Menalon Trail & Gortynia:
5 Days at Thisoa Hotel

Unpack once and walk the most beautiful sections of the Menalon Trail. For the whole stay your base is Thisoa Hotel in Karkalou, a stone-and-wood hotel at 1,050 m with fireplaces in the rooms and views over the valley. Every morning our driver takes you to the trailhead and collects you at the end of the day – no packing, no luggage, no driving.

The Menalon Trail is a 75 km waymarked route that links nine traditional villages of Arcadia. In 2015 it became the first hiking trail in Greece to be certified as a “Leading Quality Trail – Best of Europe” by the European Ramblers Association.

Package at a glance

• 4 nights at Thisoa Hotel, Karkalou, with breakfast (lunch or dinner may also be arranged in-house upon request)
• 4 sections of the Menalon Trail, with an easier option every hiking day
• Ancient Thisoa, Ancient Gortys and Karytaina castle
• Private transfers from Athens and to every trailhead

Your itinerary

Day 1 – Athens – Corinth Canal – Dimitsana – Karkalou

Morning pick-up in Athens by our private driver, with a stop at the Corinth Canal. Afternoon in Dimitsana: the Open-Air Water Power Museum and the historic library. Check-in at Thisoa Hotel. Optional sunset walk up the hill to Ancient Thisoa, right above Karkalou (about 1 hour).

Day 2 – Menalon Trail, Section 1: Stemnitsa – Dimitsana (12.5 km, about 5 hours, demanding)

The most famous section of the trail, through the Lousios Gorge, past the cliff-side Prodromou Monastery and the Old and New Philosophou monasteries. Morning transfer to Stemnitsa, pick-up in Dimitsana, back to the hotel.

Day 3 – Culture day: Ancient Gortys & Karytaina

Ancient Gortys and its Asklepieion on the banks of the Lousios, then Karytaina with its castle and medieval bridge. Lunch in the area, or the optional Arkadiani food & culture experience in Psari.

Day 4 – Choose your level

Moderate: Section 4, Elati – Vytina (8.5 km) along the Mylaon river through fir and plane-tree forest, with free time in Vytina. Challenging: Section 3, Zygovisti – Elati (14.9 km), the longest and wildest section, over the high plateaus of western Menalon.

Day 5 – Menalon Trail, Section 2: Dimitsana – Zygovisti (4.2 km, about 2 hours) · departure

A short morning hike to the edge of the fir forest and the memorial to the “Immortals” of Kolokotronis in Zygovisti. Then a private transfer to Athens or the airport – or on to Olympia, Nafplio or Kalamata.

Good to know

• Thisoa Hotel serves breakfast only – dinners are in Dimitsana and the nearby villages, and we are happy to recommend tavernas.
• Hiking days can be shortened or swapped for an easier walk. A professional local hiking guide can be arranged on request.
• Wear trekking shoes and bring a small day pack with water, snacks and a rain jacket.
• Best season: April to June and September to November.
• Shorter version: 4 days / 3 nights (without the culture day). Extra nights on request.

Contact us with your dates and number of people – we reply within 24 hours.