Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Northern Greece: Epirus, the Zagori Villages and the Vikos Gorge
7 days from Ioannina: the lake island and Ali Pasha's castle, three nights in a Zagori stone village with two days walking the Vikos Gorge, Metsovo, and Meteora at sunset, ending in Thessaloniki.
7 days · Ioannina to Thessaloniki · up to 12 guests
The stone theatre at Monodendri, above the Vikos Gorge Photo: Manu, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monodendri_theatre_IMG_9101B.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Ioannina to Thessaloniki
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 7No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Active
Two walking days in the Vikos Gorge: day 4 is about 12.5 km and 6 to 7 hours including stops, with a steep stepped descent of roughly 700 m or more from Monodendri to the gorge floor and a final climb of about an hour to Vikos village; day 5 is about 10 km and 4 to 5 hours past the Voidomatis springs to Papingo. Exact figures are confirmed with the walking guide. The paths are rocky and uneven but not exposed. Each of those days has an easier option by van with short walks to the viewpoints and bridges. The other days are easy walking on cobbles and steps.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 695 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to June, September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- A small boat across Lake Pamvotis to the island where Ali Pasha was killed in 1822
- Its Kale, the inner citadel of Ioannina's castle, and the Fethiye Mosque above the lake
- Three nights in a stone guesthouse in a Zagori village, not a different bed every night
- The Vikos Gorge on foot from Monodendri to Vikos village, with the van waiting at the far end
- The springs of the Voidomatis and the path up to Papingo under the Towers of Astraka
- The arched stone bridges of Kipi on the drive in from Ioannina
- Lunch in Metsovo, a mountain town of smoked cheese and wine on the Pindus
- Sunset over the Meteora rocks, then a monastery at the 9 am opening
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 695 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 7.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Ioannina
Ioannina airport (IOA) to your hotel by the castle
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Ioannina
- Drive about 12 min
Fly into Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, about an hour from Athens by air; a driver meets you at the small airport and it is about ten minutes into town. Ioannina sits on the west shore of Lake Pamvotis, with the walls of its castle running down to the water and the mountains of the Pindus beyond. Our hotel is by the castle or on the lakefront, so the old town is on foot from the door.
Afternoon
Spend the afternoon on the lakeside promenade under the plane trees, or in the lanes of the old bazaar, where silversmiths still work; Ioannina has been known for silver for centuries.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: the two gorge days and their easier options, what to pack for the mountains and how the days run. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Epirus food at a local restaurant: pies, trout from the region and local cheeses.
Included
- Pick-up at Ioannina airport (IOA)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Ioannina
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Plan to land by about 4 pm; if you come by road from Thessaloniki or Athens instead, tell us and we arrange a meeting point.
Ali Pasha's castle and the lake island
Ioannina castle (Its Kale), then by boat to the island on Lake Pamvotis
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ioannina
- By boat
Morning
We start in the castle in the morning, while it is cool and quiet. Ioannina's walled old town is still lived in, and at its south-east corner stands Its Kale, the inner citadel where Ali Pasha ruled much of Epirus and Albania for the Ottomans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Walk past the Fethiye Mosque and Ali Pasha's tomb to the Byzantine Museum, then down to the Aslan Pasha Mosque, which now holds the municipal ethnographic museum, with a view straight over the lake.
Afternoon
Around midday a small boat takes about ten minutes to cross to the island, a car-free village of whitewashed houses and reed beds. Lunch is there, at a lakeside taverna. Afterwards we visit the Monastery of St Panteleimon, where Ali Pasha was killed in 1822; the cells hold a small museum of his story, with the bullet holes still in the floorboards.
Evening
The boat brings us back mid-afternoon, and the evening is free.
Included
- Guided walk of Ioannina castle: Its Kale, the Fethiye Mosque and Ali Pasha's tomb
- Byzantine Museum and the Aslan Pasha Mosque ethnographic museum, entries included
- Boat to the island and back
- Lunch on the island
- The Monastery of St Panteleimon and the Ali Pasha museum
Easier option: Skip the castle walk's upper sections and meet the group at the Aslan Pasha Mosque.
More active option: Walk the lakeside path north from the castle in the late afternoon, about 5 km there and back.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free; the Perama cave, a few kilometres from town, is an easy taxi ride if you want it
Activity: About 4 km on foot over the day, on cobbles and some steps inside the castle.
