Mount Athos

Travel tips you can trust

Why Mount Athos
in Greece is special

Twenty picturesque Eastern Orthodox monasteries are loosely spread out on a forested peninsula in northwest Greece. The most striking is the Simonopetra Monastery (see photo). It sits high on a rock overlooking the sea.

Mount Athos
tips and insights

Getting there

No roads in Greece enter Mount Athos. Boat is the only means of access.

Sexual discrimation

Woman are not allowed to set foot on Mount Athos soil. Even domesticated female
animals are excluded. So are children. Unfortunately, it's discriminatory, but
it has been that way with the monasteries on Mount Athos for nearly one thousand
years.

Permit required

Even if you are a man, it's not easy to obtain the requisite written permit to visit Mount Athos in Greece. Availability is limited. And you generally need to apply months in advance.

Your chances of getting a permit are improved if you are a member of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Only ten permits per day to this wonder of Greece are issued those not of that faith.

Cannot get a permit?

You can view the monasteries on a day-excursion tour boat that hugs the coastline, one the most scenic in Greece. Women and children are welcome.

Location in Greece