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Voykit pocket guide · Greece
Ioannina
Ιωάννινα
Give Ioannina 2 nights: one for the walled old town and the lake islet, one for Dodona or the Perama Cave. Skip it as a day trip from the coast.
Ioannina is the capital of Epirus, built on a cliff above Lake Pamvotida, with a walled old town that was the seat of Ali Pasha's near-independent state until 1822. The centre is walkable in a day; the lake islet, the cave and the oracle at Dodona fill a second. It works as a two-night stop between the Ionian coast and Meteora, or as a base for Zagori.
- Country
- Greece
- Local name
- Ιωάννινα
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (inland heat), late Dec–Feb (cold, wet, some lake boats idle)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely accepted; card terminals are required in many businesses.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–75 excl. bed · Mid €75–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at the airport; a passport is needed to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency number 112 · Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Tourist police 1571
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European round two-pin plugs.
- Tipping
- Café: Leave the coins, €0.50–1.; Taverna or restaurant: 5–10% in cash on the table; not expected at gyros shops.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night.; Boat crew or guide: €5–10 per person for a day trip.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in Athens, Thessaloniki and most of the mainland. On many islands it is desalinated or hard: ask locally and buy bottled if unsure.
- Toilets
- Use cafés (buy something), museums and sites. Paper goes in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (freddo espresso or Greek) | €2.50–4 |
| Pita or bougatsa snack | €2.50–5 |
| Taverna main (Epirote pie, lamb, trout) | €9–16 |
| Local wine, glass / half litre | €3–5 / €6–9 |
| Boat to the islet, return | €5–7 (check) |
| Museum entry (castle, Byzantine, Archaeological) | €3–8 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- IOA · Ioannina National Airport King Pyrros
- About 4 km from the centre; seasonal and limited flights, mostly via Athens — check schedules.About 2.5 mi from the centre; seasonal and limited flights, mostly via Athens — check schedules.
- SKG · Thessaloniki
- About 2 h 30 min by car or 3 h 30 min by bus; the usual arrival point for international flights.
Typical fares
- Boat, Fishers' Wharf → islet
- about €5–7 return, 20 min (check)
- Taxi, centre → Perama Cave
- about €8–12 (check)
- Bus, Ioannina → Athens, KTEL
- about 6 h; fare check at the station
Get around
The centre and the Kastro are walkable; the islet is a 20-minute boat from the Fishers' Wharf jetty. Local buses reach the Perama Cave and the airport; taxis are cheap for short hops. A car is only worth it for Dodona, Zagori and Metsovo.
See and do
Known for
- Ioannina Castle (Kastro)
- Lake Pamvotida and its inhabited islet
- Ali Pasha and the Fethiye Mosque
- Silver workshops and Epirote food
- Dodona oracle
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dodona | Car or taxi, about 25 min southwest | About 3–4 h round trip |
| Perama Cave | Local bus or taxi, 4 km from the centreLocal bus or taxi, 2.5 mi from the centre | About 2 h |
| Metsovo | Bus or car over the Katara pass, about 1 h | About 2 h each way |
| Zagori villages | Car via the A2, then local roads | 1–1.5 h to the first villages |
Sleep
- Kastro (old town)
- Inside the walls, walking distance to the castle sights and the lake; quiet at night, few rooms.
- Centre (Anexartisias, Koundouriotou, Town Hall)
- Bars, restaurants and shops on foot; the practical base for 1–2 nights.
- Lakeside (Akti Miaouli)
- Lake views and the big congress hotels; 10–15 min walk to the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Γεια σαςYA sas |
| Thank you | Ευχαριστώef-kha-ri-STO |
| How much is it? | Πόσο κάνει;PO-so KA-ni |
| The bill, please | Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώton lo-gha-ria-SMO pa-ra-ka-LO |
| Can I pay by card? | Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα;bo-RO na pli-RO-so me KAR-ta |
| Where is the boat to the islet? | Πού είναι το καραβάκι για το νησί;pu I-ne to ka-ra-VA-ki ya to ni-SI |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'kaliméra' (morning) or 'kalispéra' (evening) on entering shops and tavernas; avoid: Launching straight into a question
- Hospitality: Accept offered coffee, sweets or raki; it is part of the welcome; avoid: Refusing flatly — take a little
- Churches: Covered shoulders and knees; quiet voices; a small candle donation; avoid: Turning your back on the altar for photos during a service
- Gestures: Wave with the palm turned towards yourself; avoid: The open palm pushed forward (moutza)
- Conversation: Family, food and football are easy topics; avoid: Lecturing on the debt crisis, Türkiye or the name of North Macedonia
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries or wine; arrive a little late; avoid: Leaving food on the plate if you have been served more
- Dress: Casual; long trousers or skirt for monasteries; avoid: Swimwear in town, shops and churches
Scams and watch-outs
- Silver shops quote high and expect bargaining: agree the price before any work is done.
- Lake boats to the islet stop in bad weather and run reduced hours out of season — check the day's departures at the jetty.
- Summer afternoons inland reach the mid-30s; do the castle and Dodona in the morning.
- Some old-town guesthouses and the smaller hotels have no lift and no 24 h desk — confirm arrival time.
Ioannina is a low-crime, easy-going city; the real issues are summer heat, uneven old-town steps, and silver shops where you should agree the price before buying.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ioannina yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ioannina Castle (Kastro)
- Lake Pamvotida and its inhabited islet
- Ali Pasha and the Fethiye Mosque
- Silver workshops and Epirote food
- Dodona oracle
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Municipality of Ioannina: ioannina.gr/
- Ioannina Castle: castle.gr/en
- Wikivoyage: Ioannina, revision 5335640 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5335640
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
IoanninaΙωάννινα
Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ioannina; the US, UK and most others are in Athens. Consulates for some countries are in Thessaloniki.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ioannina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.