are still in use and open to visitors.

About 60 million years ago, Meteora was a muddy delta at the edge of a lake. Over time, the elevated seabed material formed a high sandstone plateau, where weathering widened cracks on vertical faults. Meteora is unique in that there are few signs of horizontal layering, resulting in stable pillars instead of undercutting from the erosion of weak layers.

The Meteora rocks became a shelter of humankind. The first hermits arrived in this area to seek spiritual isolation and inhabited the caves of the rocks, with the sole aid of ropes and ladders. Common existential needs and strong religious faith compelled them to live united in the first monastic communities, their common drive of faith guiding them towards the unrepeated construction of monasteries of highest architectural and artistic value.

The 24 monasteries emerged on the perilous summits of the rocks from the 14th until the 16th century. These monasteries became the centers of the Orthodox creed in the Byzantine era, having produced some of the best pieces of religious art and craft. During the Ottoman era, they became refuges for Orthodox and Greek culture. Collections of precious manuscripts and works are on display in their museums.

There has been a decline in their use since the 17th century, and most of the monasteries have been long abandoned. The site was also bombed in World War II. Six monasteries remain in use (including one that was converted into a convent for nuns). Steps have been carved into the rock, so they can be explored and admired by all.

The Meteora monasteries have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, and were designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2024. The Meteora-Antichassia region has been declared a Natura 2000 Ecological Zone by the Greek Ministry of Environment, for the protection of rare species of birds and flowers.

The mountain range to the east and north of the site experiences a wide climatic variation from baking heat in summer to severe cold in winter with heavy snowfalls. Summer is the driest time, storms occurring all year round especially at higher altitudes.

• 39.7071121.623031 Information Tourist Center of Kalambaka, Vlachava 1 (at Patriarchou Dim), ☏ +30 24323-50245, [email protected]. Offers free maps, brochures and tour recommendations. (updated Dec 2025)

	Note: The train to Kalambaka via Palaiofarsalos was knocked out of service in 2023 due to storm damage, and is still closed as of Dec 2025. It is expected to reopen in 2026. Until then, the nearest operating stops are Lamia, Palaiofarsalos and Larissa.

KTEL Trikala operates local and intercity buses in the Trikala regional unit, which includes Meteora. Reservations become available about 3-4 weeks in advance. They do not keep the published routes and schedules up-to-date on their website; use the ticketing cart to verify your itinerary.

Most itineraries require taking an intercity bus to Trikala Bus Station, then transferring to the local Trikala-Kalambaka bus. It runs about once an hour, and takes about 45 minutes, making local stops in central Trikala, Vasiliki and Theopetra. Buy a ticket at the bus station, or pay the driver directly at intermediate stops.

• From Athens, buses leave from Liosion Ktel Station (also labeled as Tris Gefires on the KTEL Trikala website). There is sometimes a direct route to Kalambaka that leaves Athens at 7:00 and leaves Kalambaka at 17:15, but other itineraries require a transfer at Trikala. Buses usually leave every two hours, and the journey takes about 5 hours.
• There are also routes to Trikala from Ioannina, Karditsa, Lamia, Larissa, Thessaloniki and Volos.

The drive from Athens takes about 4 hours.

The nearest major airports are Athens (ATH ^IATA) and Thessaloniki (SKG ^IATA).

You can fly from a few cities in Central Europe to Volos (VOL ^IATA) and then travel by car for approximately two hours to Meteora. The train and bus from Volos to Kalambaka take much longer.

Map of Meteora

The monasteries are well served by good roads and are safe and well sign posted. There are various lay-bys and free parking spaces around the area and near monasteries.

You can hire a taxi right at the Kalambaka train station to take you to all the monasteries.

There is a local Kalambaka-Meteora bus (€2) that departs Kalambaka bus station a few times a day, going to Kastraki and each of the six monasteries. The timetables are not published on the KTEL website, so ask at the bus station. You can buy an all day ticket (€5.50) which with some planning would allow you to ride the bus between monasteries.

Reaching the spires by foot gives visitors a more tangible feeling of the Meteora's majesty. It is a difficult hike, but experiencing the sanctuaries like the monks did a few hundred years ago only increases its wonder.

Hiking to all six monasteries takes a whole day, but there are a few clusters that connect easily to each other:

• St. Nikolaos Anapafsas is a 10 minute road walk from Kastraki village.
• Great Meteoron and Varlaam are a 10 minute walk apart.
• Holy Trinity and St. Stephen are a 15 minute walk apart.

