Northern Greece Travel Guide

Northern Greece Travel Guide + 1 Week Itinerary | The Best Hikes in The Pindus Mountains, Meteora & Mount Olympus

When most travellers think of Greece, small islands and white washed villages probably come to mind. But what you might not realise is that 80% of the country is covered in mountains, and it remains one of the last remaining truly hidden gems for hiking in the region. It is home to one of the least visited national parks in Europe and is absolutely jam packed with rugged peaks, deep gorges, turquoise blue springs and lush alpine meadows. And the best bit? It is largely undiscovered by tourists and remains well off the beaten path, which means you will hardly encounter any other hikers on your adventures!

This guide covers the best trails, where to stay, a ready-made 7 day itinerary, and everything else you need to get out there and explore the mountains. Northern Greece is waiting – and for now at least, it’s still all yours.

The Practicalities:

Getting There:

I recommend flying into Thessaloniki – there are daily flights from the UK and other major travel hubs – and then driving into the mountains. It’s a couple of hours to get to Olympus or Meteora, and then a little further into the Pindus mountains but it is well worth the journey.

Getting Around:

You will definitely need to rent a car to get around this region of Greece, public transport is almost non-existent in the remote mountain villages.

When To Go:

I would recommend visiting in the months of late May through to the end of June or throughout September. The temperatures are a little cooler, the trails are free from snow and the wildflowers are blooming in May/June.

How Long To Stay:

I definitely recommend spending a week exploring this region as it takes a bit of effort to get there, and of course there is just so much to see!

Travel Tips

Trail markings can be variable, so I recommend downloading your route offline before you start each hike.
Mountain weather changes fast so always pack layers and waterproofs, even in the height of summer.
There are natural springs at points throughout the mountains, but they aren’t always flowing so I recommend bringing 2-3 litres of water per day minimum.

Stock up on snacks and supplies before you get into the remote villages, as shops are super limited and hard to come by.
Carry cash, especially in the remote villages and mountain refuges. Again, there aren’t many cash points in the villages so stock up before you get there.
Bears and wolves are present in Pindus but very rarely encountered. It is a good idea to make noise on the trails though, especially in dense forests.

Suggested 1 Week Itinerary

Day 1) Land in Thessaloniki, pick up a car & drive to Olympus.

Day 2) Hike Mount Olympus & drive to Meteora

Day 3) Hike Meteora

Day 4) Drive to Mondendri & explore the village

Day 5) Hike Vikos Gorge

Day 6) Hike Dragon Lake

Day 7) Travel back to Thessaloniki

I will lay out a series of optional extensions to this itinerary at the end of the travel guide.

The Itinerary: Breakdowns of Each Region

The Best Hikes In Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece at 2918 metres. The national park surrounding it is home to 52 peaks, alpine landscapes, deep gorges, dramatic ridge lines and plenty of mountain refuges for you to explore.

If you’re just spending a day there like we did, I recommend exploring the Epineas Gorge and trying this hike:

This route takes you past Agios Dionysios Monastery via a series of waterfalls where you can have a swim. The trail can all easily be done in a day. However, if you want to challenge yourself you can take on a 2 day Olympus summit hike with an overnight stay in a refuge, which would require forward planning and pre-booking.

Distance: 10km
Elevation: 600m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Link: Here

Accommodation:

The Countryside Lodge or Epineio Comfort Living in Litochoro

The Best Hikes In Meteora

Meteora is an iconic Greek destination, known for its ancient monasteries perched on top of towering rock formations. However, most visitors don’t realise it is also an incredible spot for hiking, and the trails allow you to see these often busy monasteries and landscapes without the crowds. My top trail recommendation would be:

There are six active monasteries open to visitors, if you only go inside one I would definitely recommend popping into Great Meteoron (Megalo Meteoro). Just make sure you have your shoulders and knees covered to remain respectful - they provide skirts for free at the entrance of each monastery.

Distance: 12km
Elevation: 600m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Link: Here

There are six active monasteries open to visitors, if you only go inside one I would definitely recommend popping into Great Meteoron (Megalo Meteoro). Just make sure you have your shoulders and knees covered to remain respectful – they provide skirts for free at the entrance of each monastery.

Accommodation:

Meteora hotel at Kastraki has unbeatable views.

The Best Hikes In the Pindus Mountains

The Northern Pindus National Park is one of the least visited and most underrated national parks in Europe. It covers 2000 square kilometres and is filled with meadows, peaks, lakes and gorges. Not to mention a network of ancient stone villages known collectively as the Zagorohoria which have been awarded UNESCO Cultural landscape status. It is an absolutely stunning region that feels like a truly authentic remote Greek experience far away from the tourist crowds.

There are numerous trails to explore in the Pindus Mountains, but my top two recommendations would be:

Vikos Gorge has the Guinness world record for the world's deepest gorge relative to its width, and trust me when I say the scenery is seriously dramatic! There is only really one main hiking trail through Vikos which takes you from Monodendri to Vikos Village, and I would definitely recommend doing it in that direction to get the best views at the end. There are the gorgeous crystal clear (and freezing!) Viodomatis springs you can swim in just before the ascent out of the gorge so make sure you pack a bikini and towel.

Distance: 14km
Elevation: 700m
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
Trail Link: Here

Note: Since you hike one way, you can arrange a taxi back to the starting point in one of the local tavernas in Vikos village for around 40-50 euros. If you want to avoid this cost, you can hike down and up from Vikos village and not pass through the whole gorge - this is still a stunning route.

Dragon Lake is a remote and pristine alpine lake nestled deep in the peaks of Mount Tymfi at around 2050m. The hiking route to get there is by far the most rewarding (and spicy!) in the region, and will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip. The scenery is diverse, starting out in beech forests and ascending through alpine meadows and valleys, past remote mountain refuges to the lake itself which is set to a backdrop of seriously dramatic peaks (which actually reminded me of the Dolomites!). To give you an idea of the altitude, you can often see snow up at the lake, even in the early summer months.

Distance: 18km
Elevation: 1300m
Difficulty: Hard
Trail Link: Here

Accommodation:

I recommend basing yourself in Monodendri and staying at a small guesthouse like Archontiko Zarkada. The village itself is tiny but worth exploring, there is an amphitheatre and a monastery – which has an incredible view of Vikos Gorge.

Optional Extensions:

There are various ways you could extend this trip, here are a few ideas:

Stay in Litochoro and complete a two-day Olympus ascent with an overnight refuge stay.
Add a day or night in Ioannina – a gorgeous city near the mountains which has a preserved Ottoman old town and a castle.
Go white water rafting in the Voidomatis River (we did this and it was SO much fun!!).
Extend your time in the Pindus Mountains and explore more of the trails up there.
Tack on a few days of relaxation on the beach in Katerini or one of the nearby coastal towns.