A Dion quad tour is an ATV ride from a base near ancient Dion, on the Pieria coast or in the foothills of Mount Olympus. Find more trip ideas on Greece Tours.
The guide below covers the bases, the rides you can book, the rules, the season and how to add the Dion ruins to a Dion quad tour.
What is a Dion quad tour?
This ride on four wheels explores the Dion area of Pieria, at the foot of Mount Olympus. Every Dion quad tour starts at a base near Dion, not inside the ancient site. Dion itself is a village that holds an archaeological park.
Two places act as the quad bases. GetYourGuide lists a quad or ATV trip at Paralia and another at Palaios Panteleimonas. Paralia is a seaside settlement on the Thermaic Gulf. Palaios Panteleimonas is a mountain village in the Pieria regional unit.
The two bases sit in different municipalities. Palaios Panteleimonas belongs to Dion-Olympos, the same municipality as Dion. Paralia belongs to the municipality of Katerini. The name Dion quad tour therefore points to a region, not to one town.
Dion is a village and municipal unit in Pieria, in Central Macedonia. The census lists 1,268 residents for its community, which covers 31.38 square kilometres. The community consists of Dion village and Platanakia. Until nineteen sixty-one the village carried the name Malathria.
The ancient city has its own page, so read our Dion tours guide for the sightseeing side. This page stays with the Dion quad tour side of the trip and with the land that surrounds it.
Where is Dion, and how far are the quad bases?
Dion lies 17 km from Katerini, at the foot of Mount Olympus. Paralia lies 8 km east of Katerini’s city centre. Palaios Panteleimonas lies 43 km from Katerini. The sources give each distance to Katerini, so Katerini serves as the shared reference point for a Dion quad tour.
Paralia is the coastal base for a Dion quad tour and the closest beach to Katerini. It sits on the west coast of the Thermaic Gulf. The settlement lies 2 km east of Kallithea and 5 km south of Korinos. Paralia has a fishing port.
Palaios Panteleimonas is a mountain village, 43 km from Katerini. It lies just 6 km from the village and beach of Neos Panteleimonas. Neos Panteleimonas is the beach town next to Platamon on the north-west side. Platamon sits 25 km south-east of Mount Olympus.
Dion stands about 8 km north of Litochoro. Litochoro lies on the eastern slopes of Mount Olympus, 22 km south of Katerini. It lies 90 km south-south-west of Thessaloniki. Katerini itself lies 68 km from Thessaloniki.
The sea lies 5 km from Dion today. In Hellenistic times the sea stood only 1.5 km away. Paralia faces the gulf, while Dion lies inland.
The Pierian Mountains lie to the west of the Pieria regional unit, and the Thermaic Gulf lies to the east. A Dion quad tour in Pieria therefore happens with mountains behind it and the gulf in front. The regional unit also holds plains and sandy beaches.
What does the land around Dion look like from a quad?
A fertile plain surrounds Dion, watered by streams that start on Mount Olympus. The dry foothills of the mountain, called the Xirokampi, carry maquis shrubland and wild boar. Streams once swept crushed rock down the slopes and spread it into fans from the foothills to the sea.
The land around a Dion quad tour sits low. Paralia stands 14 metres above sea level, and Dion stands 40 metres. Olympus itself rises almost 3,000 metres above the sea, which lies only 18 km from Litochoro.
Dion lies at the north-east foot of Olympus. The coastal north-east slopes get more rain than the continental north-west slopes. Plants grow more thickly on the wetter side, according to the Mount Olympus article.
The area around Palaios Panteleimonas holds forest of chestnut, oak and arbutus. The same source calls the path to the village and its surroundings rich in the wildlife of lower Mount Olympus. Plain, foothill, forest and shore make up the setting around a Dion quad tour.
The Dion article describes the old setting with rich vegetation, towering trees, springs and a navigable river. That river was the Baphyras, also spelled Vaphyras. It linked Dion with the Thermaic Gulf.
