Choose from guided hikes on Mount Olympus, from a 5-hour foothills walk to a one-day push up Mytikas, the highest peak at 2,918m. All tours include an English-speaking guide, with private and multi-day options available.
One-day guided hike to Mytikas (2,918 m), Olympus's highest peak, about 10 hours with 4x4 transfers.
Free Cancellation 5-hour private hiking tour to the foothills of Mount Olympus with transport included, guided in Greek or English.
Two-day guided hike up Mount Olympus with an overnight stay in a refuge at 2,100m, plus summit day.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Mount Olympus — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Most Mount Olympus tours start in Litochoro and get you onto the mountain before the midday heat, either with a 4x4 transfer to a quiet trailhead or the classic walk up from Prionia at 1,100 m. What you get is 52 peaks, deep gorges and forest that climbs from Mediterranean woodland to bare rock at 2,500 m — all in one massif you can see from the Aegean beaches below. The summit, Mytikas, tops out at 2,917.727 m, the highest point in Greece.
The roof of Greece. The last section is an exposed scramble over polished rock from the Skala col, and it's where the mountain earns its reputation. First climbed on 2 August 1913 by Christos Kakkalos with two Swiss climbers — the ancients called the peak Pantheon.
Stefani (2,909 m) is the rock fin next to Mytikas, named the Throne of Zeus by climbers in 1921. It towers over the Plateau of the Muses and gives the mountain its most photographed silhouette, especially with evening clouds streaming over the top.
Spilios Agapitos sleeps 110 hikers in 14 rooms on the E4 route. Sunset over the Aegean from the terrace is the payoff, followed by a cold alpine night under three wool blankets. Beds cost €18 for non-members; bring a sleeping-bag liner, since there are no sheets.
The half-day option from Litochoro: shady forest, waterfalls, natural pools and wooden footbridges along the Enipeas river. In summer, hikers cool off in the pools below the falls. This is the trail for families and anyone not attempting the summit.
A high alpine basin around 2,650–2,700 m where mythology placed the nine Muses. Two more refuges sit up here, and hikers rate the dawn views from the plateau as the best light on the mountain. Sunrise summit attempts leave from here.
The sacred Macedonian city dedicated to Zeus, where King Archelaus staged nine days of games in the god's honour. Sanctuaries, a Hellenistic theatre and mosaics, plus a museum next door — €10 full entry, €5 reduced, a 20-minute drive from Litochoro.
Pick your tour by ambition: a 5-hour foothills walk, a 10-hour summit push, or a 2-day trip with a refuge night. Prices run from about $138 to $344, and fitness requirements are real on all three.
Three formats operate on Olympus: a private 5-hour foothills hike (~$137.61), a 10-hour one-day Mytikas summit push (~$160.54) and a 2-day guided ascent with a refuge overnight (~$344.02). All run with live guides in English; the private and 2-day tours also guide in Greek. There's no audio-tour option on this mountain.
Refuge A's 110 beds fill up through July and August, so the 2-day tour needs booking well ahead for peak summer. The one-day summit tour skips the refuge entirely, which makes it the flexible choice for late decisions. Spring and autumn dates rarely sell out.
The mountain and national park cost nothing to enter — no gate, no ticket, open around the clock. Tour prices cover guides, transfers and equipment, not park fees, because there aren't any. If you add Dion Archaeological Park yourself, that's €10 full or €5 reduced, paid on site.
On the 2-day tour, refuge accommodation is included in the price. Independent hikers pay €18 per bed at Refuge A (2,100 m), €10 for children up to 13, or €8 to camp. Book direct on (+30) 23520 81800 — weekends and groups need a deposit.
Tours typically start from Litochoro, 92 km from Thessaloniki. Trains run roughly hourly for about €9 and take 1 hour 10 minutes, though the station sits 6 km from town by the sea. The 2-day tour includes transfers from and to Litochoro, and the summit tour includes 4x4 transfers to the trailhead.
All three tours require at least moderate fitness, and the summit tours are flagged against spinal injuries, pregnancy and poor cardiovascular health. The 10-hour day covers the full Mytikas climb; the private 5-hour tour stays in the foothills and suits a wider range of walkers. Children belong on the gorge paths, not on the Mytikas scramble.
The mountain itself is not wheelchair accessible — rocky forest and alpine trails throughout. Wheelchair users can visit the Olympus National Park Information Center in Litochoro (daily 09:00–16:00) and the museum setting at Dion. The private foothills tour allows service animals and offers infant seats, the only one of the three.
