you can be consulted:
Lyudmila
Greece is a treasury of wonders, the cradle of ancient culture, where myths and legends hang in the air. These lands were inhabited by great gods and ancient monsters, heroes performed feats, capricious muses patronized, beautiful nymphs guarded the nature... Modernity of Greece is closely intertwined with the past. We have created a unique trekking route in Greece for those who do not like to sit in one place, who are not crazy about the noisy crowds around, for active and curious travelers, who admire the wild unexplored nature and are not afraid of difficulties.
We will explore the fantastic terrains of the mainland, because 60% of Greek territory is covered by the oldest in Europe mountain ranges with majestic peaks and breathtaking rock towers, ancient glacial lakes, deep mysterious gorges, impenetrable forests, clear bubbling rivers with azure lagoons and waterfalls. Furthermore, we get away from civilization in complete unity with the pristine nature, for the preservation of which several national parks were created here. And we will immerse ourselves in a very new, unusual, mysterious Greece with authentic towns and villages, over which time has no power.
We do not cancel or shift groups. If the consultant approved the purchase of a ticket, you can surely buy it. The hike will not be canceled due to our fault.
Experienced Kuluar teamleader will accompany the group on all route, will make the trip as safe and unforgettable as possible!
A consultant will help you prepare for the trip and answer all your questions
All overnight stays will be in pre-booked guest houses and shelters, where you can take a shower, charge your smartphones and cameras, try the local cuisine
The trekking program in Greece is specially designed for those who want to trek without heavy backpacks, while visiting the most interesting places in the country.
More than 25000 participants have already gone to the mountains with the Kuluar and 97,8% were satisfied.
We meet in Thessaloniki, on the eve of the program start. We will have dinner in one of the many restaurants, get to know each other and discuss all our questions and plans. Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece, with many museums, historical sites and architectural monuments, beautiful streets with colorful restaurants and taverns, and a wonderful promenade. If you arrive early, you won't be bored. In the morning of the first day, we will have a long and spectacular drive from central Macedonia to the west, to the Epirus region, namely to the town of Monodendri. We leave Thessaloniki early in order to have time to realize all our plans. On the way, we will stop at a supermarket to buy food for our lunches in the mountains. Upon arrival, we will visit the "Stone Forest" (Petrodasos) - a unique natural monument, a limestone landscape composed of shale, as if created artificially, but in fact it is a creation of wind and rain aged from 35 to 160 million years. We will visit the observation decks with breathtaking views of the vertical walls of the grandiose Vikos Gorge, check into a hotel with excellent rooms, and walk around the town of Monodendri.
Transfer Thessaloniki - Monodendri: 300 km.
Approximate travel time: 5 h.
Hiking distance in Petrodasos: 10 km.
Height gain: 600 m. Dropping 600 meters.
Today we get up early, have breakfast, take only the most important and necessary things with us, and go out to meet the adventure.
We will take a fascinating hiking along the cobblestone paths and the most famous bridges of Zagoria, which many years ago connected all the villages in the area. We walk to the village of Kipi, famous for its ancient bridge Kalogeriko with three arches. It is considered one of the best bridges in the Balkan Peninsula, and it looks like a "caterpillar in motion". Through the forest, we will reach the village of Dilofo, which is protected as a monument of Zagorje architecture and is now being actively restored. All the buildings are made of local slate and the village has been declared a traditional settlement.
All the villages are incredibly beautiful: paved winding streets, stone houses, fences, like fortress walls, ancient churches, monasteries and, of course, magnificent platys, sheltered from the scorching sun with sprawling caring sycamores. Every self-respecting village in Greece is not without such a small square with coffee houses, where the whole public gathers for the daily exchange of news. We will enjoy learning the culture, the traditions, the gastronomy and the communication with the locals.
In the evening, tired but very happy, we return to our hotel.
Distanse: 20 km.
Approximate travel time: 6 hours.
Climb: 800 m. Drop: 800 m.
