Mount Olympus tours range from easy half-day visits to the ancient site of Dion to a full-day hike up Mytikas, the mountain's highest peak at 2,918 m. Options depart from Thessaloniki and Athens, and most tours can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before departure.
Free Cancellation 10-hour coach day trip from Thessaloniki to Dion archaeological site, Mt Olympus park and Litochoro village.
Free Cancellation Full-day train tour from Athens to Dion, Platamon Castle, Enipeas gorge, and Litochoro, about 13 hours.
Free Cancellation 5-hour small-group car tour with a local guide: Dion drive-by, forest walks, Enipeas gorge springs, and a beach swim stop.
Free Cancellation 4-hour guided canyoning course on Olympus: rappelling, sliding, jumps and swims, no experience needed.
One-day guided hike to Mytikas, the 2,918 m summit of Mount Olympus, with 4x4 transfers included. About 10 hours.
Free Cancellation 4-hour private Olympus safari: canyon lagoon swim, off-road drive, natural rock slide, 9m cliff jumps.
Free Cancellation Private 5-hour hiking tour to the foothills of Mount Olympus with transport and a Greek- or English-speaking guide.
Free Cancellation 90-minute guided walk through a Pieria olive grove followed by an olive oil tasting, in English.
Free Cancellation 4-hour morning minibus tour: Dion ruins, Platamon Castle, and a hike into the Enipeas gorge.
Free Cancellation 4-hour private guided hike crossing the Enipeas river, with stops at Prionia, Agios Dionysios Monastery and Litochoro.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Mount Olympus — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Most tours to Mount Olympus start from Thessaloniki or Litochoro and split their time between the mountain itself and the ruins at Dion, the sacred city of the ancient Macedonians at its foot. Expect forest trails, a bus or 4x4 ride up to around 1,100 m at Prionia, and views of a 52-peak massif whose summit, Mytikas, stands at 2,917.727 m. The harder tours go much further: a guided one-day push to Mytikas itself, or canyoning trips with rappels and cliff jumps.
Tours that include hiking usually walk a stretch of the Enipeas, where the trail crosses wooden footbridges above waterfalls and natural pools. In summer you'll see hikers cooling off in the pools below the falls. The gorge path is shady most of the day, which matters in July and August.
Dion was the sacred city of the Macedonians, dedicated to Zeus, where King Archelaus held nine days of games in the god's honour around 400 BC. You walk among sanctuaries, a Hellenistic theatre and mosaics; the adjacent museum holds the finds, including an ancient hydraulis organ. Entry costs €10 full, €5 reduced, and is usually paid separately from your tour.
The one-day Mytikas tour runs about 10 hours with a guide the whole way, using 4x4 transfers and a quieter route than the standard Prionia path. The final scramble from the Skala col is exposed, polished rock — the same section where the first climbers topped out on 2 August 1913. This one needs real fitness and a head for heights.
The gateway town gets a long stop on most bus tours — about two hours on the Thessaloniki day trip. It's where you pick up the Information Center (open 09:00-16:00), trailhead taxis, and tavernas for a proper lunch. The paved 18 km road from here to Prionia starts just outside town.
Canyoning courses run four hours with a certified ICOPro guide — rappelling, sliding, jumping and swimming — with no climbing experience required. The lagoons tour is private and built around water: a natural rock slide and cliff jumps up to 9 m at a waterfall. Bring a swimsuit and athletic shoes; you must be able to swim.
Olympus was the seat of Zeus and the twelve Olympian gods, and local guides lean into it. The small-group 'Beyond the Postcards' tour stops at four lesser-known spots around the massif with the myths of Zeus, Hera and Poseidon told at each. The ancients called Mytikas 'Pantheon', the meeting place of the deities.
Olympus tours range from a €40 olive-grove walk to a 10-hour summit push, and the differences between them are bigger than the price spread suggests. A few things to sort out before you pay.
