We are going to be in mainland Greece for six days in October. I have heard that Meteora is pretty amazing and definitely want to see it. I have two options that I would like advice on: 1) Go and explore it myself or 2) Through a tour group. I know the general pros and cons of seeing things independently vs on a tour. What I would like advice on is the amount of recommended time in Meteora. The tour is there for half of a day whereas I could explore it on my own for as long as I want. With six days in mainland Greece (I will have already seen the major islands) how much time would you devote to Meteroa?
Thanks!
Advice on how to see Meteroa
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Go on your own if you can. 1/2 day is not long enough. It is one of the most amazing places I have ever been. A tour will probably only take you to Megola Meteora and Varlaam, but there are other monastaries that are worth a look. We were there in March for a day and a night. We stayed in the village of Kastraki at Dupiani House. It was a small, very nice family-run hotel with a view of one of the monasteries,the Pinos Mountains and the lovely little village. We spent a whole day touring the monasteries by car and could have easily spent another day. The place is amazing. By the way, the darkest, most quiet place I have ever slept is Kastraki. There are no street lights and in March, when we were there, very little traffic. We were tired from the long drive from the coast to Meteora and slept like babies!!
We were there at the beginning of November and took the last tour of the season. It was AMAZING and one of the highpoints of our trip. We are not normally "tour group" people - in fact, this was our first. However, if you don't plan to drive yourself, a tour would be the easiest way to get there; the bus/train connections are not at all convenient(I checked). Although we have driven in Spain, France, and Italy, we decided not to tackle it in Greece; the signs are very confusing and the town names are spelled in several different ways. Besides, it is a LONG drive. It will take you two days to see it, due to the distance - unless you get up very, very early and drive in the dark and return in the dark. I think it is about 5 or 6 hours from Athens and you want to arrive when they open.
It's true that you could see more on your own, but even on a tour you will probably see enough to satisfy you; it's better than not seeing it at all! If you go yourself, be sure to check beforehand that all of them will be open; only two were open when we were there because it was "off season". The tours stop in Delphi(worth seeing) on the way, so you actually get a "twofer"! It takes all day to get there (after your stop at Delphi), and you see the monasteries the next morning. Our room faced Meteora, and we awoke to a fabulous mist-covered view of the monolithes. I kept going out on the balcony to see the changes as the fog would drift in and out, giving you glimpses of the previously hidden monasteries.
Whichever way you see it, don't miss it!