Mount Olympus Summit Trek

Mount Olympus, at 2,918 metres the highest point in Greece, is a genuine alpine undertaking — not a scramble to a modest summit but a two-day mountain traverse through subalpine forest, rocky ridgelines, and a final technical push to Mytikas, the true peak. The route begins at Litochoro and ascends through the Enipeas gorge, where the path climbs through beech and black pine forest before the tree line gives way to bare limestone. Day one ends at one of the two mountain refuges on the Plateau of the Muses at around 2,700 metres, where dinner and dormitory bunks are provided. Before dawn on day two, the summit group departs for the Mytikas–Skala ridge. Mytikas involves a short exposed scramble — hands on rock, no ropes required in dry conditions — across the so-called Kakoskala (bad staircase) traverse. From the summit on a clear morning, the Thermaic Gulf is visible to the east and Thessaly's flat plains stretch south. Descent returns to Litochoro via the Prionia trailhead by early afternoon. The trek is graded moderate-to-strenuous; a reasonable level of fitness is required. Bring layered clothing, as conditions on the ridge can shift from warm to cold and windy within minutes, even in summer. The season runs from mid-May through October; the refuge must be booked in advance during July and August.