You're choosing between bus day trips from Thessaloniki (10h, ~$56), a 13-hour train day trip from Athens, private half-day hiking tours (~$137), a guided one-day Mytikas summit hike ($160.54), and adventure tours like canyoning ($141.27) and the lagoons trip ($87.45). All are guided in English; a couple offer Greek as well. None are audio-only — this is a guide-dependent destination.
July and August are the crunch: refuge beds on the mountain (110 at Refuge A alone) fill up, and summit tours run at capacity. Canyoning and lagoon tours need a minimum of 2 people and can be cancelled if numbers fall short — you'd get an alternative or a refund. Book anything involving the summit at least a few weeks ahead in summer.
The mountain and national park are free — there's no gate and no entrance fee, so tours that include 'national park fees' are covering nothing extra. Dion Archaeological Park costs €10 full / €5 reduced and is usually excluded from tour prices (it is on the Athens train trip and the half-day tour). Refuge A beds cost €18 for non-members if your itinerary overnights on the mountain.
Several tours bundle Platamon Castle, the Crusader fortress built between 1204 and 1222 above the Aegean, or the restored stone village of Palaios Panteleimonas with its taverna terraces over the Olympus Riviera. If you're self-driving after a tour, the beaches at Gritsa and Panteleimonas are 5-20 minutes from Litochoro — you can hike in the morning and swim in the afternoon.
The one-day Mytikas climb is the standout — most people take two days, and this compresses it into 10 hours via a quieter route. Canyoning with an ICOPro-certified guide is the other unusual option; you learn to rappel and slide through a canyon with no prior experience. The olive oil tasting (90 minutes, $40.14) is fully wheelchair accessible and works for all fitness levels.
The mountain itself isn't wheelchair accessible — routes are rocky forest and alpine trails with no paved paths. Wheelchair users have two solid options: the olive oil tasting, which is accessible end to end, and car-based visits to the Litochoro Information Center and Dion's museum setting. Bus tours from Thessaloniki cover only easy, marked trails but note they're not suitable for travelers with mobility issues on the walking sections.
Nearly every tour offers a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. The big exception: the one-day Mytikas summit hike is all sales final, no refunds — check the weather forecast before committing money to that one. Bus day trips may modify their schedule in bad weather, mostly in winter.
Bus tours and the Athens train trip suit all fitness levels. The Mytikas day hike needs at least moderate fitness and isn't recommended for pregnant travelers or anyone with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Canyoning requires good physical condition and the ability to swim; minimum age 8, with an adult.
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| Bus Day Trip from Thessaloniki | One-Day Mytikas Summit Hike | Private Hiking Tour | Canyoning or Lagoons Adventure | Full-Day Trip from Athens | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 10 hours, four stops | 10 hours | 4-5 hours | 4 hours | 13 hours by train |
| Best for | First-timers and casual visitors who want Dion, the park and Litochoro in one day | Fit hikers who want Greece's highest point (2,917.727 m) without the overnight | Families and small groups who want flexible timing and a guide to themselves | Active travelers and swimmers; canyoning takes kids from age 8 | Athens-based travelers who can't overnight in the north |
| Includes | Bus transport, archeologist-historian trip attendant, hotel-zone pickup in Thessaloniki, wi-fi; Dion entry not included | English-speaking guide, all equipment, all fees, 4x4 local transfers; no refunds on cancellation | Private transportation, guide in Greek or English; snacks only on some — bring your own | Certified ICOPro guide and equipment (canyoning) or private guide and park fees (lagoons); bring swimsuit and shoes | Train tickets, bottled water, air-conditioning; Dion and Platamon Castle entries excluded |
| Price from | $56.53 (4.6 from 297 reviews) | $160.54 (4.9 from 50 reviews) | $137.61 (4.9-5.0 from 19+ reviews) | $87.45-141.27 (4.96-4.98) | $206.41 (4.5 from 67 reviews) |
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The mountain and national park are open year-round, at all hours, with no gate. Access is free — you pay only for services like refuges and the Dion museum.
Tour departure times are fixed: the Thessaloniki bus trip leaves at 08:00 (arrive 10 minutes early), and lagoons tours meet at 08:30.
