Pindos Horse Shoe Trail [8days]

We hike from Vitsa to Koukouli, Kipi, where we tour around the old bridges that connected the villages, years ago. The walk starts from Vitsa, down hilling the Vitsa Steps, in the heart of Vikos Gorge. We cross one of the famous arched bridges and start walking up-hill towards Koukouli.

The village square calls for a refreshment!! The walk continues to Kipi, where we rest and see some more beautiful bridges, a real piece of art! Through dense forest we hike to Dilofo, a village protected as a monument of local architecture. We continue towards Vitsa and we walk towards Monodentri.

Hiking Duration: 6-7 hours
Distance: 13Km/ 8 Miles
Ascent : 645m /2116 ft –Descent: 645m /2116 ft

Overnight in Monodendri

We start to cross Vikos Gorge, a very impressive canyon and one of the deepest in the world! We will hike downhill, where we meet the small river that flows through the gorge. We continue next to the stream and walk right into the heart of the National Park. In the gorge, a lot of wild animals, such as pray birds, wild boars and even bears find refuge! Our walk will end at Vikos village after a short ascent, around 40 minutes. We rest at Vikos village.

Hiking Duration: 6-7 hours
Distance: 12Km/ 7,4 Miles
Ascent : 791m /2595 ft –Descent: 1091m/3579 ft

Overnight in Vikos village

Our walk will take us towards Mikro Papingo village. We start the tour, walking down to Voidomatis springs. After a short rest, we start hiking the north-west face of the Vikos Gorge, with direction to Mikro Papingo village. The views get more and more impressive as we hike uphill. The walk continues through the forest and under the impressive towers of Astraka. Soon, we will reach the village. A free evening can be enjoyed swimming by the natural pools of Rogovos near the village.

Hiking Duration: 4 hours
Distance : 5,7 Km /3,5 Miles
Ascent : 811 m /2660 ft – Descent: 599 m/1965 ft

Overnight in Mikro Papigo

We hike from Papingo towards the high plateaus of Mt. Timfi, reaching an alpine lake at 2050m. The walk begins from Mikro Papingo village, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved villages in Zagori and continues through beautiful and quiet alpine scenery towards Astraka’s mountain refuge. On the way up, we will meet a lot of water springs so there is no need to carry a lot of water. After a short stop at the refuge, we continue another 1 1/2 hours to the “Drakolimni”, an alpine lake at 2050m. The scenery is magnificent, as we have great views over Pindos mountain range and its peaks. We hike back to the refuge where we spend the night.

Hiking Duration: 6-7 hours
Distance : 12 Km /7,45 Miles
Ascent : 1368 m /4488 ft – Descent: 425 m/1394 ft

Overnight in mountain hut

A long day is ahead of us today, as we have to cross Timfi’s mountain range, a long but beautiful walk. Starting from the refuge, we downhill reaching the big plains of the mountain. Under the impressive cliffs of Astraka, we continue towards the small water reservoir, named as Loutsa Robozi, used from shepherds to water the animals during summer months. The walk brings us at the beginning of Megas Lakos, an impressive canyon which ends at Vikos. As we cross a water spring, we continue to the lands of Tsepelovo village, which is our final destination.

Hiking Duration: 7 hours
Distance : 12,5 Km / 7,7 Miles
Ascent : 383 m /1256 ft – Descent: 1222 m/4009 ft

Overnight in Tsepelovo

On our last day, we start walking from Tsepelovo towards Vradeto, the highest village in Zagori. We will walk on cobblestone paths (kalderimia) and enjoy stunning views of the Vikos gorge. We will visit Beloi, a natural balcony overlooking the Vikos gorge, as we walk towards the edges of the gorge, in Vradeto’s plateaus. We will then walk towards the village for a short stop and hike down the impressive Vradeto steps, an old and historic path which takes us down to Kapesovo village. We hike towards Kipi village, where we spend the night.

Hiking Duration: 8 hours
Distance: 14,7 Km / 9,13 Miles
Ascent : 816 m /2677 ft – Descent: 744 m/2440 ft

Overnight in Kipi

After breakfast transfer back to Ioannina where the tour ends.