Meteora, Greece

The cliff-perched monasteries at Meteora are one of the most spectacular sights in Greece. Our Zagoria hiking journey includes a hike to these ancient monasteries, following in the footsteps of the monks.

Photo by Mehlig Manfred / Fototeca 9x12

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Greece: Zagoria and Mt. Olympus

The Pindos Mountains, Meteora Monasteries, and the Abode of Zeus

The hidden world of traditional Greece lies in Zagoria, “the land beyond the mountains,” where exquisite walled villages are perched along the dramatic Vikos Gorge, part of the craggy Pindos range. On village-to-village hikes, we follow trails through silvery olive groves and across arched stone bridges, then head to the spectacular monasteries of Meteora for a hike in these airy sanctuaries, built atop towering rock pinnacles between the 13th and 15th centuries. Our odyssey’s grand finale is a hike up Mt. Olympus (9,577'), storied home of the gods, where we can gaze out over the ancient world from the domain of Zeus, ruler of the sky.

Highlights

  • Traditional villages of Zagoria, with their stone and slate architecture
  • Spectacular cliff-top monasteries of Meteora
  • Hike to the summit of Mt. Olympus, abode of the gods

Details

  • 11-day trip begins in Ioannina and ends in Thessaloniki
  • 9 nights hotels and traditional guesthouses, 1 night mountain refuge
  • All meals included except 1 lunch
  • 9 hiking days on moderate to steep trails, 2-8 hours a day, altitudes between 3,000-9,403 feet

Tour Costs

$3395 (10-15 members)
$3695 (4-9 members)

Single supplement: $250

Prices are for 2010 dates

Departures & Leaders

May 10-20, 2010  Kostas Vasileiou
   Nikos Koutsoupas
Jun 21-Jul 1, 2010  Kostas Vasileiou
   Nikos Koutsoupas
Sep 20-30, 2010  Kostas Vasileiou
   Nikos Koutsoupas
Oct 4-14, 2010  Kostas Vasileiou
   Nikos Koutsoupas

Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance
Greece: Zagoria and Mt. Olympus route-map

Days 1-2
Ioannina / Zagoria

From Ioannina, we head north into the beautiful realm of Zagoria. Our first hike brings us to the hilltop village of Vradeto (4,700'), the highest in the region, and then to Beloi as we feast our eyes on the splendor of the sheer Vikos Gorge. We descend the famous Vradeto Stairs, a 17th century stone staircase, to the village of Kapesovo, a great place to taste the local herb-infused cuisine and regional wine.

Days 3-4
Vitsa / Kipi

Spectacular 10th century stone bridges of double and even triple arches span the upper reaches of the sheer Vikos Gorge. We cross them on our hike up to delightful Vitsa, with its cascade of stone houses and lovely village square shaded by a huge plane tree. The Paliogefiro bridge leads us to the handsome village of Kipi, with its folk museum of artifacts of life in Zagoria between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Days 5-6
Voidhomatis Springs / Papingo

Hiking along the river in the Vikos Gorge, we enjoy a chance for a swim in a natural spring before we ascend to Papingo, a truly spectacular village nestled beneath limestone towers and overlooking the entire length of the Vikos Gorge. The trail to Astraka Refuge (6,400') takes us past gleaming Dragon Lake (6,800'), set on one of the high peaks of the Pindos Mountains.

Days 7-8
Dodona / Meteora / Litochoro

After we explore the sanctuary of Dodona, the oldest of Greek oracles, we head for magnificent Meteora, one of the great sights of mainland Greece. Meteora means “suspended in the air” in Greek, and here atop towering rock pinnacles are seemingly inaccessible medieval monasteries. We hike in this surreal landscape of sheer rock pedestals and then continue on to Litochoro, gateway for Olympus climbs.

Days 9-11
Spilio Agapitos Refuge / Mt. Olympus

We climb soaring Mount Olympus, ascending trails through the forest then above the treeline to the Spilio Agapitos Refuge (7,200'). The next morning, we rise early to hike to the rocky summit of Skala (9,403'), one of Mount Olympus’ main peaks and a fitting abode for the gods. After enjoying a moment at this spot where Zeus once hurled his thunderbolts, we descend and depart on Day 11 via Thessaloniki.

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure