Viator lists 17 monastery tours from Kalabaka and Kastraki. We read the 10 that pass our review bar in full and recommend these 5.
These five tours enter three monasteries in four hours. Shared minibuses collect you from hotels in Kalabaka or Kastraki. Starting prices run from €35 to €40 per adult. Group limits range from 15 to 20 people.
Choose the Morning tour with audio for an hour at Great Meteoron and audio in other languages. Take the Panoramic morning tour for English commentary and 50 minutes at Great Meteoron. Both also visit Varlaam and Rousanou. Choose the Morning sightseeing tour if you want views of Doupiani Chapel and St George Mandilas cave. Take the 08:30 monasteries tour for an early start. The Midday station tour offers a 12:30 departure with pickup at Kalabaka station. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. Bring €5 in cash for each door. Entrance fees and guiding inside the monasteries are not included.
Monasteries inside3 of 6 inside; the three are unnamedThe guide speaks English and stays outside the monasteries.
Adult price / extrasFrom €35per adult · ages 13 to 99Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors.
Day / groupUp to 16 people
Start / returnKalabaka station or local hotel. Minibus.
Other stopsPanoramic photo stops.
Three main choices
01
Operator: Visit Meteora · · Up to 18 people
Morning monasteries with audio guide
The morning with the most reviews
Start
09:00
Duration
4 hours
Cancellation
Free, up to 24 h before
Pickup
Kalabaka or Kastraki accommodation pickup
Rating
4.8/5 from 77 reviews
The tour enters three monasteries with up to 18 people. Stops allow 60 minutes at Great Meteoron and 45 each at Varlaam and Rousanou when open. Pickup includes hotels and Airbnbs in Kalabaka or Kastraki.
Selected option
Meteora Monasteries Half-Day Small Group Tour with Transport
From €35 per adult · ages 12 to 99
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.
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Photos from Visit Meteora
Choose this for audio in another language alongside English commentary. Look to the midday tour for station pickup.
The guide stays outside the monasteries. Entrance fees are paid separately in cash at the doors.
Operator: Meteora Thrones · Travel Center · · Up to 20 people
Morning minibus, three monasteries inside
Three named monasteries with English commentary
Start
09:00
Duration
4 hours
Cancellation
Free, up to 24 h before
Transport
Air-conditioned minivan
Meeting point
Kalabaka or Kastraki hotel pickup
Rating
4.8/5 from 77 reviews
This morning minibus tour enters three monasteries. The route allows 50 minutes at Great Meteoron and 45 each at Varlaam and Rousanou. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones.
Selected option
Meteora Panoramic Morning Small Group Tour with Local Guide
From €35 per adult · ages 13 to 99
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.
Photos from Meteora Thrones · Travel Center
Good if you want English commentary and hotel pickup in Kalabaka or Kastraki. Try a tour with audio if you need another language.
The group cap is 20 people, the highest here. Entrance fees and guiding inside are excluded.
Language: English.
03
Operator: Meteora Trip · · Up to 15 people
Three monasteries and cave views
The morning with cave views
Start
09:00
Duration
4 hours
Cancellation
Free, up to 24 h before
Transport
Minivan
Pickup
Kalabaka or Kastraki hotel pickup
Rating
4.7/5 from 37 reviews
This tour adds Doupiani Chapel and St George Mandilas cave views to three monastery visits. Up to 15 people travel by minibus from hotels in Kalabaka or Kastraki. English commentary comes with audio in other languages.
Selected option
Small Group Tour
From €35 per adult · ages 13 to 99
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.
Photos from Meteora Trip
Take this if you want cave views as well as monasteries. Look elsewhere if you need a live guide in another language.
Bring your smartphone and earphones for the audio guide. The tour can be cancelled for bad weather or too few travellers.
Languages offered: Italian, Japanese, English, Korean, German, Chinese, French, Spanish.
Two alternatives for a different day
04
Operator: Meteora Rocks · · Up to 15 people
Early pickup, three monasteries inside
The early start from your hotel
Start
08:30
Duration
4 hours
Cancellation
Free, up to 24 h before
Transport
Air-conditioned minivan
Meeting point
Kalabaka or Kastraki accommodation pickup
Rating
4.9/5 from 8 reviews
The 08:30 departure is the earliest among these picks. You get inside three monasteries with up to 15 people. Pickup covers hotels and Airbnbs in Kalabaka or Kastraki.
Selected option
4-hours Monasteries Tour
From €40 per adult · ages 13 to 99
3 of 6 inside; the three are unnamed. Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors. The tour leader speaks English. Guiding inside a monastery costs extra. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. Infants must sit on an adult's lap. Cover your shoulders. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers.
Photos from Meteora Rocks
Handy if you prefer an early start from your accommodation. For station pickup, take the midday tour.
