Why Olympus is famous
For the ancient Greeks Olympus was the seat of Zeus and the gods, and the mountain still carries that weight: the nearby town of Litochoro calls itself the "City of the Gods". It is also simply the highest point of Greece. The summit area is a cluster of limestone towers above a deep amphitheatre: Mytikas (2,918 m), Skolio (2,911 m), Stefani (2,902 m), Skala (about 2,866 m), Agios Antonios (2,815 m), Profitis Ilias (2,803 m) and Toumba (2,801 m). Archaeologists found in 1961 that Agios Antonios once held a sanctuary of Zeus, with pottery, coins and the ash of sacrifices dated to around 400 BC.
The mountain rises from the Aegean shore to almost 3,000 m, which is why it looks so high from the coast road and why its weather changes so fast. Since July 2026 the wider area of Mount Olympus has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a mixed site, recognised both for its nature and for its place in Greek culture.
Where it is and how to get there
Olympus stands on the border of the regions of Central Macedonia (Pieria) and Thessaly (Larissa), between the Aegean Sea and the plain of Thessaly. The main base is Litochoro (293 m), a town of about 6,900 people 22 km south of Katerini, 90 km from Thessaloniki and 58 km from Larissa. The A1 motorway passes just below it, KTEL buses run from Thessaloniki, and the railway station on the Thessaloniki–Larissa line lies about 6 km from the town. Thessaloniki airport is the usual arrival point for visitors from abroad.
From Litochoro a mountain road climbs into the Enipeas gorge, past the ruined old Monastery of Agios Dionysios (about 820 m), to the trailhead of Prionia at 1,100 m, where the Enipeas river has its springs. There is a taxi stand on Litochoro's central square. Walkers with an extra day can follow the E4 long-distance path on foot all the way up the gorge from Litochoro instead of driving. A second trailhead, Gortsia (about 1,100 m), on the north-eastern side, is the start of the longer approach to the Plateau of the Muses.
The normal route: Prionia – Spilios Agapitos – Mytikas
The classic ascent follows the E4 path and is usually done in two days with a night at the refuge.
- Day 1: Prionia (1,100 m) to Spilios Agapitos (2,100 m). About 6 km and 1,000 m of gain, roughly 2.5–3 hours. The path is well maintained and clearly marked, climbing through beech and black pine, with two rest spots at about one-third and two-thirds of the way and a series of zig-zags to the refuge, which sits on a rocky spur known as the Balkoni.
- Day 2: Spilios Agapitos to Skala and Mytikas. About 3 km and 818 m of gain, around 3 hours up. The path leaves the forest, crosses open slopes and reaches the ridge at Skala. From here the summit of Skolio is a short walk to the right, while the way to Mytikas drops onto the Kaki Skala ("bad staircase"), a gully and ledge system on the edge of the cliffs. The last 100–200 m to the summit is a YDS class 3 scramble on steep, often loose limestone with real exposure; it needs a head for heights, dry rock and good visibility.
From Prionia via Skala to Mytikas is about 11.5 km one way with 1,830 m of gain and around 7 hours of ascent, so most people break the climb with a night at the refuge and descend to Prionia on the summit day.
Other routes and summits
Zonaria and the Louki couloir. From Spilios Agapitos a path traverses the base of the cliffs (Zonaria) to the narrow, steep Louki couloir, which climbs directly to the summit of Mytikas: about 3.2 km, 865 m of gain and 3.5 hours. The refuge rates it very difficult and helmets are required, because parties above dislodge stones into the gully.
Skolio. The second-highest summit (2,911 m) is reached from Skala without the exposed scramble: about 3 hours from the refuge, graded medium. It is the best option for walkers who do not want the final climb, and it looks straight across at Mytikas and Stefani.
Stefani, the Throne of Zeus. The great curved wall of Stefani (2,902 m) is a climbing objective in its own right; its summit requires roped climbing and safety equipment.
