Are you planning a trip to Greece? Meteora is one of the most popular destinations to visit on the mainland and the photos from my trip alone speak for itself. However, if you’re caught for time like I was, keep reading. Visiting Meteora in a day is very possible! I travelled from Athens the night before and I managed to see most of the sights in a day. If this is what you’re thinking of doing, this post may be useful.
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Getting to the Monastery in Meteora the Morning.
I woke up at my hostel at around 8am to check out and be ready for the 9am bus outside the bakery. The bus costs €2. Be prepared for cold weather in the morning, even if you see the sunshine and a clear blue sky. The bus arrived 10 minutes later than scheduled and it took 25 minutes in total.
The walk up is also beautiful and it’s €3 to enter The Great Monastery of Meteoron. It’s free if you’re Greek! There is a room full of monastery artefacts from the 14th/15th Century mainly with gospels, clothing, etc. No photos are allowed in this room. The church is also spectacular and there are places to light candles and say prayers if you like.
As you leave The Great Monastery of Meteoron, go down the steps, take a right and then the first left to get onto the path. Or to make it easier, go back out the way you came and you’ll see it as you walk along on the right.
Onwards to The Holy Monastery of Varlaam
The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is €3 entry. At the beginning there is a museum again with a lot of artefacts of different paintings, scriptures and clothing. There is a strong smell of incense in here too. The daily routine of the monk and their monastic habits are also explained on the walls.
There is a van with snacks nearby. You can buy a toasted ham and cheese sandwich along with a cappuccino for €4.50.
Final Stop: Holy Trinity Monastery
Holy Trinity Monastery is a 15 minute walk along and is €3 to entry unless you’re Greek in which case it’s free. You’ll see plenty of people taking photos here in particular because of the massive flat boulder and backdrop of mountains. The Holy Trinity Monastery is very small but again, there are beautiful views, especially of Calabaka.
The walk down to Calabaka is very nice and slightly steep at the first part (look for the arrow that says Calabaka as you leave Holy Trinity Monastery.
Travelling Back to Athens
I made it back to Meteora Central Hostel just before 2pm and George took me by scooter to the station. I took a bus from Calabaka to Trikala and then from Trikala to Athens.
Thanks for Reading!
I hope that this post was useful for you, if you’re planning a trip to Meteora! Best of luck and please consider sharing this with a friend. If you found it useful, you may also enjoy the following:
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