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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 (2.5 mi) from the centre; seasonal and limited flights, mostly via Athens — check schedules.About 2.5 mi (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.
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
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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 (2.5 mi) from the centreLocal bus or taxi, 2.5 mi (4 km) 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.