Mount Olympus and the Vale of Tempe
From Thessaloniki to the sacred city of Dion, up the mountain of the gods to Prionia, then past Platamonas castle to the Vale of Tempe.
- Distance
- 145 km (90 mi)
- Driving
- 2 h 00 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 7
- Countries
- Greece
- Updated
- June 9, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 145 km (90 mi) with 7 stops, from Thessaloniki to Ambelakia. About 2 h 00 min of driving in total.
Route description
The A1 motorway (tolls) runs south from Thessaloniki along the Thermaic Gulf with Olympus growing ahead. Leave it for Dion, the sacred city of the ancient Macedonians, whose ruins lie among springs and trees at the foot of the mountain.
Litochoro is the base for Olympus, a stone town at the mouth of the Enipeas gorge. A winding 18 km road climbs through forest to Prionia, where the main trail to the summit begins; even without climbing, the walk to the waterfall and along the gorge is rewarding.
Back on the coast, the Crusader castle of Platamonas stands on a hill above the sea. Then the road enters the Vale of Tempe, a narrow gorge between Olympus and Ossa, where a footbridge crosses the river to the cave chapel of Agia Paraskevi.
Finish in Ambelakia, a hillside village above the gorge with grand 18th-century mansions built on the cotton-dye trade. The summit of Olympus is only for experienced hikers and usually needs a night at a refuge; snow lingers until June.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Thessaloniki
Greece - 281 km
Dion Archaeological Park
HistoryDion, GreeceThe sacred city of the Macedonians at the foot of Olympus, with sanctuaries half-flooded by springs and fine mosaics. The museum in the village holds the best finds.
- 310 km
Litochoro
Greece - 410 km
Prionia
NatureLitochoro, GreeceThe end of the road into Mount Olympus at about 1,100 m, where the main trail to the summit begins. A short walk leads to a waterfall; the drive from Litochoro is 18 km of bends.
- 523 km
Platamonas Castle
HistoryPlatamonas, GreeceA Crusader castle on a hill between Olympus and the sea, with walls and a keep in good repair. It is visible from the motorway and easy to reach.
- 616 km
Vale of Tempe
NatureTempi, GreeceA narrow gorge of the Pineios river between Olympus and Ossa. A suspension footbridge crosses to the cave chapel of Agia Paraskevi and its spring.
- 75 km
Ambelakia
Greece
