Plan three monastery visits if you have a full day in Kalabaka or Kastraki with transport between stops. Start with Great Meteoron and nearby Varlaam. Take lunch before Rousanou. Keep sunset if a return ride is arranged.
The morning tours below enter three monasteries in four hours. The independent plan uses the April to October timetable. The public bus around the monasteries was withdrawn in 2024. The changes below cover closing days and winter visits.
Tours that do it
Each morning tour enters three monasteries in four hours. Prices start at €35 per adult plus €15 in cash for the monastery doors.
Visit Meteora · 4.8/5 · 77 reviews
Morning monasteries with audio guide
3 of 6 inside: Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Rousanou; swaps on closing days. Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors. Up to 18 people share the tour. The live guide speaks English. Other languages use an audio guide. The guide does not accompany you inside the monasteries. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. Men need long trousers and long sleeves. Women need a skirt below the knee and covered shoulders.
From €35 per adult · “Meteora Monasteries Half-Day Small Group Tour with Transport”
Meteora Thrones · Travel Center · 4.8/5 · 77 reviews
Morning minibus, three monasteries inside
3 of 6 inside: Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Rousanou; swaps on closing days. Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors. Up to 20 people share the tour. The guide stays outside the monasteries. Hotel pickup runs from 08:40 to 09:15. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. Cover your shoulders. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers.
From €35 per adult · “Meteora Panoramic Morning Small Group Tour with Local Guide”
Meteora Trip · 4.7/5 · 37 reviews
Three monasteries and cave views
3 of 6 inside; the three are unnamed. Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors. The live guide speaks English and stays outside the monasteries. Other languages use an audio guide. Bring your smartphone and earphones. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. The tour can be cancelled for bad weather or too few travellers. Cover your shoulders. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers.
From €35 per adult · “Small Group Tour”
All 5 compared: Meteora monasteries tours →Tour data recorded Nov 3, 2026. Bookings go through Viator at the same price; we earn a commission.
Why we would book one
- Choose a tour if you want closing-day changes handled for you. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones.
- Hotel pickup helps if you want to avoid arranging separate taxis. The Meteora Thrones minibus collects guests from 08:40 to 09:15.
- A four-hour morning tour suits a local start if you want lunch and sunset afterwards. The guides stay outside the monasteries.
A summer day on your own
Allow €15 per adult for three monastery entries if you follow this independent route, plus meals and your agreed taxi fares.
| Time | What | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Arrange the day's transport | Ask at Kalabaka bus station whether anything runs if you hope to use a bus. Arrange taxis for this route and the return from sunset. | |
| Start at Great Meteoron | The summer hours are 09:30 to 15:00. Avoid Tuesdays and the extra closure dates: 5 to 7 August and 30 September to 1 October. | |
| Continue to Varlaam | Varlaam is next to Great Meteoron and has fewer steps. It closes on Fridays. | |
| Pause before the next visit | Arrange the afternoon pickup around your lunch break if you are travelling by taxi. Meals are outside the entrance total. | |
| Visit Rousanou | Rousanou has a short bridge. It closes on Wednesdays. | |
| Stop at a free viewpoint | The free viewpoints lie on the loop road between Rousanou and St Stephen. Keep this stop only with a return ride arranged. |
- Great Meteoron entry
- €5
- Varlaam entry
- €5
- Rousanou entry
- €5
- Total per adult before transport and meals
- €15
Fee sources read 16 October 2026. The total covers cash entry at three monasteries. Taxi fares and meals are extra. Agree taxi fares before getting in.
Choose one of the morning tours above if you want hotel pickup and closing-day swaps handled for you.
Fees: meteora.tours (prices verified June 2026), meteoramonasteries.org (updated 29 August 2026) and greekedition.com (2 October 2026), all read 16 October 2026. Great Meteoron hours and closures: its official visiting page on meteoromonastery.gr, read 16 October 2026; no year printed. Other monastery timetables: visitmeteora.travel and maptrotting.com, checked 16 October 2026. Bus withdrawal: visitmeteora.travel notice of 26 July 2024 and KTEL Trikala's website, read 16 October 2026. Athens connection: Hellenic Train mainline timetable valid from 15 September 2025 and undated branch timetable, both read 16 October 2026. Tour figures: records in the page brief, read 16 October 2026. Place details and dress rules: the editor's fact sheet. The €15 total is three entries at €5 each. Route order and untimed visit slots are editorial planning choices.
What to change if
- It is Tuesday from April to October
- Start at Varlaam. Replace Great Meteoron with Holy Trinity as the third visit after Rousanou.
- It is Wednesday from April to October
- Replace Rousanou with St Stephen after its lunch closure. It shuts from 13:30 to 15:30.
- It is Friday from April to October
- Varlaam is closed. Make Holy Trinity your third visit after Great Meteoron and Rousanou.
- You visit from November to March
- Plan around Great Meteoron's 14:00 winter close if it is open. It closes Tuesday to Thursday and from 1 to 28 February.
- You need an entrance without steps
- St Stephen has a bridge from the road with no steps. It closes on Mondays and shuts for lunch from 13:30 to 15:30.
Questions
Can I visit all six monasteries in one day?
Aim for three if you want lunch and sunset in the same day. All six are normally open on Saturdays and Sundays from April to October. Feast days and Great Meteoron's extra closure dates can change that. The morning tours take four hours for three interiors.
Do I need to book monastery tickets?
No advance booking is needed at any of the six monasteries. There are no online tickets or timed slots. Bring €5 in cash for each door. The morning tour prices exclude these entrance fees.
Can I follow this plan after the morning train from Athens?
The morning connection from Athens reaches Kalabaka at 12:30, too late for this morning route. It uses a replacement bus from Paleofarsalos. Great Meteoron closes at 15:00 in summer. Choose an afternoon plan if you arrive on that connection.
What should I wear inside the monasteries?
Cover your shoulders before entering each monastery. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers. Every gate lends wrap-around skirts for women in trousers and for men in shorts.