8 Fabulous Day Hikes To Do in Zagori, Greece

1 March 2025.

Whether you’re after an enchanting river stroll, historic village walk or arduous mountain adventure, discover the best Zagori hiking trails in this detailed guide.

While many visitors to Greece make a beeline for one of its azure isles in search of sun, seafood and some of the best beaches in Europe, the country’s mountainous heart is often overlooked and is without a doubt one of its best kept secrets.

Tucked away in the verdant north of Greece, Zagori and the Northern Pindos National Park is a wildly underrated hiking destination, connected by a vast network of trails that allow visitors to experience centuries of history, culture and architecture alongside sacred forests, record-breaking gorges, austere dolomite peaks and pristine turquoise springs that feel like stepping through the pages of a storybook.

zagori hiking trails. best hikes in zagori greece.

Considering the extreme temperatures that envelop much of Greece over summer, hiking may not exactly be an activity that sits top of mind, but in spring, when vivid green forests unfurl across the mountains and the climate is wonderfully cool, or autumn, when the landscapes transform into an ocean of auburn and vermillion foliage, Zagori is an absolute delight to explore on foot.

There’s also a little something for everyone whether you’re keen to enjoy a relaxed river walk, explore the storied villages, arched bridges and cobbled walkways that landed Zagori on the UNESCO World Heritage List, amble beneath staggering cliff walls, or tackle a demanding climb that will bring you amongst remote alpine lakes and the giants of the Tymfi massif.

This guide focuses on the best day hikes in Zagori that are easily accessible by car, but for those keen to embark on a multi-day hiking trip, virtually all the hikes outlined below can also be connected and adapted into a long-distance DIY trail.

After getting serious FOMO during my own trip fueled by an insatiable curiosity to explore every side trail I stumbled upon and the tenuous dotted lines on my map that often lay beyond the realms of a day adventure, I’ve also included a selection of potential multi-day hiking itineraries at the very end.

Whichever type of experience you’re after, these are my 8 favourite Zagori hiking trails, as well as how to get to and around the region and where to base yourself for each hike.

How to Get To and Around Zagori

Ioannina is the gateway to Zagori and lies around an hour from many of the key villages scattered across the region.

Due to the rugged terrain, the main road heading north from Ioannina skirts around the entire mountain range and peels off onto narrow arteries that connect with the villages of western Zagori.

Driving between the villages is also wonderfully scenic, filled with hairpin bends and marvelous views, so expect every trip to take a little longer than indicated by Google Maps.

I’d highly recommend renting a car for your visit to ensure you’re able to access the trails, whizz between the charming villages and conveniently reach the remote attractions scattered about this pocket of mountains.

Public transport is virtually non-existent in the region with, supposedly, just one bus service a week or fortnight depending on the season from Ioannina to Monodendri and Papingo. More frequent services run to Kleidonia and Konitsa throughout the year. See the timetable here.

Local taxis can also be used for transfers within Zagori however these costs will quickly add up.

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FIND YOUR RENTAL CAR // With scarce public transport in the region, travelling with a rental car is essential.

Ioannina is the ideal place to collect your vehicle with several companies located in both the airport and city centre. Alternatively, Athens or Thessaloniki are major hubs for those arriving from further afield.

I recommend using Discover Cars which offers a variety of suppliers at competitive rates for the region. Find the best deals here.

Where to Stay in Zagori

I spent seven days following a slightly wonky circular route around Zagori and basing myself across several different villages including Monodendri, Megalo Papingo, Konitsa and Kipoi, spending 3-2-1-1 nights in each.

With vast chasms carving up the landscapes, getting between these villages makes for some fantastic driving, but is rarely fast or direct, often taking around an hour.

To avoid having to dart back and forth around the mountains between the various trails, it’s well worth staying in close proximity to the hikes you intend to do or villages you hope to visit.

Thankfully, many of the Zagori hiking trails can be clustered together.

If you’re short on time, you may prefer to base yourself in one village for the entire trip and focus on the sights and walks nearby, or if you’re keen to hike a variety of trails, I’d suggest moving each night or every few nights to save having to backtrack unnecessarily.

These villages are best located for the following walking trails and lie within a 35-minute drive of the respective trailheads.

