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Major city · Greece

IoanninaΙωάννινα

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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (inland heat), late Dec–Feb (cold, wet, some lake boats idle)
Airports
IOA · SKG
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 10Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…Mine-suspected land still exists in Bosnia and Herzegovin…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Balkans ↗Mine-suspected land still exists in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in pockets of Croatia's former front line: outside towns keep to tarmac and waymarked paths, and treat red triangle signs and taped-off fields as absolute.
  • Balkans ↗Serbia refuses onward entry to travellers who reached Kosovo from a third country and then try to cross straight into Serbia; route Kosovo–Serbia legs through North Macedonia or Montenegro, or start the loop in Serbia.
  • Balkans ↗Hire cars need written permission from the rental company and valid insurance for every country on the line; Kosovo sells its own border insurance and some contracts exclude Albania, Kosovo or Bosnia outright.
  • Greece ↗Greece is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Greece ↗Taking stones, pottery or other objects from archaeological sites is illegal; so is exporting antiquities without a permit.
  • Greece ↗Do not photograph military sites or border zones; signs mark them.
  • Greece ↗Acropolis tickets are sold for one-hour entry slots on the official Hellenic Heritage site (hhticket.gr); in peak season slots sell out days ahead, and you cannot enter outside your hour.
  • Greece ↗Businesses must give a receipt (apodeixi) for every sale; ask for one, and do not accept a handwritten note in place of it.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ioannina, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee (freddo espresso or Greek)€2.50–4 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealPita or bougatsa snack€2.50–5 (≈ US$3–6)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–15 (≈ US$10–18)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (castle, Byzantine, Archaeological)€3–8 (≈ US$4–10) (check)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person€20 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, 2-star to 3-star hotel, a night, per room€80 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedDouble room, 2-star to 3-star hotel, a night, per room€140 (≈ US$170)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €45 (≈ US$55) · Mid €85 (≈ US$100) · High €150 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Ioannina Castle (Kastro)Lake Pamvotida and its inhabited isletAli Pasha and the Fethiye MosqueSilver workshops and Epirote foodDodona oracle
Airports
IOA Ioannina National Airport King Pyrros (About 4 km 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.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ioannina: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

10°C

1°C

12 rd

Feb

11°C

2°C

11 rd

Mar

14°C

4°C

10 rd

Apr

18°C

7°C

9 rd

May

23°C

11°C

8 rd

Jun

28°C

14°C

6 rd

Jul

31°C

17°C

4 rd

Aug

31°C

17°C

4 rd

Sep

27°C

14°C

6 rd

Oct

21°C

10°C

9 rd

Nov

16°C

6°C

12 rd

Dec

12°C

3°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Dodona

go

Door to door: About 3–4 h round trip

Car or taxi, about 25 min southwest

The theatre and oracle site; go early, there is little shade.

Perama Cave

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Local bus or taxi, 4 km from the centre

Guided show cave; bring a layer, it stays cool inside.

Metsovo

go

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Bus or car over the Katara pass, about 1 h

Mountain town with woodwork and cheese; snow possible in winter.

Zagori villages

overnight

Door to door: 1–1.5 h to the first villages

Car via the A2, then local roads

Gorges and stone villages need at least one night, not a day return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€45–75 (≈ US$55–90) excl. bed
Mid
€75–130 (≈ US$90–160) excl. bed
High
€130 (≈ US$160)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, 2-star to 3-star hotel1 × 2 nights × €80€160
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €85€340
Boat to the islet, return2 × €6 · check€12
Taxi across the centre1 × €6 · check€6
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €10€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€54
Trip total≈ €148 per person per day, bed included€592≈ US$700

2026 estimate in euro; travel to Ioannina excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee (freddo espresso or Greek)€2.50–4 (≈ US$3–5)
Pita or bougatsa snack€2.50–5 (≈ US$3–6)
Taverna main (Epirote pie, lamb, trout)€9–16 (≈ US$11–19)
Local wine, glass / half litre€3–5 (≈ US$4–6) / €6–9 (≈ US$7–11)
Boat to the islet, return€5–7 (≈ US$6–9) (check)
Museum entry (castle, Byzantine, Archaeological)€3–8 (≈ US$4–10) (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–15 (≈ US$10–18)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

European emergency number
112
Police
100
Ambulance
166
Fire
199
Tourist police
1571

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

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IoanninaΙωάννινα

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Σε αυτή τη διεύθυνση, παρακαλώTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency number112
  • Police100
  • Ambulance166
  • Tourist police1571

Embassy

No embassies in Ioannina; the US, UK and most others are in Athens. Consulates for some countries are in Thessaloniki.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Boat, Fishers' Wharf → islet: about €5–7 (≈ US$6–9) return, 20 min (check)
  • Taxi, centre → Perama Cave: about €8–12 (≈ US$10–14) (check)
  • Bus, Ioannina → Athens, KTEL: about 6 h; fare check at the station

Say or show

  • Γεια σας — Hello (YA sas)
  • Ευχαριστώ — Thank you (ef-kha-ri-STO)
  • Πόσο κάνει; — How much is it? (PO-so KA-ni)
  • Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ — The bill, please (ton lo-gha-ria-SMO pa-ra-ka-LO)
  • Μπορώ να πληρώσω με κάρτα; — Can I pay by card? (bo-RO na pli-RO-so me KAR-ta)
  • Πού είναι το καραβάκι για το νησί; — Where is the boat to the islet? (pu I-ne to ka-ra-VA-ki ya to ni-SI)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ioannina. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (inland heat), late Dec–Feb (cold, wet, some lake boats idle) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for IOA and the Thessaloniki bus fallback, with last-departure checks.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Kastro, lakeside, centre, islet jetty.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for the castle, Byzantine Museum, Fethiye Mosque and Perama Cave.
  4. Eat pages with last orders for the tavernas around Anexartisias and the lake.

Meanwhile

Back to Greece

Sources