Mount Olympus
2,918 m
Greece
Also known as Олимп, Olymp, +11Also known as
Олимп · Olymp · Berg Olymp · Μύτικας · Mytikas · Olimpo · mont Olympe · Ólympusfjall (Grikklandi) · ოლიმპო · Ólymbos · Olimp · Muntele Olimp · Olympos
- Elevation
- 2,918 m
- Prominence
- 2,355 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: T4+ (hikr.org (Kakoskala section)) · Very Difficult (Refuge A, whole route) (mountolympus.gr)
The standard ascent of Mytikas (2,918 m), Greece's highest summit: the E4 path from Prionia (1,100 m) through forest to Spilios Agapitos refuge (2,100 m), then a long gravel ridge to Skala (2,866 m) and a short, exposed scramble along the Kakoskala ('bad steps', UIAA I) to the top. 1,830 m of ascent and about 7 hours up; usually two days.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 8.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,991 m
- −147 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,918 m
- Time Up
- 8h
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the road end at Prionia (1,100 m, 18 km from Litochoro; parking, toilets, spring and café), the E4 climbs through pine, beech and fir to Spilios Agapitos, also called Refuge A (2,100 m), in about 2–3 hours. It is the busiest path on the mountain, well built and graded, with an exposed zigzag section in the last third. Behind the refuge the E4 zigzags up the Chondro Mesorrachi ridge above the treeline. A viewpoint with a bench comes just before the fork to the Zonaria path (2,480 m, the way to the Louki couloir). Beyond it, loose gravel climbs steadily for more than 1 km to Skala (2,866 m), the most tiring part of the route. Skala is a junction: the easy summit of Skolio (2,911 m) lies left, Mytikas ahead. From Skala, red paint marks lead along the Kakoskala, a rocky ridge with exposed down- and up-climbing (UIAA I, T4) over polished limestone, including two awkward slabs and a final loose slope above a drop of about 1,000 m. About 3 hours from the refuge to the summit. Descend the same way, or by the Louki couloir if experienced. Leave packs at Skala. Rockfall from parties above, crowding, fog hiding the paint marks, wind and afternoon storms are the main hazards; turn back at Skala if the rock is wet or icy.
Start
Prionia1,075 m
- Train or KTEL bus from Thessaloniki or Athens to Litochoro; taxi from Litochoro to Prionia (18 km). The E4 path from Litochoro through the Enipeas gorge to Prionia is an on-foot alternative.
- Parking at the trailhead
Waypoints
- Parking: Prionia1,075 m
Road end 18 km from Litochoro; spring and café
- Shoulder: Skala2,855 m
Junction: Skolio to the left, Mytikas ahead
- Crux: Kakoskala2,855 m
Exposed scramble, UIAA I, red paint marks (not on route line)
- Summit: Mytikas2,918 m
Key Passages
- Loose gravel ridge from the Zonaria fork to Skala
- Kakoskala scramble (UIAA I)
- Final loose slope above a 1,000 m drop
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
Greece's highest mountain and the mythical home of the gods, rising almost straight from the Aegean coast near Litochoro. Its top, Mytikas (2,918 m), is reached by a long forest-and-scree walk to Refuge A and Skala, finishing with a short, exposed scramble on the Kakoskala.
Mount Olympus is a limestone massif of 52 peaks on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 80 km south-west of Thessaloniki and close to the Thermaic Gulf. The highest summits cluster around a deep cirque: Mytikas (2,918 m), Skolio (2,911 m) and Stefani (2,902 m), the 'Throne of Zeus', whose final 200 m are the hardest climbing on the mountain. Olympus became Greece's first national park in 1938, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981, and in July 2026 a mixed World Heritage Site.
The usual ascent starts at Prionia, at the end of the road from Litochoro, and follows the E4 through pine and beech forest to Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A), then up a long, bare ridge of gravel to Skala. Most walkers can reach Skala and the neighbouring Skolio; Mytikas itself needs a head for heights for the Kakoskala, a short scramble over polished, exposed rock, or the steeper Louki couloir.
The mountain is busy from June to September, and the narrow summit passages can be crowded. Weather changes quickly near the summits, with cold winds even on sunny days and afternoon storms; in winter it becomes a snow and ice climb.
Climbing Notes
Plan two days: Prionia to Refuge A (2–3 hours) on day one, then the summit and the descent to Prionia on day two. The full ascent is 1,830 m and about 7 hours up. The path to Skala is a strenuous but straightforward mountain walk; the Kakoskala needs sure-footed scrambling (UIAA I) with exposure, and is best left if the rock is wet, icy or crowded. Altitude is rarely a problem.
Start from the refuge early to be off the summit before afternoon storms and to avoid queues. Carry enough water from the refuge, as there is none higher up, and windproof layers. A helmet is sensible on the Kakoskala and required on the Louki couloir because of rockfall from parties above. Skolio, reached easily from Skala, is a good alternative summit for anyone not comfortable with exposure.
Refuge A (about 100 places) is usually open from early May to the end of October and fills on summer weekends; book ahead. From November to April the upper mountain is under snow and the climb is a winter mountaineering undertaking requiring crampons, an ice axe and experience.
History
Artefacts and sacrificial ash dated to around 400 BC have been found on the summit, so ancient pilgrims probably reached the top. The first recorded ascent of Mytikas was made on 2 August 1913 by the Swiss Frédéric Boissonnas and Daniel Baud-Bovy with Christos Kakkalos, a goat hunter from Litochoro, who was the first to stand on the summit and worked as the mountain's guide until his death in 1976. Olympus was declared Greece's first national park in 1938, named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981, and inscribed as the 'Wider Area of Mount Olympus' mixed World Heritage Site in July 2026.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter mountaineering only; avalanche and ice
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; ski touring on the plateaus
- Apr
- Snow on the upper mountain
- May
- Refuge A opens early May; snow and ice up high
- Jun
- Snow patches on the upper route possible
- Jul
- Best window; busy; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Best window; crowded summit passages
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- Shorter days; refuge closes end of October; winter returns quickly
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Spilios Agapitos (Refuge A): book ahead in summer via mountolympus.gr, which has a live availability page.
- Fees
- Refuge overnight and meals at Spilios Agapitos
- Taxi from Litochoro to Prionia if not driving
- Rules
- Olympus National Park: carry all rubbish back down; stay on marked paths
- Vrysopoules refuge is army-run and requires a military permit
- Boots are not allowed in the sleeping and dining areas of Refuge A
- Check with the national park unit and Refuge A for road or path closures after wildfire restrictions, storms or early snow; some wooden bridges on the Enipeas gorge path (Litochoro–Prionia) were reported damaged in 2026
- Getting There
Litochoro
Thessaloniki (SKG)
- Train or KTEL bus from Thessaloniki (about 100 km) or Athens to Litochoro
- By car or taxi: the 18 km road from Litochoro to Prionia (parking, toilets, spring and café at the road end)
- On foot: the E4 from Litochoro through the Enipeas gorge to Prionia
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather