Mount Olympus And Dion Full-Day Tour From Athens By Train
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Athens, Greece
- 13 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Escape Athens for the day and explore the myths and landscapes surrounding Mt. Olympus without tackling transport yourself. Travel by rail to the ancient ruins of Dion Archaeological Park and the seaside fortress of Platamonas Castle, then head into the mountains for a short hike through the Enipeas Gorge. Finish in the village of Litochoro before returning to Athens.
- Skip the hassle of driving or arranging transport with a day trip by train
- Learn about the history of Mt. Olympus from the time of ancient Macedonia
- Delve into the natural beauty of Mt. Olympus with an easy hike
- Free time in Litochoro to tour the village and dine at a taverna (own expense)
What's Included
- Train Tickets
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Gratuities
- Entrance fee - Dion Archaeological Site and Platamonas Castle€11.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- AthensΗνωμένο Βασίλειο, Heathfield Industrial Estate, KA8, Athina 104 44, Greece
Your full-day train trip to Olympus from Athens begins at the Athens Railway Station, also known as Larissa Station at 7:58 am. Make sure to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure in order to find your train and seat. Board the morning train to Katerini and enjoy a memorable day trip!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.6:58 am
Itinerary
1
Dion Archaeological Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Platamonas Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Enipeas Waterfall
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Litochoro
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 62 reviews
Heath_P, Apr 2026
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.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
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
Norma_K, Apr 2026
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.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you and see you again !!!
Scott_m, Mar 2026
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.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
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
Lori_O, Feb 2026
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!
Ayumi_V, Dec 2025
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.
DavidB_P, Oct 2025
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!
Kenton_P, Oct 2025
Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly! Beautiful sights and intriguing history. Fully recommend this all day trip!
Tefany_T, Sep 2025
It was great for me, whose into history and geography and Greek mythology. The train ride was long 4.5 hrs but enjoyable as the scenery outside made it a fun ride. The mountain and the historical ruins are worth chking. Chryssa our guide was a darling, she message to chk on us the night before and was so informative about the place the region and Greece itself. She even recommended places for us to chk on our stop in other islands.
Judy_M, Aug 2025
[8/25, 8:01 AM] Phil White: Our tour guide (DAMIEN) did a good job, but the tour operator did not deliver what was promised on the Viator website. This tour was supposed to "include" round trip train tickets/transfers from Athens to the "meeting point" in KATERINI, Greece and according to the Viator website the tour operator was to supply our tickets to us at the time or point that our tour was "paid in full". We fully paid for this tour on June 24, 2025. Our tour was scheduled for August 17, 2025. That is TWO (2) FULL MONTHS before the tour date that we made full and final payment! On August 15, 2025 we had not received our train tickets, or any other communication from the tour operator concerning train tickets, OR THE LACK THEREOF! I contacted the tour operator via the Viator web-site, and explained to them, that we had NOT received our train tickets for our tour, which was at that point 2 or 3 days away. They replied to me with ONLY a link to the meeting point! I replied back, and after some time had passed by, they emailed "2 different sets of "tickets" to us. One set of tickets were in "English", and the other set of tickets were in "Greek". My travel partner and I ONLY speak and read English. When we had someone from our Hotel in Athens "translate" the tickets in Greek for us, they informed us that the 1st set of tickets were for one-way train tickets to KATERINI , and that the 2nd set of tickets were BUS TICKETS from THESSALONIKI, Greece. The person that "translated" the BUS TICKETS written in Greek for us, explained that the town of THESSALONIKI was an hour FURTHER NORTH of KATERINI, and that much FURTHER AWAY from Athens too! NO where in the tour description on the VIATOR website does it mention BUS tickets, or that BUS tickets can, or will be "SUBSTITUTED" for TRAIN Tickets! By this time, it was less than 24 hours from the start time of our tour, so we could NOT cancel and expect a full refund! Hence, I called the tour operator, and I explained to the women that answered the phone that the tour description did NOT say anything about a return trip via a BUS! She told me it was "only an hour longer" via the bus (which was also NOT true or correct!), and that it was no big deal. However, it was a big deal to us, because this was a surprise to me, and should have been coordinated with us PRIOR to any changes to the tour description! Our tickets had been bought ONLY after I inquired about them on August 15th, which was ONLY 2 days before our tour, and a FULL TWO (2) MONTHS AFTER we had made FULL & FINAL PAYMENT for our tour. When I called the tour operator she also told me the train tickets were "SOLD OUT" for our return trip, so "THEY DECIDED" to buy us BUS tickets instead of TRAIN Tickets as per the VIATOR description. We had also learned that this was a Holiday weekend in Greece, which happens EVERY YEAR at this time, which the local tour operator should have known about! The tour operator should have advised us when they found out there were no more train tickets to give us the opportunity to cancel our tour or to take the bus. We are highly unsatisfied with their lack of communication, and lack of consideration of time! This point is because we ended up getting back to Athens 2-1/2 hours later than originally scheduled per the VIATOR WEBSITE, which took a HUGE BITE out of our early morning travel and tour plans for the next morning. We would like to print out that this company did send us a message via the VIATOR WEBSITE stating that we could cancel the tour, HOWEVER, that message was sent at 10:30 PM the night before the tour and of course we were already in bed, and did not see the message until 6:00 AM the morning of our tour! I would not use this company again.