The Plateau of the Muses. From the refuge a path via Kofto reaches the Christos Kakalos refuge (2,648 m) in about 2 hours and the Giosos Apostolidis refuge (about 2,700 m) in about 2.5 hours, both on the high, stony Plateau of the Muses (around 2,550–2,700 m). From Gortsia a long route climbs via the Petrostrouga refuge (about 1,900–2,000 m) and the Bara plateau to the same area, with few water sources. The plateau is the base for Profitis Ilias and Toumba and looks across at the wall of Stefani.
From the south. The E4 also arrives from Kokkinopilos on the Thessalian side, passing the small emergency shelter of Kalyva tou Christaki at Megali Gourna (2,430 m) on the way to Skala.
Refuges
Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A, 2,100 m) is the busiest refuge on the mountain. It was built in 1930–1931 and named after the first president of the Hellenic Alpine Club (EOS), the architect who designed it. It belongs to the Greek Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (EOOA) and has been run by the Zolotas family since 1954: first by the guide Kostas Zolotas and since 2001 by his daughter Maria. A new wing opened in 2002 raised capacity to about 110 beds, and there are also tent pitches. It opens from mid-May to the last week of October and is locked and unstaffed in winter. Meals are cooked daily; bring a sleeping bag or sheet, a towel, a head torch (lights go out around 10 pm), indoor shoes and a passport or ID. Booking is strongly recommended in summer.
Other refuges include Christos Kakalos (18 beds, May–October), Giosos Apostolidis (about 80 beds, June–October, run by the Thessaloniki mountaineering club SEO), Petrostrouga (about 60 beds) and Vrysopoules (1,800 m), managed by the army's ski unit. Opening dates and prices change, so check with each refuge before you go.
Permits, costs and rules
No guide is required for the marked routes, and walkers on the E4 do not need a climbing permit. The main cost is the refuge night and meals, which the refuges set each season. The mountain is a protected area with simple rules: smoking is not permitted anywhere on Olympus because of the risk of forest fire, all rubbish must be carried out, and dogs must be well trained and under control (they are not allowed inside Refuge A).
When to go and weather
The season runs from June to September, when the refuges are open and the paths are mostly clear of snow. In May and October snow patches often remain above the helicopter pad at the top of the zig-zags below Refuge A, and the upper gullies can hold hard snow. The alpine zone is snow-covered for about nine months, from September to May; in winter the E4 is not closed, but the refuges warn that winter ascents are only for experienced, fully equipped mountaineers.
Temperatures at altitude typically range from about −10 °C to 10 °C in winter and 0 °C to 20 °C in summer, and they fall by about 1 °C for every 200 m of height. Strong winds are common on the summits and sometimes exceed 100 km/h. As on most mountains, cloud often builds over the peaks later in the day, so start for the summit early and turn back if the rock is wet or visibility drops.
Water
Fill your bottles at the spring at Prionia before setting off; there is also a fountain at a rest stop on the E4 path below the refuge. Spilios Agapitos cooks meals daily, and the Christos Kakalos refuge has tank water. Above Refuge A do not expect any water on the way to Skala and Mytikas: carry 1.5–2 litres per person for the summit day, more in hot weather. The longer route from Gortsia via Petrostrouga has few water sources. Water from tanks and streams is best treated or filtered.
Mobile coverage and internet
Mobile coverage on Olympus is limited or unreliable over large areas; a signal is more likely on open ridges and summits than in the forested gorges, but do not rely on it. Spilios Agapitos offers Wi-Fi to guests. Download maps and the weather forecast before you leave Litochoro. The European emergency number 112 works across Greece; in an accident remember that mountain rescue may take several hours to reach you, so carry a basic first-aid kit and do not hike alone.
Dangers and safety
Altitude itself is rarely a problem below 3,000 m; the real dangers are the exposed final scramble, rockfall in the couloirs, fast-changing weather and slippery limestone after rain. Wear a helmet on Kaki Skala and in the Louki couloir, keep away from the edge of the cliffs in cloud, and be careful with the crowds on summer weekends, when groups climb above one another on the same rock. Late-season and early-season snow in the gullies turns an easy scramble into an ice-axe and crampon climb.
History and name
The origin of the name Olympus is uncertain; one theory links it to Greek words meaning "pure foot". At the foot of the mountain lay Dion, the sacred city of the ancient Macedonians, about 5 km from the sea, with its sanctuary of Zeus.
