Meteora monasteries – the miracle of Greece. Few kilometers northwest of the town of Kalabaka, the impressive rocks of Meteora are rising from the plains of Thessaly been one of the most amazing places in Greece. Many centuries ago, on these gigantic rocks with the breathtaking landscape reaching heights of more than 600 meters, it was formed one of the most important monastic communities of Greece. The Greek word Meteora means “suspended in the air” and this phrase aptly describes these remarkable Greek Orthodox monasteries.
Meteora is a great place to experience , a spectacular landscape and byzantine monasteries perched on top of steep rocks that house priceless artifacts and wall paintings. Today only six monasteries are active with a small number of monks or nuns who reside on Meteora. In 1988, the Meteora monasteries have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the Meteora-Antichassia area is part of the Natura 2000 network hosting some rare species of birds and flowers. As you approach the town of Kalabaka, the nearest big town near Meteora , and the picturesque village of Kastraki you will see a complex of giant sandstone rock pillars that climb up into the sky. On top of them you will spot the famous Meteora monasteries.
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Which Meteora monasteries to visit?
Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron
The Great Meteoron, also known as the Holy Monastery of the Metamorfossis (Transfiguration of Christ), is a male monastery and is the oldest and largest of all the monasteries of Meteora. It is built on the greatest rock of the complex, the Platys Lithos or Playtlithos. It was founded little before the mid-14th century (around 1340) by a scholar monk of Mount Athos, Saint Athanasios Meteorites. The monastery has a pleasant courtyard and there are many amazing frescoes to see. Probably one of the most interesting parts of the monastery…
The Varlaam Monastery is named after the first monk who built the first church on the rock. This was in 1350 and Varlaan built three churches, a room for himself and a water tank. Unfortunately no other monks joined him, after his death the site was abandoned for 200 years. In 1517 two monks from Ioannina, Theophanes and Nektarios Apsarades , re-founded the monastery. Nowadays the monastery can be reached by a bridge and has a small museum, there are a lot of impressive 16th century paintings to see as well…
The Rousanou Monastery was built in 1545 by Maximos and Ioasaph of Ioannina, it is unclear who the actual monastery is named after, but it is dedicated to St.Barbara. Like other monasteries at Meteora the Roussanou monastery was looted during the Second World War. The monastery is reached by a bridge that has some dramatic drops. Nowadays the Monastery is run by nuns. The monastery is located on the way from Kastraki to Meteora between St. Nicholas Anapafsas and Varlaam monastery…
St. Nicholas Anapafsas monastery was founded in the 14th century and nobody is quite sure who the monastery is named after. This Monastery is most famous for its frescoes by the famous Cretan artist Theophanes Strelitzas in 1527. Some of these frescoes include the passion of Christ and the Virgin Mary praying. The monastery fell into disrepair and was completely abandoned for 60 years from 1900 to the 1960’s when the Greek government repaired the monastery…
The 14th century St. Stephen monastery is the closest monastery in Meteora to the main town of Kalabaka, and so the easiest to visit. St. Stephen monastery was founded by St. Antoninus Cantacuzene, who is thought to be a son of the Serb ruler Nicephorus II of Epirus, in 1400. The Katholikon at the monastery is dedicated to St. Charalambos who’s head it contains, as it is believed to prevent illnesses. Much of the monastery was destroyed during World War Two and the Greek civil war that followed. The monastery is run by Nuns…
You may recognise the monastery of Holy Trinity as it was used in the James Bond movie ‘For your eyes only’ Roger Moore scales the cliff face. Out of all the monasteries of Meteora Holy Trinity has the most dramatic location, the rock face is a sheer drop and the rock itself is a lot more slender. The monastery was built in 1458 and had many treasures, but most of these were looted by the Germans during the Second World War, most of the frescoes are from the 18th century…
Meteora Thrones is the leading travel service company in Meteora and the surrounding area, which has earned the trust and loyalty of visitors who want to organize in the best and most effective way their visit to Meteora and the Holy Monasteries.
We organize everyday tours with the goal to offer you the absolute and authentic Meteora experience with the best prices in the area. Enjoy with us the best panoramic and majestic views of your life. Our experienced staff and the “State of the Art” VIP Limo Mini bus we own guarantee an unforgettable, high quality, way to discover our unique place.
We also provide private tours with VIP services and personalized programs to enjoy the magic of Meteora in the maximum. Come along to make the tour of your dreams!