Litochoro, about 80 km southwest of Thessaloniki, is the gateway town. From there an 18 km paved road climbs to Prionia at 1,100 m — the highest point reachable by car and the main trailhead.
June to September is the window. Trails are clear of snow, the refuges are open, and the weather is at its most stable.
July and August are warmest but busiest, and afternoon thunderstorms build fast — lightning is a real hazard on the exposed upper peaks, so summit days start before dawn (many hikers leave Prionia at 07:00 or earlier, headlamps on). September is the connoisseur's month: mild temperatures, clear air, and far fewer hikers on the trails.
Skip November through April. By early November the upper mountain is in full winter condition — crampons, ice axe, rope, avalanche danger on the steep gullies. High refuges close in late October; first snowfall typically arrives at the end of October or beginning of November. Even in the good season, May-June can still hold snow patches that make the Mytikas scramble icy, and torrential rain or hail can strike as early as August.
The mountain is not wheelchair accessible. Routes are rocky forest and alpine trails with no paved paths. Car access helps — the paved 18 km road from Litochoro reaches Prionia at 1,100 m — but beyond that it's footwork.
Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A) at 2,100 m is the mountain's main service point — 110 sleeping places across 14 rooms, two dining halls, and a restaurant open until 21:00. Beds cost €18 for non-members, €13 for mountaineering-club members with authenticated ID, €10 for children up to 13. Camping is €8/€5, and non-residents can use facilities for €3. Book by phone at (+30) 23520 81800 or via the online form; weekends and groups need a deposit, and check the refuge's live web camera and bed availability before setting out.
Higher up, the Giosos Apostolidis Refuge (2,697 m) and Christos Kakkalos Refuge sit on the Plateau of the Muses, used mostly for sunrise summit attempts. The refuge supplies three blankets and a daily-changed pillow but no sheets — pack a sleeping-bag liner, towel, toiletries, headlamp and slippers, since everyone changes into indoor shoes inside.
At Prionia there's parking, a small restaurant in season, and the only bins on the route. In Litochoro you'll find the Information Center (09:00-16:00), taxis to Prionia, and full services — accommodation, tavernas, shops.
No permit is needed to hike, and the park is free. But the rules have teeth, and a few carry real consequences.
Yes — the one-day Mytikas hike ($160.54) is the only tour in the standard lineup that does it, running 10 hours with an English-speaking guide, all equipment, and 4x4 transfers on a quieter route than the usual Prionia approach. It requires at least moderate fitness. Note that all sales are final on this one, so check the forecast before booking.
It's an exposed scramble over smooth, loose rock from the Skala col — the hardest part of the climb and where falls happen. Guides and mountain offices in Litochoro can arrange guided ascents, and a helmet is sensible for first-timers. Never attempt it in rain, fog or on icy patches; hire a guide if you're inexperienced.
Not for the mountain — Olympus National Park is free and open at all times, so there's nothing to pay at any trailhead. Dion Archaeological Park & Museum costs €10 full / €5 reduced and is excluded from most tours, including the Athens train trip and the half-day Dion tour. Refuge A beds (€18 non-member) apply only if your itinerary overnights on the mountain.
There's a 13-hour day trip from Athens by train ($206.41) covering Dion, Platamon Castle, a short Enipeas gorge hike, and free time in Litochoro — about an hour at each stop. Train tickets are included, but Dion and Platamon Castle entries are not. It's a long day (the Athens-Litochoro rail journey alone is about 5h 30m via Katerini), so overnighting in Litochoro or Thessaloniki is the better plan if you want to hike properly.
Canyoning takes children from age 8 with an accompanying adult, and the lagoons tour's cliff jumps and rock slide suit confident swimmers. Family-style options include the private hiking tours (5 hours, infant seats available) and easy gorge walks — park rules require children to be supervised. The exposed Mytikas summit scramble is not appropriate for children.
At least 2 litres of water per person for the Prionia-Refuge A climb, plus high-carbohydrate snacks — keep lunch light, since heavy meals sap energy at altitude. Bring waterproof and warm layers (summer nights at altitude drop below freezing outside the main season), a headlamp, and hiking boots. If you're overnighting at Refuge A, add a sleeping-bag liner, towel, toiletries and indoor shoes, which everyone must change into.
