Kalambaka is a Greek city at the very foot of the Meteora rocks, on which the world famous Meteora monasteries are located.

Northern Greece Vacation: Off the Beaten Path to Corfu

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Greece

Places Visited

Thessaloniki, Kalambaka, Meteora, Ioannina...

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Suggested Duration

14 Days

Byzantine treasures and whispering oracles will emanate from the dramatic landscapes and uninhibited history on your 14-day off the beaten path Greece tour focused on exploring Northern Greece. Preserved traditions will meet the relaxed ambiance shaped by ancient cultures, Ottoman occupation, and enchanting fairytale villages known as the Zagorohoria. Your custom-tailored tour of Greece will immerse you in adventure and discovery uncovering heritage, wonder, and beauty.

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Immerse yourself in the history of Thessaloniki, a living UNESCO World Heritage Site from which to start your journey
  • Hike and drive to the Zagori villages, enjoying intimate local experiences in fairytale settings
  • Take two adventures across Corfu island, one to see the sights and the other to relive Homer’s Odyssey
  • Feast on new flavors during a Zagorian cooking class and an Old Town Corfu food tour
  • Ascend to the mountaintop monasteries of Meteora, which are as dramatic as they are serene
  • Explore ancient Macedonian history with a day in Vergina and Pella
  • Uncover the center of enlightenment in Ioannina, then travel forward into its Ottoman and Byzantine heritage

Detailed Description

Almost everyone visiting Greece goes south, usually to Athens and then to the Cycladic islands. Hardly anyone goes north, so will be finding a real treat if you are crowd-weary or merely believe that exploring should not be stressful. Northern Greece and Corfu offer breathtaking landscapes that hum with the sound of silence. There is grand history here, although not always of the Corinthian columns variety. Instead, this region is a melting pot of Byzantine remains, Ottoman architecture, Macedonian styles, old-world monastic communities, and villages that keep tradition as commonplace. Include the Temple of Zeus of course, just without the crowds that gather around the country’s major archaeological sites.

This 14-day tour to Northern Greece and Corfu is one for the connoisseurs who like to feel the history rather than just see the sights and those who want to understand a country rather than simply snap a few photos. You will be immersed in local culture and food, wowed by 3,000 years of civilizations and histories, alone on both mountain and island landscapes, and then pampered on old town promenades and tightly-packed cobbled streets. Spread across five overnight destinations, it will be a journey into authentic Greece for an experience that will bring much more than whitewashed island villages and a famous Acropolis.

Start in Thessaloniki, a living UNESCO World Heritage Site and gateway to the north. Here the storyline traverses the centuries, giving you an indication of how the region changed hands many times over the millennia. Explore the birthplace of ancient Macedonia and Alexander the Great on route to Meteora, where mystical monasteries stand atop dramatic mountain pinnacles. Ioannina was once the center of the Enlightenment and continues a journey through the eras, this time going all the way back to a Temple of Zeus and perhaps the greatest oracle of them all. All of that fills six days, and the pace is relaxed throughout with leisurely evenings in pedestrianized old towns.

Spend days seven to nine in the Zagorichoria, Zagori hillside villages of stone houses, ancient bridges, walking trails and snow-capped vistas. This is a place to unwind, hopping from village to village in a very remote European corner. Enjoy a cooking workshop, spend time with the locals, and choose from the countless mountain trails. End your 14-day vacation on Corfu, an island that is somewhat mysteriously less crowded than it should be. The island is rich in tradition and charm, its towns distinct from the crowded, souvenir-shop-laden streets of the Cyclades. Spend a day reliving Homer’s Odyssey, another day on a private jeep tour, and then your final day tasting the history of Kerkiran (Corfiot) food. Each evening you are in Corfu’s Old Town, where a sea breeze cascades past al fresco terraces.

Starting Price

$4,545 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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