Meteora

ótimo do início ao fim, saída às 9h pontualmente e chegada à estação de Atenas por volta das 23h. Um salve para o Yanis, nosso motorista, que dirige com segurança, e para a Vassou, nossa guia turística, que foi simpática e muito conhecedora do assunto!! Vimos 3 monastérios por dentro e eles ainda nos levaram para ver o 4º, embora por fora, pois este fecha mais cedo, mas tudo bem... é o primeiro monastério construído e o mais lindo! Vale a pena subir os degraus para visitar todos os 3 monastérios. O almoço também foi ótimo. O único ponto negativo foi o jantar, que estava muito caro, imagino que seja a típica pegadinha para turistas: 20 euros por 2 espetinhos de souvlaki com fritas, salada e uma garrafa de água. Há outras opções de comida, e ouvi outros passageiros reclamando dos preços que tiveram que pagar também. Mas, tirando isso, foi uma viagem linda! Houve paradas suficientes para ir ao banheiro, com banheiros nos monastérios que visitamos.

I participated in a 2-day, 1-night tour. For the hotel in Kalambaka, I chose the 4-star option, but I ended up being the only person placed in a large hotel on the outskirts of town. It took about a 20-minute walk to get to the town center. Given this, I would have rather stayed at a 3-star hotel in the center of town. I was satisfied with the tour content, though. The tour to see the sunset in Meteora was amazing. The next day, due to a misunderstanding on my part, I ended up booking a hiking tour. While this turned out to be nice in its own way, I wish I had chosen the option to visit more monasteries instead. Since it is far from Athens, I am glad I didn't do a day trip. If I am being picky, the pickup time on the second day could have been a little earlier.

The pick-up location was very easy to find. We saw many monasteries along the way. I didn't bring cash, but I was able to get in using a card. The tour guide was very humorous and kept saying he was his parents' favorite child. The driver drove very smoothly, and I slept soundly along the way. As for the food being expensive, I didn't think so—it seemed like the normal price around here.

Irene K and our driver George were an absolute pleasure! George is an excellent photographer with a wonderful sense of humour and Irene K was truly fantastic. she is extremely knowledgeable, flexible and adaptable to peoples interests and shared so much history and context that was truly valuable. Having such a qualified and experienced archaeologist as a guide to such ancient and important spaces was a real blessing! as for the trip itself, it was perfectly paced really such a special experience! I am so glad that I joined this tour and highly recommend it. The only negative thing I can think of was that the food at the restaurant for lunch on the first day was just okay and a little overpriced. Perhaps to tour company might consider some other locations to stop for lunch. Even just a smaller local spot considering the group itself was only small.

What an amazing experience! My son and I wanted to see Meteora and the monasteries from a different perspective other than from a tour bus. I am so glad that we went on this hike. Our guide, Kris, was so funny and very knowledgeable. I thought we were just getting a hike. What I didn’t expect was how knowledgeable Kris was on how the rock formations were formed, the ecology of the area, and how the monasteries developed over the centuries. The hike was not too challenging, but definitely bring an extra water bottle… They give you one at the start of the hike, but having an extra one would be helpful. Also, there were parts where we were out in the open so bringing sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses definitely helped. I would definitely recommend this hike to anyone on the adventurous side and looking to experience the beauty of nature and Meteora.