July and August are the pressure point: Refuge A's 110 beds fill, and summit tours run at capacity, so book those several weeks out. Adventure tours need a minimum of 2 participants and can be cancelled after confirmation if numbers fall short — you'd be offered an alternative or a full refund. Most tours allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, except the Mytikas hike, which is non-refundable.
The bus day trip from Thessaloniki ($56.53) covers an easy, marked red trail and suits all fitness levels — the walking is the gentlest kind. The olive oil tasting is fully wheelchair accessible. The Athens train trip also works for all fitness levels. But the Mytikas hike, canyoning, and lagoons tours all assume real conditioning; canyoning explicitly requires good physical condition and the ability to swim.
Bus day trips may modify their schedule in bad weather, mostly in winter — the operator decides on the day. For hikes, afternoon thunderstorms build within minutes in July and August, and guides will turn back from Skala or the Plateau of the Muses if storms threaten. That's the right call: lightning on the exposed upper peaks is a genuine hazard. You can cancel most tours yourself up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
Yes — the Athens train trip includes both, and the half-day Dion tour ($66.51) hits Dion's sanctuaries and museum in the morning before heading to Platamon Castle, the Crusader fortress built between 1204 and 1222. The full-day Thessaloniki bus trip does Dion plus the national park and Litochoro but skips the castle. Entry tickets for both sites are excluded, so budget €10 full / €5 reduced for Dion.
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A 10-hour bus day trip from Thessaloniki with four stops: Mt Olympus National Park (75 min), the ancient site of Dion (85 min), the park's Information Center (30 min), and the village of Litochoro (130 min). At Dion you walk the ruins of temples, theaters and public buildings. At Litochoro, at the foot of the mountain, there's free time for lunch or a wander, and the itinerary also allows a swim at Agia Kori's stream. The bus is air-conditioned with free wi-fi, and a trip attendant who is an archaeologist-historian travels with the group in English. Baby seats are available on request, and basic travel insurance covers you while on the bus. Pickup and drop-off are from Aristotle's Square or Egnatia Street at the Venizelos Statue. 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.
English
This is a 13-hour day trip from Athens to Mount Olympus by train, with four stops of roughly an hour each: the archaeological site of Dion, Platamon Castle, a short hike to the Enipeas gorge, and free time in the village of Litochoro. Dion comes first — the holy city of the ancient Macedonians, where gods of Olympus were worshipped. Then Platamon Castle, a Crusader fortress built between 1204 and 1222 overlooking the Tempe valley. At Mount Olympus, the group takes a short hike into the Enipeas gorge to see a natural turquoise pool known as the bathtub of Zeus. The day ends with downtime in Litochoro, a village built in traditional Macedonian style. A guide leads the tour in English. Train tickets, bottled water, and air-conditioned transport are included; entrance fees for the Dion site and Platamon Castle are not, and gratuities are extra. Train tickets are emailed after booking — the Viator voucher alone won't get you on the train. If there's a train strike, the tour runs by bus instead. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 5-hour, small-group tour by car, guided in English by Michalis, a local guide with over 25 years of experience. The route covers four lesser-known spots around Olympus, with the myths of Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon told at each stop. You start with a drive past the ancient city of Dion, where Alexander the Great is believed to have worshipped Zeus, then walk about 35 minutes in the ancient forest of Olympus. Next is a 40-minute walk on an easy route through the Enipeas gorge to the springs, where you can drink the spring water, followed by a 35-minute stop at a quieter forest spot Michalis keeps to himself. The tour ends with 35 minutes at Poseidonia beach for swimming and relaxing. Short breaks for photos, coffee, or snacks are built in along the way. The pace is easy — suited to families, seniors, and anyone who prefers riding over hiking. The car has air conditioning. Departure times are flexible, and cruise passengers get a guaranteed on-time return. Contact the guide via WhatsApp at least 24 hours before the meeting time (number: 0030 6930871959); the meeting point can change in case of traffic, rain, or heat. 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.
