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Mt. Olympus
4.8
| 10 reviews

Climb Mount Olympus (2918m) (2020 archive)

Summit the highest mountain in Greece and stand on top of the 'Mountain of the Gods'

Duration

1 night

Annual Leave

1 day off work

Group Size

Up to 8 people

Season

Jun-Oct

Location

Greece

Meeting Point

Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport

Accommodation

Mountain hut

Customer Reviews

(10)

4.8

Difficulty

Challenging

From

From

What's it like?

4.8
| 10 reviews
Mt. Olympus
Kakkalos Refuge, Mount Olympus, Greece. 
Nikos Laskaridis - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olympus17.jpg
Mt Olympus, Greece
Mytikas, Mt Olympus, Greece

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

Kakkalos Refuge (2650m)

Hiking

8-9hrs · 12km · 1600m up

Meet your guide in the main square of Litochoro and 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 2

Summit Mount Olympus (Mytikas 2918m)

Mt. Olympus

Hiking

8-9hrs · 12km · 268m up · 1800m down

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 meters 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 in time for onward travel.

Included

Guides

Local, English-speaking mountain guide

Accommodation

1 night in a mountain refuge

Transfers

To and from Litochoro and the trailhead

Not Included

Travel to and from the start point

Travel insurance

Personal expenses

Flights to and from the meeting point

Some meals as described

Day 1

Mountain hut · Mixed dorm

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2

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 snack 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?

Mount Olympus

Kakkalos Refuge or Apostolidis Refuge (depending on availability)

You'll stay in a rustic but comfortable mountain refuge above the treeline in a mixed dorm. 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 10 or 11pm.)

The Area

map

Logistics

Starts

Central Litochoro

8:00am on Day 1

Ends

Central Litochoro

18:00 on Day 2

Transfers

Your host will meet you in the centre of Litochoro, a small town at the base of Mount Olympus.

Travel options

We reccommend flying into Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) the day before the start time. It takes around 1.5 hours to get to Litochoro from there. Feel free to book any departing flight that leaves after 22:00 on the last day.

What about all the carbon?

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.

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 do I need to bring?

  • Large, comfortable backpack (65-85 liters) 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
  • Your own personal water bottle
*Requests for optional extras can be made after booking on your “My Bookings” page

Rental Car Audi A4 (or similar)

Payable Before Departure

Rental Car Audi A4 (or similar)

Per Night

Litohoro to Kalambaka/Meteora (One Way)

Payable Before Departure

Litohoro to Kalambaka/Meteora (One Way)

Thessaloniki Airport Transfer (Return)

Payable Before Departure

Thessaloniki Airport Transfer (Return)

Laura(October 2019)

Beautiful mountain, great guide, perfect weather. The perfect balance between challenging and enjoyable!

Suzanne(September 2019)

The guide, the refuge, the mountain were great!

Alex(July 2019)

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!

Euan(July 2019)

The scenery, the food at the refuges and the chance to try some rock climbing were great.

Jia(July 2019)

The views were great.

Adrian(July 2019)

The weather was perfect. We were so lucky to have a summit day that was not only free of rain but also clear.

Adam(October 2018)

The autumn colours were great.

Victor(August 2018)

Mt Olympus was great.

Araitz(July 2018)

We felt safe with the guide (+20yrs of experience in the mountain), the views, the mountain hut’s food was amazing.

G(June 2018)

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!

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 50% 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.

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

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Go private and split the bill with ease.

Forget complex logistics, we've taken care of all the details to ensure a hassle-free get together. All of the adventure, none of the faff.

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