Explore The Retreat Of Wolfs And Bears

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Embark on an epic 9 days hiking adventure through the spine of mainland Greece. You will hike the rugged 16th century trails of merchants and craftsmen, through the Epirus mountain range and the amazing Zagorohoria National Park. A circular hiking route that takes you to a different location every day. Accept this challenge and hike on 500 year old trails through deep valleys, steep cliffs and pristine forests.

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  • Vacation Style Holiday Type
      Adventure, Culture, Discovery, Guided Tours, Trekking
    • Activity Level Challenging
      4/8
    • Group Size Medium Group
      3+
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    All about the Explore The Retreat Of Wolfs And Bears.

    Embark on an epic adventure through the spine of mainland Greece by following rugged 16th century trails of merchants and craftsmen, through the Epirus mountain range and the amazing Zagorohoria National Park, one of the most spectacular ecosystems in Europe!

    Explore the wilderness as you trek in parts of northern Greece that very few outsiders have had the privilege of visiting. Accept this once-in-a-lifetime challenge and hike on 500 year old trails through deep valleys, steep cliffs and pristine forests. Hike Vikos gorge, a 15 km long trench with perpendicular rock faces rising as high as 1 km, cross its narrow passes and be rewarded with the incredible views this piece of land has to offer.

    An extra day can be arranged for white-water rafting in Voidomatis river.

    Discover Zagorohoria, through a 100km long footpath network, which passes through rivers, gorges, caves, alpine lakes and more than 20 summits higher than the 2km mark. Walk through world-renowned villages such as Kapesovo, Vitsa and Tsepelovo and prepare to be left awestruck by their unique architecture, the impressive stone mansions and the undulating, natural forested surroundings, left untouched by the passing of eons.

    At the end of a tiring day, share your experiences around stone fireplaces in cozy lodges and try the delicious food, prepared with care according to traditional recipes by locals, famous for their generous hospitality.

    HIKING ESSENTIALS:

    • Backpack
    • Trekking footwear
    • Windproof/waterproof membrane
    • Light pants and short pants
    • Base layer
    • Fleece
    • T-shirt
    • Underwear
    • Sun protection

    * Minimum participants for this trip: 3 persons. Maximum group of 6 persons.

    We understand that sometimes things go wrong and there may be rare cases where you need to reschedule your session. ExploreTheOutside will reschedule or refund your session(s) subject to the table below, and try get you active again on the date of your choice. Please be aware that programming changes are subject to guide availability and that second choice dates may take time to find. If you decide to cancel/postpone your booking, this is what you can expect:

    Up to 3 days before – 100% refund
    Between 3 days and 1 day before – 50% refund
    Less than 1 day before – Zero refund

    The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
    What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
    • All Local Transfers during the trip
    • Local Greek contact on the Ground
    • All Guiding
    • We will provide you individually with the following items for personal use Maps & Charts of the Territory
    • Traditional Lodge and Inn style accommodation
    • Breakfast
    • Pick up & drop off from Airport (SKG,IOA)
    • Daily SMS weather info provided
    What is not included in this tour?Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
    • Transport to our Explore the Outside spot in Karavostasi beach is not included (Can be arranged upon request)
    • Personal Travel & Health Insurance not included. We strongly advise you take out this type of cover for your own protection, ensuring the policy includes adventurous activities such as Hiking/Trekking
    • Single room supplement extra 20€/Day
    • All evening Meals
    1. Day1 Arrive at Kapesovo

      Upon your arrival at SKG Airport in Thessaloniki (Other possible landings are Ioannina airport and Corfu airport), you will be transferred by car to Kapesovo village, from where our hiking trip will begin. Once you have settled, you will meet your guide and get a short briefing by the locals about the territory, the history, the culture and the local gastronomy. We will review our journey, check route descriptions and available maps. After a delicious traditional dinner, we will settle for the night at Kapesovo.

    2. Day 2 First day from Kapesovo to Monodendri

      After breakfast we will start our hiking trip. We will leave the village and start a descending trail that will take us through a forest of beech and pine trees to the village of Kipi. From there, we will ascend the “Stairs of Koukouli”, a series of stone steps, which will take us to the centre of this picturesque village. We will then descend into the Vikos gorge once again and reach “Misiou” bridge. Crossing it will lead us to the village of Vitsa, built right on the edge of the gorge, where we will rest there for a while and walk to the near by village of Monodendri where we will spend the night in a traditional lodge.

    3. Day 3 Monodendri to Papigo Vikos Gorge

      From Monodendri we will descend towards the Vikos Gorge. It is one of the most picturesque routes, that will take us to the Voidomatis river springs, the clearest river in Europe, from where we will head towards the villages of Papigo and Mikro Papigo, where we will rest for the night.

    4. Day 4 Rest Day - Relax

      We will get a day of well-deserved rest, dedicated to fun activities in the area. We will get picked up from our lodge and go river rafting to work up an appetite for the delicious meal that will be waiting for us back at Papigo.

    5. Day 5 Ascent to Astrakas refuge

      With our batteries charged, we will take on a grueling uphill 4-hour hike to Astrakas refuge. Once we have settled and taken a short rest, we will make one final push towards the Dragon Lake, an alpine lake at 2100m, where you will be rewarded by the magnificent view before we head back to the refuge for the night (walk back to Papigo in a more relaxed lodging available).

    6. Day 6 Refuge to Tsepelovo

      This route is less frequently used and takes us to the beautiful village of Tsepelovo after a 6-hour hike through Alpine lakes and passes right below the area’s highest peak, Gamila, at 2,497. Once we have tackled this demanding route we will get a chance to stretch our legs at Tsepelovo and enjoy a cold beer, along with delicious local pies and barbequed steaks.

    7. Day 7 Tsepelovo to Kapesovo

      We leave Tsepelovo and head towards Avgerinos point.We continue south towards the junction that takes us to Beloi point, a beautiful spot with a wonderful view to the Vikos Gorge.we continue with a slight descend towards Vradeto village, we pass the village after a small break and start to descend the famous Vradeto steps, paved trail used by villagers and merchants to connect the two villages. We meet 2 consecutive bridges before starting to ascend. Then we get out of the trail following the asphalt road for a few meters before we enter the paved path which takes us to the beautiful Kapesovo Village.

    8. Day 8 Departure

      After a grueling week, our trip will be finally over and we will get a well-deserved rest. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and share your experiences over a cup of Greek coffee before we depart for Thessaloniki.

    9. Day 9 Optional

      We would be more than happy to assist you in arranging a more relaxed version, with reduced distances at a leisure hiking pace.

    Bridge Crossing
    Zagori

    Zagori is a region of astonishing beauty in Epirus, in the northwestern part of Greece.

    It contains 46 villages known as the Zagorochoria (choria = villages in Greek).

    The Zagorochoria villages are typical, built around a central square with a large church, a plane tree and a public fountain, and date as far back as the 17th century.

    Zagori has an amazing geology, filled with traditional arched stone bridges, rivers and interconnecting paths.

    The area is home to two natural parks and is considered a must-see destination, famous for its buildings (which have maintained a traditional character) and its intact landscape.

    Map

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