Mount Olympus Traverse hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and the home of the gods in Greek myth. Its summit, Mytikas, rises to 2,918 m only 18 km from the sea above the town of Litochoro. This traverse crosses the east side of the massif in three days: up the E4 from Prionia to Refuge A (Spilios Agapitos), over Skala and Mytikas to the refuges on the Plateau of the Muses, and down past Petrostrouga refuge to Gortsia. The whole route is inside Olympus National Park, the first protected area in Greece (1938).

The route

This guide splits the traverse into 3 refuge-to-refuge stages, about 7.1 km each, 21 km in total with about 2,000 m of climbing and 2,000 m of descent.

• Day 1, Prionia to Refuge A (2,100 m): the busiest path on the mountain climbs through beech and black pine forest, then Bosnian pine, on the E4. About 3 hours.
• Day 2, Refuge A to the Plateau of the Muses: above the trees to Skala (2,866 m), then the Kakoskala ("bad stairs") scramble along the ridge to Mytikas. You come down the Louki couloir, a steep gully, and follow the Zonaria path to the Plateau of the Muses at about 2,650 m. About 5 hours, with 1 to 2 hours of scrambling.
• Day 3, the Plateau of the Muses to Gortsia: a long, quiet descent on the Giosos path below Skourta (2,485 m), along the Lemos ridge to Petrostrouga refuge (1,940 m) and on through forest to the road at Gortsia (1,100 m). About 4.5 hours.

The line in this guide follows the mapped paths on OpenStreetMap. The elevation profile is based on a 25 m terrain model, which rounds off the sharp summits, so it shows less height at Mytikas than the real 2,918 m.

Highlights

• Mytikas (2,918 m): the top of Greece, with the Throne of Zeus (Stefani, 2,909 m) next to it and the sea below
• Skala and Skolio: Skala is the gateway to the summit; Skolio (2,911 m), the second-highest top, is an easy walk from Skala if you skip the scramble
• The Plateau of the Muses: a high, open basin between the summits, with two refuges and views of the cliffs of Stefani
• The east-side forests: old black pine, Bosnian pine and beech on the way up and down

When to go

The refuges are staffed from May to October. Refuge A opens in early May, Christos Kakkalos at the end of May and Giosos Apostolidis in early June. The best time for the summit is late June to late September. Snow can stay in Louki and on Kakoskala into June, and then the scramble needs crampons, an ice axe and experience. In October the days are short and the first snow can come early. Summer afternoons often bring cloud, fog and thunderstorms, so leave Refuge A at first light and be off the summit before midday.

How hard is it?

Days 1 and 3 are long but simple mountain walks on clear paths. Day 2 is the crux. Kakoskala and Louki are real scrambles over steep, broken rock with exposure, graded about 2nd to 3rd alpine degree on Louki. Rockfall from people above is the main danger. Wear a helmet: you can rent or borrow one at Refuge A. Do not overtake in Louki, shout if you knock a stone loose, and do not go up in rain or fog, when the limestone gets slippery. If you are not sure about the scramble, there are walking options: from Refuge A take the Zonaria path straight to the Plateau of the Muses, or climb Skolio instead of Mytikas. You can also hire a mountain guide in Litochoro.

Permits and booking

No permit or entrance fee is needed to hike on Olympus. You must sleep in a refuge: wild camping and sleeping outdoors are banned in the national park, and the only tent pitches are the 15 at Refuge A. Book every night ahead, especially for July, August and weekends. Refuge A has a live availability page and asks for a deposit at weekends; Christos Kakkalos sleeps only 17 and confirms a booking only with a non-refundable deposit. The refuges give you blankets and a pillow, not sheets, so bring a sleeping bag or a liner. Refuge A also asks for your passport or ID.

Getting there and away

The nearest airport is Thessaloniki (SKG), about 90 km north. KTEL buses from Thessaloniki run about every hour via Katerini to the centre of Litochoro. Trains on the Thessaloniki-Athens line stop at Litochoro station, about 6.5 km from the town, so take a taxi for the last part. Spend the night before in Litochoro.

There is no bus to the trailheads. Prionia is 18 km up the mountain road from Litochoro; take a taxi or drive (the car park at Prionia is free). Gortsia, where the traverse ends, is a junction on the same road about 14 km from Litochoro, with no beds and no café: book your taxi pick-up before you start, as there is often no signal on the way down. If you leave a car at Prionia, a taxi can bring you back up to it.

Optional E4 approach: you can walk from Litochoro to Prionia through the Enipeas gorge, past the old monastery of Agios Dionysios (11 to 12 km, about 5 hours, +700 m). Several of the wooden bridges in the lower gorge are damaged, and Refuge A advises the alternate route, so ask in Litochoro before you set off.

Money, food, water and phone signal

Bring cash in euros for the refuges and the taxi; Litochoro has banks and ATMs on the main square, supermarkets and an outdoor shop. The refuges sell hot meals, snacks and drinks, but there are no shops on the mountain. Fill up at the spring at Prionia and carry at least 2 litres. Water at Giosos Apostolidis is melted snow and not drinkable, so buy bottled water there. Mobile signal comes and goes: it is usually found at the refuges and on the ridges, and often missing in the forest and on the descent to Gortsia.

What to pack

• A climbing helmet (or rent one at Refuge A) for Kakoskala and Louki
• Sturdy boots with a good grip, and trekking poles for the long descent
• A warm layer, a waterproof jacket, hat and gloves: it can be near freezing at the summit even in summer
• A sleeping bag or liner, a headlamp, slippers or light shoes for inside the refuges
• Sun cream and sunglasses, snacks, 2 litres of water, cash and your ID

Safety

In an emergency call 112; for an ambulance or helicopter you can also call 166. Rescues on Olympus are flown by the Fire Service with volunteer rescue teams, and the nearest 24-hour hospital is in Katerini, about 35 km from Litochoro. The refuge keepers know the mountain well: ask them about the weather and the state of Louki before you go up, and tell them your plan.