Most visitors reach Mount Olympus — the 2,917 m massif on the Thessaly–Macedonia border — from Thessaloniki, 92 km to the northeast, by hourly train, KTEL bus, or car on the A1/E75 to the gateway village of Litochoro. From there an 18 km paved road climbs to Prionia at 1,100 m, the highest point you can drive and the usual trailhead for summit attempts.
Mount Olympus National Park, Litochoro, Greece
Hellenic Train runs the coastal line from Thessaloniki's New Railway Station roughly every hour, and the 92 km ride to Litochoro costs €9 and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. One catch: the station sits 6 km outside the village, next to the sea, so you'll need a taxi for the 5-minute hop into Litochoro's centre. From there the trailheads, the Information Center (open 09:00-16:00) and the town's accommodation are all within reach. This is the fastest public-transport option from Thessaloniki.
KTEL intercity buses leave from the Macedonia Intercity Bus Station — reachable from central Thessaloniki on city bus 12 for €1 — and cover the 92 km in about 2 hours 15 minutes for around €10. You'll change at Katerini to the Litochoro service, which drops you right in the village centre. That final-stop convenience is the bus's real advantage over the train. Just build in buffer time for the transfer; the change at Katerini is what stretches the journey past two hours.
Drive the A1/E75 south from Thessaloniki towards Athens and exit for Litochoro — 92 km, roughly 1.5 hours. The big payoff comes after the village: an 18 km paved road climbs to Prionia at about 1,100 m, the highest point reachable by car and the main trailhead for summit routes. Park there and you've skipped the lower forest climb entirely, saving your legs for the 4.5 km, roughly 3-hour push to Refuge A. Budget for motorway tolls; the mountain itself costs nothing.
Intercity trains head north from Athens to Katerini, where a regional connection of roughly 10 minutes continues to Litochoro station — about 5.5 hours end to end across 416 km. The Katerini-Litochoro leg costs €8-10; fares from Athens depend on which train type you book, so check Hellenic Train before committing. As from Thessaloniki, the station lies 6 km from the village beside the Aegean, so plan on a taxi for that last stretch. Come prepared with the phone number of a local taxi or your accommodation.
Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport (SKG) is the closest airport to Olympus, about 110 km away. City bus line 78 costs €0.90 and connects the airport to the railway station; a taxi does the same run for €20-25. From there, trains for Litochoro run almost every hour at €9 a seat, so you can be off a plane and in the gateway village in around 2 hours 15 minutes. If you land late afternoon, the roughly hourly frequency means you won't wait long for the last connections.
Parking is at Prionia (1,100 m), at the end of the 18 km paved road up from Litochoro, right beside the trailhead for the Refuge A climb. There's no charge — access to the mountain and park is free. Taxis from Litochoro will drop you at the same spot, handy if you'd rather save your legs.
Swipe to see more
| From | Mode | Time | Cost | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) | Airport bus 78 or taxi to Thessaloniki railway station, then Hellenic Train to Litochoro | About 2h 15m door-to-door | €0.90 by bus 78 or €20-25 by taxi to the station, then €9 for the train | SKG is the closest airport, and trains to Litochoro leave almost every hour, so time your bus or taxi to land at the station just before a departure. |
| Thessaloniki (New Railway Station) | Hellenic Train along the coastal line | About 1h 10m | €9 one-way | Litochoro station sits 6 km from the village, next to the sea — a 5-minute taxi hop covers the last stretch into the centre. |
| Thessaloniki Macedonia KTEL Bus Station | KTEL intercity bus via Katerini, changing to the Litochoro service | About 2h 15m | About €10 (plus €1 if you arrive at the station on city bus 12) | Slower than the train, but the Litochoro service drops you right in the village centre, skipping the station-to-town transfer. |
| Thessaloniki city centre | Car via the A1/E75 south towards Athens, exiting for Litochoro | About 1h 30m to Litochoro | Fuel plus standard motorway tolls — the mountain and national park have no entrance fee | From Litochoro an 18 km paved road climbs to Prionia at about 1,100 m, the highest point you can drive to and the main trailhead for summit routes. |
| Athens | Intercity train north to Katerini, then a roughly 10-minute regional connection to Litochoro | About 5h 30m | €8-10 for the Katerini-Litochoro regional leg; Athens fares vary by train type | The regional connection leaves you at Litochoro station beside the Aegean, 6 km from the village — budget for a taxi from there. |
From Thessaloniki's New Railway Station, Hellenic Train runs roughly hourly to Litochoro for €9 — about 1 hour 10 minutes, versus 2 hours 15 minutes on the KTEL bus for €10. The catch: the station sits 6 km from the village, beside the sea, so budget for a 5-minute taxi hop into the centre. Coming from Athens, ride the intercity train to Katerini and catch the ~10-minute regional connection to the same station (€8-10 for that leg).