[8/25, 8:04 AM] Judy McConnell: Our tour guide (DAMIEN) did a good job, but the tour operator did not deliver what was promised on the Viator website. This tour was supposed to "include" round trip train tickets/transfers from Athens to the "meeting point" in KATERINI, Greece and according to the Viator website the tour operator was to supply our tickets to us at the time or point that our tour was "paid in full". We fully paid for this tour on June 24, 2025. Our tour was scheduled for August 17, 2025. That is TWO (2) FULL MONTHS before the tour date that we made full and final payment! On August 15, 2025 we had not received our train tickets, or any other communication from the tour operator concerning train tickets, OR THE LACK THEREOF! I contacted the tour operator via the Viator web-site, and explained to them, that we had NOT received our train tickets for our tour, which was at that point 2 or 3 days away. They replied to me with ONLY a link to the meeting point! I replied back, and after some time had passed by, they emailed "2 different sets of "tickets" to us. One set of tickets were in "English", and the other set of tickets were in "Greek". My travel partner and I ONLY speak and read English. When we had someone from our Hotel in Athens "translate" the tickets in Greek for us, they informed us that the 1st set of tickets were for one-way train tickets to KATERINI , and that the 2nd set of tickets were BUS TICKETS from THESSALONIKI, Greece. The person that "translated" the BUS TICKETS written in Greek for us, explained that the town of THESSALONIKI was an hour FURTHER NORTH of KATERINI, and that much FURTHER AWAY from Athens too! NO where in the tour description on the VIATOR website does it mention BUS tickets, or that BUS tickets can, or will be "SUBSTITUTED" for TRAIN Tickets! By this time, it was less than 24 hours from the start time of our tour, so we could NOT cancel and expect a full refund! Hence, I called the tour operator, and I explained to the women that answered the phone that the tour description did NOT say anything about a return trip via a BUS! She told me it was "only an hour longer" via the bus (which was also NOT true or correct!), and that it was no big deal. However, it was a big deal to us, because this was a surprise to me, and should have been coordinated with us PRIOR to any changes to the tour description! Our tickets had been bought ONLY after I inquired about them on August 15th, which was ONLY 2 days before our tour, and a FULL TWO (2) MONTHS AFTER we had made FULL & FINAL PAYMENT for our tour. When I called the tour operator she also told me the train tickets were "SOLD OUT" for our return trip, so "THEY DECIDED" to buy us BUS tickets instead of TRAIN Tickets as per the VIATOR description. We had also learned that this was a Holiday weekend in Greece, which happens EVERY YEAR at this time, which the local tour operator should have known about! The tour operator should have advised us when they found out there were no more train tickets to give us the opportunity to cancel our tour or to take the bus. We are highly unsatisfied with their lack of communication, and lack of consideration of time! This point is because we ended up getting back to Athens 2-1/2 hours later than originally scheduled per the VIATOR WEBSITE, which took a HUGE BITE out of our early morning travel and tour plans for the next morning. We would like to print out that this company did send us a message via the VIATOR WEBSITE stating that we could cancel the tour, HOWEVER, that message was sent at 10:30 PM the night before the tour and of course we were already in bed, and did not see the message until the morning of our tour! I would not use this company again.
Donna_S, Aug 2025
Although the train ride is long, definitely worth the adventure. Easy to get to Athens train station to & from our hotel. Our local guide Damian was excellent!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!!
