Athens is the largest city as well as the capital of Greece. Its immense international airport caters to many European and international destinations, with hundreds of daily flights. Olympus is located just over 400 kilometers from Athens and can be reached via car, bus, train or plane. The most popular entrance point to Mount Olympus is the village of Litochoro as it’s also the starting point for many hiking trails.
It’s important to note that in 2017 Athens’ public transportation ticketing system was switched from paper tickets to an electronic ticketing system that utilizes smart cards. Before traveling to Athens we advise checking the Athens Transportation website for the latest updates on which type of card to buy and how to use them.
Reaching Athens from the Airport
To reach the city center from Athens International Airport, you may take the metro line 3 (blue line) towards Syntagma or the suburban train, which passes once an hour. You may also take the public bus line X95 from the airport to reach the center of Athens. Taxis from the airport to downtown Athens cost around 38€ (5:00 am – 11:59 pm) and 54€ (12:00 am – 4:59am). Taxi fare may vary depending on traffic and your final destination.
Taking a Train from Athens to Olympus
The closest train station to Mount Olympus is the Litochoro Train Station. To reach Litochoro by train, you’ll need to take a train from Larissa Athens Train Station in Athens. Thanks to the metro system in Athens, going to the train station is easy no matter where you’re located in the city. To get the train station from the airport you can take the metro line 3 (blue line) to Syntagma Station and then change to line 2 (red line) for Larissa Station. You may also take the suburban train (same as above) from the airport that goes right to Larissa Train Station.
To go to Olympus by train first you need to take the train to the city of Larissa. From Larissa, take another train to Litochoro train stop, followed by a taxi ride to the village of Litochoro. Please note that the Litochoro Train Station is located 6.5 kilometers east of the village, by the sea. The car ride is about 5 minutes from Litochoro Train Station to the village and the taxi costs about 9€.
For more information on all train routes to Mount Olympus, refer to this guide.
Getting a Transfer from Athens to Olympus
Taking a Bus from Athens to Olympus
To reach Olympus from Athens by bus, you’ll need to take a bus from Liosion Bus Station. There are several ways to get to Liosion Bus Station (KTEL) depending on your location. From any metro line that goes to Monastiraki Station take any train on the Green line heading towards Kifissia. Next, get off at Kato Patisia Metro Station. From there, you have the option of either walking about 1 kilometer to the bus station or taking a taxi. Be sure to tell the taxi drive that you need to go to Liosion Station not Athens Bus Station. If you’re flying into Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos), then you can take bus line X93 that takes you directly from the airport to Liosion Bus Station. Once you arrive at the bus station you can buy your tickets at the front counters. There is no direct bus from Athens to Litochoro so you will need to take the bus that goes to the city of Katerini. From Katerini there are frequent bus connections to Litochoro.
Driving to Olympus from Athens
If you decide to drive to Mount Olympus from Athens, be prepared for a long drive with several tolls throughout the trip. The drive is a little over 4 hours long via route E75 on the national highway. Driving through Athens can be tricky, especially during rush hour but once you get on the national highway, the road is open and straightforward. To start, exit the city of Athens by following signs for route E75. Next, stay on E75 for about 215 km before continuing onto route A1 towards Litochoro. Take the exit Plaka to approach Litochoto. Upon exiting the highway, the drive to Litochoro is approximately ten minutes. Once you arrive in the village of Litochoro, you may either leave your car in the public parking and explore the town or follow the signs up to Prionia, the highest and last road on Mount Olympus accessible by car.
