How hard is Mount Olympus?

Is Mount Olympus a difficult hike?

Yes, for most people. The standard route gains about 1,830 m from Prionia to Mytikas, and Refuge A grades the whole ascent as very difficult; the forest path to the refuge alone is rated medium difficult.

Most of the difficulty is effort: a long, steady climb with few flat stretches, then thinner air and loose stones above the tree line. The path is clear and waymarked all the way to Skala. What changes near the top is the terrain: on the final ridge to Mytikas, walking stops and scrambling starts.

If you walk regularly in hills and can manage 6 to 8 hours on your feet with a daypack, the hiking part is within reach. If a 3-hour climb on a steep path already sounds like a lot, plan for Refuge A and back, and enjoy it.

How difficult is it to climb Mount Olympus?

It gets harder with height: a steep forest hike to Refuge A, a rocky, exposed hike to Skala and Skolio, and a short, exposed scramble from Skala to Mytikas. Only that last part needs your hands.

Refuge A's own route page calls Kakoskala quite challenging and warns about loose gravel and a drop of about 1,000 m beside the route. The scramble itself is short, about an hour on the guided two-day trip, but it is the part that decides whether the summit is for you.

Can a beginner hike Mount Olympus?

A fit beginner can hike to Refuge A, and in settled weather on to Skala or Skolio, all without scrambling. For Mytikas, a beginner should go with a licensed guide rather than alone.

• Refuge A and back: a full day from Prionia, or an overnight at the refuge. The best first taste of the high mountain.
• Skala: at about 2,870 m, a summit you reach on foot on the classic route, and a good goal for day two.
• Skolio: part of the second-highest group of peaks, just over 2,900 m, a hike from Skala along the ridge edge with a view straight onto Mytikas.
• Mytikas with a guide: helmet, harness and a rope to your guide on the scramble.
• Lower walks: the forest near Prionia, the Agios Dionysios monastery and waterfalls near Litochoro; see the gorge and easy walks guide, and ask about conditions on the storm-damaged Enipeas path.

Do you need ropes to climb Mount Olympus?

Not on the hike. On the scramble to Mytikas, guided groups use helmet, harness and a rope to the guide, and a helmet is strongly recommended for everyone because of falling stones.

Experienced scramblers go up Kakoskala without a rope, following the red paint marks. For anyone new to exposed rock, the rope is less about being pulled up and more about calm: tied to a guide, you can concentrate on your hands and feet instead of the drop. Stones set off by people above are the main hazard, especially in the Louki gully, which is why helmets matter so much there.

If you go without a guide, bring your own helmet or ask at Refuge A whether one can be rented, and start early so you are on the rock before the crowds.

The 1-Day Summit Olympus trip includes helmet and harness, and reviewers with little climbing background say they felt safe on the scramble with their guides. Rated 4.9 from 30 reviews; ages 13 to 70, and not suitable if you have low fitness or a fear of heights.

★ 4.9 (30) · 9 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the one-day summit →

Is Mount Olympus walkable?

Most of it is. You can walk from Prionia to Refuge A, Skala and Skolio on marked paths, and there are many lower walks around Litochoro; only the last stretch to Mytikas, and the Louki gully, need your hands.

Walkable does not mean gentle. The E4 to Refuge A climbs steadily over roots and stones, and above the refuge the path turns to scree and rock, with snow patches into early summer. Boots with ankle support and good grip, poles for the descent and warm layers for the top make the walking parts much easier. The best months for the high paths are in the best time guide.

How long does it take to walk up Mount Olympus?

About 3 hours from Prionia to Refuge A, and about 3 more from the refuge to Mytikas, by Refuge A's figures. Fitness matters more than technique here: a slower pace simply means an earlier start.

These are walking times for fit hikers. Add breaks, photos and, on summer mornings, waiting on Kakoskala for groups coming down. If you are well behind the signposted time on the first leg to Refuge A, treat Skala as your summit for this trip and save Mytikas for another visit; that is a sensible call, not a failure.

Full timings, including one-day plans, are in the how to climb guide.

Is Mount Olympus OK if you are afraid of heights?

The hike to Refuge A and Skala suits most people who dislike heights. The scramble to Mytikas does not: it runs along a ridge with a long drop beside you, and the guided trips state plainly that it is not for people afraid of heights.

Skala is the natural test. You stand on a summit at about 2,870 m and look along Kakoskala to Mytikas. If that view makes you uneasy, turn back there; you have still stood on one of the highest points in Greece. If it excites you rather than worries you, the scramble with a guide is the next step. Skolio, a short hike from Skala, gives you the same big view without the scramble.

Can you hike Mount Olympus with kids?

Yes, on the lower mountain: short walks near Prionia and the Agios Dionysios monastery suit children, and fit teenagers can manage the hike to Refuge A. The summit trips set minimum ages, 13 on the one-day trip and 16 on the camping trip.

The Olympus Highlights Hike reaches its short walks by car, and one reviewer found it good with a 7-year-old. The waterfall walk on the Dion day trip is short but steep and slippery in places at the start, with a rope handrail. Canyoning from Thessaloniki takes children from age 10. For the Enipeas gorge itself, ask in Litochoro about current conditions, because the path has storm damage since 2023. More ideas are in the gorge and easy walks guide.

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