Policies differ sharply. The one-day summit tour is all sales final — no refunds at all. The private 5-hour tour refunds in full up to 24 hours before departure. The 2-day tour needs 3 full days' notice for a full refund, and nothing inside 3 days. Know which one you're buying.
Swipe to see more
| 1-Day Mytikas Summit Hike | Private Foothills Hiking Tour | 2-Day Olympus Ascent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 10 hours | 5 hours | 48 hours |
| Price from | $160.54 | $137.61 | $344.02 |
| Best for | Fit hikers who want the 2,918 m summit in one push, via a quieter route than Prionia | Families, casual walkers and anyone short on time or fitness; your group only | Hikers who want the refuge night at 2,100 m, sunset from the terrace and a relaxed summit morning |
| Cancellation | No refunds — all sales final | Full refund up to 24 hours before | Full refund 3+ days ahead; 0% inside 3 days |
Swipe to see more
The mountain is open year-round, at all hours. There is no gate, no ticket booth and no closing time — Olympus National Park is free and public.
Spilios Agapitos Refuge (Refuge A, 2,100 m) operates daily from mid-May to late October, usually 8 May to 28 October, from 06:00 to 22:00. The restaurant serves all day until 21:00, and guests must check in by 20:00.
Olympus National Park Information Center, Litochoro: daily 09:00–16:00, last entry 15:45.
Dion Archaeological Park & Museum: Wednesday–Monday 08:00–20:00 in summer; 08:30–15:30 from 1 November to 15 April; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays in winter.
Practical takeaway: for a summit day, your start time is your own call — most hikers leave Prionia at 07:00 or earlier with headlamps to beat afternoon thunderstorms.
Litochoro, 92 km southwest of Thessaloniki, is the gateway town. All three tour formats start from here or pick up here.
June to September is the window. Trails are snow-free, refuges are open and the weather holds. September is the pick: mild temperatures, clear air and fewer hikers on the paths.
July and August are warmest but busiest, and afternoon thunderstorms build fast — start summit days before dawn and be off the upper mountain by early afternoon. Torrential rain and hail can strike as early as August.
November through April is winter on the upper mountain. By early November the routes above the treeline need crampons, ice axe and rope, with avalanche danger on steep gullies. High refuges close in late October. Winter ascents are for experienced mountaineers only.
May and June can still hold snow patches that make the Mytikas scramble icy, so check conditions with the Information Center in Litochoro before committing.
The mountain is not wheelchair accessible. Routes are rocky forest and alpine trails with no paved paths anywhere above the road.
Flat, town-level options exist: the Olympus National Park Information Center in Litochoro and the museum setting at Dion. The paved 18 km drive from Litochoro to Prionia (1,100 m) puts less mobile visitors in mountain air without a trail.
Older visitors can manage the Litochoro–Prionia drive, the Information Center and the gentler gorge paths. The steady 4.5 km climb from Prionia to Refuge A takes about 3 hours and is achievable for fit seniors; the exposed scramble to Mytikas is not recommended.
Families: lower gorge trails and the Prionia area suit children under supervision, and Refuge A charges children up to 13 just €10 per night. The Mytikas scramble is not for children. The private foothills tour allows service animals and offers infant seats.
Spilios Agapitos Refuge (Refuge A, 2,100 m) has 110 sleeping places across 14 rooms, two dining halls and a restaurant open until 21:00. Beds cost €18 non-member, €13 for mountaineering-club members, €10 for children up to 13; camping €8/€5; facility use for non-residents €3. It provides three blankets and a daily-changed pillow but no sheets — pack a liner. Indoor shoes required on entry.
Higher up, the Giosos Apostolidis Refuge (2,697 m) and Christos Kakkalos Refuge sit on the Plateau of the Muses.
Prionia (1,100 m) has parking, a small restaurant in season and the only rubbish bins on the route — the refuge operates a strict carry-out litter policy.
Litochoro covers the rest: accommodation, the Information Center (09:00–16:00) and taxis up the 18 km road to Prionia.
No permit is needed to hike. Refuge A stays require advance booking by phone — (+30) 23520 81800 — or via the online reservation form, with a deposit for weekends and large groups.
Drones are legal only under HCAA/EASA rules — registered operator, line of sight within 500 m — and flying near archaeological sites such as Dion is prohibited. Commercial filming needs a permit.
Dress: no code on the trails, but sturdy boots matter on the rock. Working monasteries such as Agios Dionysios require shoulders and knees covered, per Greek Orthodox custom.
