Meteora Experience: Private Day Trip from Thessaloniki

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Great Meteoron or Megalo Meteoron is the biggest and oldest monastery of all in Meteora. The monastery offers amazing views to the surrounding landscape. During your visit you have the chance to visit the museum of the monastery, where historical codices and religious icons of high value are on display. Moreover, take time to gaze at the artistic details of some of the best samples of post-Byzantine art of Greece, found inside the main church of the monastery.

   1 h

2. The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is the second biggest monastery of Meteora. Located very close to Great Meteoro Monastery, it was founded in the mid 14th century by a monk named Varlaam. The chapel was finally decorated in 1548. The beautiful frescos in the monastery’s chapel of All Saints belong to the famous hagiographer of the 16th century Franco Catalano. The monastery has preserved the tower with the old pully system where you can see the net, used by the first monks to bring up people and provisions. The visitors can also see a very large 16th-century oak barrel used for water storage over the previous centuries. The monastery of Varlaam has opened recently a brand new museum, where visitors can admire the excellence of religious painted icons – mostly contemporary to the Renaissance period – and precious holy vestments of the priests from the Byzantine period.

   1 h

3. The Holy Monastery of St. Stephen is one of the most accessible monasteries in Meteora, set on a lower rock and connected by a stone bridge. Founded in the 14th century, it offers stunning views of the surrounding cliffs and a peaceful atmosphere. Inside, you’ll find a beautiful church adorned with frescoes and icons, along with a collection of holy relics. The monastery's serene setting makes it a perfect spot to reflect and capture the incredible natural beauty of Meteora.

   1 h

4. Enjoy a traditional Greek lunch in Kastraki, near the city of Kalampaka, before heading back to Thessaloniki.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 69 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Amazing experience!

  Highly recommended! We had an absolutely amazing tour thanks to Leo. He was incredibly professional, patient, and drove very safely throughout the whole trip. Beyond being a great driver, Leo was friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure we felt comfortable and well taken care of the entire time. If you want an stress-free and fantastic experience, look no further! 5 stars for Leo!

  noamz115October 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Monasteries Tour Guide/ authentic experience

  Absolutely wonderful experience! First international trip for myself, 10/10. Amazing trip, great tour guide and he made it an absolute blast of a trip! Very fun time, it was better than I expected. The tour guide showed us all the monasteries, all of the history, and made us feel very welcomed during the trip. I would highly recommend this to someone looking for a tour guide for the Monasteries. It was amazing!

  chrisdU2457ADSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Amazing Experience

  We had an amazing time. Our guide was kind, helpful and very knowledgeable. We did not feel rushed and he made sure we were able to do everything we wanted to do. I would definitely recommend using this igohellas for your tour!

  kaitlynb291September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5amazing 5 stars!

  beautiful tour! our guide was so nice and knowledgeable!

  micaelaaD9459LDSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great Experience

  We did the day trip to Meteora with Antonis. He was very friendly and provided great information during our drive. He also helped us grab some coffee on the way and proceed a great lunch restaurant recommendation on our way back to Thessaloniki. Would recommend.

  T8858VLtylersAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5An Absolute Must!

  Our tour guide, Vasilis, was right on time, kept the car at a comfortable temperature for us, navigated the narrow roadways with precision, parked in congested areas with ease. We felt very safe with him at the helm. He gave us ample time to explore, asked if we wanted to stop for a stretch break and/or have pictures taken at a scenic location. So glad we booked this private tour with Vasilis. It was worth the money as he dropped us off as close to the monasteries as possible and picked us up at the dedicated time. This saved walking extra distance in the heat! The stops were breath taking! So glad I saw these stunning sights!

  carolkT2185OFAugust 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Thessaloniki

• Its from-price is 14% above the median of the 101 day trips we list in Thessaloniki.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 101.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, is a Byzantine and Ottoman port on the Aegean, with a waterfront tower, Roman monuments and excellent street food.

Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC and became one of the main cities of the Roman and Byzantine worlds. The White Tower stands on the waterfront promenade, a rounded Ottoman-era tower that is now the city's emblem, and the Rotunda and the Arch of Galerius recall the Roman ruler who made the city his base. The early Christian and Byzantine churches, among them Agios Dimitrios, are listed by UNESCO.

Top-ranked sights in Thessaloniki: White Tower (Lefkos Pyrgos), Aristotelous Square, Church and Crypt of Ayios Dimitrios.

See all 406 experiences in Thessaloniki