The stone bridges of Kipi, up to Monodendri
Ioannina to the Kipi bridges, then Monodendri in central Zagori
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Monodendri
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A short morning drive, about an hour, climbs from the lake into the Zagori, a group of some 46 stone villages on the slopes of Mount Tymfi, joined for centuries by mule paths and arched stone bridges. We stop first near Kipi and walk an easy path along a dry riverbed to the triple-arched Kalogeriko bridge and the single high arch of the Kokkori bridge, both built in the 18th and 19th centuries with money from Zagori merchants abroad.
Afternoon
Lunch is in a village taverna nearby. In the afternoon we reach Monodendri, our base for three nights, and settle into a stone guesthouse with slate roofs and wooden ceilings.
Evening
Before dusk the guide walks the group a few minutes down a paved path to the Monastery of Agia Paraskevi, built on the edge of the gorge, then drives up to the Oxya viewpoint for the first look down into the Vikos Gorge as the light goes. The evening is free in the village.
Included
- The Kalogeriko and Kokkori stone bridges near Kipi
- Lunch in a Zagori village
- The Monastery of Agia Paraskevi on the gorge edge at Monodendri
- The Oxya viewpoint over the Vikos Gorge at dusk
Easier option: Stay with the van between the bridges; both can be seen from the road with a few minutes' walk.
More active option: Walk on from the Kokkori bridge on the old path to Koukouli village, about an hour, where the van collects you.
Free time: Evening free in Monodendri
Activity: About 2 hours of easy walking over the day.
Through the Vikos Gorge on foot
Monodendri down into the Vikos Gorge, then up to Vikos village
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Monodendri
- Drive about 1 h
This is the day the trip is built around.
Morning
After an early breakfast we set off from the guesthouse door by about 8:30, with a licensed walking guide as well as your See Sight Tours guide. A steep stone path with steps drops from Monodendri to the floor of the gorge, roughly 700 m or more, in about 45 minutes; the walls then rise hundreds of metres on both sides and the path runs through plane and maple woods beside the dry upper riverbed. We walk at a steady pace with long stops in the shade, about 12.5 km in all and 6 to 7 hours including stops.
Afternoon
Near the end the gorge opens out, the Voidomatis appears, and a final climb of about an hour through the woods brings us to Vikos village, where our van is waiting by mid-afternoon. Lunch is late and well earned: a sit-down meal at a taverna in Vikos village, with snacks carried for the trail.
Evening
The van then brings everyone back to Monodendri, about an hour, for a free evening.
Included
- Guided walk through the Vikos Gorge from Monodendri to Vikos village with a licensed walking guide
- Van pick-up at Vikos village and transfer back to Monodendri
- Trail snacks and a late sit-down lunch in Vikos village
Easier option: Skip the gorge floor: drive with the van to the Beloi viewpoint above Vradeto for the view straight down the gorge, take a short walk on the rim, and meet the walkers for lunch in Vikos village.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 12.5 km and 6 to 7 hours including stops; a steep stepped descent of roughly 700 m or more, then a final climb of about an hour, on rocky, uneven paths that are not exposed. Exact figures are confirmed with the walking guide. If rain closes the path we swap days 4 and 5.
The Voidomatis springs and Papingo
Vikos village down to the Voidomatis springs, then along the lower gorge and up to Megalo Papingo
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Monodendri
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
The van takes us back to Vikos village after breakfast, about an hour, and we walk down for about an hour to the springs of the Voidomatis, where the river rises cold and clear from under the rocks at the foot of the gorge. From there the path follows the lower gorge north and climbs to Megalo Papingo, about 10 km and 4 to 5 hours on foot in all, with the grey limestone Towers of Astraka standing over the village.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Papingo, in one of its taverna courtyards. Afterwards there is time to walk the few minutes to the rock pools below the village, where the stream has carved round basins in the stone; in June you can paddle. The van brings us back to Monodendri in the late afternoon.
Evening
Tonight is our last in the Zagori, and dinner is at the guesthouse: Epirus pies with wild greens and cheese, slow-cooked mountain lamb and local wine.