In the summer, be prepared for the Greek heat, and bring a few litres of water.

There are two main travel agencies organising guided tours around the monasteries from Kalambaka. Visit Meteora and Meteora Thrones. The tours are generally well reviewed, offer hotel pick-up and most cost between €22 and €35, excluding entry prices for the monasteries. (Updated September 2021). Tours can be booked online, both companies also have an office in the center of Kalampaka. Very few tours have guides licensed to enter the monasteries so you may want to check that. If you can work out the public bus then the tours are not really worthwhile.

There are 6 monasteries at Meteora that are in use and can be visited, from the mountain road running north of Kalambaka and Kastraki. The entrance fee is €5 at each monastery (so €30 to go into all of them). There are WCs in every monastery.

Each monastery is closed one day a week in the summer (Apr-Oct), sometimes more often in the winter (Nov-Mar). The closure days are staggered; there is typically one or two closed on any given weekday. Plan on spending two days here if you are a completionist. The monasteries typically open at 9:00, and close sometime between 15:00 and 17:30. St. Stephen also closes for two hours in the early afternoon.

Men are are required to wear pants covering the knees. Women are required to wear skirts or sarongs, not pants, and also have their shoulders covered. Skirts can be borrowed at the entrance fee collection stations, but the clothing isn't washed after every user so they can get a little grungy. If you bring your own, especially one with bright colors, you'll get a smile from the monk or nun at the entrance. Photography and video are not allowed inside the inner church sanctuaries but are allowed elsewhere.

Except for St. Stephen, each monastery can only be accessed after ascending hundreds of steep steps. Those with mobility issues or poor fitness may only be able to make it to St. Stephen. The tiny cable cars you may notice are not accessible to tourists, they are for hauling in food and other supplies.

In the high season, the monasteries can become incredibly crowded with large groups virtually filling the chapels and other areas. So if possible, visit early in the day!

Clockwise you'll find:

• 39.72372521.6248021 St. Nikolaos Anapafsas (Άγιος Νικόλαος Αναπαυσάς) (1 km from Kastraki village). Sa-Th 09:00-16:00, closed Fridays. The Holy Monastery of Saint Nikolas of Anapafsas was founded at the end of the 14th century. It can be reached via a 10-minute uphill climb on a stone path leading up from the parking area at the main road connecting Kastraki village and Great Meteoron. It is the smallest monastery in Meteora. €5. (updated Dec 2025)
• 39.72143121.6319262 St. Barbara of Roussanou (Αγία Βαρβάρα Ρουσσάνου). Summer: Th-Tu 09:00-17:00; winter: Th-Tu 09:00-14:00, closed Wednesdays. The Holy Monastery of Roussanou has received the name of the first probable hermit who settled on the rock. The main cathedral, celebrating the memory of Santa Barbara, was founded at the end of the 16th century and was decorated 30 years later. The monastery can be accessed via a stairway that leads from a parking area above, or alternatively can be reached via a short uphill cimb from a parking area below. €5. (updated Dec 2025)
• 39.72504621.6301673 Varlaam (Βαρλαάμ). Summer: Sa-Th 09:00-16:00, closed Friday; winter: Sa-W 09:00-15:00. The Monastery of Varlaam is the second largest monastery of Meteora. The name Varlaam comes from a monk named Varlaam who scaled the rocks in 1350 and began construction on the monasteries. Varlaam built three churches by hoisting materials up the face of the cliffs. After Varlaam’s death, the monastery was abandoned for two hundred years until two monk brothers, Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades, came to the rock in the 16th century and began to rebuild the churches in October 1517. The two brothers from Ioannina spent twenty-two years hoisting materials to the top of the rock formation, however, the building only is reported to take around twenty days. As of 2015 that there are seven monks remaining in Varlaam. Today the monastery is accessed through a series of ladders that scale the north side of the rock. The museum is open to travelers and contains a wide array of relics and ecclesiastical treasures. €5. (updated Dec 2025)