Sean_M, Jul 2025
Damian, the tour guide, was fantastic. Great anecdotes throughout the trip whether about recent history, ancient history, or mythology. Kept the group of 7 total people engaged throughout. Platamonas castle offers great views of the mountains and the sea and was great as a quick stop. The short hike through the valley to the falls was beautiful, and the archaeological site at Dion was unlike any other we saw while traveling through Greece. If time allows, recommend you stop at the museum in Dion to view the famous Alexander mosaic. Overall fantastic trip, definitely bring something to entertain yourself on the train ride.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!!!
Kimberly_K, Jul 2025
We really enjoyed the train rides, history and stories in the tour and of course the sites and lunch. It was the first tour where guide suggested we all eat together which was great idea!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!
Holly_C, Jul 2025
Our guide was amazing and reached out ahead of the date to make sure we were comfortable getting on the right train. He met us on arrival and explained everything along the way. We had another family with us (6 of us total) that had just flown in from out of the country. They had jet lag and were very hungry. He went out of his way to adjust our schedule so they could eat earlier and we were able to fit in the museum across the street from the restaurant. It was a beautiful area with lots to see!!! Thank you Damian for a wonderful day!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!
Jennifer_N, Jul 2025
We had 3 days in Greece and wanted to see it all. While we obviously didn't see it all, we felt like 2 days in Athens would be enough (and it was), so we wanted to indulge our Greek mythology lovers in our family and go to see where it all started at Mt. Olympus.
While we were surprised about the 4 hour train ride each way on our own (we must not have read the reviews completely or maybe it's not there, but now you know) and had to work to get the right set of 7 tickets for everyone (it was a clerical error, but glad that we checked, so we would recommend that you verify your train tickets the day before-the office staff was very helpful at 11 p.m. helping us get it fixed as was Viator), we are glad that we did this tour.
It was great to see more of Greece from the train and our time with Damian was well worth it. He is a natural story teller and so full of information that he is willing to share. It was just the 7 of us with him in the van which was so cool. We started with the castle visit which was a fun hike and history adventure. Then we were off to Olympus National Park which did not disappoint. Damian shared history and was so patient with us stopping for pictures and adjusting his pace as needed for all of us. Then we did lunch at a place that he recommended (the owner was the cook and the food was great and reasonably priced), skipping the time to explore in Litochoro to see an ancient mural and enjoy lunch. Then we had time to explore ruins in the park and then our day was done. This was a great experience and we would highly recommend it to anyone with an appreciation for Greek mythology (we drank water from the base of Mt. Olympus-so cool for all of us-ages 68-14!). We would absolutely go back and do another tour with Damian again (thinking a hiking one just for Mt. Olympus next time). This one is great for families (Percy Jackson fans, maybe), too.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!!!!!
Christen_F, Jun 2025
The tour was fabulous. Damian was knowledgeable and entertaining. He kept our 11 year old engaged.
Keep in mind when taking the train from Athens you are on your own. The tour guide picks you up and the destination to take you on the tour. The train ride is 4 hours, but relatively comfortable.
The tour company is responsive to communication. There was an issue with receiving the train tickets in email, which seemed to be a third party issue through Viatour, not the company. The company sent the tickets via WhatsApp when I reached out and said I had not received the email.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!!!
Dave_B, Jun 2025
What started as a long day trip turned into an amazing experience. Damien, our guide, was knowledgeable and was kind enough to share his knowledge with us. The views were breathtaking and the hike was moderate but manageable. Lunch was delicious and the local museum is still in it's building phase but was remarkable.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again!!!!
Rachel_F, Jun 2025
Damian is a phenomenal guide. It’s very clear he cares about his work and is very glad to share the information he has with everyone. We learned so much and he was amazing to answer every question we had. The short hike to the bath of Zeus was amazing, and there’s an awesome surprise there for you!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again !!!!
Kimberly_M, Mar 2025
Overall, Its a decent tour. On our tour we didn't go to Dion, No idea why. We went to a monastery instead. It was nice if you are interested. We had ten people in our entire tour. Damian the guide was great and knowledgeable.
The downsides, for us and for others to know, If you have Chronic arthritits or bad knees and knee replacements, this is NOT your tour. Keep in mind that you have to hike up to the park entrance first before you get to the actual Mount Olympus part, There is no van to take you up. Our van dropped us off in the town, and from what I understand as the season gets busier you have larger groups and this gets more difficult.
