Vikos Gorge Traveller Reviews

Walking from village to village over 7 days allows you to understand so much about a country. Let alone the people. The history is evident and you can feel it. Walking through the deepest gorge in the world gives you perspective on life and how small we are in the greater scheme of things. I walked this by myself so there is a great sense of accomplishment i got from this. It was so remote and peaceful at times isolating but the people in the villages made me feel welcome and i felt like i was leaving home every time i started a new hike. But couldn't have done it without the guided routes and information supplied by on foot.

So informative, gave me EVERYTHING i needed to make sure i didn't get lost. A contact person in every village, from Maps, to written directions, even GPS paths. They were insistent i studied all the information before i arrived. Which was so helpful. Especially walking this route by myself I felt safe knowing i had all the information i needed to explore this very untouched part of Greece.

We had two nights on Corfu which was beautifully mixed, with an afternoon in the town and a day walking in the hills and along the coast - lovely. Then five nights in the Pindos Mountains which we found perfect walking country with superb little inns and places to eat along the way, as well a an ecellt day walking the Vikos Gorge. The baggage transfers were all very efficient and walking directions accurate. Then a day in the Meteora where the travel arrangements worked out very well and the route notes took us off the beatne track, enabling is to avoid other tourists as much as possible. `all the accommodation was excellent and the whole service couldn't be faulted.

Very helpful even when I changed the itinerary after we had booked; prompt replies and a totally well run and efficient trip. I appreciated the phone call just before we left home to check if we are alOK.

Based around walking routes they have meticulously planned, Onfootholidays offer flexible holidays for walkers. The routes take walkers from one night's accommodation (always of high standard, and often exceptional) to the next, with luggage transfers provided so there is no need carry all one's holiday clothes when walking. From the planning phase to returning home again, the office staff are very knowledgeable, tirelessly helpful, and will adapt itineraries and accommodation bookings to suit each walker's needs. Maps and route plans are provided, and there is always local backup a 'phone call away, but this is not an organised walking holiday in the usual sense. It's not guided, and is all the better for that. One makes one's own way from place to place, and such are the areas in which the walks are organised, one can walk all day and see very few other people. Perfect (for us at least).

Onfootholidays is a small enough operator to be able to provide a highly personalised service. All the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble.

Our holiday was a 10 day self-guided walking holiday in two remote areas of Greece. The holiday was designed by the tour operator On Foot who arranged travel (both public transport and transfers) and accommodation in Greece and provided the detailed walking guides.

It was self-guided walking holiday in a remote part of Greece. On Foot designed the trip and organised accommodation to suit our preferred dates. The holiday was just as good as expected and On Foot provided a good level of personalised service around the booking arrangements. They also ensured support was available by phone when in Greece, which we used for a minor change when in Greece and it all went faultlessly. The route/ daily walks were very well chosen by On Foot and the likewise the accommodation. This was our second holiday with On Foot and we have no hesitation in recommending them to others.

There is the option of starting this holiday in Corfu, but I preferred to focus on the Vikos Gorge and started in Ioannina. I also booked an extra night in Papigo at the end which was well worthwhile. The amount of walking and altitude gain increases each day so the holiday feels well planned - the walking is quite strenuous, especially in the heat. Wildflowers in early June are simply amazing. All the accommodation on this trip was good, and the region hosts some of the best food I've had in Greece. Highly recommended.

On Foot are always friendly and helpful, and showed genuine interest in my needs and wishes.

6 of us all in our 50's frequent walkers wanted a walking holiday somewhere remote and beautiful, Zagoria and Meteora did not disappoint us. All the travel arrangements worked very well, all accommodation was small local and friendly.Walking directions were extremely good and detailed, all we had to do was follow our instructions to have a days walk in splendour and an evening in comfort. Arranging the itinerary was easy as it was possible to speak to people who had done the walk .It was possible to customise it to suit our requirements. Our holiday was graded medium to hard and we felt this was exactly right. The company also rang to wish us a good holiday !

