Compare Wild mountains and rivers adventure by Trails Beyond vs Epirus And Meteora Leisure & Bike Tour by Travelncycle.com
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
|
5 | Excellent
|
| Duration | 7 days | 6 days |
| Price From | $ 1,038 | $ 1,787 |
| Price Per Day | $ 148 | $ 298 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Trip Style | Small group tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
| Physical Level |
|
|
| Travel Themes |
|
|
| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
|
|
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
|
|
| Meals Included |
6 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches and 3 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
Have you even been to a place, unknown to most of the world, but so beautiful and magical, that you want to keep it secret for yourself, yet, at the same time, scream it out to the world? Have you ever thought of Greece as a place with wild and steep mountains, deep gorges and wild rivers, ideal for adventure holidays? You simply have to join us on our “Wild Mountains & rivers” adventure and discover the secret beauty of the Greek mainland! Traditional stone-made villages untouched by time, lush fir forests, alpine landscapes, magical lakes and rivers, arch stone bridges, delicious local food and the hospitality of the local people are waiting for you to explore them! Take advantage of Greece’s mild weather and enjoy a week long adventure beyond the beaten path. |
Epirus Region is a traditional geographic and administrative region in northwestern Greece and one of the last well hidden treasures of the country.The region as a whole is rugged and mountainous. It is largely made up of mountainous ridges, part of the Dinaric Alps. Most of Epirus lies on the windward side of the Pindus. The region’s morphology offers imposing landscapes of dazzling beauty as well as a wide range of fauna and flora. It is a dream place for those who love to explore and nature lovers. |
Day 1: Arrival in Athens – Exploring the city
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Athens
Upon arrival in Athens International Airport, you are met and welcomed by our team. You transfer to your hotel and, since your fellow travel companions arrive in different times of the day, you have the day free to explore the city of Athens and its numerous cultural and historical places of interest, such as the Acropolis, the temple of Zeus, the unique Acropolis museum, the Ancient and Roman Agora. You can also walk around Filoppapou hill, visit the flea market in Monastiraki and enjoy a cup of coffee/tea in one of the beautiful cafes in Thisio.
*If you wish to enjoy a guided walking or bike tour of the city, please contact us.
Day 2: Athens – Lake Plastira – Elati
Meals: Breakfast and Picnic Lunch
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Elati
Activity duration: approx. 1.5 hour, level of difficulty: easy
Early in the morning, we depart with direction the dreamy Lake Plastira, a destination that harmonically combines serenity with adventure (approx. 4 hours driving distance). Upon arrival at the lake, we will enjoy picnic lunch by the lakeside, before we set off on exploring the lake on a hydro-bike or canoe/kayak.
Later in the afternoon, we will depart for the beautiful mountainous traditional village of Elati. On our way there, we will make a stop at the beautiful arch stone bridge of Saint Vissarion, built in the 1527. You are free to enjoy a walk by the riverside, a refreshing tea/coffee by the bridge or buy herbs, honey and traditional drinks by local vendors. Once in Elati, you can explore the village, admire the traditional architecture of stone-made houses and enjoy the delicious local cuisine in one of the village’s family run tavernas.
Day 3: Elati – Pertouli – Vitsa
Meals: Breakfast, Snack lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional Guesthouse in Vitsa
Hike duration: 1 hour, level of difficulty: easy
After breakfast, we will drive to Pertouli meadows, a beautiful plateau, surrounded by mountains with dense forests, rivers and enormous fir trees, which we will explore while riding our horses! Coffee break, before we board our car with destination the stunning area of Zagori (approx. 2:30 hr driving).
In the afternoon, we will reach Monodendri village and we’ll first visit the Rizarios School of Handicrafts to find out how local women make traditional handmade carpets and textiles. We will also visit the Rizarios Photo Exhibition, where temporary photography collections are exhibited, as well as the original stereoscopic cameras that British photographers used to capture the first modern Olympic Games in Greece in 1896! We will then take the short hiking path to Agia Paraskevi church and enjoy the impressive views over Vikos gorge! Visit to Oxya viewpoint and the stone forest come next.
In the evening, we will check in at our traditional guesthouse in Vitsa village and enjoy homemade dinner.
Day 4: Vradeto steps, Beloi viewpoint & Zagoria arch stone bridges
Meals: Breakfast, Snack lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional Guesthouse in Vitsa
After breakfast, we will drive towards Kapesovo village. From there, following the beautiful stone trail of Vradeto steps, we’ll reach the highest village of Zagori, Vradeto (1450m) and 2km later at Beloi viewpoint (1650m), where we can enjoy striking panoramic views over the gorge!
(Hike duration: 3-4 hrs, level of difficulty: moderate)
After snack lunch, we will explore hiking some of the most important and beautiful arch stone bridges of the area
(Hike duration: 1.5 – 3 hrs, level of difficulty: easy to moderate).
The tour of the arch stone bridges can be done in many different ways, we may hike to all of the bridges or do parts by car (it depends on the travelers’ fitness level, it is a quite flexible trail)
Dinner and overnight in Vitsa village
Day 5: Crossing Vikos Gorge
Meals: Breakfast and Snack lunch
Accommodation: Traditional guesthouse in Papigko
(Total Hike duration: 5.5 – 6 hours / Level of difficulty: moderate to challenging)
This morning, we will take one of the best and most impressive hiking trails in all the Zagori area! Starting from the village of Monodendri, we’ll hike all the way down into Vikos ravine, one of the deepest canyons in the world. We hike parallel to the stream, and walk right into the heart of the National Park. The surrounding environment is a paradise for nature lovers that can observe the rich flora and fauna. The gorge is shelter for a lot of wild animals, such as pray birds, bears and wild boars. We will have a nice break for snacks at the river’s springs, before the small steep ascend to Vikos village. From Vikos village, we transfer to Papigo village, for dinner and overnight.
