Climb Mount Olympus (2918m)
Summit the highest mountain in Greece and stand on top of the 'Mountain of the Gods'
Duration
3 nights
Annual Leave
2 days off work
Group Size
Up to 8 people
Season
Jun-Oct
Location
Greece
Meeting Point
Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport
Classic Accommodation
Guesthouse · Mountain hut
Customer Reviews
4.9
Difficulty
Challenging
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What's it like?
Climb to the summit of Mt Olympus (2918m), one of the world's most famous peaks
Explore the beautiful and varied landscape of the legendary home of the Greek gods
Ascend and descend along different trails to ensure a unique and unforgettable experience each day
Day 1
Arrive into Thessaloniki, and then head to Litochoro
Arrive on any flight into the coastal city of Thessaloniki - the second largest city in Greece and considered to be Greece's cultural capital. It is a fantastic place to explore on foot, and we recommend you fly in early if you have time.
Your host will then pick you up at around 17:00 for your 1.5 hour transfer to Litochoro: a small town at the base of Mount Olympus. You'll then have time to get settled into your Guest House and head out for dinner with the group.
Day 2
Ascend to the refuge and look out over the "Plateau of Muses"
Hiking
It's an early start as you set off around 0800 to drive to the trailhead at Prionia (1100m.) Meander through a forest of pine, fir and birch and meet hikers from all over the world, before breaking through the treeline and getting a stunning view of the many summits of Mount Olympus. Push on to the refuge at (2650m) and relax with a hot meal and a view over the Plateau of Muses.
Day 3
Summit Mount Olympus (Mytikas 2918m)
Hiking
After an early breakfast, your guide will decide which of the two potential summits to attempt based on weather conditions and the group's fitness. The first option is to ascend Skala Peak (2882m) and cross a narrow ridge to the adjacent Skolio Peak (2911m). The tougher option is to attempt the mountain's highest summit, Mytikas (2918m,) but with a couple of hundred metres of exposed scrambling at the end, this route will be a challenge. Either way, you'll enjoy some incredible views over the surrounding gorges and peaks before descending along a different trail to the Gkortsia trailhead, where you’ll return to Litochoro. Celebrate your summit success with a cold beer and a relaxing afternoon.
Day 4
Time to head home
After breakfast, your transfer back to Thessaloniki will leave at 0930, leaving you enough time to get any flight home from around 1230 onwards, or enjoy exploring Thessaloniki itself.
Included
Guides
Local, English-speaking mountain guide
Accommodation
2 nights in a guesthouse, 1 night in a mountain refuge
Meals
2 breakfasts at your guesthouse
Transfers
Transfers to / from Thessaloniki Airport, and everything in between
Equipment
Helmet, harness and rope
Not Included
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Flights to and from the meeting point
Some meals as described
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Refuges on Mount Olympus serve simple, hearty meals for around €10-15 per person. Breakfast usually consists of bread, butter, marmalade, honey, cheese, coffee/tea/milk and chocolate spreads. Lunch is often sandwiches, fruits, eggs, energy snacks and chocolate, while dinners usually offer some combination of soup, pasta with sauce, lentils with rice, beef with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes, and sausage with pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
What is the accommodation like?
Litochoro
You will be staying in a guesthouse in Litochoro.
Mount Olympus
You'll stay in a rustic but comfortable mountain refuge above the treeline in a mixed dorm – either the Kakkalos Refuge or Apostolidis Refuge (depending on availability). Mattresses and warm blankets are provided and there is a common room where you can mingle with the other hikers and take meals. Alternatively, you can camp outside. Please note that the refuge does not have a shower and isn't connected to the electricity grid, with power supplied by solar panels and generators that are only available for a few hours each day (usually from dusk until around 22:00 or 23:00).
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, it is possible to request a private room upgrade on Days 1 and 3 of the trip (when you are staying at the guesthouse in Litochoro) – see Optional Extras for pricing. Please request this at the time of booking (subject to availability).
