A Dion hiking tour joins the ruins of ancient Dion to a gorge or forest walk on the Olympus side, in one day from Thessaloniki, Katerini or Litochoro. More walking days across the country wait on Greece Tours. Below we compare the hikes you can book, the start points, the day split, the gorge and highlights walks, the private hikes, the trails, the gear, the months and the booking terms.
What is a Dion hiking tour?
Ancient Dion plus a walk on the Olympus side makes one day out. The Dion hiking tour starts from Thessaloniki, Katerini or Litochoro and ends in forest or gorge. Operator timetables put the ruins first and the trail second.
Listing summaries name five kinds of walk for a Dion hiking tour.
- A forest path with views of the Thermaic Gulf
- The Enipeas gorge
- The Agia Kori stream
- A path in the national park
- The Orlias river, west of Dion
GetYourGuide files these hikes under four place pages: Litochoro, Katerini, Mount Olympus and Thessaloniki. A search of one place page shows only the hikes filed there.
Not every Dion and Olympus day includes a walk. A Volos operator sells its guided Dion tour as a way to see Olympus “without taking a single hike”. The day has a scenic drive and a refuge lunch instead. A Dion hiking tour adds a trail to the same two stops.
That tour opens with a guided visit to the park and the museum, led by a PhD archaeologist. Olympus lies one and a half hours from Volos, by the operator’s count.
Litochoro, the village at the foothills of Mount Olympus, appears in the plans of both Thessaloniki day trips. The Litochoro tours page covers the town itself.
Our Dion tours page covers the park and the museum. This Dion hiking tour page stays with the walks and the day plan.
Which Dion hiking tour options can you book?
Nine GetYourGuide hikes cover the Dion side of Olympus. Three join the ruins of Dion to a walk, and six list the trail alone. Group types run from private cars to one shared minibus.
A Dion hiking tour from the first group adds the ruins. One from the second group offers only the walk. Titles below are as listed on GetYourGuide.
The first group pairs the park with a trail:
- From Thessaloniki: Mount Olympus Hike & Dion Ruins Day Trip
- The coach day trip from Thessaloniki to the Dion park and the Olympus park
- From Katerini: Mount Olympus & Dion Minibus Tour with Hiking
The second group is trail-only:
- Pieria: Guided Hiking Tour in Enipeas Gorge of Mount Olympus
- Mount Olympus: Highlights Hike to Enipeas Waterfalls
- Hiking in Mt Olympus National Park
- Orlias River Trekking
- From Thessaloniki: Private Mount Olympus Hike with Transfers
- Thessaloniki: Private Olympus, Gorge, Old Panteleimonas
Five of the nine carry the small-group label, two are private, and the Katerini tour runs as a shared minibus.
The 10-hour Thessaloniki trip has the highest review count of the nine, at 1,295. The Katerini tour follows with 53.
Three summaries carry their own detail. The park hike names “forgotten paths of the National Park”. The Orlias trek sits “on eastern Olympus, west of Dion”. The 10-hour trip adds a swim at Agia Kori’s stream.
Longer treks sit on Viator. The cards below include a two-day Olympus hiking tour and a private hiking tour to the mountain.
Where does a Dion hiking tour start?
A Dion hiking tour has three starting points: Thessaloniki, Katerini and Litochoro. The long day trips leave Thessaloniki, the minibus tour leaves Katerini, and the trail-only walks sit under Litochoro.
Ammon Express meets its Thessaloniki group at 08:00, at Aristotelous Square and Egnatia Street by the Venizelos statue. Guests arrive 10 minutes early, because the bus cannot wait at its stops except for boarding.
The company says its attendant wears clothing with the Ammon Express marking, so guests can spot the group. The page lists round-trip transport, and a baby seat is available on request.
Salty Soil collects its group at the hotel in Thessaloniki and drops it back there. Its page lists a mini-van for the day. That makes the hotel pickup the simpler start for a Dion hiking tour from the city.
The Katerini minibus tour starts in Katerini, which suits anyone already staying in the city. For comparison, the Volos tour without a hike picks up at the hotel or the dock.