We have an early exit again, today we will see something special. The start of our journey today will be down a steep path to the very bottom of the Vikos Gorge, where the Voidomatis River flows. It is recognized as the cleanest in Europe. Over millions of years, this seemingly harmless stream, with the help of wind and sun, has carved a winding channel in the rocks, which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, has become the deepest gorge in the world!!! The height of its walls reaches 1000 m. The Vikos Gorge is preserved in an almost pristine natural state, untouched by human activity.
We are to walk along the bottom of this giant ravine, and among this triumph of nature, you can feel like the only people on the planet. The gorge is part of the Vikos-Aoos National Park and is home to many species of animals and birds whose singing will delight our ears. It is a real fairy-tale forest overgrown with moss.
Our path is a very interesting and exciting obstacle course, but it is quite capable of an average person and even a child: scree, boulders, small rocky areas, steep slopes, ravines, ladders, ropes, logs. The cool breeze drifting through the tree-shaded canyon allows you to travel here all summer long, even when the rest of Greece is baking hot.
Approximately halfway along the way, there will be a spring with very cold and tasty water. For lunch, we will stop on a large meadow by the river, overlooking the majestic rocks. Then we will cross the river and turn onto the trail that will take us through the forest, past strange rock formations and the majestic "Astracas Towers" until we reach the small and very colorful village of Papingo.
After checking into the hotel, we will get a real aesthetic pleasure walking along its streets, have dinner in a wonderful restaurant where we will be served a Greek salad made from tomatoes ripening right in the courtyard, and a warm chocolate cake for dessert will not leave anyone indifferent.
Distanse: 15 km.
Approximate travel time: 6.5 hours.
Climb: 1130 m. Drop 1230 m.
After breakfast, we take our backpacks and, without wasting time, go to visit the amazing natural pools formed in the stone bed of the mountain stream. The water is cold, but why not refresh ourselves in the clear turquoise waters? After bathing we continue our way, pass another tiny village and the trail will lead us up first through the forest and then along the open slope to our mountain shelter. But that's not all for today, the main "highlight" is waiting for us - the legendary Lake Dragon, which lies at an altitude of 2050 m. Our efforts will be rewarded with amazing mountain scenery. We'll go light and return to the refuge for the night. But before that we will spend a wonderful evening enjoying a simple tasty dinner, wonderful sunset, and mountain panoramas.
Distanse: 17 km.
Approximate traveling time: 6 hours.
Climb:1535 m. Drop: 555 m.
Today we have big plans, and it's nice that the backpacks are light. Take only the most necessary things with us. The goal of the day is to climb one of the highest peaks in the Timfi massif - Astraka 2432 m. The views from the top are breathtaking. In the evening, we will enjoy the sunset again and spend one more night in the shelter.
Distanse: 13 km.
Approximate travel time: 5 hours.
Climb: 916 m. Drop: 916 m.
Today is a hard day; we have a very long descent to get over. But for the sake of the incredible natural beauty that we will see, we have to do our best. First we cross the valley with the lakes and soon find ourselves on the opposite slope of the Timfi Massif. Along the steep rocky path we will gradually descend into the wild and lush vegetation of the Aoos River gorge, between the ridge of the Timfi and Trapezica. Occasionally, there will be small obstacles on the way, such as rocky screes or steep sections of trail. The difficult part of the descent ends at the walls of the old 18th century monastery of Panagia Stomiu, which was almost completely destroyed by the German army and rebuilt in 1943. It is a functioning monastery for men. Here we will rest, have lunch, explore the monastery with its beautifully manicured courtyard, talk to the monks, who are extremely friendly, and sometimes they may even treat us to lunch. We will replenish our water supplies, enjoy the views of the gorge and the river, and continue our journey along a gentle path along a clear, cold mountain river where we can take a refreshing dip if we wish.
At the end of our hike today, we will see another wonderful work of human hands - the old arched bridge over the Aoos River. It is one of the most famous in the region, built in 1870 and reaching a height of 20m. After crossing the bridge and taking a rest on a small sandy beach we arrive at our destination - nice old Konitsa town, located at an altitude of 600 m in the middle of a beautiful and fertile valley, where three rivers merge: Aoos, Vodoimatis and Sarantaporos. After checking in to the hotel, you have time to take a walk and explore this wonderful town and have dinner in a nice tavern, where you can almost never meet tourists and plunge into the atmosphere of local life, watching the cheerful visitors of the establishment :))
Distanse: 15 km.
