4.0
Track Wild Bears and Hike in Northern Greece
- Greece
- 5 nights
Hike through the world’s deepest gorge and track wild bears across the beautiful Pindos Mountains
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 14 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From …
excluding flights
What's it like?
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Highlights
Explore remote bear territory and get involved in the conservation work being done to protect these incredible animals in the wild
Hike an unspoilt and little-known corner of Europe staying in local independent guesthouses
Visit the Greek Grand Canyon, Vikos Gorge – the deepest in the world
Itinerary
Day 1
Kastoria
Hiking1.5hrs · 3miGuesthouseTwin shareDinner includedShow Day 1 detailHide detail
Head to Kastoria, your base for the bear tracking adventure ahead. Check into your guesthouse, gaze out at the lake and then meet up with your guides and the rest of your team. If there's enough time, take a short hike to a nearby area frequented by bears, before heading out for dinner. You have an early start in the morning so you may want to hold back on the Ouzo.
Day 2
Bears
Hiking3hrs · 4miGuesthouseTwin shareBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 2 detailHide detail
Head to an area where bears forage for food and If you're lucky, catch a glimpse of a wild bear going about its morning routine.Fuel up yourself, then hike to a spectacular wilderness area where your guides conduct regular field research. During the hike you'll learn about radio-tracking methods, look for signs of bear activity, measure footprints and watch remote camera traps being set. Visit the sanctuary at Nymfaio and see the important work being done to give orphaned and rescued bears a better life. Here you will definitely see them up close.
Day 3
The mountain trails of Gramos
Hiking3hrs · 4mi · 1640ft upGuesthouseTwin shareBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 3 detailHide detail
Pack your day bag and head to the spectacular Mount Gramos (2520m) for a days hiking in the mountains. This is a wild and beautiful area, with pine and beech forests nestled beneath the peaks of the Pindos Mountains and four different rivers descending into the forested valleys. Head back to Kastoria for a well-earned rest and then take a quick walk around the lake, followed by a classic Greek dinner in a local Taverna.
Day 4
Bears, bears, bears!
Hiking2hrs · 3mi · 328ft upGuesthouseTwin shareBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 4 detailHide detail
Start the day with a spot of crack-of-dawn bear tracking. After breakfast, head out again for another wilderness hike, this time keeping an eye out for paw tracks, droppings, hairs and scratch markings on the trees. Wave goodbye to Kastoria and hop in the car for a drive to one of the most picturesque villages on the trip, Mikro Papigno, located right in the heart of Northern Pindos National Park.
Day 5
Vikos Gorge
Hiking4-5hrs · 6mi · 2625ft upGuesthouseTwin shareBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 5 detailHide detail
Hike through the world's deepest gorge (relative to its width), known as ‘Greece's Grand Canyon’. A small trail takes you straight down to the bottom of the gorge where you can stare up at the sheer walls until you reach your lunch spot on the lovely Voidomatis River. Here you can wild swim and drink the water straight from the bank.
Ascend back up and explore Zagori, an area of extraordinary natural beauty made up of two national parks and little villages connected by arched stone bridges. Head back to your guesthouse for a last Greek feast and have an Ouzo or two. You've earned it.
Day 6
Return to Thessaloniki
Breakfast includedShow Day 6 detailHide detail
Have a final breakfast in Mikro Papingo and then pack up and drive back to Thessaloniki. You'll be dropped off at the airport in time for your return flight, or at a hotel in Thessaloniki if you are staying on in Greece.
Getting There
- Nearest airport
- Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport (SKG)
- Pick up
- Thessaloniki Airport
14:00 - Drop off
- Thessaloniki Airport
13:30
What is and isn't Included?
What's included
Expert, English-speaking conservation guides
5 nights in local, independent guesthouses
All breakfasts and dinners
To and from the airport and everything in between
All national park permits and entry fees
What's not included
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Where You'll Stay
Looking for a private room? See Optional Extras for details and pricing.
Kastoria
Mikro Papingo
What You'll Eat
You're in Greece, the food is incredible! You'll have traditional food at various points during the trip, including classic Greek evenings in local tavernas. Vegans and Vegetarians can be catered for on this trip, just let your host know in advance.…
Optional Extras
Pre/Post Trip Accommodation
- Double/Twin room in Kastoria
- …
- Single room in Kastoria
- …
- Double/Twin room in Mikro Papingo
- …
- Single room in Mikro Papingo
- …
Upgrades
- Optional Private Room Upgrade
- …
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Ratings & Reviews
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Departure dates
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What to Pack
Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
FAQs
Will I definitely see bears on this trip?
Yes. You will visit the bear sanctuary at Nymfaio where you are guaranteed to see bears up close. As for seeing wild bears, nature can never make any guarantees, but you will be spending a good amount of time deep in bear-country guided by true experts, so you’ll have a fair chance. Be reassured that we follow responsible wildlife observation guidelines and will never use bear baiting to please tourists.
What do I do about drinking water?
The water is perfectly safe to drink in each part of Greece that you will be visiting. You can even drink from certain rivers during the hikes. Do bring one or two reusable water bottles, as you'll need to load up before the bear tracking and hiking.
What is the up to date travel advice?
For current advice about travelling in Greece, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Can I book on my own?
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Who is running the trip?
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
What is the official travel advice?
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).
If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.
What vaccinations do I need?
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
How are the trips priced?
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
Why are your adventures only for adults?
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
Who else will be on my trip?
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
What's the carbon footprint for this trip?
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre program, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 267kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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