The Enipeas gorge half-day lists a pickup label. The highlights hike, the park hike and the Orlias trek show none. Check each card for its meeting point first. The two private hikes from Thessaloniki list a pickup label.
How does a Dion hiking tour split the day between the ruins and the trail?
The 10-hour Thessaloniki trek day gives the park 1.5 hours and the trail 1.5 hours. The timetable adds a 30-minute stop at the Olympus National Park Information Center. A 1.5-hour lunch at the Stavros refuge and a 2-hour drive back follow.
That timetable comes from the Ammon Express page. The trail stop on it is the Agia Kori trail, with a swim at the waterfall. On this Dion hiking tour the ruins and the trail get equal time.
Both Thessaloniki operators leave the park ticket out of the price. The Salty Soil page lists the entrance fee as not included. The Ammon Express page also lists a guided tour inside the site, and food and drinks, as not included. Its trip attendant is an archaeologist-historian.
The Ammon Express excursion page states the entry rules. Entry is free for visitors up to age 18 and for university students from EU schools. It is reduced for EU citizens over 65. The page also lists help with ticket issuance for anyone who wants to skip the ticket-office queue.
For contrast, the Volos day gives the mountain a scenic drive, a refuge terrace and a meal. It has no trail time. A Dion hiking tour keeps the meal stop and adds the trail.
The other listings give lengths only:
- Katerini minibus tour with hiking: 6 hours
- Thessaloniki hike-and-ruins day trip: 8 hours
- Enipeas gorge half-day: 6 hours
- Enipeas highlights hike: 4 hours
- Orlias river trek: 5 hours
- National park hike: 3 hours
- Private hikes from Thessaloniki: 8 hours and 7 hours
Add the 1.5-hour park visit to the 4-hour highlights hike. The total is 5.5 hours, before the drive between the two. A trail-only Dion hiking tour built this way needs your own park ticket.
What does the Enipeas gorge Dion hiking tour include?
The Enipeas gorge walk is a small-group tour that hikes 12 km from Prionia down to Litochoro, by the listing. As a Dion hiking tour, it crosses wooden bridges, passes waterfalls and visits the Old Monastery of Agios Dionysios.
Visit Olympus lists a half-day Enipeas hike with the same route. For this Dion hiking tour, the minibus drops the group at the Prionia parking lot. The walk ends at the edge of Litochoro. The operator calls the trail fairly easy to follow, with ups and downs along the way.
The monastery is the chief stop: the operator calls it the chief monastery of Pieria. Beyond it, the path passes twin waterfalls and a cave in the rock formations of the mountain.
- Included: an English-speaking mountain guide, a free bottle of water, local snacks and the ride to the trail start.
- Not included: tips, personal travel insurance, meals and hotel pickup.
The listing names no stop at Dion. A Dion hiking tour built on this walk adds the ruins on another morning. The operator names the Dion-Olympos area as its pickup region, with points in Neoi Poroi, Platamonas, Leptokarya, Litochoro and Katerini. Each pickup needs prior contact with the operator.
What does the Olympus hike and Dion ruins Dion hiking tour include?
The Olympus hike and Dion ruins day puts the Dion park and a forest walk into one trip. This Dion hiking tour from Thessaloniki limits its group to 7 guests and ends in the village of Litochoro. The Katerini minibus version adds Platamon Castle.
Salty Soil lists the Thessaloniki day on Discover Greece. At the Dion park, the guide explains what each area was for, from the statues to the theatre. The guide also tells the myths of the 12 gods and the story of the civilizations that passed through.
After the ruins, the group walks through dense forest to the little church of Agia Kori. A waterfall and natural pools lie close by, and in summer guests can take a dip. The listing offers a longer trail instead, to the old cave of Agios Dionysios near Prionia.
The day ends in Litochoro, with free time for lunch by the river. The guide speaks English and Greek.
Visit Olympus lists a Katerini Dion hiking tour with the same sights in a set order. The stops run: the Dion site, Platamon Castle, a short Enipeas gorge hike and Litochoro. The Katerini listing calls it a shared minibus tour with a local expert.
The page includes an English-speaking tour leader, a bottle of water, a VIP minibus and the train station return. Museum entry, meals, tips and train tickets are not included.
