All areas › Journeys › Thessaloniki to Meteora by bus
Journey
Thessaloniki to Meteora by bus
There is no direct bus from Thessaloniki to Meteora. The KTEL Trikalon (KTEL Trikala) coach from the Macedonia terminal runs to Trikala in about 2 h 50, and a local bus covers the 20 km to Kalampaka, the town below the monasteries. Both legs are below with their live timetables.
Seeing the monasteries and getting back to Thessaloniki the same day
A same-day trip from Thessaloniki is possible but tight. The first coach leaves the Macedonia terminal at 09:30 and takes about 2 h 50 to Trikala, and with the change onto the local bus you would reach Kalampaka in the early afternoon. Most monasteries close between 15:00 and 16:30, with St Stephen's staying open until around 17:30, so you would see one or two at most.
The last coach from Trikala back to Thessaloniki leaves at 20:00, which gives time to get down from the monasteries and back through Kalampaka without hurrying. If Meteora is the point of the trip rather than a stop on the way, an organised tour from Thessaloniki or a night in Kalampaka is the better plan: arriving the evening before puts you at the monasteries when they open, with the whole day to see them.
Stations and where to board
The stop each leg leaves from and arrives at, with the address where we hold one, and the pin on the map.
Leg 1 — Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) to Trikala
- Board at
- Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal)Giannitson 244, 546 28 Thessaloniki (Macedonia Intercity Bus Terminal, Menemeni)Phone: 2310 595421, 2310 595411, 2310 595444, 2310 595447, 2310 595470
- Arrive at
- Trikala (Thessaly)Peripheriaki Odos Karditsis-Larisis (Rizario), 42100 TrikalaPhone: 24310 73130
Leg 2 — Trikala to Kalampaka (Meteora)
- Board at
- Trikala (Thessaly)Peripheriaki Odos Karditsis-Larisis (Rizario), 42100 TrikalaPhone: 24310 73130
- Arrive at
- Kalampaka (Meteora)K. Oikonomou & Averof, 42200 Kalampaka (Kalambaka), Trikala — street-corner address, no numbered street address publishedPhone: 24320 22432
Fares
| Leg 1 — Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) to Trikala | €22.70 |
| Leg 2 — Trikala to Kalampaka (Meteora) | €3.30 |
Total one way: about €26.00
Fares are the operator's own where marked in euros; 'Prices from' figures come from a fallback register. Reduced fares for students and children exist on most operators — ask at the counter.
Timetables, leg by leg
Leg 1 — Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) to Trikala
Seven coaches a day from the Macedonia terminal, the first at 09:30. Tickets are sold on the operator's website and at the terminal.
Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) → Trikala (Thessaly) · KTEL Trikalon (KTEL Trikala)
Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) to Trikala (Thessaly) bus times, by day
Every departure on this page in one view — ✓ runs on that weekday every week to the date confirmed below, ◕ on some of those weeks (tap or hover for the dates), — not on that weekday, blank means the operator has not published that far ahead. Tap a row for that departure’s stop-by-stop times.
Departures are confirmed day by day to Sun 4 Oct.
| Departs | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| 12:00 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 15:15 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 17:00 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 18:30 | — | — | — | — | ◕ | — | ◕ |
| 19:00 | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — |
| 20:30 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
Full timetable, stops and fare:
- Thessaloniki (Macedonia terminal) → Trikala (Thessaly) · 7 departures
Leg 2 — Trikala to Kalampaka (Meteora)
A local bus, about 25 minutes. Kalampaka's bus station is in the town; the monasteries are reached by the local Meteora bus or on foot, about 40 minutes to the first of them.
Trikala (Thessaly) → Kalampaka (Meteora) · KTEL Trikalon (KTEL Trikala)
Trikala (Thessaly) to Kalampaka (Meteora) bus times, by day
Every departure on this page in one view — ✓ runs on that weekday every week to the date confirmed below, ◕ on some of those weeks (tap or hover for the dates), — not on that weekday, blank means the operator has not published that far ahead. Tap a row for that departure’s stop-by-stop times.
Departures are confirmed day by day to Sun 4 Oct.
| Departs | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| 05:45 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 06:30 printed | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| 07:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 07:30 printed | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| 08:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 09:00 printed | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 10:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 11:15 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 12:30 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| 13:45 printed | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| 13:50 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — |
| 14:15 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 15:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 16:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 17:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 18:15 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 20:15 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 21:15 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| 23:00 printed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Departures marked “printed” are not sold online; their times come from the operator's printed timetable and have not been confirmed by the ticketing engine.
Full timetable, stops and fare:
- Trikala (Thessaly) → Kalampaka (Meteora) · 20 departures
Worth knowing
- The Macedonia terminal is west of the centre; city buses and taxis serve it. It is not the Chalkidiki station at the 9th km.
- Buy the Thessaloniki–Trikala ticket ahead in high season; the local leg is bought at Trikala.
Things to do in Meteora
The most-reviewed highly-rated tours and activities for Meteora — picked by travellers’ own ratings (all 4.5+ stars), not by us.
Sunset Meteora Tour on E-Bike
Meteora Trails Electric Mountain Bike Tour
Morning Off Road Buggy Adventure in Meteora
Sunset Off Road Buggy Tour in Meteora with Hermit Caves Visit
3-Hour Hiking and Scramble Guided Tour of Great Saint in Meteora
Tours listed via Viator. If you book through these links, this site may earn a commission — prices are the same either way.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct bus from Thessaloniki to Meteora?
No. The coach runs to Trikala and a local bus continues to Kalampaka.
How long does Thessaloniki to Meteora take by bus?
About three and a half to four hours including the change at Trikala.
Other ways
Train
Hellenic Train runs Thessaloniki to Paleofarsalos with a connection to Kalampaka; the railway reaches Kalampaka itself, which the coach does not. Check the railway's own timetable.