'On foot holidays' operate an efficient but very friendly and competent company. I would not consider another operator for a walking holiday.

We loved the itinerary set up by On Foot Holidays in the Zagoria region of Greece. The organization and attention to detail made the trip go very smoothly. We loved their choices of accommodations.

On foot was wonderful. They were very responsive and booked quickly.

We went to Zagoria in northern Greece close to the Albanian border via Corfu. Whilst Corfu is lovely Zagoria was the true highlight of our holiday. A ferry across to the mainland was an enjoyable start not a hindrance. The bus station very close which we enjoy much more than taxis, though from Ionina we had to take a Txai as there are no buses up to the mountain villages. On foot did us proud, as they placed us in 3 wonderful villages Kapesevo, Monodendri and Papingo. All our hosts were charming, warm and welcoming (and spoke good English!!). Our rooms delightful, but not plush.....thank goodness! they expected us to enter in our clean walking boots, All the food we were provided with was of a very high standard and utterly delicious. But the core of the holiday was in the walking. Country we had not experienced before, thhe Vikos Gorge was a huge feat for us oldies, but all the lother days were just as interesting both from the geological, fauna and flora. Those wonderful stone villages and their history will remain with us for many years, as will those beautifully built steps leading up to them.

On foot makes everything so easy for us. We did NO homework before our holiday as ther wasn't time or engery. It didn't matter as they provided us with everything we needed and more ( we didn't need a dogdazer for fearsome dogs thank goodness!!) Our route information is 100 percent reliable and accurate. Transfers were smooth and easy, our baggage appeared each night as if by magic And everyone that is associat ed with On Foot are good people and go out of their way to help or answer questions. This has been our 5th holiday with On Foot. At the moment we are able to manage the Medium/hard, although we take longer than the timings. That is partly because the routes we are given are so magnificent we make them last the whole day as we want to savour everything I also would like to thank On Foot for their kindness when we had to cancel a holiday very late for family reasons. Rather than facing the hassle of insurance, they suggested we leave the money with them and we take a holiday as soon as it suited us. We were so grateful as paperwork, re insurance etc. at that time was the last thing we needed. It may be a small company, I can only say it is personal

Our first experience of a family walking holiday that exceeded all expectations of scenery, wildlife, food and hospitality. Over 10 days we visited Corfu, then by ferry to the mainland to Kapesovo, Monodendri through the stunning Vikos Gorge to Papingo and a fabulous walk to the Dragon Lake through a carpet of wild flowers. By two day detour we walked to the monasteries on Meteora (a world heritage site) and then home via Corfu. Each walk was carefully planned by On Foot Holiday in smallest detail in medium/ difficult terrain of 10 kms and ranging from 3-6 hrs challenging for middle aged legs but so rewarding by the end of the day.

On Foot Holidays provided an excellent service and more importantly detailed route instructions maps, guidebooks and further reading. The choice of hotels were excellent and thier local representatives more than anxious to help and ensure our stay with them was the very best experience.

It was a gem! Starting with a couple of days in Corfu, followed by a short ferry trip to the mainland and Ali Pasha's stronghold of Ioannina, then on to the beautiful, unspoilt Zagori area of northern Greece with its stunning stone villages and spectacular Vikos Gorge, and ending amongst the bizarre limestone pinnacles and ancient monasteries of Meteora. Walking is such a fabulous way to get off the beaten track, leave the crowds behind and really experience this part of the world. For independent walkers this was the perfect balance of interesting terrain, quality organisation and support, and comfortable accommodation.

Very efficient and responsive. We were lucky enough to be able to take longer than the advertised time for this trip and On Foot tailored an extended itinerary specially for us. They provide extremely comprehensive information including very accurate and detailed notes for each days walking. They get it just right in terms of accommodation and support. All arrangements like luggage transfer, transport etc work like clockwork. This is the second year we have used them and they will definitely be our first port of call in the future.