Approximate travel time: 5 hours.
Climb: 250 m. Drop: 1700 m.
This day we will have the opportunity to relax and pay more attention to culture, art, history and food :) In the morning, we will have breakfast and take our transfer to the picturesque city on the shores of a huge lake, which is the capital of the Epirus region. The city has a very interesting and multifaceted history and, to this day, its historical architectural monuments are perfectly preserved. Today it is a rapidly developing city, famous for its feta cheese and silver jewelry. And we will definitely visit the main street, where there are many shops with silver works of art. Then we move to Thessaly again to the small village of Litochoro, which is located at the foot of the Olympus massif. Here we will spend the night and have a good rest before climbing the mountains.
Transfer: Konica - Yanina - Litochoro: 350 km.
We have breakfast, make some purchases and drive a little more along a winding mountain road to the place where our hiking trail begins. We will climb through an amazing mixed forest, the steeper the trail becomes, the more beautiful the views will be. Soon we will see the peaks of Olympus, and the valley will remain far below. A little more effort and we can already see our goal - a large mountain shelter on the rocks. And, now the goal is achieved, we have a stunning panorama of the sea, the valley, the gorge and the surrounding peaks. Throughout the evening we will observe the bright gradients of celestial colors, see the stars gradually light up, the lights of the towns below and the signal lights of ships at sea on the horizon. Today we need to have a good rest before storming Olympus.
Distance: 5.2 km.
Approximate time of hiking: 4 h.
Climb: 1237 m. Drop: 264 m.
Today we will make the main ascent of our entire trip - we will climb to the "roof" of Greece - the ancient "Throne of the Gods".
We get up early and have breakfast. We start climbing along a path through the forest, gradually the forest disappears, and a stone path leads us higher and higher to alpine meadows, where everything is in the palm of our hand. Furthermore, we continue along the gentle slope and find ourselves on the top of Skala. From here we can see the steep peak of Mitikas, the way to which lies through a narrow rocky ridge. If you wish and the weather conditions are good, we can climb another peak - Skolio. There are incredible reliefs around that take your breath away. From the top of Olympus, in good weather, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama with the Aegean Sea and the Halkidiki Peninsula in the distance. Amidst the peace and quiet of the clouds floating by, the majestic frozen rocks covered with snow for most of the year, it is hard to believe that at this very time, far below, Greece is hiding in the shade from the scorching sun.
But that's not all, we've been to the top, but there's still an incredible stretch of the path ahead, we go down a little and switch to a path that will lead us across a steep slope, traversing all the peaks of Olympus to a huge mountain plateau. There are several other stone mountain shelters on the plateau that fit perfectly into the landscape, and we will spend the night in one of them. But this place offers the best view of the entire mountain range, and the next morning we won't miss the sunrise to see how the morning sun will color the legendary Olympus and it will take on a truly divine appearance. And in the evening we can afford to stare at the stars longer, sit by the hot fireplace, chat while drinking aromatic mountain tea with honey and remember our amazing trip to Greece.
Distance: 8 km*.
Approximate time of ascent: 7 h.
Climb: 1300 m. Drop: 640 m.
* - Depending on the weather conditions on the summit, the route may be changed on this day.
We can relax a bit - almost the entire hike is behind us. We may not have seen the ancient gods on the top of Olympus, but we have enjoyed the clean mountain air, spectacular scenery, improved our physical shape and mood, recharged ourselves with the healing energy of nature, and are now going down with positive energy :).
The car will be waiting for us at the end of the trail, and on the way to Thessaloniki we will stop at one of the spacious beaches to plunge into the waves of the Thracian Sea.
Returning to Thessaloniki, our journey will end here, but you can continue it on the coast, relax on the beaches or retire to one of the many beautiful wild islands of the Greek archipelago.
Distance: 5 km.
Approximate time of hiking: 3 h.
Climb: 61 m. Drop:: 1673 m.
