This is the adventurous Mount Olympus Expedition Tour, our more challenging and immersive way to experience the grandeur of Greece’s most legendary mountain.
Mount Olympus, also transliterated as Olympos and marked on Greek maps as Oros Olympos, is the highest mountain in Greece. Located within the Olympus Range on the border of Thessaly and Macedonia, between the regional units of Pieria and Larissa, it rises approximately 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Thessaloniki. Mount Olympus boasts 52 peaks, dramatic gorges, and exceptional biodiversity. Its highest summit, Mytikas, meaning “nose”, reaches 2,917 metres (9,570 ft), making it one of Europe’s most prominent peaks.
From its steep and rocky summit, first ascended just over a century ago, Zeus, the king of the gods in ancient Greek mythology, was believed to hurl his thunderbolts at humankind and the Titans. These legendary stories have made Olympus one of the most iconic mountains in the world.
The mountain’s eastern slopes form Greece’s first National Park, established in the 1930s and now protected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The area is home to a remarkable variety of flora and fauna, including numerous endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.
Apart from the mountain refuges, there are no permanent settlements on Olympus. These welcoming refuges offer hikers and mountaineers from around the world a warm and authentic mountain atmosphere, providing the perfect setting to share stories and experiences after a memorable day on the trails.
Starting and ending in the mountain town of Litochoro, this expedition follows a network of scenic forest trails, alpine meadows, and rugged high-mountain terrain. Daily hikes typically last 8–9 hours, leading us through diverse landscapes that gradually reveal the wild character of Olympus. Above the tree line, grassy uplands give way to rocky ridges and exposed terrain, with some hands-on scrambling required on the final approaches to the summits.
This program is designed for experienced and fit hikers seeking a rewarding mountain adventure on Greece’s most iconic peak.
Difficulty Level: 3-4/5
This tour is suitable for fit and active hikers with hiking experience. Participants should be comfortable hiking for up to 8 hours per day on steep and uneven terrain. The itinerary includes significant elevation gain, high-altitude hiking, and an optional ascent of Mytikas, Greece’s highest peak, which involves hands-on scrambling and may be subject to weather conditions and guide assessment.
Price is based on an attendance of 4 people (for less or more participants please contact us).
The lighter you pack, the easier you travel. Use your best judgment and pack as lightly as possible, remember that you must carry everything you bring on all the days’ walk. You will appreciate light luggage towards the end of your trip.
For the Olympus refuge, following items are mandatory:
Each participant must have its own toiletries. There is ONLY cold water to wash!
Sleeping-bag or 2 bed sheets and 1 pillowcase per person
Pair of slippers or second pair of clean smooth bottomed shoes for indoors (all visitors necessarily change their shoes when entering indoors), along with a bag to put your shoes into a locker.
Torch for nighttime
*NOTICE! All visitors to the refuges are now required to take their own rubbish, and dispose of responsibly. This includes all plastics, glass, food and sweet wrappers/food tins brought with you.
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