Meteora & Zagori: hike, raft, canyon
Most trips to Greece never go north of Meteora. This one does. Two days among the monasteries with a licensed guide, then four days in Zagori, a mountain region of stone villages, arched bridges and one very deep gorge, where the certified guides of our own activities team take over. It is a trip for people who like to walk, and it starts in Athens.
Where it goes
Meteora. Six working monasteries on rock pillars above the plain of Thessaly. A licensed guide at each one we visit, and the evening light on the rocks from the village below.
Zagori. Some forty-six villages of grey stone in the Pindus mountains, joined by old mule paths and arched bridges from the 18th and 19th centuries, and on UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 2023. We stay in one or two of them: Kipi with its bridges, Monodendri at the rim of the gorge, or the two Papingo villages under the towers of Mount Tymfi.
The Vikos gorge. About 900 meters deep at one point, with the springs of the Voidomatis at its far end. The crossing from Monodendri to the village of Vikos takes most of a day: six to eight hours on a rocky path, with no way out in the middle. We offer it with a second option on the same day, the walk to the Beloi viewpoint and down the old stone staircase of Vradeto, for anyone who wants the view without the full crossing.
The Voidomatis. Clear, cold water out of the gorge. The raft descent is gentle, about three hours, and needs no experience; our guides run it.
A canyon, if you want one. Near Papingo, an afternoon of ropes, slides and pools with a certified canyoning guide. Optional: the rest of the group takes the village paths or the natural rock pools.
Ioannina. The last night by the lake, with the island and its monasteries a short boat ride away and the old town inside the castle walls.
How the week runs
Six nights: one in Kalambaka under the Meteora rocks, four in Zagori, in one or two villages so you unpack once or twice, and one in Ioannina. The trip starts in Athens with the morning train or coach to Kalambaka, which we handle, and ends in Ioannina, which has an airport with flights to Athens. A trip manager from our Athens team is with the group from the first dinner to the last morning.
Transfers, the guides, the gorge day and the rafting are included. What is and isn’t included, down to the meals, is written on the trip page before you pay, as on all our trips.
Who comes
Groups of 12 or fewer, built for people who come on their own. Couples and friends are welcome. You should be comfortable walking five to six hours on uneven paths, with the shorter options on the two big days if you’d rather. In their 30s, 40s and early 50s, like our other trips, though the question here is your legs, not your age. If you book alone, you share a twin room with someone of the same sex, or take a single room at the price shown with the trip.
When to go
May and June, when the gorge is green and the river full, and September and October, when the heat has gone and the beech forests turn. Not July and August: the rim of the gorge has no shade at noon. Not winter: the paths ice over. In May we check the river level the day before the gorge, and switch the group to the Beloi walk if it is running high.
Six nights, from Meteora to Ioannina
Two days at Meteora, four in the Zagori villages, one in Ioannina. The dates, the hotels and the price go to this list before they go anywhere else.
Up to 12 people · Built for people who come on their own. Couples and friends are welcome.
Get the dates for this trip
Meteora on its own page: Meteora. And how a trip works.