Monodendri, Vitsa, Kipoi, Dilofo | Vikos Gorge | Zagori Village Trail | Vradeto Steps

Megalo + Mikro Papingo, Aristi | Ice Age Voidomatis Trail | Drakolimni | Papingo Rock Pools | Vikos Gorge (Papingo trailhead)

Konitsa | Aoös Gorge | Ice Age Voidomatis Trail (Kleidonia trailhead)

You’ll find a selection of beautiful guesthouses spread across the region, often constructed in Zagori’s signature limestone masonry, though in general I found prices to be slightly higher than elsewhere in Greece.

For the areas listed, all retain a wonderful charm and tranquility, however Monodendri and Kipoi are perhaps the most lively, Papingo holds the most spectacular location followed by Aristi, Dilofo has a car-free centre and is both delightful and eerily quiet, and Konitsa technically falls outside of Zagori and is more town than village.

These are my top picks for accommodation in each area to suit a range of budgets.

Monodendri + Vitsa | Ladias Guesthouse | The Five Keys | Katikia Zagori

Kipoi + Dilofo | Hotel Machalas | Dilofo Hotel Luxury Suites | Gaia Guesthouse

Megalo + Mikro Papingo | Agriogido – Rupicapra Villas | Papaevangelou Hotel | Pinocchio Mikro Papigo | Mikro Papigo 1700

Aristi | Aristi Mountain Resort

Konitsa | Hotel Rodovili | Konitsa Mountain Hotel

Zagori Hiking Map

This interactive map indicates the starting point for each Zagori hiking trail in this guide, key villages and other spectacular viewpoints or attractions within the region.

The Best Zagori Hikes

1 | Vikos Gorge

Distance | 12 km one way / 24 km return

Duration | 5 – 6 hours / 10 – 12 hours

Difficulty | Moderate

Elevation Gain | 676 m / 1,659 m

Trailhead | Monodendri Central Square

Accommodation | Ladias Guesthouse | The Five Keys | Katikia Zagori | Hotel Machalas

For most visitors, Vikos Gorge is the place that first puts Zagori on their radar and the sole reason they end up visiting. Despite the immense beauty that surrounds it, this vast green chasm remains the region’s most spellbinding natural phenomenon.

The Vikos Gorge Hike covers the impressive 12 km section located between Monodendri and Vikos (or Papingo), with the option to either retrace your steps to the trailhead or zip back in a taxi.

The trail descends steeply into the canyon and guides you through lush forests and craggy overhangs, across the gleaming riverbed and rubbly terrain towards the brilliant blue Voidomatis Springs before ascending through a cascade of buttercup yellow wildflowers to the tiny hilltop village of Vikos.

Scattered along the clifftops, there are many striking viewpoints where visitors can marvel at the abyss from above without tackling the hike, but nothing quite compares with toddling beneath its staggering cliffs that soar above 1,300 m at the deepest point.

It’s a truly humbling experience and the best way to fully experience the grandeur of Vikos Gorge.

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READ MORE | Hiking Vikos Gorge

2 | Ice Age Voidomatis Trail

Distance | 9.2 km

Duration | 3 hours

Elevation Gain | 151 m

Difficulty | Easy

Trailhead | Papingo Bridge or Kleidonia Bridge

If you fell in love with the Voidomatis Springs that surge from underground in Vikos Gorge, the fantastic Ice Age Voidomatis Trail is even better, allowing you to spend hours enchanted and enraptured by the mesmerising Voidomatis River, one of Europe’s most pristine waterways.

This remarkable walk follows the river’s prettiest section, weaving between ochre-stained cliffs and ancient, contorted oak trees, across historic stone bridges and gleaming pebble beaches that collide with crystalline turquoise pools.

If the water wasn’t so darn cold, maintaining a consistently icy temperature of around 4°C, swimming here would be completely irresistible.

Rambling amongst the forest, the Ice Age Voidomatis Trail may not have the grand panoramas that you’ll find elsewhere in the region, but it holds its own kind of magic and is well worth setting aside an afternoon for.

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READ MORE | Hiking the Ice Age Voidomatis Trail

3 | Papingo Rock Pools

Distance | 500 m

Duration | 30 minutes

Difficulty | Easy

Trailhead | Rogovo Parking, Papingo

The embodiment of a short and delightful adventure, this fun little trail hardly counts as a ‘hike’ but it’s a wonderful side quest for those visiting Papingo.

