Mount Olympus & Meteora Trek

Small Group [or private] Trek

Summary

Experience one of Europe’s most inspiring hikes on this trekking holiday to Mount Olympus, legendary home of the Greek gods. Climb through forests, gorges and alpine meadows to the Muses Plateau and the summit trails of Mytikas, with expert mountain guides leading the way. The journey also includes a hike through the dramatic landscapes of Meteora, where monasteries crown towering sandstone cliffs — a fitting finale to this unforgettable adventure.

Activity code: GR-TR-OLYMPUS (MO1)

Difficulty: Moderate. [Participants should be in good physical condition with some relevant experience and have no fear of heights.]

Duration: 8 Days/7 nights

Mount Olympus Trekking Holiday – Greece’s Mythical Peaks

“Climb the mountain of the gods” on this exceptional trekking holiday to Mount Olympus, the legendary home of the twelve Olympian gods of Greek mythology. Rising to 2,917 metres (9,570 ft), its highest summit, Mytikas, is one of the tallest peaks in Europe and the most iconic mountain in Greece. Olympus forms a natural border between Thessaly and Macedonia, and, as it is only 100 kilometres from Thessaloniki, makes it easily accessible yet remarkably unspoilt.

Designated Greece’s first National Park in 1938 and recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, Mount Olympus is celebrated for its exceptional biodiversity. The slopes are home to rare flora and fauna, including endemic plants and numerous species of birds of prey. In fact, the European Community has identified Olympus as one of its “Most Important Bird Areas”, while The Ecologist magazine named it among the Top Ten National Parks in Europe.

This exhilarating walking holiday offers the chance to explore Olympus in depth, combining dramatic mountain scenery with cultural highlights. Available as either a Small Group Tour or Private Journey, the itinerary includes a circular trek through some of the mountain’s most beautiful areas: the Enipeas Gorge, the Muses Plateau, and the summit trails leading towards Mytikas. The route makes use of two mountain refuges, allowing you to experience the landscape from different perspectives rather than retracing your steps.

Adding further variety, the adventure also includes a hike at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora, where centuries-old monasteries perch high upon sandstone pinnacles — a spectacular complement to the wild grandeur of Olympus itself.

Your guides are fully qualified mountain professionals with many years of experience leading treks in the region, ensuring safety, comfort, and expert interpretation of the natural and cultural heritage along the way.

This holiday is suitable for regular walkers with a reasonable level of fitness, and offers a rare chance to combine Greece’s natural beauty, mythological heritage, and rewarding hiking in one unforgettable journey.

Practical Information

  • Group Size: Minimum 2 persons, maximum 8 persons

  • Age Limit: Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

  • Accommodation: Overnight stays in mountain hostels offering bunk beds, blankets, pillows and basic facilities (restaurant, cold-water showers, toilets). Guests may bring personal linen or towels if preferred.

Please note: The itinerary may be adjusted at the discretion of the tour leader in response to weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

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Available as a small group tour on the dates below or as a private booking.

Prices from £1075 per person

  • Single supplement: £ 150 per person

What's included:

  • 5 nights accommodation in local guesthouses with en-suite shower/WC. Most, but not all, accommodation facilities will also have en-suite air-conditioning, TV, telephone and internet access – although some may have these amenities only in the lobby. 
  • 2 nights in Mountain Hostels (dormitory-style).
  • Meals as per itinerary (7 dinners, 2 lunches & 4 picnic lunches)
  • Luggage transfers.
  • Entrance fee with guide for one monastery in Meteora
  • Experienced & licensed English speaking trekking guide
  • Activities as per itinerary.
  • Local taxes

What's not included:

  • Lunch on day 1
  • Airport transfers
  • Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
  • Monastery entrance fees (apart from the one which is included)
  • Travel and Personal accident insurance
  • Anything which is not mentioned in the programme

Highlights

Itinerary

Meet your guide in Kastraki, a village lying beneath the spectacular rocks of Meteora. After check in there will be a short walk to explore the area. Dinner this evening will be in a nearby local taverna.

  • Meals: Dinner.
  • We can arrange airport transfers from Volos, Athens, Thessaloniki

Recommended places to stay

Dellas Boutique Hotel
Guesthouse Sotiriou

After breakfast you'll head off with your guide on your first hike between the rocky pinnacles of the Meteora monasteries, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the traditional (and the best) way to explore this beautiful area; you'll be walking the same trails as the monks did hundreds of years ago. Along the way you'll spot some of the earliest stages of occupation by the monks, simple cave dwellings and more elaborate "monasteries" hundreds of feet up the side of the rocks.

  • Trekking Time: 4 hours
  • Trek Difficulty Level: Easy
  • Trekking altitude: 250m - 500m - 250m
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

 

After breakfast you'll visit one of the six inhabited monasteries which are open to the public. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular views of the towering rocks and monasteries and to take plenty of photos. Then you'll drive to your guesthouse in Litochoro (around 2 hours' journey), a town on the slopes of Mount Olympus.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

 

Today’s 5 hour hike begins from the Monastery of Agios Dionysios and ends in the town of Litochoro. The hike will take you alongside the Enipeas River for almost the entire route and crosses over it several times. Even if you can't see the river, you can always hear it gurgling through the verdant valley smothered in black pines, beech trees and mediterranean shrub. Along this picturesque trail, which is part of the E4 European long distance path, you'll see waterfalls, wooden bridges and small lakes as well as having stunning views of the Aegean Sea as you get closer to Litochoro.

  • Trekking Time: 5 hours.
  • Trek Difficulty Level: Moderate
  • Trekking altitude: 950m -300m
  • Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner.

After breakfast a 20 minute drive will take you to Gortsia, today’s starting point. The path leads through a dense forest up to the Muses Plateau where your mountain hostel is located (at an altitude of 2650m). The final part of the today's hike takes you through alpine scenery which offers far-reaching views of the plains of Northern Greece, the Aegean Sea and the impressive peak “Stefani” (also known as the “Throne of Zeus”).

  • Trekking Time: 6-7 hours.
  • Trek Difficulty Level: Moderate
  • Trekking altitude: 1050m - 2650m
  • Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner.

A bright and early start this morning as you start your walk along the foothills of “Mytikas” and “Stefani” peaks. You’ll later take the E4 European long distance path up to the peak of “Skala”, located at an altitude of 2866m. Continue your hike to Skolio peak (2912m), the second highest peak of Olympus, where you have your lunch break and enjoy the magnificent view towards the peak of Mytikas 2918 m. After lunch begin your descent to the mountain hostel (2100m altitude).

  • Trekking Time: 5-6 hours.
  • Trek Difficulty Level: Moderate
  • Trekking altitude: 2650m - 2866m - 2912m - 2100m
  • Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast today begin your descent towards the Monastery of Agios Dionisios. From there you’ll drive about 25 minutes to Litochoro.

This evening enjoy a farewell dinner at a popular local taverna.

  • Trekking Time: 4 hours.
  • Trek Difficulty Level: easy
  • Trekking altitude: 2100m - 950m
  • Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner.

Transfer to the airport (not included in basic holiday cost but we can arrange a private transfer upon request), or extend your stay in Greece.

  • Meals: Breakfast.

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