• 39.72623421.6266914 Great Meteoron (Μεγάλο Μετέωρο). Summer: W-M 09:00-17:00, closed Tuesdays; winter: Fri-M 09:00 to 14:00. The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is the oldest and largest of the monasteries of Meteora. The monastery is believed to have been built just before the mid 14th century by a monk from Mount Athos named Saint Athanasios the Meteorite. He began the build with a church in dedication to the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary. He later added small cells so that monks could concentrate and live atop the rock formations. The Monastery thrived in the 16th century when it received many imperial and royal donations. Being the largest among all the monasteries allows it to have a particular layout filled with many buildings. The katholikon is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus and was the first church of the monastery. The hermitage of the first founder of the monastery is a small building carved in rock. The kitchen or what is commonly referred to as the hestia is a domed shaped building near the refectory. There is also a hospital, with its famous roof of the ground floor made of brick and supported on four columns. The three old churches or chapels include: The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist which lies next to the katholikon sanctuary, The Saints Constantine and Helen Chapel which is an aisle-less church with large vault, and finally the chapel of Virgin Mary situated in the cave €5. (updated Dec 2025)
• 39.71324521.6360035 Holy Trinity (Αγία Τριάδα). Summer: F-W 09:00-17:00; winter: F-W 09:00-16:00, closed Thursdays. The Monastery of Holy Trinity is the most difficult to reach, but once you get to the very top, the panoramic view of the surroundings is simply captivating! €5. (updated Dec 2025)

• 39.70916821.6389646 St. Stephen (Άγιος Στέφανος). Summer: Tu-Su 09:30-13:30 and 15:30-17:30; winter: 09:30-13:00 and 15:00-17:00, closed Mondays. This is the most accessible monastery, where instead of steps you simply cross a small bridge to reach the entrance. It is ideal for visitors who cannot use the steps and yet they wish to have a real experience of a Meteora monastery. It is a nunnery today, although in the past it was a male-only monastery. €5. (updated Dec 2025)

In summary:

• The largest museums with the most comprehensive exhibits can be found at Great Meteoron and Varlaam monasteries.
• The largest, most frequently visited monasteries are Great Meteoron, Varlaam, and St. Stephen. Rousanou, St. Nicholas, and Holy Trinity are smaller monasteries in more rugged locations and do not have museum exhibits.

• 39.71339721.626247 Adrachti (Αδράχτι). A distinctively tall, thin rock pillar resembling a needle, sticking out from a narrow valley visible from Kastraki and parts of Kalambaka. A trail from Kastraki leads to its base. (updated Dec 2025)

Meteora offers more than 20km of hiking trails, ranging from easier to more challenging ones.

Most of the trails are not marked, so bring a map or a GPS tool:

• OpenStreetMap (OSM) apps show nearly all of the routes and paths for hiking, which are not very detailed on Google Maps. Not all of these trails are in good shape.
• Meteora Trails maps 14 interconnected trails covering the entire area.
• Many of the major trails are marked with red "MTR" (Meteora Trail Running) signs.

A few major trails for getting up to the monasteries include:

• 39.7120821.631051 trail from Kalambaka to Holy Trinity is stone-paved with 470m of elevation gain.
• 39.7231721.628442 trail from near St. Nikolaos Anapafsas to Great Meteoron and Varlaam is stone-paved, and also passes a few hermit caves. Look for the statue along the road marking the trailhead.

With a good trail map (and a few road walks), you can find ways to connect to all 6 monasteries on foot in a single full day, keeping in mind that one monastery will probably be closed.

There are more than 170 peaks and 600 bolted climbing routes in the area. You can buy the 2 guidebooks containing almost every route from the local bookstores. There is no option for renting equipment so either bring your own or get a climbing guide.

Each of the monasteries has a gift shop with books, souvenirs, and religious items. Inexpensive, mass-produced icons may be purchased for as little as €1.

There are no places to eat at the monasteries themselves, except for a few snack vendors at the Great Meteoron parking area. Head into Kalambaka or Kastraki for a wide selection of restaurants.

The nearby towns of Kalambaka and Kastraki both offer different kinds of accommodation. Choose Kastraki if you want to stay closer to the rocks or for the village atmosphere. Choose Kalambaka for better amenities or easier transit logistics.

• Delphi, site of the famous Oracle of Apollo, a major archaeological site
• Mount Athos, another region of Greece famous for its secluded Eastern Orthodox monasteries
• Olympos National Park, the highest mountain of Greece, a major trekking destination
• Vergina, 174 km, site of UNESCO listed Ancient Aigai site of ancient tombs of Philip II of Macedon