The Papingo Rock Pools are fed by the Rogovo River and lie tucked away in tract of forest beneath the Towers of Astraka.

Despite starting along a manicured cobbled path, it’s not long before you’ll need to ditch your shoes or prepare to have them get completely soaked and a little muddy as you dart back and forth through the bone-chilling water, hopping over natural pools and cascades, and scuttling across boulders and rock platforms as you navigate upstream.

The route culminates in a narrow gully framed in vertical walls adorned in spongy moss and a tangle of vines that guides the way towards the final cascade. An enchanting scene plucked straight from the pages of a fairytale.

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READ MORE | Visiting the Papingo Rock Pools

4 | Drakolimni or the Dragon Lake of Tymfi

Distance | 16.6 km

Duration | 6 to 8 hours

Difficulty | Moderate

Elevation Gain | 1,197 m

Trailhead | Mikro Papingo

Accommodation | Agriogido – Rupicapra Villas | Papaevangelou Hotel | Pinocchio Mikro Papigo | Mikro Papigo 1700

Wedged above a string of dramatic cliffs, Drakolimni, also known as the Dragon Lake of Tymfi, is undoubtedly one of the best Zagori hiking trails and the most challenging in this lineup.

Defined by jagged cliffs and stark rock walls, the Tymfi massif is, in many ways, reminiscent of the Italian Dolomites and feels a world away from the swathes of forest that extend across the lower altitudes.

Beginning in Mikro Papingo, this walk climbs steadily uphill through a verdant pocket of beech trees and across alpine meadows that sprawl beneath the imposing Towers of Astraka.

Passing over the saddle alongside the Astraka Refuge, rugged snow-laced peaks dominate the landscape and a rough rubble slope and carpet of wildflower-speckled greenery mark the final stretch to Dragon Lake cradled on its lofty perch with a formidable mountain backdrop.

Those keen to venture further across the high alpine plateau can overnight at the Astraka Refuge in season with the possibility to reach the peaks of Gamila and Astraka or Robozi Lake which are generally out of reach as part of a single day hike.

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READ MORE | Hiking Drakolimni

5 | Aoös Gorge to Stomio Monastery

Distance | 9.6 km or 10.3 km

Duration | 2.5 to 3 hours

Elevation Gain | 528 m or 629 m

Difficulty | Easy to Moderate

Trailhead | Konitsa Stone Bridge

Accommodation | Hotel Rodovili | Konitsa Mountain Hotel

Though not quite as well known as Vikos, Aoös Gorge is another defining natural feature of the Northern Pindos National Park, plunging sharply from the edge of the Tymfi massif with the distinct right-angle peak of Gamila perpetually standing guard on its southern flank.

On its own, this dramatic gorge is an impressive place to explore, but clinging to an elevated promontory in its midst, Stomio Monastery holds an incredible position and makes for an enjoyable and reasonably easy walk.

Starting from the single-arched Konitsa Bridge, the trail hugs the Aoös River and splits between the two routes that lead to Stomio Monastery – the easy road and the difficult mountain path which can be combined to create a circuit.

Along the way you’ll pass a string of rapids, cascades and natural pools, ochre-stained cliffs, jagged rock pillars and several scenic viewpoints that guide you towards the monastery’s remote jungle hideaway.

Existing in its current location since 1774, the monks sure were onto something when they designated this towering otherworldly setting as their new spiritual home.

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READ MORE | Hiking Aoös Gorge

6 | Iliochori to Balta di Stringa

Distance | 2.2 km

Duration | 1 hour

Elevation Gain | 147 m

Difficulty | Easy

Trailhead | Agios Nikolaos Monastery

Accommodation | Hotel Machalas | Hotel Rodovili | Konitsa Mountain Hotel

Concealed in the foothills east of the Tymfi mountains, the remote village of Iliochori and its triple-tiered waterfall, Balta di Stringa, makes a wonderfully tranquil stop on your way around Zagori.

This trail is short, straightforward and infamously slippery, guiding you through a beautiful stretch of forest towards the Kryopotamos River and three waterfall viewing platforms.

The first gazes onto the stunning upper falls which plunge 25 metres into an impossibly turquoise plunge pool, however the middle platform is perhaps my favourite of the bunch, overlooking the magical trio of cascades as they tumble amidst a sea of greenery and jagged rocks.

