Hike, Kayak and Raft Greece's Wild North

This was our first time using MBA and we definitely will do again based on this trip. Northern Greece was lovely. The itinerary well thought out. The hikes were in beautiful spots with opportunities to cool off in the July heat in rivers and canyons. Really enjoyed the mix of activities, hiking, swimming, rafting, sea kayaking. We did a lot, saw a lot, ate a lot of delicious food and enjoyed the company of like minded travellers in our group.

Great trip. Would thoroughly recommend. Loved hiking through beautiful scenery. Gorge and mountains didn’t disappoint. Enjoyed the night in the refuge with stunning sunset. Great to mix the trip up with water sports too. Fantastic food, drink and accommodation. Mike was a super guide. V informative. Nothing was too much trouble for him either. I look forward to another trip next year.

This trip was absolutely jam packed from start to finish! The hikes were challenging whilst still being enjoyable, and with a slow enough pace to enjoy the scenery. Our guide Mike was there every step of the way and couldn’t have done more for us! The food was fabulous (even as a sometimes tricky to cater for vegan) and the rafting and kayaking were great additions to diversify the trip. Just prepare yourself for the heat if you go mid summer like we did!

From start to finish this trip delivered on every level. The Vikos Gorge, the climb to the Dragon Lake and stay at the mountain range were the hiking highlights for me. The rafting was a good opportunity to get the feet and legs in some cold water. What made the trip so very special was the guide Kostas - the places he took us to, his knowledge of flora and fauna, history and geology was wonderful. Kostas treated us to local delicacies. He was everything you would look for making the pace right for the people on the trip (I was slowest), making sure all our needs were sorted - I could go on and on he was a legend I would happily go on any trip Kostas was leading. We visited local businesses for stays and meals which was good. Finally the food - just wow - heaps of it and the quality was out of this world. Be prepared to eat late thats what happens in Greece but there you go. I was very lucky that the rest of the people on the trip were also great company. Highly recommended & Kostas again wonderful performance.

The Pindus mountains are beautiful! I had no idea how gorgeous they would be. We did the June tour so the weather was ideal and there were wildflowers EVERYWHERE! Not sure I had really appreciated the concept of a real wildflower meadow before this. The activities on this tour are so so good - the gorge walks and spring pools are amazing and then you have a totally different but equally beautiful hike up to the dragon lake and then a total change in (in scenery and temperature 😅) in Meteora. The rafting is actually very relaxing because the scenery is gorgeous and the water is not fast at all. The star of the trip for me though was the food! I realised I hadn’t taken a single photo of it because we all just dived straight in as soon as it reached the table 😂. Our guide Kostas was basically everything you could possibly want in a guide and clearly takes his role (both in ensuring you have a good time and in keeping you safe) very seriously. As well as main role of guide he also acts as car DJ, first aider, local food connoisseur, hype man, wild life expert, Greek language teacher and many more - he’s a non-stop Greek tour guide force! The accommodation was all nice, the ones in the north were really nice though with stunning views over the mountains with your breakfast. The stay in the mountain hut was actually so nice, I slept incredibly well but I would say definitely worth bringing your ear plugs. Also worth taking a pack of cards or game to play with the other guests. The sunrise over the mountains in the morning is not to be missed!

This was my first trip to the north of Greece and my first trip with Much Better Adventures. There were no reviews when we booked, but I am so glad we did. A truly unforgettable adventure with an incredible guide, Kostas, who really delivered an amazing experience. I would absolutely say this was great value for money, and the itinerary, the food, the accommodation and the guiding made it all worthwhile.

The hiking was spectacular. The walk along the gorge was so beautiful, and the pools we stopped at were as breathtaking as the coldness of the water. The hike up the mountain was not what I was expecting, sub alpine forest giving way to lush grass before arriving at the mountain hut. The walk up to the dragon lake took us through the glacial valley, past wild horses up to the dragon lake where we could see Albania. The mountain villages were beautiful and so scenic. In terms of difficulty - none of the walks were that challenging or technical, and with a good level of fitness you would be fine.

The rafting was extremely easy and was more of a lazy river experience, but an incredible experience nonetheless. The water was a stunning blue, and there was time to jump off some rocks. Sea kayaking was good, with a trip round a nearby island with a stop at one of the islands beaches. This was fairly so-so and I would have preferred to have spent another day in the mountains.

The food and accommodation didn’t disappoint, from village tavernas to rustic home cooked food, everything was delicious and in huge portions. Kostas ordered each time, making sure we got a taste of everything Greece had to offer. The stay at the mountain hut was particularly memorable. Each place we stayed in the mountains was unique in its own way.

I can’t understate how much Kostas made the trip - he was such a helpful guide, with great stories, great advice, and went out of his way to make sure our time in Greece was the best it could be.

Overall, an experience I won’t forget and I’ll be sure to try out other trips with MBA.

I was nervous booking this one - it was a new trip and a bit of a risk but I’m so glad I did! I had the best time and really enjoyed exploring a lesser known region of Greece. It was absolutely stunning and at times felt like we were the only people in an undiscovered land! In late May the weather was perfect and the mountains and valleys were full of wildflowers and wildlife. What I loved about this trip was the mix of challenging hikes, other activities and seeing ancient sites. It’s got a bit of everything, plus delicious authentic Greek food! It was great to try my hand at sea kayaking and rafting and was nice to explore the environment in different ways. This is my second Much Better Adventures trip and in my experience they attract great people, I’m so grateful for the lovely bunch of fellow adventurers I got to experience this trip with. And most of all to our brilliant guide Dimitris who went above and beyond to show us the best sights and make sure we had a trip to remember. I felt absolutely safe with him by our side and he really made the trip special and made us feel at home. Thanks Dimitris!

Top tip - if you want to extend your trip a bit it’s really easy to get to a variety of islands from Athens (by ferry or place) and have a few days beach time at the end. Some of us went on to Naxos and would recommend it, lovely and relaxed!

This was a fantastic trip to Greece's 'wild north'. It had a great mix of hiking, with a half day rafting, and a final day sea kayaking. The hikes were in the glorious Vikos National park, and Mateora National Park. The hiking was very manageable, but with one longer day ascending to the beautiful Drakolimni lake by the Refugio, at 2,000 mts. I think this would have been a tough day if you are not used to hiking, but very manageable if you have done some hiking and are moderately fit. The Refugio was closed, so the day included the descent as well, which made it longer. But this then gave us an extra half day to hike in Mateora, which was well worth it with its stunning rock formations, and monasteries impossibly perched atop rocky outcrops. The region is overall much less touristy than coastal areas, and has beautiful tavernas for delicious food. Lots of fresh food, enough for vegetarians, but plenty for carnivores as well. The rafting was on a beautiful river, around 2-3 hours, with up to Grade 2 rapids, so nothing too challenging/adrenaline fuelled, but very pleasant. The sea kayaking was a lovely way to end, with a little picnic and swim on an isolated beach. The kayaks are 2 person very stable sea kayaks, and no previous experience was needed. . The group was great, with like minded adventurers who enjoy hiking and the great outdoors, and everyone was very easy-going and fun. Dimitris was an outstanding host/guide. Always patient and willing to make the trip the best he could for us. I could not fault him.

This was my 5th trip to Greece, first time in the North and first time tour with Much Better Adventures. Boy did this catch me by surprise. I have always loved coming to this country but never envisioned Greece to look like this. The beauty blew me away! This tour has the perfect mix of activities it never felt repetitive.