Mount Olympus And Dion Full-Day Tour From Athens By Train
Description
Journey to Mount Olympus and Dion on this all-day train trip from Athens and explore the mythical heritage of Olympus, the ancient site of Dion, and more! Following an early train ride from Athens to Mount Olympus, we will explore the ancient site of Dion, the Castle of Platamon, the bathtub of Zeus and Litochoro on this all-day Olympus trip. Beginning with a visit to the archaeological site of Dion, we will firsthand see where the ancient Greeks used to worship the gods of Olympus. Fast forward a few centuries and we will then visit the grounds of the medieval Platamon Castle. Next, we will explore the rich natural landscape of Mount Olympus on our way to glimpse at the bathtub of Zeus found in the gorge of Enipeas. Finally, we will have some down time in the village of Litochoro. This all-day Athens to Mount Olympus trip is a great tour for the whole family to enjoy and learn all about the rich history of Mount Olympus. In case of a train strike, the tour will be conducted with a bus
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kicking off our all-day Mount Olympus trip is a visit to the archaeological site of Dion. This ancient site was once the holy city of the Macedonians as well as a center of worship of the gods of Olympus. Tourists are welcome to walk around and observe the ancient statues, artifacts and ceramics found on the archaeological site and its museum.
Continuing our Olympus day trip we will explore the grounds of the Platamon Castle. This Crusader castle was built between 1204 and 1222 to overlook the valley of Tempe where the main road connects Macedonia with Thessaly and southern Greece. To this day, the Platamon Castle is still one of the most impressive fortresses in the country and definitely worth the visit.
Once we arrive to Mount Olympus, we will embark on a short hike to the gorge of Enipeas on a quest to find the bathtub of Zeus. The sparkling turquoise water of this natural pool, coupled with the imposing waterfall is a site to behold and a true gem of Olympus.
Last stop on our all-day Mount Olympus trip from Athens is a visit to the village of Litochoro. Built in the likeness of the traditional Macedonian architecture, Litochoro is a charming Greek village situated at the base of Mount Olympus. Have a seat at one of the local taverns here or enjoy a nice stroll through the picturesque town.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(65)
You likely end on a bus half the time, extending your excursion time up to four hours. This has nothing to do with strikes as the description said. We had to adjust our tour down and didn’t get the full day experience. While our guide was nice and was accommodating, I would call home a guide as described in the listing. Really was a driver only and waited for us to self explore. Felt mislead the whole day based on price and what we read vs reality. Don’t remember reading that we had to pay additional for the Dion part - that was $50 Euros I wasn’t expecting to pay.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations. We would like to clarify that the transportation changes on your travel date were due to schedule adjustments made by Hellenic Train, Greece’s national railway operator. Unfortunately, these changes are outside of our control. While part of the journey was operated by bus instead of train, we still conducted the tour itinerary as planned and made every effort to minimize the impact on our guests. Regarding the guide service, our tour includes transportation assistance and guidance throughout the day, while guests are also given free time to independently explore the archaeological sites and natural areas. We appreciate your comments and will review how we communicate this aspect of the experience to ensure expectations are clear. Concerning the entrance fees, these are listed in the tour description as not included in the tour price and are paid directly at the sites visited. We understand that unexpected expenses can be frustrating and will continue working to make all inclusions and exclusions as clear as possible. We sincerely regret that the transportation circumstances affected your enjoyment of the tour. We appreciate your kind words about our team member and thank you for choosing our tour.
Had a great time! The tour guide is very knowledgeable and considerate and everything we saw was amazing. Do not sleep on Dion; it was the highlight of our visit.
Excellent tour! Our guide, Damian, was great! He is very knowledgeable in all the sites and Greek history and myth. He took us to a nice place for lunch. The bouyiourdi and greek sausages are a must have! The bathtub of Zues is a bit rocky, so bring watershoes (recommended but not necessary). It was a great time!
BEWARE this may not be a train ride. There were a number of issues with the travel arrangement for this tour. First it says it's a round trip by train and they ended up putting us on a 5 hour bus tour back to Athens. We did take a train there but it was sold out for the return trip since they don't book the train tickets until 12 hours prior to the start. It was very uncomfortable return trip. Next it says it's a 13 hour day, ours turned into almost 19 hours since we didn't arrive back to Athens until well after midnight. It also did not end at the same location. Since it was after midnight, the Metro was closed so we ended up taking a 30 euro taxi ride back to our Airbnb. They should fully disclose that a bus might be part of the trip. We were told 12 hours prior that it was now a bus but that no change to timing would take place. There was no option for a refund at that point. They should have give you the option to book your own train ticket or have a reduced rate for procuring your own transportation. The tour itself was good and our guide was excellent. We enjoyed the tour, but definitely not the 5 hour return trip in a cramped bus.