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Thessaloniki Airport (SKG)
17:00 on Day 1
Ends
Thessaloniki Airport (SKG)
12:00 on Day 4
Transfers
Your host will pick you up at Thessaloniki Airport at 17:00 on Day 1, and drop you back at 12:00 on Day 4. It takes around 1.5 hours to get to Litochoro.
Alternatively if you want to explore Thessaloniki as part of your trip: you can be collected from Aristotelous Square in central Thessaloniki at 17:30 on Day 1, and / or dropped back there at 11:00 on Day 4.
Travel options
There are direct flights to Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) from across Europe, or you can connect in Athens for more flexible options. If you arrive early or are staying on late: it takes around 30 minutes to get to Thessaloniki City Centre by taxi.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- Helmet
- Harness
- Rope
What's available to hire?
- Trekking poles, trekking boots, flashlights, ice axe, crampons, gaiters, goggles, jackets, pants, sleeping bag, and sleeping bag liner are all items that can be hired and paid for locally. Please contact your host for any questions regarding hiring equipment.
What do I need to bring?
- Large, comfortable backpack (40L) with padded straps and waist belt (internal frame preferred)
- Waterproof liner for keeping clothing dry
- Sturdy, worn in trekking shoes
- Good waterproof top with hood
- Warm clothes, both for windy / cold daytime conditions and for the cool evenings (fleece tops or similar)
- Shorts and long trousers for walking, preferably quick-drying material (cotton or poly-cotton not denim)
- Sweatshirts or T-shirts for walking, at least one with long sleeves and collar (against sun-burn)
- Sheet, sleeping bag or similar (e.g. duvet cover) for the night, although blankets will also be available.
- Sunglasses, towel, sun hat or cap, sun block
- Wash bag and simple first aid kit (plasters or blister kit, aspirin or similar, antiseptic)
- Camera
- Torch (head torch if you have one)
- Walking sticks
- 1L-2L Water bottle(s) or bladder
Litochoro village extra night (double/twin room)
Payable Before Departure
Litochoro village extra night (double/twin room)
… Per Night
Litochoro village extra night (single room)
Payable Before Departure
Litochoro village extra night (single room)
… Per Night
in Litochoro only (not in the mountain hut)
Payable Before Departure
in Litochoro only (not in the mountain hut)
… Per Person
Private transfer from Thessaloniki city or airport to Litochoro village (per vehicle per way)
Payable Before Departure
Private transfer from Thessaloniki city or airport to Litochoro village (per vehicle per way)
…
Mount Olympus
A great blend of physical endeavour, thrill and beauty in one. A majestic place that felt spiritual in all its glory.
The climb is a proper challenge but totally worth it! The local guide is patient and clear, and we had loads of fun and laugh along the way!
Fantastic experience would definitely recommend
We had an amazing trip up Mt Olympus, very well organised from start to finish. Our guides (Alex and Ioannis) were professional and we felt safe throughout. Hotel on the 1st and last night was very nice, and the mountain refuge accommodation during the hike was clean and comfortable. The ascent up on the 1st day was tough, as it was a long and continuous ascent with very little flat parts of the hike, but there was plenty of time for breaks to take on water and food. The scramble to the summit was quite exposed, but I would describe it as a grade 1 scramble, which was relatively easy with good feet and handholds and it felt safe with ropes, helmets and harnesses used for the ascent and descent.
Go for it you won’t be disappointed.
Where do I start !! This experience has been phenomenal and I will be forever grateful for the memories that I made on Mount Olympus, I was a female solo traveller so didn’t really know what to expect and was a little nervous as this was my first time using Much Better Adventures but I needn’t have worried, from the pick up at the airport on Day 1 to the transfer back to the airport on Day 3 everything worked like clockwork!! Yanis and Saki ( our guides) we’re incredible and couldn’t have done enough for us up on the mountain, the experience on Olympus was AMAZING and we were spoilt with the views and being told the history of the gods on Olympus .. the hike itself is quite challenging especially in the heat but Yanis made sure we took plenty of breaks and kept hydrated. The Refuge on the mountain that we stayed at was clean and offered great food, there is no shower available but the toilet facilities were super clean!! We were blessed with the most beautiful Sunset and Sunrise on the top of mountain that was breath taking and something I will always remember.
