I am quite a psycho when it comes to travel planning. I make sure I stretch my dollar for every trip, and I derive immense satisfaction from it. There was no exception for my recent trip to Meteora in Greece.
Here is a piece of advice: To save money, book only Meteora tours departing from Kalabaka (the small town located at the foot of Meteora). You can easily reach Kalabaka via train from Athens Railway Station.
If you are planning to visit Meteora from Athens, please read this guide before booking any Meteora tours. Here is my promise to you: You will be saving heaps of money.
Perhaps you haven’t noticed, but all ‘Meteora from Athens’ tours are very, very expensive. Check it out:
I took the exact same train from Athens, travelled to Meteora in the same comfy Mercedes mini van and even stayed overnight at a hotel (with complimentary breakfast) – but only paid S$126.88 per pax instead.
Cost breakdown:
- A return ticket from Athens to Kalabaka – 29.80€ per person
- A Meteora Tour with Meteora Thrones – 25€ per person
- A one-night stay at Hotel Kaikis – 49€ for two people
- Total – 79.30€ / S$126.88 per person
My sister and I paid at least S$73.28 lesser, but definitely had a better experience at Meteora. We had ample of time to rest, and also managed to explore Kalabaka at our own pace. If spending at least 10 hours on the train in a day sounds like a nightmare, then you should totally consider our Meteora itinerary.
All the expensive “Athens to Meteora” tours will require you to take the train to Kalambaka Station anyway, so why not do it on your own at a much cheaper price? Furthermore, you can also take this opportunity to explore the lovely Greek town called Kalabaka.
Taking the train from Athens is pretty easy. It was my first time in Greece, but I still managed to navigate my way! If I can do it, so can you.
Before I begin, here are a few quick clarifications:
- Kalabaka is also known as Kalambaka and Kalampaka
- Athens Railway Station is also known as Larissa Train Station
- To visit the monasteries of Meteora, you will have to commence your journey from Kalabaka
- There is only ONE direct train departing from Athens Railway Station (also known as Larissa Station) to Kalambaka Train Station every day at 8:20am. The one-way journey takes about 5 hours.
- Similarly, there is only ONE direct train departing from Kalambaka Train Station to Athens Railway Station every day at 17:22pm.
How to get to Meteora from Athens:
Take the 8:20am train from platform 8 at Athens Railway Station (also known as Larissa Train Station) and after 19 stops, you will finally arrive at Kalambaka Train Station. The designated platform might change, so confirm with the staff at the ticketing counter and even passers-by around you.
Remember, there is only ONE direct train from Athens Railway Station to Kalambaka Train Station every day.
You can purchase your tickets online, or buy it in person at Athens Railway Station’s ticketing counter. I bought my return tickets directly from the railway station at 29.80€/pax for a return ticket. By the way, I suggest you head to the train station earlier – you never know if there will be a queue at the ticket counter.. Better to be safe than sorry!
You will have an assigned seat, so don’t worry about having to stand for 4 hours and 51 minutes. The train conductor will be checking the tickets so please don’t throw them away.
Intermittent internet connection is expected as you would be traversing through rural areas. Fortunately, the scenic train journey makes it up. Take this opportunity to disconnect and unwind.
Despite the stated arrival time of 13:18pm, we only arrived Kalambaka Train Station at 13:58pm.
Bear in mind that the last guided Meteora tour commences at 14:00pm daily. In other words, you can’t join any Meteora tours after 14:00pm.
It is safe to say that Greece’s regional train timings are unpredictable due to unexpected train delays. For that reason alone, it is best to stay a night in Kalabaka, and then start your Meteora tour the following morning.
Where to stay in Kalabaka:
Hotel Kaikis is only a 10-minute walk from Kalambaka Train Station. Our hotel check-in time was 2:00pm, so the train delay actually worked well for us.
View of Meteora from our room in Hotel Kaikis
A quick heads up that Hotel Kaikis is a basic 3-star hotel. So expect a no-frills room with simple amenities. With a high 4.5/5 rating on Expedia and 9/10 rating on Agoda, Hotel Kaikis is the most value-for-money hotel option in Kalabaka.