Dear Heath, Thank you for your review. We are delighted that you found the tour itself to be good and our guide to be excellent; we take great pride in the quality of the experience at Dion and Mount Olympus. We would like to clarify the travel arrangements for the benefit of our future guests. When the return train became unavailable, we contacted you 12 hours in advance to propose the bus alternative. We explicitly mentioned that this would extend the day but would also allow for one additional hour of sightseeing at Mount Olympus. With your prior agreement, the itinerary shifted from the standard 15-hour day (6:58 AM – 10:10 PM) to a 17-hour day, concluding at 11:45 PM. This included that extra hour of exploration on the mountain and a bus journey chosen for its reliability compared to frequent rail delays. While we understood this was a long day, we sincerely regret that the return journey felt cramped and that the closure of the Metro caused you additional stress and expense. We aim for maximum comfort for our guests, and your feedback regarding the bus quality is very important to us as we refine our backup transportation options. We appreciate your participation in the tour and are glad that the beauty of Olympus remained a highlight of your visit." BEST REGARDS EVI IOAKEIMIDOU M. ALEXANDROU str. 2 60065 NEI PORI GREECE TEL. 00302352044809 MOB. 00306932435655 www.visit-olympus.travel
The weather was dreadful but our guide Damian made the most of it and made sure we had a great experience. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating. The spots he recommended for coffee and lunch were great. We had an amazing time.
Thank you and see you again !!!
Tour operator cancelled at last moment and Viator does nothing but push the blame on to operator and takes no responsibility. Will book things directly in the future as Viator does nothing to protect you.
Dear Mr Scott We are sorry for your disappointment, but we must clarify the facts regarding your booking for March 23rd: • Force Majeure: On March 23rd, a sudden national rail strike was called due to the Tempi court proceedings. As a tour operator, we have no control over national railway strikes. • Timeline: On March 22nd, we processed your request to cancel one person from your group. Later that same day, as soon as we were notified of the upcoming strike, we contacted you immediately to prevent any travel inconvenience. • Resolution: We offered to reschedule your tour for March 24th or 26th. When you declined, we promptly issued a full refund for your entire booking. While we share your frustration regarding the strike, we acted with total transparency and ensured you were not financially penalized. A 1-star rating is unfortunate given that we managed a third-party crisis with your best interests in mind. BEST REGARDS EVI IOAKEIMIDOU M. ALEXANDROU str. 2 60065 NEI PORI GREECE TEL. 00302352044809 MOB. 00306932435655 www.visit-olympus.travel
The whole experience was awesome! Damian was an excellent guide and showed us a beautiful part Greece. Seeing the ancient cities and fortresses and Mt Olympus was magical! I recommend this tour to anyone that loves to explore!
Got off to a little rocky start because of a little storm called Byron that wreaked havoc to the country😂😱We had to get off our train, catch a bus, then get on another train to get to Kasterini. Our guide, Mr. Damian, was patiently waiting at the train station for us. We started at Dion and explored some of the sites. Lunch was fantastic at a quaint local restaurant. Then off to Mt. Olympus! Remember- you’re visiting a mountain, so wear appropriate footwear. There was a torrential storm a few days before our tour, so lots of muddy areas. But the views were worth it and absolutely breathtaking! Even though we went on a cloudy day, we were fortunate to be able to see most of the mountain, especially the snow capped areas. Zeus must’ve took pity on us and cleared some of the clouds 😂 Then we were off to see the Castle of Platamonas for more breathtaking views of Mt. Olympus and the Aegean Sea. One last stop for coffee at a fantastic little cafe in Litochoro, then Mr. Damian took us to the bus station for the ride home. He stayed with us until the bus came, making sure we were safely on the right bus. I would highly recommend this tour agency (Visit Olympus Tours) and Mr. Damian! 😂Be aware that sometimes the rail system has issues, but they will redirect you to a bus without extra charges. Our delays were weather related so the train could not necessarily go straight through to Katerina, that’s why we had to take a bus to the next train pick up point. The ride back to Athens is by bus, but that was fine. Each way to and from Athens is a little over 4 hours.
This tour was absolutely wonderful! Our guide was amazing, incredibly informative, friendly, and you could truly tell he loves what he does. The information he shared made the experience even more meaningful, and the views were simply breathtaking. After the tour, we stopped at a beautiful spot to eat, and the food was just as wonderful as the rest of the day. Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting!
Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly! Beautiful sights and intriguing history. Fully recommend this all day trip!
