- They are optional extras that you can add to your cart before checkout. Just select the guide and entrance ticket options on this page and they will be included in your total at payment, with everything arranged and pre-booked for you.
2-Day Private Delphi and Meteora Tour: Culture, Monasteries & Sunset Views
2 Day Private Tour Delphi & Meteora to Explore History and Culture of Greece
See Delphi and Meteora properly on this 2-day private tour from Athens, without the 9-hour day trip rush. Day one takes you along the slopes of Mount Parnassus to the Oracle of Apollo, where you walk the Sacred Way past the ancient theatre and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, then stop for lunch in the stone built mountain village of Arachova. You reach Meteora in time for golden hour, when the sandstone pillars turn gold and pink, and sleep in Kalambaka at the foot of the rocks.
The next morning is dedicated to the cliff-top Byzantine monasteries, their frescoes and the panoramic viewpoints over the Thessaly plain, before the drive back to Athens with a stop at Thermopylae and the Leonidas Monument of the 300 Spartans. Private air-conditioned vehicle, English speaking driver, overnight hotel with breakfast, and optional licensed guide and entrance tickets you can add at checkout.
This is the version of the Delphi and Meteora tour from Athens you came to Greece for. Two full days, your own private vehicle and English speaking driver, no group waiting in the parking lot and no clock running against you. Golden hour over the Meteora rocks on day one, the cliff-top monasteries at their quietest on day two, and a lunch stop in Arachova on the way. Here is how the two days unfold.
Day 1: Athens - Delphi - Arachova - Meteora and Sunset around the Rocks
- Your journey begins with a scenic drive from Athens to the ancient site of Delphi (approx. 180 km, 2.5 hours), passing Thebes and the plain of Boeotia before climbing the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Delphi was considered the navel of the ancient world, home of the Oracle and the Pythia, and the setting is as impressive as the history.
- Explore the archaeological site of Delphi, including the Temple of Apollo, the ancient theatre, the stadium, the Treasury of the Athenians and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia with its famous circular Tholos. Walk along the Sacred Way and enjoy panoramic views over the olive groves of Amfissa down to the Gulf of Corinth. Allow around 2 hours here, plus 45 minutes for the Delphi Archaeological Museum, where the bronze Charioteer of Delphi and the Sphinx of Naxos are displayed.
- Midday, stop in the picturesque village of Arachova (10 minutes from Delphi) for a leisurely lunch. This stone built village on Parnassus is known for grilled formaela cheese, hilopites pasta, local wine and hand woven rugs, and it is a good place to buy something honest to take home.
- After lunch, drive north to Meteora (approx. 230 km, 3 hours) through the Lamia plain and the Thessaly countryside. You arrive in time to capture the sunset over the monasteries from the classic viewpoints near Psaropetra and the Holy Trinity Monastery, where the sandstone pillars turn gold and pink. Your driver knows which spot works best depending on the season and the light.
- Free time in Kalambaka and Kastraki for dinner and a walk through the old quarter, followed by an overnight stay in a hotel in Meteora with views of the rocks.
Day 2: Meteora Monasteries - Thermopylae - Athens
- The second day is dedicated to Meteora, a place of extraordinary natural beauty and spiritual significance where Byzantine monasteries sit on top of towering rock formations, some more than 400 meters high. You drive the panoramic road above Kastraki and stop at the main viewpoints for photographs of Roussanou, Varlaam and Saint Nicholas Anapafsas.
- Visit the interiors of two monasteries out of the six that remain active today, such as the Great Meteoron (the oldest and largest, founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios), Varlaam with its frescoes by Frangos Katelanos, Saint Stephen with its wide view over the Pineios valley, or Holy Trinity, known from the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Each monastery closes on a different day of the week and the schedule changes between summer and winter, so we confirm the exact combination for your date before departure.
- Later, begin the return journey to Athens with a stop at Thermopylae (approx. 195 km, 2 hours 15 minutes), the narrow pass where King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans faced the Persian army in 480 BC. Visit the Leonidas Monument, the memorial to the Thespians and the hill of Kolonos, with the option of the small Thermopylae Museum across the road.
- Continue back to Athens (approx. 190 km, 2 hours) with drop off at your hotel, port or the airport, depending on your onward plans.
- Explore Delphi’s site, Temple of Apollo & Athena Pronaia
- Walk along the Sacred Way with Mount Parnassus views
- Enjoy lunch in the mountain village of Arachova
- Visit the cliff-top Meteora monasteries, a UNESCO site
- Capture sunset views over Meteora and Kalambaka town
- Stop at Thermopylae and the Leonidas Monument
- Duration: 2 Days / 1 Night
- Tour Type: In-depth Cultural
- Group type: Private
- Availability: All year
- Languages: English
- Departure: Athens hotel, port or airport
- Accessibility: Steps at the monasteries
- Ideal for: Families, Couples, Single
- Group Size: 1 - 7 + participants
2 Days / 1 Night
All Year
Private Tour
Inclusions
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and English speaking driver
- Hotel pick up and drop off in Athens
- Overnight accommodation in Meteora with breakfast
- Fuel, tolls, parking and all driver expenses
- 1 bottle of water per person, per day
- 24/7 contact with our office throughout the tour
Exclusions
- Meals and personal expenses
- Entrance fees and licensed guide, availbale add on
- Gratuities (optional)
- Yes, and after running this route since 2010 we consider two days the shortest realistic version. Day one covers Delphi and Arachova and ends with sunset at Meteora, day two is the monasteries plus a stop at Thermopylae on the way back. The overnight in Kalambaka is what makes it work, since a single-day trip to Meteora from Athens means around 9 hours in the car and no time for the light on the rocks.
- Two interiors is the comfortable number, and you see all six from the panoramic viewpoints. Options include the Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Saint Stephen, Roussanou, Saint Nicholas Anapafsas and Holy Trinity. Each monastery closes on a different day of the week and the opening hours change between summer and winter, so we confirm the exact combination for your travel date before departure.
- Yes. Shoulders and knees must be covered for everyone. Men need long trousers, women a skirt below the knee. Wrap around skirts are available at the entrances, but bringing your own is more comfortable. Comfortable closed shoes are also worth packing, since both Delphi and the monasteries involve stone steps and uneven ground.
- The overnight stay in Kalambaka with breakfast is included, in a comfortable hotel close to the rocks. Tell us your preferred category and room type when you book and we will match it, including family rooms and rooms with a view of the Meteora formations, subject to availability on your dates.
- It is. The driving is split into comfortable stages and every stop can be adjusted to your pace. If steps are a concern, Saint Stephen Monastery is reached by a short bridge rather than a long stairway, and the panoramic viewpoints require no climbing at all. Child seats are available on request at no extra cost.
- A 30% deposit is required to confirm your booking, fully refundable for cancellations received in writing at least 10 days before arrival.
- For cancellations or changes made 9 days or fewer before arrival, and for no-shows, the full tour cost is charged.
- Flexible Cancellation
- Cancel up to 48 hours before the tour and get the full tour price back, minus this €300 fee. The €300 is non-refundable.
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