Included
- Guided walk from Vikos village via the Voidomatis springs to Megalo Papingo with a licensed walking guide
- Lunch in Megalo Papingo
- The Papingo rock pools
- Van transfers to Vikos village and back from Papingo
- Dinner at the guesthouse
Easier option: Ride with the van to Papingo, walk to the rock pools, then take a gentle riverside path along the Voidomatis at the old stone bridge near Aristi, about an hour, before lunch with the group.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Monodendri
Activity: About 10 km and 4 to 5 hours on foot on rocky paths, with a climb of about 300 m to Papingo at the end.
Metsovo, then Meteora at sunset
Monodendri to Metsovo across the Pindus, then over the Katara pass to Kalambaka
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kalambaka
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave the Zagori after breakfast and drive about an hour and a half east to Metsovo, a mountain town at about 1,150 m on the Pindus, with stone mansions, a square shaded by a huge plane tree and a strong Vlach heritage.
Afternoon
Spend the late morning at the Averoff Museum, a collection of 19th and 20th century Greek painting given by the Averoff family, then a tasting at a local winery and of the town's smoked cheese, metsovone, before a sit-down lunch on the square. In the afternoon the road crosses the Katara pass and drops to the Thessaly plain, about an hour and a quarter, to Kalambaka. We go first to St Stephen's, a working nunnery that you walk into from the road (its hours are confirmed at booking), then to the viewpoints on the ridge as the sun sets over the Meteora rocks and the monasteries on their summits.
Evening
Farewell dinner tonight is in Kalambaka.
Included
- Metsovo: the Averoff Museum, entry included
- Wine and cheese tasting at a local winery in Metsovo
- Lunch in Metsovo
- St Stephen's Monastery at Meteora, entry included
- Sunset from the Meteora viewpoints
- Farewell dinner in Kalambaka
Activity: Easy walking on cobbles in Metsovo and short paths at the viewpoints. Shoulders and knees covered at the monastery.
A Meteora monastery at opening, on to Thessaloniki
Meteora to Thessaloniki, with a drop at Thessaloniki airport (SKG)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
We are at the gate of the Great Meteoron or Varlaam, whichever is open that day, when it opens at about 9 am, before the day coaches from Athens and Thessaloniki arrive. Meteora's monasteries were built on top of the sandstone pillars from the 14th century, and goods and monks were once hauled up in nets; the site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988. A climb of a few hundred rock-cut steps leads into the courtyard, the frescoed church and the old kitchens and cellars, with the plain far below. By about 11 we are on the road to Thessaloniki, about three hours across the Thessaly plain with Mount Olympus on the horizon, with a stop on the way.
Afternoon
We reach Thessaloniki in the early afternoon. Your guide drops you at the airport, or in the city centre near Aristotelous Square if you are staying on, and says goodbye. Book a flight from Thessaloniki leaving after about 5 pm.
Included
- The Great Meteoron or Varlaam monastery at opening, entry included
- Transfer to Thessaloniki, with a drop at the airport (SKG) or the city centre
Easier option: Stay at the foot of the steps and see the monastery from the viewpoint across the gorge.
Activity: Book a flight from Thessaloniki (SKG) after about 5 pm. If you are going on to Athens, we can drop you at Kalambaka station for the train instead (about 4.5 to 5 hours, with a change at Palaiofarsalos).
