Welcome to Meteora, a land that feels like you're entering another world. In the heart of mainland Greece, in the Pindus Mountain Range, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to monasteries dating back to the 11th century. Of the 24 built over the past 800 years, a handful are still active religious communities and you'll be visiting two of them on this full-day tour.
After a bus ride to the area, you'll arrive and see the jaw-dropping sight of sandstone pillars rising up to 400 metres into the sky. You'll visit two of the monasteries perched on these pillars, each with ornate chapels and vivid frescoes that tell the life stories of saints with detailed bursts of colour that really pop against the greens, browns and greys of this natural, rural setting.
The pillars that the monasteries are built on almost look like they're floating, hence the name Meteora, which translates to ‘suspended in air'. If you're a James Bond fan, they might seem familiar – scenes from the movie, For Your Eyes Only, were filmed here. After the phenomenal landscapes and religious significance of this place has sunk in, you'll head to the village of Kalambaka, in the foothills of the mountains. You'll tuck into a typically Greek meal at a local restaurant here before winding your way back to your hotel later in the afternoon.
