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.
