Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The mountain
Olympus is a serious mountain and the route up it is a two-day walk for most people, not a hike.
The usual shape: drive or taxi to Prionia at about 1,100 metres, walk up to the Spilios Agapitos refuge at around 2,100 metres, sleep there, and go for the summit ridge early. The final section to Mytikas, the highest point, involves scrambling on exposed rock in a gully, and a great many walkers stop at Skala or Skolio instead, which are summits in their own right.
We are describing the ground, not certifying it. Refuges book out, weather changes fast at altitude, and the last section is not a path.
The Enipeas gorge
If you are not climbing, this is the walk. The Enipeas comes out of the mountain at the edge of town, and a marked path follows it up the gorge to Prionia: river crossings on footbridges, pools, and the ruined monastery of Agios Dionysios, destroyed in the war and partly rebuilt, about halfway.
It takes most of a day one way, and many people walk part of it and turn back.
The town and the coast
Litochoro is stone-built and steep, with a square, a good number of tavernas, and outdoor shops that exist because of the mountain. It has a strong naval tradition, which is odd for a mountain town and explained by its position on the coast road.
Plaka Litochorou, five minutes down, is the beach: long, sandy and ordinary, with the mountain behind it, which is the photograph everyone takes.
Getting there and how long
On the main Athens to Thessaloniki motorway and rail line, about an hour from Thessaloniki. Dion is fifteen minutes north.
Two nights for the gorge, three or more if you are going up.
Last checked August 2026. Refuge opening and mountain conditions are seasonal - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Is Litochoro the base for Mount Olympus?
Yes. The main trailheads, refuge access and outdoor shops are here, and almost everyone climbing the mountain passes through.
How long does it take to climb Olympus?
Two days for most people: up to a refuge at around 2,100 metres, sleep, then the summit ridge early the next morning.
Is the summit a walk?
The final section to Mytikas is a scramble on exposed rock rather than a path. Many walkers stop at Skala or Skolio instead.
What is the Enipeas gorge?
The gorge running out of the mountain at the edge of town, with a marked path up it to Prionia past the ruined monastery of Agios Dionysios.
Is there a beach near Litochoro?
Plaka Litochorou, five minutes away: long and sandy, with Olympus rising behind it.
Next
Read Dion, Katerini, or Thessaloniki.