6-Hour Guided Ioannina City Tour with Museums and No-Name Island

The Pavlos Vrellis Wax Effigies Museum of Greek History is a unique museum worldwide. It was established by the sculptor Pavlos Vrellis in February 1983, and it hosts 150 wax models across 37 themes, inspired by various events from Greek history. The museum is built in the traditional local fortress-type architectural style of the 18th century.

The museum's life-size wax effigies are displayed within faithful representations of the environments of their time, reviving figures and scenes from local history.

Get an insight into silversmithing at this museum, located inside the old town. It is a thematic museum, as it focuses on the technology of silversmithing during the pre-industrial period, while at the same time serving as a regional museum centered principally on the history of silversmithing in the region of Epirus. Visitors discover traditional techniques for shaping and decorating silver objects, learning about the different stages required to create the final product.

The Byzantine Museum of Ioannina is housed in one of the buildings of the citadel, Its Kale.

The collection of silver items is displayed in a separate 19th-century building on the citadel, and there are ongoing plans to expand the exhibition across several other buildings within the citadel. The museum contains collections of Early Christian and Byzantine sculptures, pottery, manuscripts and early printed editions, post-Byzantine icons, and silver items.

Just a 10-minute crossing from the town, followed by a 30-minute walk along its cobblestone alleys, will have you picking up echoes of folk songs and the psalms of Christians, Jews, and Muslims who lived on this land peacefully for centuries. The island is filled with pine trees, unique stone houses, a natural port full of fishing boats, and it is home to seven monasteries.

The boat view is spectacular, and visitors feel as though they have travelled back in time. With the city behind you, the magnificent Ioannina Castle begins to fade away, replaced by the image of a small green island beneath the shadows of the surrounding prominent mountains. On a foggy day, it feels as if you are part of a fairytale.

The No-Name Island was established in the 17th century.

The museum introduces visitors to stunning works of art typical of the renowned silversmiths of Epirus, including weapons, jewels, household and everyday articles, and ceramics dating from the 17th to the early 20th century. It also features representations of an authentic winter room, the drowning of Kyra-Frosini, caves where historical events of World War II are presented, as well as paintings, lithographs, and objects of ethnological interest.

The museum showcases unique historical artifacts such as the famous gold-plated kariofili (rifle) of Ali Pasha, the silver sword of national benefactor Apostolos Arsakis, the authentic tsimbouki (water pipe) of Ali Pasha, and the genuine silk dress of Kyra-Vassiliki.