Which private Dion hiking tour suits a small group?
A private day keeps the group to one party. This Dion hiking tour comes as a 5-hour forest walk or as a 7-hour day for one to three guests. The longer day adds the Dion site and museum.
The private hiking tour to Olympus mountain leaves Thessaloniki by minivan. After about an hour, it reaches the old monastery of St Dionysios in Litochoro, where the walk starts.
The path is easy and runs through forest, crossing the river on wooden bridges to the Enipeas waterfall. After about an hour of walking, it reaches the cave of St Dionysios. The listing asks for at least moderate fitness. Snacks and the Dion site ticket are not included.
The private hike from Thessaloniki on GetYourGuide names transfers in its title, so the driving is in the booking. The private Old Panteleimonas day adds a village to the gorge in the same one-party format.
Tours by Locals lists a private day for 1 to 3 people with each stop timed. The Dion park takes 1 hour 30 minutes and the museum 1 hour 10 minutes. The Enipeas gorge walk takes 1 hour, and lunch takes 1 hour. The drives between Thessaloniki and Dion take 1 hour 20 minutes each way.
Trekking Hellas lists a private highlights hike of 4 hours that meets at its office in Litochoro. It gives 2 hours to the Enipeas waterfall and 2 hours to Olympus National Park. The Dion park joins on request. That makes the ruins an add-on to a private Dion hiking tour, not a fixed stop.
Which trails and distances does a Dion hiking tour use?
The Enipeas gorge path from Prionia to Litochoro measures 11.7 km and takes about 4 hours. The Agia Kori gorge loop on the north side of Olympus measures 4.59 km in about 1 hour 45 minutes. It is the shorter pick for a Dion hiking tour.
The trail guide on leivaditis.gr starts the Enipeas path of a Dion hiking tour at 1,075 m. That is where the road ends, at the Prionia parking area. A wooden gate with E4 signs marks the start. The path climbs 829 m in total and drops 1,565 m, so the walk runs downhill.
The first bridge comes within the first metres. A sign for the monastery of St Dionysios appears at 1.5 km, after 25 minutes. The second bridge follows at 2.9 km, after 50 minutes.
Agio Spilaio, at 830 m, is the water stop, with springs of “Holy Water”. A steep descent cut like steps in the rock follows. From Agio Spilaio to the concrete road near the Myloi restaurant is 7.4 km, about 2 hours 35 minutes.
Topoguide adds trail names for the same path. The Agio Spileo rock shelter holds a chapel of the Nativity of Christ beside a spring. Walkers then meet the Kastana climb and the narrow passage called Portes, “the Gates”. Topoguide counts 7 wooden bridges in all and ends the path at the Myli watermills.
Topoguide also marks four water points on the path.
- A fountain in the Agios Dionysios car park, a little above the monastery.
- The spring beside the chapel at Agio Spileo.
- A fountain after the Kastana climb.
- A fountain at Myli.
The Agia Kori gorge lies above the village of Vrontou, says the Visit Central Macedonia site. A komoot loop from the Agia Kori waterfall climbs 220 m, and komoot grades it medium. Walkers who want the climb from Prionia to the refuge find it on the Mount Olympus hike page.
What gear does a Dion hiking tour need?
Gear for a Dion hiking tour starts with sport or trekking shoes and long trousers. Add shorts, a sun hat, sunglasses, sun block, a water bottle and a towel for the stream. Operator listings for Olympus hikes name every one.
The Greek Adventure listing for a Litochoro hike prefers quick-drying cotton or polycotton and no denim. It asks for shorts and long trousers for walking.
- Feet: sport or trekking shoes. The Trekking Hellas hike from the Agios Dionysios monastery bans high heels.
- Sky: a sun hat or an umbrella, plus a raincoat for rainy days, as the Trekking Hellas highlights hike lists.
- Water: a bottle of your own. Trekking Hellas has a policy of eliminating plastic water bottles.
- Bag: a waterproof bag, which the Trekking Hellas hike lists beside snacks and sportswear.
A coach day trip from Thessaloniki packs the ruins and the trek into one list. It asks for comfortable shoes, long trousers for the trek, a water bottle and snacks. In summer it adds sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat.