This has the highest starting price here at €40 per adult. Entrance fees and guiding inside cost extra.
Language: English.
05
Operator: Meteora Rocks · · Up to 16 people
Station pickup, three monasteries inside
The midday pickup at the station
Start
12:30
Duration
4 hours
Cancellation
Free, up to 24 h before
Transport
Air-conditioned minivan
Pickup
Kalabaka station or local hotel
Rating
4.9/5 from 12 reviews
The 12:30 departure has pickup at Kalabaka station or hotels in Kalabaka and Kastraki. You enter three monasteries in a group of up to 16. An English-speaking leader explains the area between stops.
Selected option
Midday Meteora Monastery tour from Kalabaka's train station
From €35 per adult · ages 13 to 99
3 of 6 inside; the three are unnamed. Entrance fees paid in cash at the doors. The guide speaks English and stays outside the monasteries. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones. Avoid this tour if you have poor heart health. Cover your shoulders. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers.
Photos from Meteora Rocks
Take this if you want pickup straight from the station. Give it a miss if you have poor heart health.
The guide stays outside the monasteries. Entrance fees are paid separately in cash at the doors.
Language: English.
Before choosing a tour
How much does a Meteora monasteries tour cost?
Starting prices run from €35 to €40 per adult. The Morning tour with audio starts at €35. The 08:30 monasteries tour starts at €40. Entrance fees are extra. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. For three visits, set aside €15 for the doors.
How long should I allow for a monastery tour?
All five tours last four hours. The 08:30 monasteries tour is the earliest departure. The other morning tours start at 09:00. The Midday station tour leaves at 12:30. Choose that one if you want a later start. Hotel pickup times depend on where you stay.
Which monasteries will I go inside?
Each tour enters three of the six monasteries. The Morning tour with audio and Panoramic morning tour visit Great Meteoron when open. Their routes also include Varlaam and Rousanou. From April to October, Great Meteoron closes on Tuesdays. Rousanou closes on Wednesdays. Varlaam closes on Fridays. Closed monasteries are replaced with open ones.
Can I be picked up at my hotel or the station?
All five tours include hotel pickup in Kalabaka and Kastraki. The Morning tour with audio also collects from Airbnbs in both places. For station pickup, choose the Midday station tour. A member of the team waits at the main entrance with your name on a sign.
What does the tour price include?
All five include local transport and an English-speaking tour leader. Entrance fees and guiding inside are excluded. The 08:30 monasteries tour offers guiding inside for an extra charge. For audio in other languages, choose the Morning tour with audio or the Morning sightseeing tour.
Can babies and children join these tours?
All five tours accept babies and children. The Morning tour with audio classes ages 0 to 2 as infants. Its child age band is 3 to 11. The other four use infant ages 0 to 3. Their child age band is 4 to 12. Infants must sit on an adult's lap on the 08:30 monasteries tour. Infant seats are available on the Morning sightseeing tour.
Do I need to be fit for a monastery tour?
The minibus covers the road between the three monastery visits. Great Meteoron has a long stair climb. Varlaam has fewer steps. The Morning tour with audio visits both when open. Give the Midday station tour a miss if you have poor heart health.
Can bad weather cancel my tour?
Yes. The Morning sightseeing tour can be cancelled for bad weather or too few travellers. All five tours offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Cancelling less than 24 hours before departure gets no refund. Those deadlines apply when you cancel your own booking.
What should I wear and bring?
Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Wear comfortable shoes. Keep your shoulders covered. Women need a skirt below the knee. Men need long trousers. On the Morning tour with audio, men also need long sleeves. Bring your smartphone and earphones for the audio guide on the Morning sightseeing tour.
Which tour should I choose for my first visit?
Without a car, choose the Morning tour with audio for three monastery interiors. It allows 60 minutes at Great Meteoron when open. Varlaam and Rousanou get 45 minutes each on their opening days. Hotel pickup covers Kalabaka and Kastraki. With a car, you can visit independently. Check the closing days first. Pay the entrance fees in cash at each door.
Going independently
Can I visit the monasteries without a tour?
Choose your monasteries around their closing days. If arriving by train from Athens, change to the Kalabaka bus at Paleofarsalos. Check the monastery bus timetable at Kalabaka bus station. Or take a taxi from the railway station. Bring €5 in cash for each monastery. Pay at the doors.
Hotel pickup and transport between the monasteries. An English-speaking leader outside the monasteries. A route that swaps closed monasteries for open ones.
I write and edit everything on this site: the monasteries and the days they close, the trains, the tickets, and the tours.
For this page I read the tour listings and compared what each option includes and what it costs.
Closing days and entrance fees come from the notices at the monastery gates, cross-checked against two published timetables at every build. Tour prices, inclusions, group sizes and review counts come from the listings and carry the date they were read.
