- Overview
- Itinerary
- Included
- Not Included
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3-day hiking and exploring in Mount Athos which will bring you closer to centuries-old history, cultural and art heritage, beautiful nature of this unique place and atmosphere of every-day life of its inhabitants.
Extra-charge services:
- Pick-up and drop-off from/to your hotel or elsewhere
*An extra charge is needed for the entry permit to Mt. Athos. Eastern Orthodox Christians: 25,00€. Non- Orthodox Christians: 30,00€. Children: 10,00€.
*When possible, the schedule may change to better suit your preferences.
*The schedule is subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances such as the prohibition of sailing.
Itineraries
Day 1
Ouranupoli – Daphne – Skete of Prophet Elijah - Monastery of Pantokrator - Monastery of Stavronikita - Iveron Monastery
Meeting point: Ouranoupoli. You will first stop at the pilgrim’s office to get the entry permit for Mt. Athos.From Ouranoupoli you will set sail for the port of Daphne. Then you will have transfer to the Skete of Prophet Elijah. The skete is organized as a commune and it is in the diocese of the Monastery of Pantokrator. It was established in 1757 by St. Paisios of Velitskovsky. Two large icons of Virgin Mary are kept in the skete: one of Panagia Galactotrofousa (the All-holy Virgin the Milk-giver) and the other of Tikhvin Dakriroousa (from the Russian village of Tikhvin). Have a cup of coffee.
After coffee, you’re ready to start your way to the Monastery of Pantokrator. It will took about half an hour walking. The monastery resembles a medieval castle. The icon of Panagia Gerontissa, which was given as a gift by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenus, is hold in the center of the katholicon of the monastery.
Your next destination is the Monastery of Stavronikita where you will arrive after 1 hour hiking very beautiful forest path.It is built on a rock nearby the sea and is the smallest monastery of Mt. Athos
Then by the one-hour hiking rocky sea-side path you will get to Iveron Monastery. Here, you may pay homage to the wonderworking icon of Panagia the Portaitissa (All-holy Virgin of the Gate), one of the most famous and revered icons of the area.
In Iveron Monastery you will attend the Evening Prayer and dine in the Refectory together with the monks and the other pilgrims. You’ll also be spending the night there and experiencing the monastic way of life to the fullest.
Day 2
Monastery of Gregoriou - Dionysiou Monastery - Monastery of St. Paul - Skete of St. Anne
After breakfast in the morning you will have transfer to the port of Daphne and then you’ll set sail for the small dock of Monastery of Gregoriou. The katholikon was constructed in the 18th century and it honors St. Nicolas. On the east side of the monastery is the Kathisma of Our Lady, meaning the ‘seat’, and the cave where Hosios Gregory spent his life.After the Monastery of Gregoriou you will hike picturesque mountain path to Monastery of St. Dionysiou about 2,5 hours. It is built on the brink of a rock, between the monasteries of St. Gregory and St. Paul. Many of the frescoes decorating the walls are painted by hagiographers of the Cretan School whilst others date back to the 16th century.
After about an hour of hiking another old mountain path you will visit the Monastery of St. Paul, which is located on the foot of Mt. Athos, nesting on the rocky area of a wide valley. Since the ground it was built on is rocky, the monastery was built tall instead of wide. The tower of the monastery dates back to 1522.
Skete of St. Anne, which is situated in the beautiful ravine 300 meters above the sea level, is a sui generis skete in the diocese of the Monastery of Great Lavra. You will be leaded there by the path through the New Skete. The foot of St. Anne is kept in the skete. Also, you may pay homage to the wonderworking icon of St. Anne.
In the Skete of st. Anne you will attend the traditional dine in the Refectory and Morning Prayer or the Holy Liturgy (if you wish) together with the monks and the other pilgrims. You’ll also be spending the night there and experiencing the monastic way of life.
3rd day: Hike to the summit and down – Small deck of the Skete of St. Anne – Ouranoupoli
Before you begin your hike towards the Refuge of Panagia early in the morning, the monks will offer you a cup of Greek coffee and some Turkish delight. Following the path uphill, it will soon lead you through the forest and to a flat opening, from where the view is wonderful. At an altitude of 4,921ft is the chapel/refuge of Panagia, where you’ll take a break, eat the food you’ve brought along (approximately 5 hrs of hike).
After a short rest you’ll start walking on a steep well-preserved path of medium difficulty. Once you cross a rocky slope, you’ll have reached your destination, the summit of Mt. Athos at an altitude of 6,660 ft. There, the chapel dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Saviour stands, where you may pay homage to the icons it houses and pray. The summit of Mt. Athos is a holy place that every pilgrim would like to reach and stand next to the large cross while admiring the amazing infinite view.
You’ll then descent carefully to the small dock of the Skete of St. Anne (approximately 6hrs of hike) and then you will set sail for Ouranoupoli. At this point you have reached the end of your tour in Mt. Athos.
- Tour guide services in your preferred language
- Admission to religious & cultural according to the schedule
- Transfers in Mt. Athos according to the travel schedule
- Sea Taxi in Mt. Athos according to the travel schedule
- Entry permit arrangements
- Arrangement for 2 overnights at the monasteries of Mt. Athos
- Any client’s personal expenses
- Anything not mentioned in the above “included” section
