Epirus feels like Greece's back door into the mountains. Tucked into the country's north-west corner, this is limestone peaks and cloud-wrapped stone villages rather than whitewashed beach towns. The regional capital, Ioannina, sits right on Lake Pamvotina, its old town wrapped in fortress walls, with a car-free island just offshore where centuries-old stone monasteries sit quietly among the olive groves.

From hillwalkers chasing a view over Vikos Gorge to travellers who just want a fireplace and a decent slice of pie after a long drive, Epirus has a base for most tastes. You just need to know which town suits your trip, and Traveloka has options across all of them.

Where to stay in Epirus

• Ioannina: the region's lakeside capital and the easiest base. Stone castle walls, a university-town buzz, and the lake right there for an evening walk. See hotels in Ioannina.
• Zagori: the cluster of 40-odd stone villages around Vikos Gorge, all slate roofs and old packhorse bridges. Best for travellers who want the scenery outside their window, not a drive away. See hotels in Zagori.
• Metsovo: a mountain town at 1,100 metres, built on cheese, wine and wood-carving. Fireplaces and thick stews in winter, cool air and hiking trails in summer. See hotels in Metsovo.
• Konitsa: the quieter gateway to the gorge's western end, known for the region's most photographed stone bridge and some of the best rafting put-ins on the Voidomatis River. See hotels in Konitsa.
• Dodoni: a quiet village a short drive from Ioannina, home to one of Greece's oldest and best-preserved ancient theatres. Good pick if you want a village feel without straying far from the capital. See hotels in Dodoni.

How much is Epirus accommodation?

Average nightly rates across the region sit in the AU$85 to AU$110 range, though it swings a fair bit between a simple village guesthouse and a spa hotel with a mountain view.

• Budget guesthouses: from AU$45 per night. A room in a family-run stone house, breakfast usually included, no lift and no fuss.
• Budget hotels: from AU$82 per night. Straightforward, well-located rooms in Ioannina or one of the bigger villages.
• Mid-range hotels & apartments: from AU$110 per night. More space, often a kitchenette, good for a longer stay or a family.
• Boutique stays: from AU$160 per night. Restored stone mansions, known locally as archontika, with fireplaces, wood-panelled rooms and a proper breakfast spread.
• Spa hotels & resorts: from AU$230 per night. Indoor pools, Turkish baths and treatment rooms built for warming up after a day in the gorge.

Top-rated hotels in Epirus

• NAIADES the Residence Ioannina Castle: rooms set inside the old fortress walls in Ioannina, a two-minute walk from the lake.
• Zarkada Archontiko Hotel: a stone mansion in Monodendri, Zagori, with a terrace view straight down into Vikos Gorge and a taverna downstairs for breakfast.
• Mikro Papigo 1700 Hotel & Spa: a stone-built spa retreat in Papigo with a Turkish bath and sauna, built into one of Zagori's prettiest villages.
• Gefyri Hotel: sits right beside Konitsa's arched stone bridge, and even has a treehouse room for something different.
• Aar Hotel & Spa Ioannina: a modern spa hotel near Dodoni, just outside the city, with both an indoor pool and a seasonal outdoor pool.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Epirus

• Zagori's guesthouses are small, often just a handful of rooms in a single stone house, so book ahead for the misty autumn weekends and the July-August hiking season, when the good ones fill fast.
• Base yourself in Ioannina if you'd rather have one hotel for the whole trip. It's a manageable drive to Zagori, Metsovo, Konitsa and Dodoni, and you'll have more restaurant choice at night.
• Pack for cold nights even in summer if you're staying up in Metsovo or the higher Zagori villages. The altitude drops the temperature well below what Ioannina feels down on the lake.
• Check whether breakfast is included before you book. Most of the family-run guesthouses build a full spread of local pies and cheese into the room rate rather than charging extra.
• If you're driving yourself, confirm parking with the property first. Some of the older stone houses in Zagori sit on lanes too narrow to bring a car right to the door.
• Travelling in winter, ask about heating specifically. Older stone buildings look the part but some rely on a single fireplace rather than central heating.

Ioannina is the simplest one-hotel base for exploring the whole region. Zagori and Konitsa suit travellers happy to wake up inside the scenery instead of driving to it every morning.