On this one I think it’s important to talk about the trip (3 stars) separately from the destination (5 stars) as the overall experience could have been better.

Firstly, it’s about a 15 hour day, with roughly 5 hours travelling each way, plus 5 hours at Meteora. Given the distance from Athens there’s not much you can do about that, but it’s a *long* time. There is a rest stop for 30-40 minutes half way along at a decent hut busy motorway service station.

On the day we went there were two coaches from Athens to the meeting point and food stop outside Meteora. When we got there, the guides were waiting and split people into groups depending on the language for the tour. The English ones stayed with the large coach and the others had were in a minibus each, but it wasn’t clear what was going on at the time. It would have been better if this was explained in advance.

Those who had paid for the included food were given vouchers which got you a small salad and a choice of meal, but it was fairly random and low quality. Pasta, rice, potatoes, a chicken leg, some sort of stew thing with meat in it…. My strong advice is to buy a baguette and crisps from the previous stop or bring your own packed lunch, and then get a fresh drink, as there’s nothing else here.

The first monastery has the most steps to descend and climb, but is a fascinating place in a stunning location. We were there about 50 minutes.

At the second monastery there are slightly less steps but the queue was horrendous. With a 45 minute stop, we had been queueing for half an hour before giving up and buying an ice cream as we were still nowhere near the entrance. More than half our group did the same and missed out. On one hand it’s outside of the tour organisers control, but if it’s not going to be realistic to get in, then why waste everyone’s time like this?

The third monastery was the quickest to get into with no steps and very organised nuns running it. Again, a fascinating place with stunning views and an amazing church.

Our time ended with a longer photo opportunity on one of the main rock formations, but there had also been quick stops en-route for pictures. The guide had been helpful and informative as we went round.

On the return journey there were the same two food stops, so eat at the better one at the mid point. We got back at 10:45 pm.

It's a bit far from Athens but the roads were good and you spend most of the time on the highway. It wasn't really a big issue - bring a book and enjoy the views. I was a bit worried when I saw three large buses in Athens, but then they switch you to a small minibus with 10-20 people for the tour itself. Maria was a great guide - knowledgeable and able to give thoughtful answers to the group's questions. We had a little bit of time left at the end so she squeezed in some extra views of the caves and monasteries from a different angle.

You enter three monasteries and see another three from the outside - which ones depends on which are open (they alternative their days off). You get a briefing about each monastery as you approach and then you're left to explore it alone, and encouraged to ask any other questions you have when you get back on the bus. Lunch was convenient and decent if a little rushed (10 mins to eat) but everything was on time and we maximised our time seeing the monasteries. Consider bringing snacks and drinks as the rest stops can get extremely busy if multiple tours show up at the same time.

Great guide & bus driver, Clement & Dios(not sure about spelling)! Bus driver was terrific maneuvering thru challenging traffic. Guide was awesome, very knowledgeable & passionate about sites. Provided visuals to help understand Meteora history & monasteries. Shared great details, helped with photos & kept us on schedule despite unexpected delays due to traffic. Highly recommend this tour.