English
Four hours in a canyon with a certified ICOPro guide, learning to rappel, slide, jump and swim through the course. It's billed as entry-to-intermediate, and no climbing experience is required — the guide handles the technical side. You hike between sections, with a break midway. Groups are small, so instruction stays personal. Canyoning equipment, photos, and national park fees are all included in the price. Bring your own snacks, since food isn't covered despite the mid-route break. Hotel pickup and drop-off is available on request, and the guide runs the course in English. Other pickup points can be arranged by contacting the operator. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 10-hour hike to Mytikas, at 2,918 m the highest point of Mount Olympus, done in a single day rather than the usual two. The route up is a quieter alternative to the standard approach, and you go with an English-speaking guide the whole way. Local transfers needed for the activity run by 4x4 and are included, along with all necessary equipment, fees, and taxes. Bring your own boots and clothing suitable for a long day at altitude. One thing to check before booking: all sales are final, and no refund is available for cancellations.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
A 4-hour private tour built around water: two lagoons, a natural rock slide, and cliff jumps of up to 9m at a waterfall. It runs in English with a professional guide/driver, and national park fees are included. Snacks aren't, so bring your own. Meeting time is 08:30, followed by about 30 minutes of driving to the starting point. A short hike leads into a narrow canyon where the first lagoon sits — you get 45 minutes there for swimming and poking around the rock formations. Then it's back to the vehicle for an off-road drive to a second lagoon the operator describes as known mainly to locals and mountain guides. It has a natural slide that drops into the largest of the pools, ringed by cliffs, with over an hour to swim and explore. For the more active, a Via Ferrata route climbs up beside the slide to a 9m waterfall where you can jump. Hotel pickup and drop-off is available on request, and extra pickup locations can be arranged by contacting the operator. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A private 5-hour hiking tour into the foothills of Mount Olympus, run for your group alone. Private transportation is included, so pickup and timing are arranged around you rather than a fixed schedule. Guiding is available in Greek or English. Snacks aren't included, so bring your own 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 90-minute visit built around one grove in the Pieria area near Mount Olympus. It starts with a guided walk among the olive trees, where the guide covers cultivation, the harvest, and how the fruit becomes bottled oil — you'll be standing among trees that have been producing for generations. After the walk comes a tasting, held in the shade of the same trees. The guide walks you through identifying flavors, aromas, and textures in olive oil, the same way a sommelier would approach wine, and explains what separates extra virgin oil, its health properties, and its place in the Mediterranean diet. Both the walk and the tasting are included in the price. Tours run in English. 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.
English
This half-day morning tour starts at 9am at the archaeological site of Dion, where you'll spend about an hour among the sanctuaries dedicated to Zeus and the other Olympian gods, then visit the Archaeological Museum of Dion with its statues and mosaics. From there the minibus heads to Platamon Castle, a Crusader fortress on a hilltop built to guard the valley of Tempe, for another hour. The last stop is Mount Olympus itself, with a roughly hour-long walk along the trail through the Enipeas gorge to the waterfall and rock pool known as the bathtub of Zeus. The tour ends in Litochoro, a traditional Macedonian village at the foot of the mountain. Transport is by minibus with air conditioning, and bottled water is included. A licensed English-speaking guide accompanies the group throughout. Gratuities are not included. 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.
English
This 4-hour private tour pairs a hike along the Enipeas river with road stops around the mountain. Hiking covers about two hours, crossing the river and passing a waterfall; the rest goes to the surrounding forest vegetation along the route. Guides speak Greek and English. The itinerary includes Prionia at 1,100 m in the National Forest of Olympus, the Monastery of Agios Dionysios, and a stop at the Olympus Information Center. Lunch is in Litochoro at the mountain's base. On request, the program can be modified to add the Museum and archaeological site of Dion, with a tour guide arranged based on availability. From June to September, there's a chance to swim in the Agia Kori stream. Snacks, air-conditioned transport, the Trekking Hellas guide and liability insurance are included. 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