The best time to visit Mount Olympus

When is the best time to visit Mount Olympus?

June to October for climbing, with mid-June to mid-September the safest. For the lower mountain, spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) beat the heat of August.

Visit Greece puts the best climbing period at June to October, and the guided summit trips run in that window: Trekking Hellas, which guides the one-day summit climb, runs it from June to October. In early June you can still meet old snow in the gullies; by October the first snow and early closures are a real risk.

Our pick: late June to early July for the summit (long days, the refuges open, fewer people than August) and September as the runner-up (quieter paths and cooler walking, with more mist). For a day at Dion and the gorge, May and early October: green or golden forest, comfortable temperatures, and Dion still on its long summer opening hours.

What is Mount Olympus like month by month?

Snow up high from about October to June, an open summit season from June to October, storms in July, mist in September and the first snow by early October.

Month by month, for the summit and for the lower mountain:

Sources: the month notes from Much Better Adventures, SummitPost on rain and hail in August, and Dion's hours from Hellenic Heritage.

How cold is it at the top of Mount Olympus?

Cool in summer and severe in winter: summer temperatures on the mountain run from about 0 to 20 C, winter from -10 to 10 C, and north winds can drop it to -20 C.

Wikipedia gives averages of about 10 C in summer and -5 C in winter, with the air cooling by roughly 1 C for every 200 m you climb. Do the sum from the beach: Mytikas is 2,917 m up, so it runs about 14 to 15 C colder than the coast. A 32 C day in Litochoro can mean 15 to 17 C on the summit, before the wind. From Prionia, 1,100 m, the drop to the top is about 9 C.

Wind and fog are what make it feel cold. The mountain rises straight from the sea and catches cloud by late morning; Visit Olympus warns the top can be cool with sudden fog while the base passes 30 C. In winter, SummitPost reports north winds bringing about -20 C. Even in August, pack a fleece and a windproof jacket.

When is there snow on Mount Olympus?

Above 2,000 m, from about October to June. Snow usually arrives in October, some ravines hold it all year, and wind-drifted snow can be 8 to 10 m deep.

The first snow of the 2025-26 season fell on 2 October 2025 above 2,500 m, with -1 C around the summit. In spring it lingers: in May 2026, a climber who set out for Mytikas alone without snow boots died in the Zonaria area with snow still near the summit, as To Vima reported. Snow on the steep gullies is the main reason the walking season starts in June.

From late autumn to spring, a climb needs winter mountaineering experience, an ice axe and crampons, and the gullies carry avalanche risk. If you want to see snow on Olympus without climbing it, the view from the coast or Dion in April and May, with white peaks above green forest, is hard to beat. For conditions this winter, see the refuges in winter 2026-27.

When are the Mount Olympus refuges open?

The main summit refuges open from late May or early June to late October. Petrostrouga and the Stavros hut stay open all year.

Season dates as the refuges and Visit Olympus publish them. They shift with the snow, so confirm before you go:

Sources: Refuge A, Apostolidis refuge and Visit Olympus. Refuge A says booking is essential at weekends and asks for a deposit for Friday-to-weekend stays. Wild camping is not allowed in the park under the 2021 decree, so when the refuges close, the high mountain is for experienced winter parties only.

When do storms hit, and what time of day is best?

Afternoons in July and August. Start at first light and plan to be off the summit by midday.

Summer on Olympus follows a pattern: clear mornings, cloud building on the peaks by late morning, and thunderstorms in the afternoon, especially in July. On the bare ridge above Skala there is nowhere to hide from lightning, and wet limestone in the Louki couloir turns slick. The first climbers met this too: the 1913 party had a violent storm at Prionia and fog, hail and wind on summit day, in late July and early August.

This is why every sensible plan sleeps at a refuge and summits early, and why the guided trips build in a turnaround. The one-day climb schedules the summit around 13:00 after a 4x4 start, and the 2-day hike attempts it on the first afternoon or the second morning, only if the weather is suitable. Carry 2 to 3 litres of water: the open slopes are hot even when the summit is cold.

A guided summit day timed for the mountain: 4x4 to about 2,400 m, on Mytikas around 13:00, back in Kalyvia by about 17:00.

★ 5.0 · 9 hours · from $231

Explore the one-day summit climb → Tour details

Is Mount Olympus worth visiting in autumn, winter or spring?

Yes, for the lower mountain. Autumn colour in the beech forest, frosty winter walks in the gorge and spring flowers make good days, as long as you leave the summit alone.

The foothill tours run through the year, weather permitting. In winter the Enipeas gorge can be frosted and silent. A guest on the small-group forest hike wrote in December: "This walk was magical as it was wintertime and in the lowest part of the valley, it was frosted." Wear boots with grip on icy bridges and expect the day trips to swap the gorge walk for Litochoro or the monastery in bad weather.

Dion runs on winter hours from November to March: 08:30 to 15:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Entry is free on the first and third Sunday of each month in that period, and on 28 October. In spring and autumn the park is open until the evening. A day trip makes sense in any season; the day trip guide has the options.

What should you pack for Mount Olympus?

For the summit in summer: boots, layers to near freezing, a waterproof, sun protection, 2 to 3 litres of water and a sleeping bag liner. For the gorge: walking shoes, water and a swimsuit.

• Boots with grip for the summit routes; trainers are fine on the gorge path in dry weather.
• A fleece and a windproof jacket, every month. Add gloves and a hat in June and October.
• Sun protection. The last stretch to Refuge A is an open, sunny ravine, and above the tree line there is no shade at all.
• Water: 2 to 3 litres in summer, refilled at Prionia and the refuges.
• For a refuge night: sleeping bag or liner, towel, head torch and slippers. Refuge A has unheated showers.
• Helmet for the Louki couloir. Rent one at Refuge A or use the one your guided trip provides.
• Swimsuit for the Enipeas pools in summer. The water is close to ice-cold.

For the climb itself, read how hard it is to climb Mount Olympus.

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