One of our tour members opted to not do the hike because of his knee replacements. For my wife and I, Her arthritis and My own knees prevented us from really enjoying the whole tour. We did make it through the hike but then My wife, myself and the other gentleman skipped the castle entirely and just waited for the group to return. The castle was closed. Not the tours fault, just a statement. we went before the season started.
Yes, the train ride is a monster. 4.5 hours out and 4.5 hours back to Athens. cell service on the train is almost non existent if you are a heavy user.
We are glad we did it and made it through the parts we really wanted to.
That's it. Good luck. enjoy your trip.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again !!!!
Alexandra_K, Feb 2025
We had an amazing experience with Damian and I couldn’t recommend this tour more highly! The train trip was lovely as well, although it was 4 hours it was smooth and it was nice to see the countryside. Food is also available on the train.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again !!!!
artavious_w, Jan 2025
I was the only one signed up for the tour on the day I went. It that made it better. My tour guide was very knowledgeable. Told me great stories about the gods. Seeing Mount Olympus from high up was crazy!!!! Train ride was cool.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you and see you again !!!!
Debra_M, Dec 2024
Mount Olympus was magical. Damien is a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. I just wish there was another hour to savor Mount Olympus.
David_V, Nov 2024
This was an excellent tour. Damian is very knowledgeable with the information and shared a lot of the mythology. There are very few tour to Mount Olympus, and this one was fantastic.
Mystique_S, Oct 2024
The tour was absolutely wonderful! Damian was a great tour guide, he knew so much about where we went and we never had a boring moment with him. Everywhere he took us to was beautiful and we had so much fun. However, the company bought our return tickets for the wrong date. We didn’t know until we had already boarded the train and were forced to buy new and more expensive tickets out of our own pocket. I reached out to the company here and they refused us a refund for the amount of our return tickets. It’s a shame, because this tour was really good. But finding out you don’t have the right tickets in a foreign country after already boarding was such a stressful moment. I say don’t book this. Save yourselves from that trouble.
Anand_G, Oct 2024
The arrangements were very nicely done. From booking of train tickets to, arrangement of all the tours and transport. The guide, Damian, was very jovial and knowledgeable, a unique combination, and really educated us about the history of Mount Olympus. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, highly recommended.
Kaitlyn_W, Jul 2024
I want to come back again and hike the full mountain. What an amazing tour, even had thunder while we visited the mountain.
Tani_W, Jul 2024
Damian was a wonderful guide! He had tons of stories and was very engaging! When we were on Mt. Olympus it started to thunder which we all giggled was Zeus making himself known🎉
Vivian_W, Jul 2024
The guide, Damian was fantastic. He knew the history but also had personal stories and had some great jokes. The ruins at Dion were wonderful. Being able to be on Mt. Olympus was wonderful. There is a lot to do and see.
Yvonne_H, Jun 2024
This was a really great tour. Damian our tour guide was very informative he had lots of knowledge of the area. Would definitely recommend this your
Claudia_D, Jun 2024
Damien was great! We loved the tour of Mt Olympus and Dion. The lunch was very good but not great if you have allergies. Castle was not worth a stop and was definitely just a time filler while we waited for the train back to Athens. All of the history was so wonderful and seeing Mt Olympus was great but not sure if it was worth the 8 hour (4 hours each way) train ride. If we had time, I would have wanted to hike more of the Mt Olympus national park so would have done a 2 day stay in that area of Greece.
PATRICIA_W, May 2024
The tour guide, Damian was wonderful. Such a nice, intelligent young man. The group was very small, only 4 of us (a party of 3 and then me.) Damian's knowledge of the area and the history of the region was very excellent. The only drawback to the entire trip was the restroom area at the train station when we arrived. Although no fault of the tour guide or the tour company, the restrooms were horrid! No toilet seats on most of the toilets, and some stalls didn't even have doors on them so anyone walking by could see you. The restrooms looked like something in an abandoned building and were located in an area that could very easily have been a place where you could have been mugged or assaulted. MOST DEFINATELY use the restroom on the train before you get to the destination!!! But, aside from that one issue, the tour itself was great! We ate at a local restaurant and the food and atmosphere were great. You could tell by the way the tour guide was welcomed that he has a great relationship to people in the area, which speaks volumes to his character and personality. The tour guide made everyone feel like we were simply a friend of his that he was showing around his hometown!! Best tour guide of all the 9 tours I took while I was in Greece!
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