The consultant will advise you on equipment, help you choose the best flight, share information on hotels and excursions. You make payments and purchases yourself. If you want the consultant to buy a ticket for you, then this is possible, but for extra money, because this is a big responsibility. More in the article: additional services and service fee
Depending on the weather conditions, condition and general wishes of the group, the teamleader has the right to make changes to the route.
Citizens of Ukraine do not need a visa to Greece. Only a biometric passport with a validity of more than 6 months from the border crossing is required.
You must have no illnesses from this list in order to participate in the hike.
After hiking in Albania, we recommend the following routes:
We spend the night in hotels, mountain shelters and guest houses with local residents, living conditions are close to their local life. The choice of accommodation on the route is limited, but we book the best possible options in advance. Here is an example of a house that hosts Coulouar groups:
There are overnight stays in high-mountain Mountin huts, where the conditions are ascetic. While every hotel takes a usual shower, in mountain shelters you shouldn't always count on it - the water temperature is cool. And it is for overnight stays in the mountains that each participant is provided with sleeping bags.
All accommodation is booked with breakfast included. We take sandwiches, vegetables, and dried fruits for lunchtime snacks (included in the program price). Some lunches, where possible, and all dinners are held in cafes and are not included in the program price.
When imagining Greece, most people probably think of Turkey, the famous Lycian Trail. Yes, these countries have a similar, mild climate, but this is where the comparison of hiking ends. While in Turkey the group walks 10-12km per day, and the average elevation difference is 600m, in Greece there will be sections of 14km, and you have to gain or lose 1200m to 1600m per day. Such conditions are usually found in trekking in Nepal. Therefore, when choosing this program, consciously evaluate your capabilities. The big advantage of trekking in Greece is that there are very rarely other groups on the route, and you can enjoy the panoramas of the mountains.
Why we don't set the difficulty too high - daytime hiking is very intense, almost every step is exciting. In the most difficult programs, in Nepal, you have a chance to feel the manifestations of altitude sickness, but here you will not feel any other symptoms except for pleasant fatigue. The seventh day is a kind of rest from the stress. We walk around the town with gastronomic dinners.
It is worth mentioning that the price includes the rental of ice axes provided by the team leader. They weigh 320 grams, and you may need them only on one section, when climbing Olympus. The need for them may not arise, but this is the case when it is better to have them in your backpack. We care about your safety.
You will like what you see and feel in Greece. Prepare for more difficult things, and maybe the route itself will seem simple and comfortable.
It is worth buying tickets in advance, but only after the consultant confirms your participation in the trip.
You can find our recommendations on flight matching services in this article
To participate in the program, you need insurance that will cover trekking in Greece. Please do not neglect this point. It has saved some participants thousands of euros.
If you have free days, we recommend visiting Meteors - a unique place and climbing all 6 active monasteries. The most convenient option is to rent a car and go on your own. The distance is 230 km one way. But there are regular buses and trains between Thessaloniki and Meteora. Most tourists have no difficulty getting there.
Minimum group for this program: 5 participants. We have calculated the costs for a smaller number, but increased them slightly. So as not to be in the red ourselves.
So we can confirm the date earlier, and you will have the opportunity to buy tickets and plan your unforgettable trip!
The total amount of mandatory extras for the Optimal package will be about 400 euros. It is recommended to have more money with you for tasting the local cuisine and for unexpected expenses.
We book all hotels, guesthouses and mountain huts along the route in advance for each participant, therefore, in order to minimize the risks on the route, we recommend choosing the Optimal package. In fact, there is no special benefit from the basic package.
If the amount of prepayment is too much for you at the moment, but you still want to book a place, write to the consultant and he will break it down into comfortable parts.
👉 Check out: payment methods and refund conditions in case of cancellation or departure from the route
Dear friends, please don't take 500 euro banknotes. There are always problems with them when settling payments with partners in Europe. Thank you for your understanding!
*Please note: the consultant will help with the selection and search for air tickets, recommend an insurance company, but it is not his task to purchase them. Participants do it themselves or contact our partners, all contacts are in the article: tickets, hotels and insurance
