Cheap Flights to Ioannina

Quick facts

Identity

One of mainland Greece's best-kept secrets

Built on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis, one of Europe's oldest lakes, formed around seven million years ago, Ioannina stays well off the beaten track of Greek tourism, islands included — a secret several guidebooks say remains well kept. Its Byzantine citadel, built in 528 AD under Emperor Justinian, makes it the oldest continuously inhabited Byzantine fortress in Greece, and one of the country's few castles still lived in today. Capital of the pashalik of Epirus throughout Ottoman rule, the city reached its peak under the reign of the sinister and fascinating Ali Pasha, from 1787 to 1822, whose shadow still hangs over every lane of the fortified old town. A university city known for its medical and literature faculties, Ioannina holds a striking contrast between its multicultural past — Christian, Ottoman and Jewish — and the energy of its student population today.

Don't miss

Its Kale citadel and Ali Pasha's palace

Ioannina Castle, known by its Ottoman name Its Kale, crowns a rocky promontory on the lake across some 30,000 m², divided into two walled sections. In the northwest, the Aslan Pasha Mosque, built in 1619 on the site of a former Orthodox monastery, has housed the municipal museum since 1933, mixing Christian, Ottoman and Jewish artefacts that reflect the city's diverse history. To the southeast, the Its Kale acropolis holds the remains of Ali Pasha's palace, guarded by a period iron door his men used to watch comings and goings. All around, the old synagogue, the Soufari caravanserai, a hammam and gorgeous pastel-coloured mansions — many now converted into boutique hotels — make up one of the most atmospheric urban ensembles in mainland Greece.

To discover

Lake Pamvotis and its inhabited island

A short 10-minute boat ride from town, the Island of Ioannina — often called the "unnamed island" — is one of Greece's few inhabited lake islands, its stone houses and slate roofs clustered into a small traditional village. Here you can visit the Monastery of St Panteleimon, where Ottoman troops killed Ali Pasha in 1822 after he took refuge there — his head was paraded on a silver platter to prove his death to the Sultan — as well as the Monastery of St Nicholas Filanthropinon, dating to 1291 and famous for its masterful Byzantine frescoes. The local legend of the beautiful Kyra Frosini, drowned in the lake in 1800 on the tyrant's orders after she spurned him, still colours the atmosphere of the place, as does the memory of Ali Pasha immortalised by Alexandre Dumas in "The Count of Monte Cristo."

Day trip

The Caves of Perama and the ruins of Dodona

A few kilometres from the centre, the Caves of Perama rank among the largest and oldest in Greece, with impressive stalactites and stalagmites shaped over millions of years. West of the city, the ancient site of Dodona, one of ancient Greece's oldest oracles, dates back to the 3rd century BC and can be visited in a setting far quieter than Delphi or Olympia. The Vrellis Museum, dedicated to Greek history told through wax figures, rounds out a pleasant excursion into the surrounding area, as do the manageable distances to Parga (about 100 km), Arta (66 km) or Preveza (about 100 km), which make Ioannina a convenient base for exploring Epirus.

Craft

A city of silversmiths

Ioannina has built a reputation as a city of silversmiths, an old tradition of silverwork still kept alive today in the shops of the historic centre and celebrated at the Silversmithing Museum, set within the citadel walls. It displays historic weapons and authentic pieces made by Epirot craftsmen, alongside personal items that once belonged to Ali Pasha himself — his rifle, one of his pipes. This crafts identity comes with a distinctly oriental charm, inherited from the city's many mosques, which gives Ioannina an atmosphere quite different from the rest of mainland Greece — in some ways closer to an Ottoman town than a classical Greek city.

Getting around & budget

An airport 5 km from the centre, between mountains and lake

Ioannina International Airport, just 5 km from the city centre, offers daily flights to Athens. An inland city with no sea coast, Ioannina has neither port nor beach — all water-based activities are centred on Lake Pamvotis, with its promenades shaded by plane trees, willows and poplars, its lakeside tavernas, and boat trips out to the island. The Egnatia motorway quickly connects Ioannina to Thessaloniki (about 350 km) and the port of Igoumenitsa (95 km), while KTEL coaches link the city to Athens (about 5.5 hours) and Thessaloniki for travellers not flying.

Best time to go

When to visit Ioannina?

Ioannina Airport

The gateway to Epirus

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about flights to Ioannina