Full Day Meteora Day Trip from Athens with Transportation

A Balanced Review

This tour has it's good side and bad side. I booked a 10 hour tour but it ended up being 14.5 hours. Let me elaborate. The bad side is the bus tour. You get on the bus at 7:45am, but the bus driver doesn't tell you what is happening. After about 2 hours, you stop is a small seaside town for snacks/coffee but there are so many people that you end up lining up just to get anything in that one restaurant. It's better if you just go to another restaurant nearby and get the snacks. Then it's another 2 hours before you get to Meteora. Then, there is a lunch (if you opted for it). I didn't choose the lunch on my tour because I read the reviews. It's a restaurant, but it's like you are in a canteen - you have to line up with all the other people and pick your dishes from what is already prepared and placed under heat lamps. Then, it seemed like the people had to gulp down their food. If you wanted to have the lunch option, it was another $50CDN on top of the regular tour. I don't think the food was worth $50CDN from the looks of it. Then you visit several monasteries, some of which require some hiking up the side of the hills. Again, you have to rush up and rush back down as there are many tours happening at the same time. Moreover, you have to pay 5 euros for each monastery that you visit. I hope that money is used in the upkeep of each monastery. By the time you see or visit the monasteries, it is 5:30pm, and then you begin the arduous journey of driving 2 hours back to the restaurant we stopped at in the morning. It is an Italian restaurant, and you had to preorder your food. I didn't come to Athens to eat Italian food. I could have gone to another restaurant, but the greek service and hospitality is not rush and laid back - not conducive if you only have 45 minutes to order and eat a meal. However, I thought maybe I might get a small bite. The restaurant was so busy with the two tour busses. I was the first to be seated, but after waiting about 10 minutes, no one came back - they were busy serving the people who had preordered their Italian meals. This dinner was not included in the original tour price. I walked out of the restaurant and chose to walk the serene water front and chose to wait to get dinner in Athens. The restaurant patrons had only 40 minutes to get their food, and scarf it down - not the most appealing thing to do. We are back on the bus for another 2 more hours, and we finally arrive in Athens at 10:30pm. Overall, the best part was our tour guide Maria - she was funny and quite knowledgeable. The sightseeing of the monasteries was awe inspiring, and if you have good weather, the photos ops are amazing. But you aren't allowed to take any photos inside each monastery. The down side - the long bus rides with stops at restaurants that aren't great, and quite rushed. It's a fine balance that the tour company could do tweaks if they want to make the experience better for all.

Fabulous Metéora Tour

Meteora was breathtaking! We were fortunate to have someone explain the historical & religious significance of the monasteries. Our tour was everything it should be. Katerina (Kate) was knowledgeable, engaging, & entertaining! Kudos to her for a job well done. Excellent!!!

Unreal Experience!

Meteora is next-level stunning. The ride was smooth, the guide was awesome, and the views? Just WOW. If you’re in Athens, do yourself a favor and book this trip.

100% worth it!

This trip blew my mind! Meteora is straight out of a movie—massive rock formations, insane views, and incredible monasteries. The guide was super knowledgeable, and the small group made it feel personal.