Tour Summary
The Zagoria motorcycle tour will take you to the northwest of Greece, where you will ride around some of the most beautiful landscapes of the country, reachable by road.
The tour is designed as a 6-day riding experience, suitable for those of you who have never been to the northwest, but at the same time do not have more days available for the extensive experience of our 10-day “Central Northwest Greece Tour”.
In order to achieve this, we have made the first day a long one, with enough highway kilometers included. It is a necessary compromise to save time and be able to spend more days to the exploration of the Zagoria area which, in all honesty, cannot be completed in less than 4 days!
Start / Finish
Athens
Duration
5 or 6 riding days (see the options in the itinerary section)
Distance
aprox. 1600 kilometers (1000 miles). Shortest day: 105 kilometers. Longest day: 400 kilometers.
Riding hours
Daily average 5-6 hours on the saddle.
Accomodation
A traditional stone-built mountain resort, a luxurious boutique hotel by the seaside, and a luxury hotel.
Difficulty
“Advanced” for the average rider. Please read about our tour grading system.
Roads
1oo% paved. Aprox. 40% on touring roads, 45 % challenging roads.
Attractions - What will you see on this tour
- The famous Meteora, a UNESCO world heritage site. The limestone pillars that rise to the sky with the monasteries built on top are a sight to marvel.
- The gorge of Vikos, the 2nd deepest in the world.
- The numerous stone-built, arch shaped bridges of Epirus region, a “trademark” of architecture the northwest
- The numerous stone built traditional villages of Zagoria.
- Voidomatis river, with an option to do some river rafting. Voidomatis has the clearest waters in Europe!
- Site of Delphi, the “navel of the World”, also a UNESCO world heritage site!
Roads - What riding will you do
During the first day we cover an extensive amount on highway, as it is the only way to save time if you want to see Zagoria in so few days. The entire tour runs on paved roads.
For the biggest part of the main course, in and around Zagoria, we will be riding on secondary roads, narrow, with lots of twists and hairpins, with very little traffic. As always, a picture is worth a thousand words, so the following image carousel contains photos from the routes of the tour. Slide/swipe left/right to see all images.
Itinerary
Note: for the 5-days version of this tour, what is described as “day 4” below is not included in the itinerary.
Day 1: Athens – Meteora (route options, from 400 to 455 kilometers / 250 to 285 miles)
As you leave busy Athens you will ride for about one hour on the motorway. This is necessary in order to cover part of the long distance of the day. After a while you have options to make the ride interesting: the wider area of Lake Plastiras is scenic and twisty. Next lies the Koziakas area, where again you will enjoy riding on small countryside roads.
Your destination is the town of Kalampaka, built next to Meteora.
Day 2: Meteora – west Zagoria, 2 or 3 nights in Zagoria (options, from 140 to 200 kilometers / 87 to 125 miles)
Today we enter the NW territories of Greece. The distance of the day may seem little, but the roads are small and narrow, and always twisty. The ride is beautiful with alpine meadows and lush locations. Endless curves and corners. The first villages of the Zagoria appear in front of us. We reach our stone-built boutique hotel, at a tranquil site. Time for “meze” and “tsipouro” (local spirit)!
Day 3: Zagoria loop ride (165-170 kilometers / 103-106 miles)
Time to explore this beautiful region. You will do a loop ride, circling the entire west part of the Zagoria area.
You will stand in 2 panorama locations to see the Vikos Gorge, the 2nd deepest in the world and admire nature! You will visit the twin villages of Megalo (Big) and Mikro (Little) Papingo located below the great limestone “Towers of Astraka” on the north side of the Vikos Gorge. There, at the village’s natural swimming pool you might want to have a dip and a break!
We will repeat what we wrote for the previous day: don’t be fooled by the short numerical distance of this day’s route. It will be a full day, rest assured!
Day 4: Rest in Zagoria, or in Ioannina. Options to ride also.
After 3 days of intensive riding, today is time to take it easy! A rest day to see and explore the old historical town of Ioannina. Perhaps you would like to do some outdoor activities (like river rafting for example). For those of you who prefer to ride, there is a route option, bringing you close to the Greek Albanian borders.
Note: if you choose to do the 5-days version of the tour, then this day is skipped entirely from the itinerary.
Day 5: Zagoria – Nafpaktos (285 kilometers / 178 miles)
For a start, a short coffee break in the old town Ioannina is in the schedule. Later on, you will ride over a section of the western borders of the Tzoumerka mountain range, where you will witness a couple of breathtaking views towards the valley of Arachthos river.
You will keep smoother and much easier paces as you cross the plains of Arta and then you will finish your day at Nafpaktos. A small section of the route after Arta will be on motorway (aprox 90 kilometers), unless you are ok with making this day a very long one!
