Getting from Santorini to Meteora

If you are heading to Meteora from Santorini you are making one of the great contrasts in Greek travel. Santorini is a volcanic island built around a caldera view and the sea. Meteora is an inland landscape of towering sandstone pillars rising from the plain of Thessaly, with six Byzantine monasteries perched on top of them at heights that still seem impossible. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary places in Greece, the kind of destination that looks exactly like the photographs and still manages to exceed them in person. The town of Kalambaka sits at the foot of the rocks and serves as the base for visiting.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry connection to Meteora. It is an inland destination around 350 kilometres northwest of Athens, accessible only by road or rail. Getting there from Santorini means reaching Athens first by ferry or plane and then travelling north by land.

What about flying?

Meteora has no airport. The closest airports are Athens and Thessaloniki. The fastest overall route from Santorini is to fly to Athens and then take the train from Athens Larissa station to Kalambaka, which takes around 4 hours and drops you directly in the town at the base of the rocks. Total travel time is around 7 to 8 hours door to door.

Your best option

Fly to Athens and take the train to Kalambaka. The train journey through Thessaly is a good one and you arrive exactly where you need to be. Give yourself at least two nights in Kalambaka or the nearby village of Kastraki, which sits closer to the rocks and has better views. If you want more flexibility, rent a car in Athens and drive up instead, which takes around 4 hours heading north through Lamia and Trikala. Visit the monasteries in the early morning before the tour groups arrive and again in the late afternoon when the light on the pillars is extraordinary. The hiking trails between the rocks are excellent and give you perspectives that no road can.