Compared with the other hikes in this list which are all reasonably close together, Iliochori is a complete outlier located in the remote central strip of Zagori, at least 1 to 2 hours from either Konitsa or Kipoi.

For those taking the spectacular but isolated mountain pass which swings north around the mountains between these villages, it’s an excellent stopping point to break up the drive, but if you’re not already passing by, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend travelling all the way here just for this short hike.

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READ MORE | Visiting the Iliochori Waterfalls

7 | The Zagori Village Walk - Vitsa, Kipoi + Dilofo

Distance | 14 km

Duration | 6 hours

Difficulty | Moderate

Elevation Gain | 648 m

Trailhead | Vitsa

Most hikes on this list provide the opportunity to be immersed in nature, but this trail is like stepping back in time, weaving through centuries of history along the ancient pathways that connect the enchanting stone bridges and villages of Zagori.

Home to a tight knot of these villages and with more bridges than you can shake a stick at, this make-your-own-adventure type hike combines three shorter trails that extend between some of the prettiest villages – Vitsa, Kipoi and Dilofo – and takes in the area’s most iconic bridges, including the Misiou, Kokkorou and captivating triple arch of Plakidas.

Following cobbled laneways and historic stone steps through sacred forests and carpets of wildflowers, across dried riverbeds and rugged cliffs, this trail best highlights the exact architecture, stone craftsmanship and unique natural setting that landed Zagori on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This route can be easily adapted and customised to create your own perfect experience, making it into a longer or shorter circuit, taking a detour to an additional village or tacking on an extra bridge or six, hiking in either direction or beginning from any of the three villages.

Really, there are no bad choices here so follow your feet (and your map) and prepare to be completely charmed.

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READ MORE | Hiking The Zagori Villages

8 | Vradeto Steps + Beloi Viewpoint

Distance | 10 km

Duration | 3 hours

Difficulty | Easy

Elevation Gain | 531 m

Trailhead | Kapesovo

For anyone with even an inkling of historical curiosity, no visit to Zagori is complete without climbing its most famous staircase.

The Vradeto Steps or Skala of Vradeto cling to the cliffs of the Mezaria Gorge, disguised amongst the striated rock face as they unfurl over 17 hairpin bends between the lush ravine basin and the mountain plateau that leads to Vradeto.

For centuries, this solitary path was a lifeline for the remote hamlet and facilitated both trade and travel with neighbouring communities, while the presence of ravines and craggy terrain presented an ongoing challenge in the face of improving infrastructure.

In fact, until the early 1970s when a road was finally established, this trail remained the sole access route for Vradeto.

Today, this walking trail begins from Kapesovo, guiding you through the wonderfully leafy gorge engulfed in wildflowers and lime green foliage, across two ivy-encrusted stone bridges, past a hilltop chapel and a cave alongside the unique cobbled staircase that defines Vradeto’s story.

Beyond the hilltop village, don’t even think about skipping the Beloi Viewpoint which is anchored on the cliffs nearby and offers up the best views of Vikos Gorge you’ll find anywhere in the region.

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Multi-Day Walks in Zagori

One of the biggest surprises from my own visit to Zagori was just how well the area is set up for walking with a web of trails that fan out and connect virtually every village across the region.

With the exception of Iliochori which is far more isolated, all other day hikes mentioned in this guide could be strung together to create a fantastic multi-day walk through the region with guesthouses and restaurants available in almost every village.

Within the Tymfi mountains, the Astraka Refuge provides an option for accommodation during the peak hiking season, otherwise you’ll need to be equipped with camping gear.

Grocery stores are fairly limited in the area though, so you’ll need to be prepared with supplies or arrange with your guesthouse to provide a lunch pack where available.

Below are some ideas for potential hiking itineraries that combine the day walks listed in this guide. During summer, you’ll also have access to the peaks of Gamila and Astraka which can be tacked on from the Astraka Refuge for anyone that’s up for a challenge.

3 Days | Monodendri – Vradeto – Kipoi – Monodendri

4 Days | Konitsa – Astraka Refuge – Papingo – Monodendri – Kipoi

4 Days | Konitsa – Astraka Refuge – Papingo – Vikos – Kleidonia

5 Days | Monodendri – Papingo – Astraka Refuge – Vradeto – Kipoi – Monodendri