Meteora Photography Guide: Best Spots, Viewpoints & Golden Hour Timing
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- By: Peter Orsel
This Meteora photography guide is designed to help you capture one of the most surreal landscapes on the planet. Located just above the town of Kalambaka (or Kalabaka) in central Greece, the monasteries of Meteora sit perched atop massive sandstone pillars that defy logic.
Having traveled to over 40 countries, I can safely say that few places offer the same mix of peace and dramatic visual scale.
In this travel and photography guide, I’ll share my personal favourite spots, the best timing for that golden light, and the practical gear tips you need to bring home shots that you will cherish forever.
In This Post
Why Meteora Is a Photographer's Dream
The scale of this place is hard to put into words. The monks started building the monastries in the 14th century, and seeing how they managed to build these constructions on vertical cliffs is mind-blowing. I honestly still can’t comprehend.
For us photographers, it’s all about the layers. Whether it’s the morning mist in the valley or the way the sun hits the orange roof tiles, there is amazing photography opportunities everywhere. It’s a place where you can play with wide-angle landscapes and tight, compressed telephoto shots all in the same square kilometer. And don’t forget your drone!
How to get to Meteora in Greece?
You’re most likely arriving in Thessaloniki or Athens when you want to make a trip to Meteora. Another option is arriving from Albania, so if you’re doing a big Balkan trip, this is an option as well. If you’re coming from Thessaloniki or Athens, these are your options:
By Tour
You can book a tour and go on a day trip from Thessaloniki or Athens. For a family or on a holiday this is great, for a photography mission it’s a bit less. You don’t have the flexibility to go wherever you want, and you probably won’t enjoy either sunset or sunrise at the spot. If this is not a problem for you, consider booking your trip through GetYourGuide!
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By public transport
Depart by train from Thessaloniki or Athens. There’s one direct train from Athens, the others require a stop in Larissa. Taking the bus is an option too. Ammon Express offers services from Thessaloniki. From Athens, KTEL Trikala has a bus service with a stop in Trikala.
By Car (what i recommend)
Going there by car is what I did. I rented a car from Thessaloniki and drove to Kalambaka by myself. It might be the most expensive option, but it’s very useful to have a car in Kalambaka, to be able to get to the monasteries quickly. I usually rent my car through Rentalcars.
If you want to take your time and get home with the best photos possible, renting a car is a must.
How to get around in Kalambaka / Meteora, Greece?
It might be the most expensive option, but it’s very useful to have a car in Kalambaka. With a car, you’ll be able to get to the monasteries quickly. You can rent a scooter or a car in town as well, but as their main source of income is tourism, expect to pay a little more.
From Kalambaka it’s about 5-8km to get to the viewpoints of the monasteries. You can park pretty much anywhere for free, but it can get crowded during the daytime or during sunset.
If you want to hike from Kalambaka, expect to spend at least 1hr hiking uphill. That doesn’t sound too bad, but don’t forget about the heat. During summer days the temperature can rise up to 40 degrees.
There is a bus going up and down as well, but they don’t run very frequently. A ticket is about €2 euros and I’d suggest to ask your accommodation for the actual timetable.
Where to stay in Kalambaka / Meteora, Greece?
To make the best out of your visit, you should stay at least one sunrise and one sunset here. If you’re a backpacker like me, I highly recommend Holy Rock Hostel. This hostel might not be very fancy, but in terms of atmosphere it has been one of my best hostel experiences ever.
It feels like walking into a family you never knew before and the perfect place to chill, have a drink and simply enjoy life.
The Best Meteora Photography Spots
It would not be a Meteora photography guide, if I didn’t share my favourite spots. These are my personal favourite photography spots Meteora offers, organised by when the light is best.
The Secret Ridge - Sunrise
If you’re looking for where to photograph meteora at sunrise, this is it. It’s a 20-minute walk from the parking area, but you’ll have the place to yourself. Even though you won’t get the best view on the monasteries, there’s a great spot to watch a magical sunrise. It takes a 20 minute walk, but you’ll be at peace as there’s barely anyone around! I got these pictures above from there.
You can park at this location and if you see the wall with the mountain next to the parking lot, search for the place to climb up. Walk left bound and you’ll walk close next to the monastery. Continue walking the path for about 10 minutes and you’ll see the rock formations from where you’ll be able to see a stunning sunrise.
Practical information:
- Best time: 06:00 AM – Or check the sunrise timing when you’re around
- Crowds: None. Just you!
- Photography tip: Wait for the sun to hit the valley. The contrast between the dark rocks and the valley is incredible. Play with the glow too, like i did above!
The Town View - 2 hours before sunset
My favourite time of the day in Meteora. It’s the time when I shot the header of this blog and the picture above as well. You can see the wonderful town of Kalambaka behind the monastery while the sun is still lighting up the area from the back. I parked my car around this location.
Practical information:
- Best time: 2 hours before sunset
- Crowds: Usually not too crowded.
- Photography tip: Make sure to place the monastery in the center, with the town and mountains in the background. The sun glowing on both the monastery and the town will result in an incredible photo.
- Drone usage: Go for it! This was my favourite place to fly my drone.
The panoramic view - Sunset
Be ready to be surrounded by crowds, but sunset is simply magical from here. You can park next to the spot. Make sure you arrive about 1 hour before sunset to find the best spot and see all the magic going on. There are two panoramic viewpoints, but if you go to the other, this viewpoint will block a part of your sunset view, so make sure you visit this location. This is not the main observation deck Google is telling you about.
While the sun already set, I spent at least another hour here with my hostel friends. Still one of the best evenings of all my travels. Time seemed to stand still and I was immersed with an incredible sense of gratitude that I get to call this my life.
Visit the Monastries of Meteora, Greece
I get it! It might be a Meteora photography guide, but you want to visit the monasteries as well. You can visit 6 of the monasteries. I personally only visited one of them, which was enough for me. The Grand Meteoron is the biggest and most impressive monastery to visit. During the summer season, it’s open from 09:00 to 16:00. In winter season, it opens from 09:00 to 15:00. Keep in mind that this monastery is closed on Tuesdays.
I personally didn’t take too many photos inside, as I focus more on landscape, but I’m sure there’s amazing photo opportunities at many of the monasteries!
That’s it for my recommendations for Meteora, Greece. If you have any questions, please let me know. I can’t wait to visit the area again by myself and hope you’re able to create awesome photos and videos here!
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About Me
Peter Orsel is a Dutch travel photographer based in Bali, specialized in drone and landscape photography. He has visited over 40 countries and writes detailed, no-nonsense guides based on firsthand experience.
2 Responses
Thanks for the great info on Meteora, where we are visiting in early June. I had been interested in sunrise photos and thought the early light would be particularly nice from the Rousanu area facing west. You included 1 photo called First Morning Light on Great Meteoron, but was that taken from a drone? Is there a location for this photo, without a drone? You also say your favourite time is 2hours before sunset. In early June that would be 6.40pm – so would the photos be good from then right up til actual sunset at 8.40pm? I’d better take some snacks 🙂
Hey! I’m so sorry I missed this, but it’s still early June so I hope I’m on time to get back to you! Yeah that first morning light shot was taken with a drone. You can take photos of it without a drone, but they wouldn’t come out the same of course. It’s not the best spot for sunrises, but with a drone it’s still very cool!
Personally I like the light 2 hours before the best to get the result that I had. But you surely don’t have to stay there 2 hours long. If you just like the sunset views, I’d say that 1 hour before sunset is perfect.It’s always smart to bring some snacks! There’s no shop or place to buy water, so stock up before you go there! 🙂