Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! Note: This 7.89+ miles-long tour covers the essentials of Meteora in 3-4 hours.
Once downloaded, make your way to the Municipal Square in Kalabaka to begin your tour. As you drive through town, you’ll hear about the geological history of Meteora and get acquainted with the hermit monks who settled there centuries ago. Then, you’ll see the hermit caves of Badovas, a great example of what those earliest dwellings looked like.
After that, you’ll see the Doupiani Rock, where the very first hermit monks once lived. Then you’ll glimpse the cliff cave where climbers drape colorful scarves in honor of Saint George.
Next, you’ll arrive at the Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas, the first of the major monasteries you’ll visit along your route. That’s quickly followed by a look at the so-called Prison of the Monks, where penitent monks once sequestered themselves.
The Holy Monastery of St. Barbara Roussanou waits ahead, where you’ll learn about two brothers who revived it after it fell into disrepair. Then it’s on to the Holy Monastery of Varlaam, the second largest monastery in Meteora.
The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is your next stop. This sprawling complex is the largest of the monasteries, and an absolute can’t-miss destination!
After that, you’ll pass a couple of incredible vistas boasting unbelievable views of Meteora’s rock formations. Just beyond those, you’ll find the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, today occupied by a single monk who manages the entire estate!
Finally, you’ll arrive at the Monastery of St. Stephen, the most accessible of the monasteries as it requires no stone steps to reach. Your tour concludes here.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Action Tour Guide app, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Points of Interest along the Great Meteora Driving Tour :
- Municipal Square/ Town Center
- Hermit History
- The Hermit Caves of Badovas
- What's in a Name
- Museum of Geological Formations of Meteora (Kastraki)
- Doupiani Hermitage
- St. George Mandilas
- Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapafsas
- Caves of Meteora
- The Holy Monastery of Saint Barbara - Rousannou
- World Heritage Site
- Holy Monastery of Varlaam / All Saints
- The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron / Transfiguration of the Saviour
- Viewpoint Meteora
- Sunset Rock
- The Monastery of the Holy Trinity
- Holy Monastery of Holy St. Stephen
Benefits Over Live Guides and Group Tours:
- This is a flexible and self-led tour that uses location-sensing technology as you drive.
- The tour features in-depth audio narration that plays as you drive.
- You can purchase just one tour for the entire car and use it as many times as you wish.
- The audio tour is valid for one year after download, and you can use it as often as you want within that time.
- Once downloaded, the tour works completely offline, and you can tour your way by choosing when to start, stop, fast-forward, or rewind.
- If you need any help, you can always reach out to a real person via call, chat, or email.
