The pilgrimage: programme, effort, lodging, permit

Physical effort and walking

There is walking on days 2 and 3. The distances below are the walking sections, to which you add moving around ports, monastery courtyards and boarding areas.

Day 2, Dochiariou to Xenophontos

Distance: about 1 kilometre
Duration: about 20 to 30 minutes
Terrain: paths and dirt or stone tracks, uneven in places, with small differences in level

It is a short section, but the state of the path can be affected by rain, mud, vegetation or local works.

Day 3, Koutloumousiou to Iviron

Distance: about 4.9 kilometres, up to 5.5 with the detour to Panaguda
Duration: about one and a half to two hours, without group breaks
Elevation: mostly downhill, from about 350 metres towards sea level
Terrain: paths, sections of road and kalderimi, old stone paved ways

Even though the route descends, it puts strain on the knees and ankles. Stones can become slippery after rain, and some sections have leaves, mud, roots or uneven surfaces.

Fitness required

The programme requires average fitness. You must be able to:

walk continuously for up to two hours
go up and down steps and slopes
step safely on stone, earth and uneven ground
carry a day pack
keep the pace of a group

Required, and worth knowing

Shoes with a good grip, clothing suited to the weather, water and personal medication are essential. A torch, a first aid kit and light luggage are recommended.

The programme is not designed for people with reduced mobility. If you have cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological or joint conditions, balance problems or recent surgery, seek medical advice before booking.

You are responsible for telling us before departure about anything that could affect safe participation.

The guide may shorten, change, replace or remove a walking section when weather, the state of the path, delays, transport, monastery instructions or the safety of the group require it. Such an adaptation is not a failure to deliver the programme, as long as it preserves its general character.

Accommodation in the guest house

The archondariki is the monastery guest house. It is not a hotel, a guesthouse or a classified tourist accommodation. Rooms are allocated by the monastery, not by the organiser.

The rooms

You will be given a bed in a shared room or dormitory with other guests. The number of people per room cannot be guaranteed: it depends on the guest house, the occupancy and the decision of the monastery.

Not guaranteed:

a single or twin room
keeping our group together
a private bathroom
choosing your bed or room

What is usually provided

a bed
basic linen and a blanket
one towel
access to shared bathrooms
meals according to the monastery order

Conditions vary considerably between monasteries and sketes.

What is not guaranteed

The existence or permanent operation of showers, hot water, heating, air conditioning, sockets in the room, electricity at night, phone signal, internet, daily cleaning or sound insulation is not guaranteed.

Some guest houses have showers, but hot water may be limited or unavailable. Some communities switch off the electricity at night.

Meals

Meals are simple and served at times set by the monastery, usually in the refectory. The food follows the monastic calendar and order. The menu may include bread, vegetables, olives, rice, pasta, fruit, cheese, or fish on days when it is permitted. Meat is not part of the usual monastic diet, and on fast days the options are more limited.

Special menus for personal preferences are not guaranteed. Allergies and medical restrictions must be communicated before booking, without this meaning that the monastery can provide a separate diet.

The diamonitirion, the entry permit

On the basis of the documents you send, the organiser facilitates and coordinates the submission of the application to the Pilgrims Office. The decision to approve belongs solely to the authorities of Mount Athos, who issue the permit. Approval cannot be guaranteed.

What you send, and when

a clear copy of a valid passport
your full name, exactly as in the document
citizenship, date of birth, religious confession
identity document number
telephone and e-mail address
the proposed date of entry

Documents are sent immediately after your booking is confirmed, preferably within three working days, and no later than 60 days before departure. The document must be valid on the day of travel and presented in the original when the permit is collected.

The answer, and collecting the permit

Response time: about two weeks from a complete application; indicative, not guaranteed
Booking possible: up to about six months in advance
Collection: in person, from the Pilgrims Office in Ouranoupoli, on the morning of entry
Transfer: the permit is personal and cannot be transferred to another person

In busy periods, close to feast days, or when additional checks are needed, the answer may come later. Permits are subject to a daily quota.

If the permit is refused for reasons beyond your control

If the refusal comes solely from the quota, from a decision of the authorities or from a general restriction, we can propose a change of date, another available programme, a voucher accepted voluntarily, or termination of the contract with a refund of the sums due under the law. If the refusal affects the whole group and makes departure impossible, the sums paid for the package are refunded in full.

If the permit is refused for reasons within your control

If the permit cannot be obtained because documents were sent late, incomplete, invalid or incorrect, or because of false information, the situation is treated as a cancellation by the pilgrim. The penalty corresponding to the moment participation becomes impossible applies.

The permit grants entry to Mount Athos for the period stated, but does not guarantee accommodation at a particular monastery, a particular room, access to all monasteries, a meeting with a particular elder, attendance at all services, or that the route stays in its original form.

Withdrawal and cancellation

You may request cancellation at any time before departure, by written notice sent to info@pelerinajathos.ro or to the address stated in the contract. Cancellation takes effect from the moment the notice is received by the organiser.

When you cancel	Penalty
at least 45 days before departure	10%
between 30 and 44 days before	30%
between 15 and 29 days before	50%
between 8 and 14 days before	75%
less than 8 days before, on the day of departure, or no show	100%

Penalties relate to services already contracted, to non-recoverable costs and to savings made through cancellation. On request, the organiser provides the basis of the calculation. If the place is later taken by someone else, the penalty may be recalculated.

Substitution

With the prior agreement of the organiser, and if supplier deadlines and the permit procedure allow it, you may propose someone to take your place. That person must meet all conditions of participation and send the documents in time. You bear any additional costs. Substitution cannot be guaranteed once the permit procedure has been started or confirmed in your name.

If the group does not reach 6 people

The programme is calculated for a minimum of six paying pilgrims. If that number is not reached, we may propose another departure date, a programme or price recalculated for a smaller group, a voucher accepted expressly, or the departure is cancelled. Cancellation for this reason is communicated at the latest 7 days before the package begins. If you do not accept the alternative, payments for the package are refunded in full within 14 days.

Medical or personal reasons

Illness, accident, a change in work schedule or family circumstances do not automatically lead to a full refund. We recommend insurance that covers trip cancellation. Compensation is claimed directly from the insurer, under the terms of the policy.

The programme may be cancelled or changed in circumstances that cannot reasonably be controlled: severe weather, suspension of sea transport, restrictions imposed by the Greek or Athonite authorities, temporary closure of a monastery, fires, landslides, serious security problems, epidemics or strikes. If such circumstances make the whole package impossible before departure, you receive a full refund of the payments made, without further compensation. The organiser is not responsible for flights, accommodation or other services bought separately by you and not included in the contract.

What the pilgrimage actually involves