Mount Olympus costs nothing to enter — there's no gate, no ticket booth, and the national park is open at all hours, every day of the year. You only pay for services: a bunk at Spilios Agapitos Refuge is €18, and the Dion Archaeological Park & Museum down at the foot of the mountain charges €10.
The mountain itself never closes: Mount Olympus and Olympus National Park are open year-round, at all hours, with no gate and no entrance fee. What changes with the seasons is the infrastructure — Spilios Agapitos Refuge (Refuge A) runs daily from mid-May to late October, while the Litochoro Information Center and the Dion Archaeological Park keep fixed daily hours with seasonal shifts.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Information Center in Litochoro 09:00–16:00 (last entry 15:45); Refuge A open 06:00–22:00, roughly 8 May–28 October |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Dion Archaeological Park & Museum closed; Information Center and Refuge A (in season) open as normal |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Dion closed in the summer schedule but open 08:30–15:30 from 1 November to 15 April |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Information Center 09:00–16:00; Refuge A 06:00–22:00 in season, restaurant until 21:00 |
| Friday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Refuge A stops registering guests at 20:00 — arrive before then if you've booked a bed |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Refuge A beds fill fastest on weekends; bookings need a deposit |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours (mountain and park) | Dion open 08:00–20:00 in summer (08:30–15:30 in winter season) |
No public-holiday closures are published for the park or the trails — the mountain is accessible every day of the year, including Christmas and Easter. The real closure is seasonal: Refuge A shuts after late October (usually 28 October) when the upper mountain goes into winter condition, and it reopens around 8 May. Dion Archaeological Park switches to its shorter winter schedule, 08:30–15:30, from 1 November to 15 April. The Information Center in Litochoro keeps its daily 09:00–16:00 hours year-round.
Climbing Mount Olympus costs nothing. There's no gate, no ticket office and no entrance fee for the mountain or Olympus National Park, which is open to the public at all times. You only pay for services: a bed at Spilios Agapitos Refuge (Refuge A) starts at €18, and the nearby Dion Archaeological Park & Museum charges €10 (€5 reduced).
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain & National Park access | Free | No gate or ticket office; open to the public at all times, year-round. No hiking permit required either. |
| Refuge A (Spilios Agapitos) — bed, non-member | €18.00 per night | Book in advance by phone ((+30) 23520 81800) or the online reservation form; weekends and groups require a deposit. |
| Refuge A — bed, mountaineering-club member | €13.00 per night | Authenticated club ID required at check-in. |
| Refuge A — child (up to 13) | €10.00 per night | Makes a family overnight at 2,100 m feasible; children must be supervised per park rules. |
| Refuge A — camping | €8.00 (non-members) / €5.00 (members) | Free/wild camping is banned in the national park — this designated option is the legal way to pitch a tent. |
| Refuge A — facility use (non-residents) | €3.00 | Covers day visitors using the refuge's facilities. |
| Dion Archaeological Park & Museum — full | €10.00 | About 20 minutes by car from Litochoro; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. |
| Dion Archaeological Park & Museum — reduced | €5.00 | Summer hours 08:00-20:00 (Wednesday-Monday); winter 08:30-15:30. |
No free-entry days are needed — the mountain and national park are free and open at all times, every day of the year.
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View All ToursJune to September is the best time to visit Mount Olympus, and September is the pick of the four: trails are clear of snow, the refuges are open, and you get mild temperatures, clear air and noticeably fewer hikers than midsummer. July and August draw the biggest crowds — the 110 beds at Refuge A fill up — and afternoon thunderstorms build fast over the peaks, so serious summit pushes should start before dawn.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Before dawn (05:00–07:00) | Low | Fit hikers leave the Prionia trailhead at 7:00 or earlier with headlamps to beat the July–August afternoon storms; this is the window for the 10–12 hour one-day summit push. |
| Morning (07:00–12:00) | Moderate | The steady flow of hikers climbs the 4.5 km trail from Prionia to Refuge A (about 3 hours), and the weather is at its most stable — the sensible window for families doing the gentler Enipeas Gorge walk from Litochoro. |
| Afternoon (12:00–17:00) | High | Refuge A's dining halls and terrace are at their busiest and, in July and August, thunderstorms can build within minutes with real lightning danger on the exposed upper peaks — be off the summits and watch the clouds. |
| Evening (17:00–21:00) | Moderate | Sunset over the Aegean from the Refuge A terrace at 2,100 m is the reward for overnighters, with the restaurant serving until 21:00 — just remember check-in closes at 20:00 sharp. |
| Night (21:00–22:00) | Low | The refuge goes quiet before its 22:00 closing, and alpine nights are cold even in July, so settle in under the provided wool blankets with your sleeping-bag liner for an early start. |
Plan on two days for the classic Mount Olympus experience: hike up from Prionia (about 3 hours) to Spilios Agapitos Refuge at 2,100 m, overnight, and summit Mytikas the next morning. Fit hikers can compress the whole push into a single 10–12 hour day starting before dawn. If you're skipping the summit, a half-day covers the Enipeas Gorge walk or the Prionia trailhead area at 1,100 m.