The room was clean, wifi was great and we also had a very generous breakfast spread! We only paid 49€ a night (inclusive of breakfast).
If you are looking for more luxurious accommodation options, you can consider Divani Meteora Hotel (10-min walk rom Kalambaka Train Station). Other luxury hotels such as Hotel Meteora Kastraki and Amalia Hotel Kalambaka are not within walking distance from Kalambaka Train Station station.
I personally do not recommend staying in hotels that aren’t within walking distance from Kalambaka Train Station. Getting to your faraway hotel might be a challenge because…
I did not see any operating taxis when I was there and Uber is unavailable in Kalabaka.
Having said that, I’m unsure if the absence of taxis in Kalabaka was due to the winter season.
What to do in Kalabaka:
Byzantine Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary – Located in Kalabaka’s oldest district, this ancient religious site is an important landmark of the town’s history. Despite being 10 centuries older than Meteora’s oldest monastery, the Byzantine Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary remains largely unknown. Entrance fee to the church is 2€ per person. Photography inside the church is prohibited.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find its exact address online by typing ‘Byzantine Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary’. But I’ve pinned its GPS coordinates in a Google map below.
Mikel – This is probably the Starbucks of Kalabaka. The modern coffee shop features a comprehensive drinks menu and this is where I had my very first sip of Greek coffee (and it’s too bitter for my liking)! Nevertheless, a great place to chill out and tap on free wifi.
Panellēnion – Had delicious Moussaka (8€) and Tzatziki (3.30€) at this beautiful countryside tavern. Only 2€ for a glass of house red wine! Can’t complain. There are also gluten free and vegetarian options for those with special dietary requirements.
Nostimouliko – We saw a bunch of local students entering this Greek fast food restaurant and we followed suit. Guess what? We only paid 1.70€ for a gryo wrap! While we definitely had better Greek wraps in Athens, we must say that the amount of money we paid was totally worthwhile.
P.s. It is worth mentioning that Kalabaka was a ghost town during our visit (in late February). However, the above mentioned restaurants and eateries are open in winter.
Visit Meteora
Wake up early the following day for the Hotel Kaikis’ complimentary breakfast:
Meteora Thrones picked us up at 9:00am from Hotel Kaikis. The tour operator provides free pick-up and drop-off services for hotels in Kalabaka.
It’s important to stay in a hotel during your stay in Kalabaka, because you do need the hotel concierge to take care of your belongings after checking out! We left our luggage with Kaikis Hotel and embarked on the Panoramic Meteora and Monasteries Tour.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is unbelievably beautiful in real life. Ancient monasteries perched atop 60-million-year-old rocks soar dramatically into the sky. Snow-capped mountains, rolling hills and rock pinnacles surround these sacred sites. Once upon a time, there were 24 of such monasteries built on these cliffs. Today, there are only six left.
We managed to see all 6 monasteries: The Monastery of Varlaam, Monastery of Roussanou, Holy Monastery of Agios Stefanos, Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapavsa, Agios Stefanos Monastery and The Monastery of Holy Trinity.
Around 60 monks and nuns currently live in these cliff-top monasteries. Back then, the jagged rocks were inaccessible, but it also protected them from wars.
However, we only entered 3 out of 6 monasteries. The admission price of each monastery is 3€ and entrance fees are not included in the tour.
Free wifi is available in the comfy Mercedes mini van – so you can update your Instagram stories on the go. Due to low peak season (winter), we were the ONLY ones on our tour. We sure felt like VIPs. The super friendly tour guide brought us to the most scenic spots and we managed to snap A LOT of photos.
Find this view awfully familiar? Well, that’s because Game of Thrones was filmed in Meteora.
Here is a Google map of the train stations, hotel and featured restaurants in Meteora:
Download our 2D1N Athens to Meteora Itinerary in PDF file here or word doc here.
Disclaimer: We last visited Meteora in February 2018 & are not liable for any inaccuracies. Do email us at thekeepersmap@gmail.com if you spot outdated information.
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