Day 6 : Nafpaktos – Delphi – Athens (route options, from 280 to 330 kilometers / 175 to 206 miles)
You will follow the coastal road until Itea, where you will enjoy a section of it that’s pure biking fun.
From there we present you with options: ride to Delphi (UNESCO World Heritage Site), or skip it if you don’t like crowded places. Then it’s time to enjoy a long ride through the country side. The hairpins of Elikonas will give way to the forrested area of Kyriaki keeping your spirits high. As you approach the wider area of Thiva, you will again have the options to make it a quick return to Athens (via highway) or follow the “old” road that is more interesting (but longer in time!).
We suggest that you make arranges for departure back home for the next day, so that you will have an easy-going return to the end point of the tour.
Prices (in euros)
2024 Prices
For the 6-day version:
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1250 | 2,025 | 1,650 | 2,160 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 1,935 | 1,560 | 2,070 |
| BMW F 750 GS | 1,810 | 1,435 | 1,945 |
| HONDA NC 750x | 1,620 | 1,245 | 1,755 |
| HONDA CB 500x | 1,525 | 1,150 | 1,660 |
For the 5-days version:
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1250 | 1,685 | 1,390 | 1,780 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 1,610 | 1,315 | 1,720 |
| BMW F 750 GS | 1,505 | 1,210 | 1,620 |
| HONDA NC 750x | 1,350 | 1,055 | 1,460 |
| HONDA CB 500x | 1,270 | 975 | 1,380 |
2025 Prices
Offer :
Book your 2025 tour before Christmas of 2024, and get the 2024 pricing!
This offer will be valid for the first 10 bookings.
Prices for 6-days Tour :
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1300 GS | 2,145 | 1,770 | 2,280 |
| BMW R 1250 GS | 2,075 | 1,700 | 2,215 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 1,980 | 1,605 | 2,120 |
| BMW F 800 GS | 1,865 | 1,490 | 2,005 |
| HONDA NC 750X | 1,675 | 1,300 | 1,815 |
| HONDA CB 500X/ ΝΧ500 | 1,580 | 1,205 | 1,725 |
Prices for 5-days Tour :
| (all prices in euros) | Single Rider, single room | Single Rider, sharing twin room | Rider + Passenger *, double room |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW R 1300 GS | 1,790 | 1,495 | 1,910 |
| BMW R 1250 GS | 1,735 | 1,435 | 1,855 |
| HONDA NT 1100 | 1,655 | 1,340 | 1,770 |
| BMW F 800 GS | 1,560 | 1,265 | 1,675 |
| HONDA NC 750X | 1,405 | 1,105 | 1,520 |
| HONDA CB 500X/ ΝΧ500 | 1,325 | 1,025 | 1,440 |
(* Rider and Passenger price is for both people, not per person.)
Booking deposit, per person : 300 euros
Remaining amount is paid in 2 parts:
- 50% : 60 days before arrival. If you are placing your booking initially at a date less than 60 days prior to the starting date, the 50% are required as a deposit.
- 50 % : during motorcycle pick up
Note: prices shown are based on quotes from hotels offered to us for group tours on fixed dates. Depending on the exact dates of your travel, prices may be slightly higher. For example (but not restricted to) :
- During the entire month of August
- the “long weekends” around national holidays/anniversaries : 25th March, 28th October, Ash Monday, Greek orthodox Easter, Labour Day (1st of May), Orthodox Holy Spirit Sunday & Monday
Dates
No scheduled dates. This tour is offered as a self-guided tour. It can also be done as guided, upon a group request of at least 3 riders.
Best done during: May to early June, and then September and October.
What is included in the price of the SELF GUIDED tour & what is not
– 5 nights Accommodation in personally hand-picked hotels
– 5 breakfasts
– Rental of Motorcycle, with side panniers and top case.
– 3rd party liability insurance
– theft coverage and damage coverage for the motorcycle, with insurance excess.
– 1 GPS per 2 bikes, with pre-loaded routes for every day.
– Paper map with marked routes and tour booklet with information
– Luggage storage in our premises
– 2 helmets, approved for European standards.
– All taxes.
– Accommodation in Athens (but we can arrange it for you if requested)
– Airport transfers to and from Athens on arrival and departure (can be arranged upon request)
– Food & drinks
– Fuel & tolls
– Personal daily expenses, gratuities
– Fines, tickets, parking fees
– Entrance fees for local museums or tourist sites
– There is no tour guide on motorcycle, nor the supporting services of a car.
– Personal travel insurance.
– Visas (if required)
– Anything else not described as “included”
This tour can be adjusted to fit your preferences!
Add or remove days. See more destinations, or ask for different dates! Perhaps you feel that you don’t need the services of a support car and wish to do the tour without one to lower the cost? For these parameters or anything else you might want to change, contact us!
Back to our Tours Self guided tours Overview or see the Tours Terms & Conditions. Also you may want to check the Frequently Asked Questions.