Macedonia Airport (SKG) is the closest, about 2 hours 15 minutes door-to-door. City bus 78 costs €0.90 to the railway station; a taxi runs €20-25. Trains to Litochoro leave almost every hour, so a mid-morning landing can have you in Litochoro by early afternoon.
The 92 km run from Thessaloniki takes about 1.5 hours via the A1/E75, exiting for Litochoro. From there an 18 km paved road climbs to Prionia at 1,100 m — the highest point reachable by car and the main trailhead, with parking, a seasonal restaurant, and the only bins on the route. Drive it yourself or take a taxi from Litochoro; either way your legs will thank you on the 4.5 km climb to Refuge A.
Spilios Agapitos at 2,100 m has 110 beds and they fill for July and August — book by phone at (+30) 23520 81800 or via the online reservation form, and expect to pay a deposit for weekends and groups. Costs: €18 a bed (€13 for mountaineering-club members with ID, €10 for children up to 13). Before setting out, check the refuge's live web camera and bed availability; note that check-in closes at 20:00.
In July and August, thunderstorms build over the massif within minutes after midday, and lightning is a genuine hazard on the exposed upper peaks. Most hikers leave Prionia at 7:00 or earlier with headlamps to be off the upper mountain in time. September is the smarter month if you can swing it — milder air, clearer views, fewer people on the trail.
Take the Hellenic Train from Thessaloniki's New Railway Station to Litochoro — roughly hourly departures, about 1 hour 10 minutes, €9 one-way. Driving is faster door-to-door at around 1.5 hours: 92 km down the A1/E75 towards Athens, exiting for Litochoro. The KTEL bus is the slowest option at about 2 hours 15 minutes and around €10.
Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport (SKG), about 110 km away — figure roughly 2 hours 15 minutes door-to-door. City bus 78 (€0.90) or a taxi (€20-25) gets you to the railway station, where trains to Litochoro run almost every hour for €9. Total cost from the airport by bus and train is under €10 per person.
Yes. Intercity trains run north from Athens to Katerini in about 5 hours 30 minutes, then a roughly 10-minute regional connection continues to Litochoro station; the Katerini-Litochoro leg costs €8-10, while the Athens fare depends on train type. Note that the station sits 6 km from Litochoro village, right beside the sea — a taxi covers the hop in about 5 minutes.
The paved road from Litochoro climbs 18 km to Prionia at about 1,100 m — the highest point reachable by car and the main trailhead for summit routes. Parking is available at Prionia, along with a small restaurant in season. From there it's a 4.5 km forest trail, roughly 3 hours on foot, to Refuge A at 2,100 m.
Yes, but it involves a change. KTEL intercity buses leave the Macedonia Intercity Bus Station (reachable from the city centre on bus 12 for €1) and run via Katerini, where you switch to the Litochoro service. The whole trip takes about 2 hours 15 minutes and costs around €10, and the bus drops you in the village centre.
No. Taxis from Litochoro cover the 18 km road up to Prionia at 1,100 m, which saves your legs for the mountain itself. If you're aiming for the Enipeas Gorge instead, the trail starts right from the village on foot. A car only pays off if you plan to visit nearby sights like Dion (about 20 minutes away) or the Olympus Riviera beaches.
There's no entrance fee — the mountain and Olympus National Park are free and open at all times, with no gate. Driving from Thessaloniki you'll pay standard motorway tolls on the A1/E75 and fuel, nothing else. If you're staying overnight on the mountain, that's where the costs start: €18 per bed at Refuge A for non-members.
Browse verified tours with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
Find Tours