All three tours require at least a moderate fitness level, and the 10-hour one-day Mytikas hike is the toughest — it's a full summit push to 2,918 m. Tour operators flag it as unsuitable for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or anyone with poor cardiovascular health. If you can walk uphill for several hours with a daypack, the 2-day tour spreads the effort more kindly.
Start with the private 5-hour foothills tour at $137.61 — it stays low, runs only for your group, and covers transport. If you're reasonably fit but new to summits, the 2-day tour ($344.02) is the safer bet than the 10-hour push: you sleep at Refuge A at 2,100 m and climb to the peaks fresh on day two. The 1-day summit tour suits experienced hikers who know their pace.
On the 2-day tour, yes — accommodation in the mountain refuge is included, along with taxes, a mountain leader, transfers from and to Litochoro, photos, and hiking poles. If you go independent, Refuge A beds cost €18 for non-members and €10 for children up to 13, booked on (+30) 23520 81800 with a deposit for weekends and groups.
There's nothing to include — the mountain and national park are free, with no gate or entrance fee, open at all times. Tour prices cover guides, equipment and transfers instead. The one cost you might add yourself is Dion Archaeological Park & Museum at €10 full or €5 reduced.
They vary sharply. The 1-day summit hike is all sales final — no refund for any cancellation. The private foothills tour gives a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The 2-day tour needs 3 full days' notice for a full refund, and you get nothing inside 3 days. Check which policy applies before paying.
It's an exposed scramble over smooth, loose rock from the Skala col — the hardest part of the climb and where falls happen. Don't attempt it in rain, fog or on ice, and never rush it. Guides and mountain offices in Litochoro arrange guided ascents, and a helmet is sensible for first-timers.
At least 2 litres of water per person for the Prionia–Refuge A climb, plus high-carb snacks. Bring waterproofs and warm layers — summer nights at altitude drop near freezing — a headlamp, hiking boots and a sleeping-bag liner for refuge nights (blankets and a pillow are provided, sheets aren't). For the 2-day tour, the operator recommends a 30–40 L backpack, spare clothes, hat or sunglasses, and a waterproof jacket.
June to September, when trails are clear and refuges are open. September is the sweet spot — mild temperatures, clear air and fewer people. Book the 2-day tour well ahead for July and August, since Refuge A's 110 beds fill up; the 1-day summit tour skips the refuge and is easier to arrange late. Avoid November to April, when winter conditions require crampons and an ice axe.
Tours start from Litochoro, 92 km southwest of Thessaloniki. Trains run roughly hourly for about €9 and take 1 hour 10 minutes — note the station is 6 km from the village, next to the sea, so budget for a taxi. Driving takes about 1.5 hours on the A1/E75. Once there, the 2-day and summit tours include trailhead transfers.
The private 5-hour foothills tour is the family option — it even offers infant seats, and park rules just require children to be supervised. Gorge paths and the Prionia area work well, and Refuge A charges children up to 13 only €10 a night. The Mytikas summit scramble is not suitable for children, so skip the two summit tours.
Browse verified tours with free cancellation and instant confirmation.
Find Tours
This is a one-day summit push to Mytikas, the highest peak of Mount Olympus at 2,918 m — roughly 10 hours door to door. It uses a lesser-known route, so you'll avoid the traffic of the standard Prionia path. Local transfers to and from the trailhead are by 4x4 and are covered in the price. An English-speaking guide leads the hike throughout, and all technical equipment needed for the route is provided. Fees and taxes are included too. Bring your own boots, layers, and water — none of that is supplied. One thing to know before booking: all sales are final. There's no refund if you cancel, so be sure of your dates before you commit. The mountain's summits sit above 2,900 m and hold snow much of the year, so ask the operator about conditions if you're traveling outside summer.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
A five-hour private hiking tour to the foothills of Mount Olympus, run for your group only. Private transportation is included, so you're driven to and from the trailhead rather than sorting out a rental car or bus. Guides lead the walk in Greek or English. Snacks aren't included, so bring your own water and food for the trail. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Greek, English
A two-day guided ascent of Mount Olympus with a night in a mountain refuge at 2,100m. Day one climbs through pine, beech and fir forest to the refuge; day two continues to the high peaks before the return hike down. The trail runs inside the national park, and the guide leads in Greek or English. Transfers from and back to Litochoro are included, as are refuge accommodation, taxes, hiking poles, and photos and videos from the trip. Meals aren't specified as covered, so plan on buying food at the refuge. Cancel at least 3 full days before departure for a full refund; inside that window you get nothing back.
If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.<br>If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Greek, English