Myth ties the river to Orpheus and the Muses. Pausanias wrote that the upper part bore the name Helikon. Two-thirds of its length ran underground before it returned to Dion.
Which Dion quad tour options can you book?
Two GetYourGuide quad listings fit a Dion quad tour. One is an ATV rental that you ride yourself from Paralia. The other is a guided ATV ride from the Palaios Panteleimonas listing. Neither listing names Dion as a stop.
A Dion quad tour therefore starts away from the ancient site. Book the quad first and plan any park visit around it. The Paralia page for Quad and ATV tours on GetYourGuide shows one result, and that result is the rental.
Two companies run the rides behind a Dion quad tour. PANIK DISCOVER MORE provides the rental. Apex Rally Tours provides the guided ride. It describes itself as a local adventure company in Neoi Poroi, at the foothills of Mount Olympus.
The two options differ in length, group size and notice time:
- Rental: 3 hours, limited to 2 participants, booking needs at least 4 hours of notice.
- Guided ride: 6 hours, up to 12 people, booking needs at least 2 hours of notice.
- Both listings: cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
- Both listings: reserve now and pay later.
The rental gives you control of the route and the pace. The guided ride gives you a local leader and a set plan for the day. Pick the format that fits your Dion quad tour, then check the dates for each listing.
What comes with the ATV rental at Paralia?
The rental includes helmets, gloves, jackets or waterproof gear, insurance, roadside assistance and 24/7 support. Fuel is not included. The listing names a brand-new Loncin X-Wolf 300 as the vehicle.
The meeting point for this Dion quad tour option is Nikis 11 in Paralia. You start with a quick check-in at the office and sign a rental contract on site. Then you receive your helmet and protective gear. At the end, you return the ATV to the same office.
The listing says a professional team with extensive motorsport experience manages the rental. Every vehicle is insured and comes with roadside assistance. Support stays available around the clock if you need help during the ride.
The listing chose the Loncin X-Wolf 300 for stability, comfort and confident handling across mixed surfaces. It describes the terrain as coastal roads and rugged ground. A ride on this rental can follow either type of surface.
You design your own Dion quad tour route. The listing suggests cruising along the Riviera, heading inland, or combining both. You can stop for photos, beaches, viewpoints and village breaks whenever you choose. A daily distance limit of 250 km applies to the rental.
GetYourGuide marks the rental as a new activity. The page shows the start times once you check availability. The listing closes by promising professional support and a well-maintained fleet.
How does the guided Olympus ATV ride work for a Dion quad tour?
A live guide leads the ride in English, German or Greek. A safety briefing and riding practice come first, before the group enters the trails. The stops depend on the selected tour.
Apex Rally Tours says its experienced guides take guests along mountain trails, viewpoints and traditional villages. The listing adds forest tracks and scenic mountain roads. Viewpoints look out over the Aegean Sea. This is the guided side of a Dion quad tour.
The listing names four places on the route. They are Palaios Panteleimonas, the mountain chapel of Prophet Elias, hidden trails in the Pierian Mountains and Lake Kati. It places Lake Kati at 1,450 meters above sea level.
The itinerary shows a stop in Palaios Panteleimonas with an aperitif, coffee and local snacks. It marks the other stops as photo stops, guided visits and off-road sections.
Included are a professional local guide and a premium 4×4 ATV in the long version, comfortable for two passengers. The listing also includes a helmet, safety equipment, fuel, coffee and bottled water. A sandwich comes with the VIP Tour. Professional photos and local tips about the area complete the list.
Pickup is included on this Dion quad tour option. The listing shows five pickup options, among them the White Tower of Thessaloniki, and five drop-off options. The listing holds one review so far, rated 5 out of 5.
The ride serves as the guided choice for a Dion quad tour. Our Mount Olympus ATV tour page covers the same listing along with the buggy and 4×4 trips on the mountain.
Who can ride on a Dion quad tour?
