For those who have been to Meteora before, it may come as a surprise: It wasn’t that high on my list. Indeed, my original plan had been to skip it entirely. But then several factors (Mount Athos permit being granted, my flight being rescheduled and my family having a get together) forced me to redo my schedule with one day to spare for going to Meteora. Lucky me. Because apart from saving money on the flight home I got to take in this great site. It truly ranks with the best.

Of the six monasteries I visited three: St Nicholas, Rousanou and Varlaam. Great Meteora was closed for the day, but I made my way to the gate and viewpoint. The highlight, though, was hiking up the mountains and taking in the stunning views of monasteries and landscape.

It’s true that the big monasteries are overrun with tour groups. The area you can visit per monastery is quite limited and a few busloads will quickly bog down all traffic. In one case a tour guide felt the need to do a lecture in a tiny chapel blocking all ins and outs. A better crowd management would come in handy. Luckily, the bus loads don’t visit all monasteries. They are limited to those offering proper parking. As a consequence, the smaller ones are more relaxed.

My personal highlight was Saint Nicholas as you got to see more of the inside rooms than elsewhere. It’s the lowest one and the first one you will pass when you hike up.

Getting There

VisitMeteora.travel has mostly up to date information on all possible connections. Mostly, as my return bus ran 30min later than indicated. A few more points to add:

• Short connection times with the train are not a concern. The local train to Kalambaka will wait for the inter city trains. In Thessaloniki the ticket office opens really early, so no need to pick up the train ticket the day before.
• The bus station in Kalambaka is not at the train station, but closer to the town center. The town is dotted with maps and the bus station is well marked on these (front side Meteora, back side town). At the bus station you can also get the ticket from Trikala onwards to save yourself the hassle. The journey from Kalambaka to Trikala really takes 40min and the terminal there lies on the outskirts of town, but has sufficient amenities.

I would try to opt for the train connection. It’s faster and at least for Thessaloniki it drops you off in the city instead of the outskirts.

Finally, there seem to be plenty of tour operators offering day trips if you prefer things organized.

Getting Around

There is a bus that will take you up the mountain from the train station. Not sure about the schedule, but if this wasn’t Greece I would assume it’s aligned with the arrivals of trains. Personally, I just walked. It takes 1.5h up and 1h or so down. The views (and pictures) you will get by walking are stunning. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated hiking trail or even sidewalks for that matter. If you are short on time or stamina, you can take the bus up and walk down.

Notes

All monasteries have a dress modestly policy in place. Best to wear long trousers and a long armed shirt.

All monasteries close one day of the week. Check the schedule in advance if there is one you definitively want to see.