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!
Dmitris wad a wonderful guide. He was on time and the car was very clean. During the trip, Dmitris explanationed about the monasteries and the rock formations. He was very... read more attentive and even made sure we had water during the visit. We were able to visit 4 of the 6 monasteries and at the end of the day made a good recommendation for lunch.
vidaquimio August 6, 2022
We had a very good time in Meteora , beautiful place , saw 6 monasteries ( and entered 3 of the 6 )
Expect lots of stairs and walks,... read more but totally worth it. Our guide Thomas was brilliant
doctor_edmond January 23, 2023
Best way to book a local organized bus tour to maximize seeing as many of the monasteries as possible. The tour was 4 hours long with a very knowledgeable guide... read more and comfortable midsize bus. Visited 3 monasteries inside with plenty of time to spend and enjoy the sights. Stopped at several beautiful look out points for the perfect photo opportunities. We greatly enjoyed this tour and were glad we chose this hassle and stress free option as driving and parking around the sights can be challenging especially during peak season. The price of 24 Euro was very reasonable for this wonderful experience.
523noemi1717 October 18, 2022
The tour was a fantastic experience. The monasteries were incredible from the inside and outside. The journey in the van between the monasteries was pleasant and convenient and the guide... read more was very knowledgeable and knew the area inside out. I can highly recommend this tour!
Daniel J January 1, 1970
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
Meteora Thrones takes good care of their customers. We were guided by Chrysa, an effervescent, knowledgeable, engaging young woman and a great story-teller. The tour was everything I hoped for.... read more I learned a lot. I only wish we had more time at each monastery. Thank you for a great experience!
Rebecca808 June 29, 2022
Perfect Tour with an Exceptional Guide - This tour was everything I expected and my tour guide (Tomas?) was very friendly and knowledgeable.
I made an error and booked for the wrong date and did not... read more realize it until I was on the train, A quick email communication immediately resolved the issue and they added me to the tour for that day. Changed a catastrophic situation into a very pleasant experience.
debracL9273SM January 2, 2023
The place is amazing, definitely a must see. The staff at the travel agency were kind and helpful.
We arrived from Athens, they waiting for us at the train station.... read more We were lucky with the weather, there was no heatwave yet. We looked at 3 monasteries from the inside. We didn’t have to climb stairs with a heavy bag, we were able to leave our luggage on the bus. It is worth taking water and food with you.
The program was definitely worth the 8 hour trip. Thank You
Adrienn N May 31, 2022
With a seven-headed group of friends from Belgium we booked a one-day Meteora visit, including train tickets, bus rides, tour guide, free leisure time, and lots of breathtaking views and... read more opportunities. Tour guide Harry was funny and amusing, bus driver Socrates seemed skilled (and courteous towards us and other road users), and together they managed to get a whole group of tourists wherever they wanted to get them, on time, with even lots of time to spend exploring the monasteries, and extra time for pictures of amazing views of, and on boulder-like formations.
mmhenrot October 8, 2022
The tour was very well organized. Our guide gave information in an entertaining manner during the driving, and we had enough time at at each monastery to explore on our... read more own. Every stop was well planned. There was time to have dinner even before going back to Athens. It was an amazing experience, well worth the long train rides.
530gabort July 24, 2022
Wonderful tour - It was a wonderful experience! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We stopped at 3 monasteries and stopped at all the great picture locations. Meteora was an amazing... read more place. We are so happy to have taken this tour.
Even though a major train accident occured in Greece about 2 weeks ago, they provided us with a great tour. All the trains were cancelled in the country, but they still chartered a luxurious bus to Kalabaka. They communicated about the transfer change very smoothly.
We highly recommend this tour!!!
mikiwerner March 12, 2023
We did a family trip to Meteora with Meteora Thrones and it was magical! Meteora by itself was incredibly beautiful but the tour made our trip much more fulfulling and... read more interesting. Sara, our guide did a great job explaining everything in Spanish and Giorgos, the driver as well. We enjoyed it a lot and we recommend it if you want a complete experience in Meteora!
P5891NDinesv July 31, 2022
That was a great tour, our guide Ioannis was very knowledgeable and nice, I learned a lot! I would do this tour on the first day as you drive around... read more the whole Meteora and gives a nice sense of what you can do afterwards (walking or by car)
53mariong July 27, 2022
This was an amazing experience! I'm so glad I did this day trip from Athens! I took so many breath taking pictures! Just incredible!
It is a long day.... read more So, be rested and ready. Lots of walking.
davidhU7524UE May 18, 2022
Had a fantastic time with our tour guide Dimitri. We did the sunset tour the evening before - if you are staying overnight, I highly recommend doing both! I was... read more traveling with my parents who are both in their 60s so I was concerned about the amount of steps to the monasteries but visiting 3 monasteries is very doable. The morning weather is also a lot cooler than in the afternoon, when it gets scorching hot in the summer. Both the sunset and morning tours offer some respite from the heat
travelLTN June 29, 2022
Very nice trip. Excellent tour guide and very polite driver. Luxurious bus. Astonishing view. Highly recommended
jennydel2022 November 2, 2022
I joined a half-day private tour, a sunset tour, and a 5-hour day tour. The tours were very well organized. The guides Thomas, Elena and Christos were professional, knowledgeable, and... read more kind. There was so much to learn and the delivery by the tour guides was impeccable. The area was amazing and the tours were well priced and worth the money. The monasteries and the Byzantine church of Virgin Mary are absolutely beautiful and rich in history. I highly recommend visiting the area at least once and joining these tours.
Rockie C January 17, 2023
George, a perfect guide, was extremely informative, interesting, patient and easy to understand.
The bus arrived on time and was very clean and comfortable.
I would highly recommend this wonderful... read more tour.