Every driver needs a valid full driving licence that fits the vehicle. The UK Foreign Office states that provisional licences are not valid in Greece for hiring any type of vehicle. The rental company confirms the exact licence category when you book.
Bring more than the licence on pick-up day. Riderly’s page for Paralia lists four items for the rental desk.
- The booking voucher.
- The driver’s debit card, with funds for the deposit.
- A valid driving licence for the vehicle category.
- A passport or ID.
Non-EU visitors carry one more document. Bikesbooking advises an International Driving Permit next to the home licence for its Katerini quad rentals. The same page says the licence category depends on how the quad is registered. Ask the operator which category your Dion quad tour needs.
Age limits come from the operator. The age notes in the booking data of both GetYourGuide listings are empty. Riderly’s Paralia page sets an age band of 18 to 75 for the bulk of its motorbike hire firms. Bigger bikes carry special age rules.
A proposal adds a licence-age rule. The Greek Herald reports a government plan. It asks drivers to hold a licence for at least five years before renting a quad bike. Check with the operator whether that rule is in force on your date for a Dion quad tour.
What rules and gear apply on a Dion quad tour?
Helmets are compulsory for the rider and the passenger in Greece. The UK Foreign Office adds that police fine a rider without one and take the licence. A missing helmet can also void the insurance, so the helmet stays on from the first metre.
The government is moving on this topic. The Greek Herald quotes the Deputy Transport Minister on a plan. It bars rental firms from supplying quad bikes without helmets. The plan places the duty of compliance on the operator, not on the rider.
Other road rules apply on the tarmac links between tracks. Bikesbooking lists 50 km/h in town and 90 km/h on open roads. The blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l. It drops to 0.2 g/l for riders in their first two years. Greece drives on the right.
Insurance carries its own rules. Bikesbooking warns that rental insurance almost always excludes unpaved roads and off-road use. Read the contract before a Dion quad tour leaves the asphalt. The UK Foreign Office adds that quad biking counts as an extreme sport. Check that your travel policy covers it.
Pack for sun and rough ground. The UK Foreign Office advice for walkers names a hat, sunscreen, plenty of water and footwear for uneven terrain. Bikesbooking sells goggles and gloves as add-ons beside the helmet.
When is the season for a Dion quad tour?
The dry, warm months suit a Dion quad tour. At Katerini, rain falls at 31, 24, 18 and 28 mm from June to September. Monthly mean temperatures run from 22.1 °C to 26.3 °C. Litochoro has its wet peak from October to December.
Wikipedia gives Katerini a monthly table drawn from climate-data.org. June to September are the dry stretch. The monthly mean is 23.6 °C in June and 26.3 °C in July. It is 25.9 °C in August and 22.1 °C in September. The January low is 0.8 °C, and the January mean is 4.9 °C.
A second table covers Litochoro, which sits on the east side of Olympus and runs cooler. Its July and August highs are 23.7 °C and 23.8 °C. Its January low is -0.5 °C. October brings 110 mm of rain, November 122 mm and December 126 mm.
The Mount Olympus article names August the hottest month and February the coldest. It adds that the weather on the mountain can shift within one day. Check the morning forecast before a Dion quad tour.
Rental shops follow the same calendar. Bikesbooking names July and August the busiest months for quad hire in Katerini. It names November to March the low season. April and October sit between the two, cooler and quieter. Winter also brings fleet trimming at the shops.
Wildfire risk is high from April to October, according to the UK Foreign Office. Keep emergency alerts switched on during a Dion quad tour in those months.
How do you pair a Dion quad tour with the Dion archaeological park?
Give a Dion quad tour one half of the day and the ruins the other half. From April 1 to October 31 the park opens at 08:00 and the museum at 11:00. A morning among the ruins then fits before an afternoon ride.
Hellenic Heritage calls the Archaeological Park of Dion the largest archaeological site in Pieria. It lies on the northern foothills of Mount Olympus. The kings of Macedonia came here to sacrifice to Olympian Zeus. They also purified the army here and swore oaths of alliance.