There's no gate or ticket to queue for — the mountain is free and open at all hours — so the only clock that matters is the weather. In July and August, thunderstorms build over the upper peaks within minutes after midday, and most summiters leave Prionia at 7:00 or earlier with headlamps to be off the exposed rock in time. If storms are already stacked over the massif at mid-morning, turn back from Skala or the Plateau of the Muses.
The only ticket you'll realistically need is a bed at Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A, 2,100 m), and its 110 places fill through July and August. Book by phone at (+30) 23520 81800 or via the online reservation form; weekend and group bookings require a deposit. Beds cost €18 for non-members, €10 for children up to 13, and check-in closes at 20:00 sharp.
June through September is the climbing window, since trails are snow-free and the refuges run daily (Refuge A usually 8 May to 28 October). September is the sweet spot: mild temperatures, clearer air, and far fewer hikers on the Mytikas scramble than in August. From early November the upper mountain is in full winter condition — crampons, ice axe, avalanche danger — so skip it unless you're an equipped mountaineer.
The Dion Archaeological Park & Museum (€10 full, €5 reduced) closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays year-round, so check the day of the week before driving the 20 minutes from Litochoro. Summer hours run 08:00-20:00 Wednesday through Monday; from 1 November to 15 April it's 08:30-15:30. Go early or late in the day — the sanctuaries and Hellenistic theatre are largely unshaded.
The refuge provides three blankets and a fresh pillow but no sheets, so bring a sleeping-bag liner, towel, and slippers — everyone must change into indoor shoes at the door. Carry at least 2 litres of water per person for the Prionia-Refuge A climb, plus a headlamp for the dark start. And take your rubbish back down with you; bins only exist at Prionia.
Nothing — there's no gate or entrance fee, and Olympus National Park is open to the public at all times, free of charge. The only costs are services: a bed at Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A) is €18 for non-members, €13 for mountaineering-club members with ID, and €10 for children up to 13. If you drive from Thessaloniki, budget for fuel and standard motorway tolls on the A1/E75.
Yes, especially for July and August, when all 110 beds fill up. Book by phone at (+30) 23520 81800 or through the online reservation form; weekend stays and large groups require a deposit. The refuge sits at 2,100 m on the E4 route and is open daily from mid-May to late October (usually 8 May to 28 October), 06:00 to 22:00, with check-in required by 20:00.
The mountain itself is open year-round, at all hours — there's no closing time. What closes is the infrastructure: Refuge A runs daily mid-May to late October (roughly 8 May to 28 October), the Olympus National Park Information Center in Litochoro is open daily 09:00-16:00 with last entry at 15:45, and the high refuges shut down in late October when winter conditions arrive.
€10 full price, €5 reduced — and it's worth pairing with your mountain trip since Dion is only about 20 minutes by car from Litochoro. Summer hours (Wednesday through Monday) are 08:00-20:00; from 1 November to 15 April it's 08:30-15:30, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Note that drones are prohibited from filming at the site.
Yes, if you're fit: the round trip from Prionia takes 10-12 hours, so start at 7:00 or earlier with a headlamp. Most hikers prefer the two-day, one-night version, sleeping at Refuge A at 2,100 m — the Prionia-to-refuge leg alone averages about 3 hours. Either way, be off the upper mountain before the afternoon thunderstorms that build in July and August.
June to September, when trails are snow-free and the refuges are open. September is the sweet spot — mild temperatures, clear air, and fewer hikers than July and August. From early November through April the upper mountain is in full winter condition, requiring crampons, ice axe and rope, with avalanche danger on the steep gullies.
About €9 one way on the Hellenic Train service, which runs roughly hourly and takes around 1 hour 10 minutes. The Litochoro station sits 6 km from the village, next to the sea — a 5-minute taxi hop covers the distance into town. Coming from Athens, intercity trains head north to Katerini, where a roughly 10-minute regional connection continues to Litochoro (that leg costs €8-10).
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