- Ioannina2 nights
- Monodendri3 nights
- Kalambaka1 night
- Thessalonikiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May and June bring green slopes, wildflowers and a fuller Voidomatis; September and October are drier, with beech and plane trees turning gold in October. Rain can close the gorge path for a day, when we switch the walking days. Look for chamois on the cliffs and griffon vultures and other raptors over the gorge and the Meteora rocks.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want a gorge day and a mountain village rather than another museum loop
- Travellers who have done Athens and the islands and want a different Greece
- Solo travellers who want a fixed small group and the same guide every day
- Anyone who likes to unpack once and stay three nights in one place
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the gorge paths, castle and monasteries all have steps and rough ground
- Beach time: there is no sea on this trip
- Travellers who want a large hotel with a pool and a bar in the Zagori
- A first trip to Greece focused on the Acropolis and Delphi
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Ioannina2 nights
- Monodendri3 nights
- Kalambaka1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights in central hotels and guesthouses of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Ioannina by the castle or the lake, 3 in a stone guesthouse in Monodendri or a neighbouring Zagori village, 1 in Kalambaka below the Meteora rocks
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Ioannina airport (IOA)
- Our own van and driver for every transfer and touring day
- Van pick-ups at the end of both gorge walks, at Vikos village and Megalo Papingo
- Boat to the island on Lake Pamvotis and back
- Drop at Thessaloniki airport (SKG) or the city centre on the last day, or at Kalambaka station for the train to Athens
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- A licensed walking guide for both Vikos Gorge days
Activities
- Ioannina: the castle and Its Kale, the Byzantine Museum and the Aslan Pasha Mosque museum (entries included), the island and the Ali Pasha museum
- Zagori: the Kalogeriko and Kokkori bridges near Kipi, the Monastery of Agia Paraskevi, the Oxya viewpoint, the Vikos Gorge walk, the Voidomatis springs, Papingo and its rock pools
- Metsovo: the Averoff Museum (entry included), a wine and cheese tasting at a local winery
- Meteora: St Stephen's Monastery and the Great Meteoron or Varlaam (entries included), sunset from the viewpoints
Meals
- Breakfast daily (6)
- 5 lunches: the island, a Zagori village, Vikos village, Papingo and Metsovo
- 3 dinners: welcome in Ioannina, the guesthouse in the Zagori and farewell in Kalambaka
Not included
- International flights, and flights within Greece to Ioannina
- Travel insurance (it should cover hiking)
- Meals not listed
- Drinks, except at the tasting in Metsovo
- Tips
- Optional activities such as the Perama cave
- Personal expenses
- Nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 695 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,395 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,675. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,995.
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels and a Zagori stone guesthouse, breakfast daily, five lunches and three dinners, airport pick-up in Ioannina and drop in Thessaloniki, our own van and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a licensed walking guide in the gorge, the van shuttles after each walk, the island boat and every entry in the day plan, including two Meteora monasteries.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests and one guide from start to finish. It is the same group every day, so walking in the gorge, everyone fits at one table in a village taverna and the guesthouse can take the whole group.
How hard is the Vikos Gorge walk?
It is a long day rather than a technical one: about 12.5 km and 6 to 7 hours including stops, with a steep descent of roughly 700 m or more and a final climb of about an hour on rocky paths. If you walk for a few hours at home most weeks, you will manage. Prefer less? Take the van to the Beloi viewpoint and meet the walkers for lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for the whole week and handles the transfers, meals and timing. On both gorge days a licensed local walking guide leads the route, and your See Sight Tours guide walks with you or stays with anyone taking the easier option.
I am travelling alone. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, a room of your own is from CAD 695 more, shown before you book. Zagori guesthouses have few single rooms, so book early if you want one. Solo travellers are a large part of our small groups, and you are never seated or roomed as an afterthought.
When is the best time to go?
May to June and September to October. Spring brings wildflowers and a fuller river; autumn is drier, with the beech and plane trees turning in October. We avoid July and August, when the gorge is hot and Meteora is at its busiest, and winter, when snow and rain can close the paths.
How do I get to Ioannina?
Most travellers from Canada and the US fly to Athens and take a domestic flight of about an hour to Ioannina (IOA), where we meet you. Some routes in season fly direct from other European cities. Ioannina is also about three hours by road from Thessaloniki if you arrive there.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book; no payment is taken at that stage. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and start from CAD 3,995 for the small group.
Can we go privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, walking guide and van. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same guesthouse, transfers and walking guide.
Do I need a visa for Greece?
Canadian and US passport holders do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in the Schengen area. The EU's entry system records your passport at the border. ETIAS, the EU's travel authorisation, has been announced but not started; we tell you at booking whether it applies.
What happens if it rains on a gorge day?
Heavy rain can make the gorge floor unsafe for a day. We have three nights in the Zagori so the two walking days can be swapped or moved, and the walking guide decides on the morning. If the path stays closed we walk the rim and the stone bridges instead.
What should I wear at the Meteora monasteries?
Shoulders and knees must be covered. Women are asked to wear a skirt over trousers or shorts; wraps are lent at the door. Each monastery closes on one weekday, so we choose which ones to visit by the day of your trip and confirm hours at booking.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.