The walk through the ruins passes the Great Baths. A bull mosaic there lies in two parts, and the lower part sits 50 cm below the upper one. The Hellenistic theatre dates from the fifth century BC, and the Bacchae of Euripides premiered there.
Archaeologists also found a Hera statue, 2,200 years old, built into the city wall. Early Christians of Dion had used it as filling for the defensive wall. The park is a visit on foot, so a Dion quad tour fills the rest of the day.
The museum stands in the village. Its ground floor holds statues of Dionysus, Isis and Aphrodite Hypolympidia. The upper floor shows finds from the foothills and peaks of Mount Olympus, and from ancient Pydna, Ryakia and Ritini. The basement holds everyday objects from ancient Dion.
The water organ in the museum stands 120 cm high and 70 cm wide. Its pipes sit in two rows. Twenty-four pipes measure 18 mm across, and 16 narrow pipes measure about 10 mm.
Read the start time on your booking, then match it to the park hours. From April 1 to August 31 the park closes at 20:00 daily. On Tuesday it runs from 08:30 to 15:30. From October 15 to 31 it closes at 18:00. The museum closes at 19:00 from April 1 to October 31.
Last admission is 20 minutes before closing time. The Ancient Dion tickets page explains how to book entry for both venues. Walkers who prefer a day on foot instead of a ride can read about a Dion hiking tour.
How do you reach a Dion quad tour from Thessaloniki or Katerini?
Trains, KTEL Pieria coaches and the A1 motorway all link Thessaloniki with Katerini. KTEL Pieria lines then run from Katerini to Dion and to Paralia. Hellenic Heritage puts the drive from Katerini to Dion at 20 minutes.
The A1/E75 motorway between Athens and Thessaloniki serves Katerini through three interchanges: South, East and North. Pieria Provincial Road 1 runs east from Katerini to Paralia, the coastal base of a Dion quad tour.
Intercity trains and the Proastiakos suburban train call at Katerini. The Proastiakos connects the city directly with Thessaloniki and Larissa. Katerini station stands just outside the city centre, so a bus or taxi covers the last leg into town.
KTEL Pieria runs intercity coaches from Katerini to Thessaloniki and Athens. In Katerini, the urban bus Line 3 serves the Archaeological Museum stop in Dion. Hellenic Heritage lists the walk from that stop to the park at 10 minutes.
The mountain base of a Dion quad tour sits on a different road. Palaios Panteleimonas has Pieria Provincial Road 9, which leads to the EO1 road and the A1 motorway. The nearest railway station is Neoi Poroi, on the Thessaloniki Regional Railway.
No cars are allowed into the village, according to a travel.gr road trip. Drivers leave the car at the village entrance.
What do riders ask before a Dion quad tour?
Riders ask five practical questions before a Dion quad tour. They ask who to call after a fall and where care is. They also ask which days the ruins close, where to eat and how rough the roads are.
The answers below come from the Greek emergency list, Hellenic Heritage and a travel.gr road trip.
Who do riders call after a fall on a Dion quad tour?
The number 112 is the European emergency line. Police are on 100, ambulances on 166, the fire service on 199 and the coast guard on 108. Each of the first three also answers through 112.
Is a medical centre open near Paralia?
A Regional Care Center in Paralia operates each summer season. GetYourGuide places the quad rental of a Dion quad tour in Paralia.
Which days are the park and the museum closed?
Both venues close on January 1, March 25, Easter Sunday and December 25 and 26. They also close on the first day of the fifth month. From November 1 to March 31 they also close on Tuesday and Wednesday. On the other days they open from 08:30 to 15:30.
Where can riders eat and use a toilet near the ruins?
The park lists a café or restaurant, a shop, toilets, WiFi and parking. The museum lists toilets, WiFi, a lift and accessibility.
How rough are the mountain roads before a Dion quad tour?
A travel.gr road trip through the Olympus foothills found the mountain roads rutted and uneven in sections. The writers still drove a rented crossover in comfort and felt safe at all times.