Modern attempts on the summit began in the 19th century: the French archaeologist Léon Heuzey in 1855, the German explorer Heinrich Barth in 1862, and the German engineer Edward Richter, who was kidnapped by bandits on the mountain in 1911. Only one year after northern Greece was freed from Ottoman rule, the Swiss photographer Frédéric Boissonnas and writer Daniel Baud-Bovy arrived in Litochoro on 28 July 1913 and hired two local woodcutters, Christos Kakkalos and Nikos Bistikos. On 30 July they reached the Plateau of the Muses and climbed Profitis Ilias and Toumba. On 2 August, setting out in fog, hail and wind, they reached the top of Mytikas at 10:25, with Kakkalos climbing barefoot in front of the roped Swiss. They left a card in a bottle under a pile of stones; it was found 14 years later and sent to Switzerland.
Kakkalos went on to guide climbers for the rest of his life. In 1937 the Hellenic Alpine Club named him the official guide of Olympus, he made his last ascent in 1973 at the age of 91, and he died in Litochoro in 1976. The refuge on the Plateau of the Muses was named after him in 1984. The Swiss topographer Marcel Kurz mapped the summits by stereo-photogrammetry in 1921. During the German invasion of 1941 Greek, New Zealand and Australian troops fought on the slopes of Olympus, and during the occupation the mountain was a centre of the Greek Resistance; the Monastery of Agios Dionysios was blown up in 1943.
Nature and the national park
Olympus National Park was founded on 9 June 1938, the first national park in Greece. The mountain holds about 1,700 plant species and subspecies, around a quarter of the flora of Greece, including 23 found nowhere else. Forests of beech, black pine and Bosnian pine climb unusually high, thinning out above 2,000 m and reaching about 2,750 m, one of the highest tree lines in the Balkans. The park records 32 mammal species, including Balkan chamois, wolf, golden jackal and wildcat, and 108 bird species, among them golden eagles and wallcreepers on the cliffs.
Interesting facts
- Mytikas has two common heights: 2,918 m and the more precise 2,917.73 m; Kurz's 1921 survey gave 2,917.85 m.
- Christos Kakkalos is counted as the first person to stand on Mytikas, because he climbed ahead of the two Swiss on the final rocks.
- The Olympus Marathon, a 44 km skyrace with about 3,200 m of gain, has run since 2004 from the ruins of Dion over the high plateau and down the Enipeas gorge to Litochoro.
- Spilios Agapitos has been run by one family, the Zolotas, for more than seventy years.
FAQ
How high is Mount Olympus? Its highest summit, Mytikas, is 2,918 m (2,917.73 m by precise survey), the highest point in Greece. Skolio (2,911 m) and Stefani (2,902 m) are only slightly lower.
How long does it take to climb Mount Olympus? Usually two days: about 3 hours from Prionia to the Spilios Agapitos refuge, then about 3 hours from the refuge to Mytikas and the descent to Prionia. The full route is roughly 1,830 m of gain.
How difficult is the climb? The path to the refuge and on to Skala and Skolio is a demanding but non-technical hike. The final section to Mytikas via Kaki Skala is an exposed class 3 scramble; the Louki couloir is harder and requires a helmet. Stefani needs roped climbing.
Do I need a guide or a permit? No guide or permit is needed for the marked routes, but book your refuge bed in advance. A guide is worth hiring if you are unsure about exposed scrambling.
Is there water on the way? Yes, low down: a spring at Prionia and a fountain on the E4 path. Spilios Agapitos serves meals. Above Spilios Agapitos there is no water, so carry 1.5–2 litres for the summit day.
Is there mobile phone coverage? Only patchy. Coverage is unreliable over much of the mountain; Spilios Agapitos has Wi-Fi for guests. Call 112 in an emergency.
When is the best time to climb Olympus? From June to September, when the refuges are open (Spilios Agapitos from mid-May to late October) and the upper route is free of snow. Start early to avoid afternoon cloud.
Can I see Mytikas without climbing it? Yes. Skolio, reached by an easier path from Skala, faces Mytikas and Stefani across the cliffs, and the Plateau of the Muses gives views of the Throne of Zeus.