Getting from Athens to Meteora

If you are heading to Meteora from Athens you are going to one of the most extraordinary places in Greece and one of the most extraordinary in the world. Meteora is a complex of Byzantine monasteries built on top of impossibly tall rock pillars in the plain of Thessaly, a landscape so unlikely that it looks invented. Six of the original twenty-four monasteries are still active and open to visitors. The largest, the Great Meteoron, dates to the 14th century. The views from the monasteries across the plain of Thessaly and the Pindos mountains beyond are breathtaking at any time of day and at sunrise and sunset are among the finest in Greece.

Getting there by air

Meteora has no airport. The nearest airport is either Thessaloniki, around 2.5 hours by road, or Athens, around 3.5 hours by road. Flying is not a practical option for reaching Meteora directly.

Take the train, bus or drive

The train from Athens Larissa station to Kalambaka, the town at the base of the Meteora rocks, takes around 3.5 to 4 hours and is one of the finest train journeys in Greece, passing through the Vale of Tempe and into the Thessalian plain with the rock pillars coming into view as you approach. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Kalambaka takes around 4 to 4.5 hours. The drive from Athens via the E65 motorway takes around 3.5 hours and gives you flexibility to explore the monasteries and the surrounding region at your own pace.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry to Meteora. It is an inland destination in the mountains of Thessaly with no sea connection.

Your best option

Take the train from Athens. The journey through the Vale of Tempe and into Thessaly with the Meteora rocks rising above the plain as you pull into Kalambaka is one of the great arrivals in Greek travel. If you want flexibility for the monasteries and the surrounding region, drive or rent a car in Kalambaka on arrival.