Mt Olympus: Prionia to Litochoro E4 Trail

Mt Olympus is only a one hour drive from Thessaloniki, Greece. Visiting the mythical mountain is a great way to add the beautiful Greek countryside to your island-hopping itinerary.

We visited Mt Olympus in mid-May, and the snow on the peak hadn’t fully melted so the trail to the summit wasn’t yet open. We therefore started our hike from the town of Prionia, which is 1100m above sea level. The best way to reach Prionia is via taxi from Litochoro, which is a picturesque village nestled in the foothills of Mt Olympus.

Beginning in Prionia, the E4 trail is a 9km path through the stunning Enipeas Canyon. It ends at the edge of Litochoro village, 400m above sea level. The advertised time to complete the trail is 5 hours. It took us 6.5 hours including photos and food stops, as well as the walk back to our accommodation in the centre of town. 

We started our hike at 11am. The taxi to Prionia cost 25 EUR, which sounds expensive but isn’t really after you consider that it’s a half an hour drive up a 20km long and winding ascent in to the mountains. There are only seven taxi drivers in Litochoro, so if you’re a stickler for starting on time you might want to reserve one in advance. Taxis can be found milling about in the central square in Litochoro.

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The first two hours of the E4 trail was mostly downhill or flat. Of the seven beautiful wooden bridges crossing the Enipeas river, you’ll come across three within the first hour or so.  The trail itself is excellently maintained and well-marked, so you shouldn’t get lost. It’s safe to drink the water from the fast-flowing regions of the river. After all, it acts as the town’s main drinking water supply, and there are several signs along the trail reminding you not to get nude and contaminate the river.

About one hour into the hike you should see signs to the old Ayiou Dionysiou Monastery, which was built in 1542 but destroyed by the Germans in 1943. About half an hour further down the trail you will come across the Holy Cave, with the Holy Spring of St Dionysiou. Once again, do not pee in the Holy Spring. 

The E4 trail then becomes a series of ascents and descents until the end. Overall we would still call it an easy hike. After all, we both survived the day with only one small loaf of olive bread, 4 cheese pastries and 8 bread sticks. Olive bread isn’t the breakfast of kings, but it might be the breakfast of Gods (according to Clinton).  

The last hour of the trail involves some great views, including a view over the town of Litochoro and the ocean. It then descends back to the edge of Litochoro Village, ending roughly at Myloi Restaurant. It’s then another 15-minute walk to the centre of town. 

The trail is a little more dangerous when it’s been raining, as the leaves on the trail become slippery. We never had to scramble with our hands and feet at any point, although there are some very short stretches of steep rocks where we came close. It’s not a pram friendly trail and we wouldn’t suggest it to anyone on the waiting list for a knee replacement.  

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Too short or too long?

For those who are interested in getting further up the mountain in summer, there is a 2.5-hour hike that starts in Prionia and finishes below the summit. To return you simply walk the same trail back to Prionia. There are even refuges along the way where you can stay overnight. Alternatively, for those who are interested in a shorter hike, a taxi can also drop you off at the aforementioned Monastery, which will save you about an hour of walking. 

When to visit 

We visited in spring, which was an excellent temperature for hiking. However, it did mean that we weren’t able to access the summit of the mountain as the snow hadn’t melted yet. The snow clears in early June and the locals say September is the best time to visit. 

Other things to note:

• There are no shops or toilets along the trail, nor is there any phone signal
• The trail isn’t marked on Google Maps, although you can download an offline map of the area so that you have some idea of where you are
• Take a raincoat +/- plastic bag for your camera as it will often rain on the mountain
• Finally, the emergency number is 112 if you run into any trouble 

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