The operator calls its red-marked trail easy and accessible. Each listing writes its own list, so read the one for your Dion hiking tour before packing.
Wikipedia advises visitors to carry water and clothing for any weather, since springs above 2,000 metres are scarce. The towel matters at the Agia Kori stop, where operators offer a swim.
Which months suit a Dion hiking tour?
June to September suits a Dion hiking tour with a swim. Trekking Hellas offers a swim in the Agia Kori stream in those months. The Enipeas river flows all year, so the gorge holds running water in every month.
The Salty Soil listing for the Thessaloniki day trip says both seasons make the Agia Kori path colourful.
The Abroad Guide reaches the same verdict for the mountain as a whole. Its page on the Trekking Hellas park hike recommends spring and fall for Mount Olympus.
The Central Macedonia tourism site describes the flow of the Enipeas as continuous all year long. It calls the gorge path wide and well maintained.
Weather sets the limits on higher ground. Wikipedia gives the annual precipitation as 149 cm at Prionia, 1,100 metres above sea level. At Aghios Antonios it reaches 170 cm. The weather there can turn more than once in a day.
About half of that total falls as summer rain and hail, and the rest falls as winter snow. Choose June to September for the swim, and spring or autumn for colour on a Dion hiking tour.
How do you book and cancel this Dion hiking tour?
Pick a date on GetYourGuide and check the cut-off, which runs from 30 minutes to 10 hours before the start. Each Dion hiking tour listing below carries the free cancellation label.
- 30 minutes: the coach day trip from Thessaloniki with the Agia Kori trek.
- 2 hours: the Katerini minibus tour.
- 10 hours: the Enipeas gorge half-day, the highlights hike, the national park hike and the Thessaloniki hike-and-ruins day trip.
- No cut-off label: the private hike from Thessaloniki.
The Salty Soil listing sets its refund rule in full. It refunds 100% when you cancel 24 hours or more ahead, and nothing inside those 24 hours. A Trekking Hellas hike listing also offers free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Weather can cancel the day. The Greek Adventure listing offers free rescheduling or a refund when bad weather cancels its Litochoro hike. Its tour leader decides on route changes according to local conditions. The coach operator warns that its schedule changes with the weather.
Travellers who want no trail read the Mount Olympus day trip from Thessaloniki page for the coach version. It covers Litochoro, the gorge and Dion.
Which questions do travellers ask about this Dion hiking tour?
Which travellers can join a Dion hiking tour?
Limits differ by listing. The Trekking Hellas hike from the Agios Dionysios monastery is moderately demanding. It excludes children under 6 and walkers over 75. Greek Adventure classes its hike as moderate. Trekking Hellas asks for relatively good physical condition on its highlights hike. The Thessaloniki coach day trip excludes people with mobility issues, pregnant women and infants.
Does insurance come with a Dion hiking tour?
Listings name different cover. The Greek Adventure hike includes third-party insurance, and the Trekking Hellas hike lists taxes and liability insurance. The coach day trip carries basic travel insurance during the transport only.
Can you borrow walking sticks?
The Greek Adventure listing provides walking sticks on request. It lists them with the shorts, the towel and the water bottle, and it asks photographers to bring their cameras.
Which stop explains the park on a Dion hiking tour?
The Olympus National Park Information Center in Litochoro. Wikipedia says professional rangers help hikers there and a guide leads tours for groups. The Trekking Hellas highlights hike and the Thessaloniki coach day trip both stop at the centre. The coach operator says its interactive exhibits explain the biodiversity and cultural role of the park.
What stories do guides tell on the trail?
The coach operator promises tales of the mysterious phenomena that visitors have reported through the centuries. It adds the origins of the Olympian gods. Salty Soil names Greek mythology, the 12 gods and the centuries of civilization. Trekking Hellas promises the secrets of mythology on its highlights hike.
Which plants line the Enipeas path on a Dion hiking tour?
The Central Macedonia tourism site calls the vegetation along the whole route dense. It names thyme, oregano and mountain tea among the wild herbs of Olympus. The same page adds small waterfalls and swimming pools to the gorge.