If you are on a family holiday with young children (less than 12 years old) or you are not keen in long hikes, we can do shorter hikes in Vikos gorge.
Day 6: Papigo (rafting) – Meteora
Meals: Breakfast, Picknick lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: 3* Hotel in Meteora
Activity duration: approx. 2 hours in the water – 3.5 hrs total, level of difficulty: easy
Prepare yourselves for rafting in one of the clearest rivers in Europe! Starting from the beautiful stone bridge of Aristi, we will cross the National Park of Vikos – Aoos, while rafting across Voidomatis river. This is an easy route, ideal for everyone, yet very impressive because of the river’s crystal clear waters and the surrounding natural landscape.
In the afternoon, we will depart with destination the UNESCO Heritage Site of Meteora, also called the “stone forest”. ). Upon arrival in Meteora, we’ll enjoy a sunset tour for beautiful views and photo shooting, before we check in to our hotel.
Alternative activity: horse riding tour in Zagoria
Day 7: Meteora – Athen
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
(Total Hike duration: 2 – 3 hours / Level of difficulty: easy to moderate/ Total Distance: 6km / Altitude difference: 280m)
What a better way to wake up rather than admiring the spectacular sandstone rocks of Meteora, rising over 400 m above the ground! After breakfast, we will explore this unique landscape and the impressive top-cliff monasteries beyond the ordinary way!
We will follow the ancient paths that the monks used to follow, through the steep rocks, visit some of the monasteries and admire the breathtaking views. In the afternoon, we depart for our way back to Athens. For those of you having a late evening flight from Athens International Airport, you can be transferred straight to the airport or you can enjoy your last night in beautiful Athens, if you continue your vacations in Greece!
Day 1: Travelling to Ioannina
Pick up from your hotel in Athens and beginning the driving to reach the capital of the region, Ioannina. Our first stop will be at the Corinth Canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. About an hour later we make a second stop to the famous Rio – Antirio Bridge, considered to be the longest cable-stayed ”suspended” deck, bridge in the world. The Bridge connects the Peloponnese peninsula with the Greek mainland. We continue driving until we reach Ioannina. A lake side beautiful city with a lot of history. We pick our rooms and after a small rest we take our first glance of the city. Dinner in our favorite restaurant.
Day 2: Ioannina lake Bike Tour
The second day is full of cycling around the lake and sightseeing in the city. We start for our grand tour around the lake. During the tour we visit the Monastery of Ntourachani, an old monastery of the 15th. After the monastery we head for Perama, which is famous for its cave, known as the “Cave of Perama”. The cave, extending five kilometers below the ground and having been explored only up to one kilometer, has a remarkable arrangement of stalagmites and stalactites. After the visit we enter the city of Ioannina where we have the change to visit the old city and museums such as the Archeological museum and the Byzantine Museum. Later we take the boat and we visit the small island located in the lake. We end the day tasting local dishes and local wine in our favorite restaurant.
Day 3: Zagoria and Vikos gorge Bike Tour
During this day we cycle where Epirus is known for, the famous Vikos gorge and Pindus National park. By car first, we travel for about 30 km and then we grab our gear for cycling. Soon enough we visit the first village of the day, Aspraggeli. Then through another magnificent village, Vitsa, we visit Monodendri. From there we reach St. Paraskevi Monastery. The view towards Vikos gorge is breathless! We return to Monodendri ending the first half of our tour tasting a traditional local pie. After the small break we ride the same route back for a few kilometers and then we turn to start our decent in order to meet Voidomatis River with its unique old bridges. The next village will be Kipi where some free time will be available for personal moments. Return to our hotel in Ioannina. Dinner at your own.
Day 4: Ioannina to Metsovo. Lake Aoos bike tour
After breakfast, check-out and we are heading for our next cycling destination in Epirus region. That will be Metsovo, only ½ hour drive away from Ioannina through “Egnatia Odos”. We reach our hotel and we check in and then meet transfer to our starting point for today’s cycling route. That will be a beautiful route around the artificial lake of Aoos river springs. We will cycle for about 40 km in a place that you will remember for a lifetime. Return to Metsovo to meet and to taste its local products. Greek cheese and Greek wine at their best. The rest of the day is free for personal memories. A special dinner, all with Greek specialties will be the last thing will do later today.
Day 5: In Metsovo
Breakfast and walking sightseeing around the city. We begin with the Folklore Museum in order to understand better the history and the culture of the area. The gallery of E. Averof is our next stop. Its permanent exhibition comprises representative works by the major Greek painters, printmakers and sculptors of the 19th and 20th century. The museum’s collection is regarded as one of the most complete and important of this period. Last we meet Saint Paraskevi, an old church located in the middle of Metsovo. Before celebrating our final dinner together at the hotel’s restaurant we visit a very special local winery for tasting varieties of local wines.
Day 6: Metsovo - Meteora - Athens
After a delightful breakfast we say goodbye to Metsovo and we headed for Athens, approximately 6 hours drive. On the way back we visit Meteora, the world famous monasteries built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly. The Meteora is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and considered to be one of the most important monuments in Greece. Arrival at Athens at late afternoon.