Amzing experience with amazing host. Learned a lot of history and saw all the special places/foto stations. Also visited the best monastaries. Everything was 100% on schedule as planned
Discover60737328256 September 29, 2022
We did the half day morning monastery tour from Kastraki and really enjoyed it. The guide was very knowledgeable and his English was excellent, the driver was very safe, and... read more the monasteries were amazing!
Marnirk January 23, 2023
We were a group with 2 children and we were concerned the tour could be boring for them, but the guide went all out to attract their attention with with... read more curious facts about the monks' life in the past. The presentation was very informative and the mini-bus was comfortable and air-conditioned which helps a lot after going up and down the steps to the monasteries on a hot July day. We greatly appreciated the tips about the best photos spots.
dilyanak2021 July 7, 2022
I took both the morning and evening tours and would recommend them both. The area is majestic and the two tour guides could not have been more accommodatig and helpful.
Ben555674 March 29, 2022
Great four hour trip with breathtaking views. Wonderful opportunity to get a first impression of the whole of Meteora and to prepare the next visit with selected monasteries. Very knowledgable... read more tour guide speaking impeccable German and English. Evcharisto!
Bernd D May 4, 2022
Christos was a wonderful guide, really engaging, and full of knowledge and stories. Even my teenage kids were enthralled by the many anecdotes and insight into the places we visited.... read more
Nothing to add to how breathtaking Meteora is, the photos do not do it justice and the other reviewers write far better than I.
But I will add another reason to take this tour is that you will visit some monasteries out of the beaten path. If we had just driven ourselves we would probably have stuck to the big ones
SpanishTraveller62 June 30, 2022
Wonderful experience - The car is super new and really clean, Antonio, our guide, is a very nice gentleman with a lot of knowledge on the region. Super nice experience, I totally recommend!
Marcel F March 5, 2023
We went in April when the temperature was still cool. Summer would make all the walking a little more difficult. Spending time with Chris was like spending time with a... read more friend. He patiently shared with us the history and details of Meteora and its monasteries. Clearly Chris loves his job and every knows him. Our friends who have been to Meteora complimented us on the pictures that my wife shared on Facebook. Chris is an excellent photographer (very important to my wife) and knows all of the places. I highly recommend Chris and this tour. Book early so you can reserve 1st class train tickets since these seats are limited.
K1phan May 7, 2022
Guide was absolutely lovely girl who knows how to interact with people, perfect bus driver and of course incredible Meteors.
In Athens there are no signs of which track... read more you should take as also no schedules with all possible directions. But people always help.
Camper268680 April 22, 2022
We're very happy we made the time to visit Meteora - it's a looong day, but worth it! Stunning views, lots of explanations about the history and plenty of... read more stops to take pictures. Highly recommend!
Lisa T August 15, 2022
Excellent tour and Antonis was the best guide. He was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond our expectations.
Suzan H November 14, 2023
Puntual and very good explanations. Our guide Elena was very knowledgable and answer all our questions.
mitzfp August 28, 2022
Our tour of Meteora was amazing. Yiannis and Costas were both excellent hosts. We would definitely recommend visiting Meteora to anyone who is able to visit!
harrison j May 16, 2022
Wonderful tour! Our tour guide Maria was very kind and well-informed, and she made the trip very enjoyable. Great experience!
olivria11 May 28, 2022
Very nice trip. Excellent tour guide and very polite driver. Luxurious bus. Astonishing view. Highly recommended
jennydel2022 November 2, 2022
Amazing experience! Team was professional, driver (Kostas) Pro, and guide (Yannis) a local boy who knew a lot about place and share his knowledge with charm and sense of humor.... read more We also saved a lot of time for not caring about driving and looking for a parking spots. Highly recommended.
mariuszbO4116QF June 26, 2022
Amiable , Knowledgeable Guides - The driver and guide were friendly, knowledgeable and genuine during our small, private tour. They seamlessly adjusted our tour to fit our specific interests. They were conversational while sharing historical... read more facts and cultural anecdotes.
Clara N June 8, 2023
On 28th of April when arriving to Kalambaka I had booked in advance a Sunset Tour. There were only three of us attending and I cannot praise enough our guide... read more Dimitry ❤️. He was like a walking historybook, he knew so many details about the area, the monasteries and the history. He also had such a great sense of humour. What an excellent guide he is! We visited Anapafsas monastery and after that an amazing church. Made many stops to take photos and ended our tour to the Sunset rock with a lovely sunset before heading back to Kalambaka. What a fun evening. Thank you so much for making the trip so special, Dimitry!