Once again a great trip! Hot and hard work but the views were worth it. Great guides and new friends made, even had a bonus summit after dinner on the first night.
Fantastic trip and worth every penny. The guides and accommodation were great! First of many with much better adventures.
The trip was incredible ! I was in very safe capable hands and would love to do it again! Great laughs and team couldn't ask for a better trip! onwards to booking more!!!
Absolutely superb most amazing views and fantastic summit can't wait to book my next adventure
Stunning scenery, amazing hosts and delicious food - brilliant experience!
Our guide, Thanatos was incredible. Made us feel safe and well looked after throughout.
Our guide really knew the mountain like the back of his hand. He took care of us and made sure we were clear on what we needed to do and where we needed to be. An inspirational guy 💪 Also the other staff at the pickup point were very helpful and gave us all the advice we needed. Great people, I would come again.
The guide was fantastic, everything was well organised by our local guides. The service was terrific.
Well organised and great localhost. ...
Well organised and great localhost.
The autumn colours were great.
The scenery, the food at the refuges and the chance to try some rock climbing were great.
Our guide Giannis was knowledgeable, friendly and funny - even taking time to show us Mt Olympus' oldest tree on the descent. The climb to Mytikas was a rewarding challenge; this was my first time climbing with ropes and helmets and it was great fun! The accommodation on the mountain was more than you would typically expect - good, reasonably priced food and drink and comfy beds. We spent the evening exploring some of the smaller peaks, including one with a church on, which I would recommend doing. Overall, a fantastic trip!
We felt safe with the guide (+20yrs of experience in the mountain), the views, the mountain hut’s food was amazing.
This has to be my favourite trip so far; not only did we luck out with the weather, but the scenery was fantastic, and I loved hiking in woods and obviously, achieving Olympus's summit! The fact that I got up there was down to the excellent, professional guides who were so sweet and great company to boot. Thanasis and Bob couldn't have been more kind, and more attentive to make sure I felt comfortable scrambling along sheer rock faces, even if I was clutching Bob's hand an awful lot of the way back down, haha. I never felt unsafe once, given that they were both so safety conscious, with helmets and ropes, and with Thanasis being a mountain rescuer in his other job! Thanks guys, I salute you!
The views were great.
Mt Olympus was great.
Beautiful mountain, great guide, perfect weather. The perfect balance between challenging and enjoyable!
The guide, the refuge, the mountain were great!
The weather was perfect. We were so lucky to have a summit day that was not only free of rain but also clear.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 188kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
This is a proper challenge, so you should be an experienced hiker with a good level of fitness. Both days involve long hikes with a full pack and as much as 1600m of elevation, while the summit of Mytikas requires some scrambling, so previous experience of this is recommended, but not essential. Ropes will be used for additional safety, but are not technically required to reach the summit. If any member of the group does not want to do this part of the trip, the second-highest peak of Mount Olympus, Skolio, (2,911m) offers an equally amazing view and can be reached by an easy/medium difficulty hiking path, without steep sections. The rest of the route is along a hiking path of medium difficulty, with several impressive drops close by that might be scary for those with a fear of heights.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Mount Olympus has a large elevation range, which makes the weather highly variable. Summer temperatures generally range between 0 and 20 °C, with cooler temperatures occurring near the top, especially at night. Strong winds are typical above the treeline, while most days are sunny or partly sunny, with thunderstorms occurring roughly a third of the days during summer. Before you travel, your host will be happy to assist with any queries on the mountain conditions and the best clothing and equipment for your trip; some items will be available for hire on arrival, see the Kit List section above for more details.
There is a mountain spring in Prionia and another around 45 minutes further on where you can refuel your bottle. There are no other springs close to the hiking routes so bringing enough water with you is essential. Alternatively you can buy a bottle of water at the refuge for €1 - €2, however, please remember to take this with you when you leave the mountain to keep this beautiful landscape as clean and perfect as possible.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however, we would suggest €50 per day as a guideline for each group.
Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Any excess luggage can be safely left at your local host's trekking office in Litochoro.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.
TRIP DEPARTURE DATES
Thursday • 13th June 2024
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