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Trails of Zeus

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All mountain adventure combining mythology, mountain biking, beach relaxing and nightlife.

All about the Trails of Zeus.

At a glance

A mountain bike trip combining -among others- three spectacular and at the same time different destinations.

Thessaloniki, home of Outline, with great trails around for all-mountain riders is a splendid and well-known European city break destination with lots of historical monuments and a notorious nightlife. Mt Olympus, the most famous and recognisable mountain worldwide, homeland of the Ancient Greece Gods, is an all year long destination to explore, giving the traveller the chance to experience a great adventure while getting acquainted with the source of Ancient Greek history. Last but not least, Meteora, a UNESCO’s heritage of Orthodox Monasteries, built on a complex of rocks formation with trails that were used for the secret trafficking of the Christian monks, during the Ottoman occupation!

Tour Highlights

  • Ride at the most famous mountain in the world, home of Zeus
  • Ride through the Meteora monasteries, a UNESCO monument
  • Downhill from 1500m to sea coast
  • Breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea
  • Relaxing at the beach
  • Urban downhill ride

Please note: A mountain bike adventure may be affected by numerous factors, with more common the weather conditions. Outline Adventures and its people have the experience to adjust the itinerary and proceed to what is needed in order to update the tour and provide you the best experience depending the conditions.

The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
  • English speaking, local expert mtb guide(s)
  • Skills improvement
  • Six (6) nights accommodation
  • Five (5) meals
  • Six (6) dinners
  • Maintenance toolset always available
  • All transportation required by the itinerary
  • Airport pick up and drop off
Whats not included in this tour.Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
  • International and/or domestic flights
  • Alcoholic / non-alcoholic beverages
  • Tickets for sights and visits
  • Bike rentals
  • Personal safety and bike equipment
  • Travel and health insurance
  • Anything not mentioned as included
  1. Day 1 Arrive at SKG Airport - Transfer to Meteora

    The adventure begins at SKG Airport where your guide will be waiting for you to pick you up and transfer you to Meteora. (Check transfer details at Trip Details section). Please do not forget to inform us by email about the details of your flight, at least 7 days prior to the arrival day, in order to schedule your pick up from SKG on time.

    After the arrival at the hotel, a first meeting will take place. You will meet the Tour and Guide leaders and a tour briefing will be given to you accompanied by some traditional “meze” and welcome drinks – just a few since some serious all mountain biking is waiting for you the next days!

  2. Day 2 Enduro Monks

    Our ride day in Meteora starts with a nice, local breakfast and right after we fix our bikes and verify all of our gear is in shape. Make sure you have double checked our bike kit list for this tour before traveling.

    We will start riding from our hotel through single tracks and forest roads, till we pass by -and maybe visit- some of the most important Monasteries. We will we end up at the Great Meteora, which is the Monastery at the highest altitude. A part of our route will be an ancient trail used secretly by the monks during the Ottoman occupation.

    Afterwards we will start downhill the single trail and we will end our ride at our hotel again for some rest and dinner afterwards.

    Ride distance: 30km to 35km

     

  3. Day 3 Mt Ossa, the Brother of Mt Olympus

    After a local rich breakfast and check outs, we will drive for about 3 hours to Kissavos peak, the twin summit brother of Mt Olympus.

    We will drive through the seaside village of Stomio, a well-known kite surf destination, till we reach the refuge of Mt Ossa at 1500m altitude. After a warm cup of tea, we can optionally hike with our bikes to the summit at 1700m altitude, or we can start downhill from the refuge. We’ll ride downhill, at least couple of rides through uplifts, at proper mountain bike single tracks till we end up at the beach of Stomio village!!!

    There, we will relax with some cold beers and snacks by the sea, sunbathing and swimming, before driving to Litochoro village for settling to our hotel and enjoy a splendid dinner at a cozy restaurant.

    Ride distance: 25km to 35km

     

  4. Day 4 Meet Mt Olympus

    Mt Olympus day starts with a good breakfast. Today we will explore the trails of Zeus, trails of Mt Olympus which are surround the entrance of Mt Olympus National Park. After a couple of shuttles with our van, we will end up, through the canyon of Enipeas (a river God and son of Ocean), at a traditional square of Litochoro village, to take a quick rest and enjoy a couple of drinks before heading to the beach for some dives at the refreshing waters of The Aegean Sea!

    After some resting at our hotel, we will discover the traditional taverns of Mt Olympus and the local cuisine.

    Ride distance: 30km to 35km

     

  5. Day 5 Naoussa downhill

    Heading back to Thessaloniki, we will make a stop and ride at the foot of one of the most famous ski resorts in Northern Greece, 3-5 Pigadia at Naoussa village.

    A 10km purpose-build-mtb trail, starting from the base of the Ski Resort and ending just above the Naoussa village, will make you scream from joy and fun! We will uplift you 3 times in order to take as much as possible from this beauty, before we stop for a snack of local treats and some local variety wine, Xinomavro, one of the Greece best’s!

    Afterwards we will drive to Thessaloniki, for our overnight and preparation for riding at Greece’s second biggest city!

    Ride distance: 30km

  6. Day 6 Thessaloniki's epic ride

    Today we will taste one more true Mediterranean way of riding. After our breakfast, our van will drive us to the peak of Mt Chortiatis, the “roof” of Thessaloniki at 1,000m altitude.

    Through single tracks, old goat trails and some urban downhill, we will end up to Thessaloniki centre to visit a traditional food market, taste Greek tapas and home brewed, raki. Yamas guys! In the afternoon we will have free time for shopping or to visit some sightseeings and the most iconic monument of Thessaloniki, the White Tower.

    Ride distance: 25km to 35km

     

  7. Day 7 Departure Day

    Sadly, this is the end of your magnificent mountain biking holiday in Greece. Depending on your flight’s schedule, you may have time to do some last-minute shopping in Thessaloniki before we transfer you to SKG Airport and say to each other, “Till our paths meet again!”

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Fitness and Skills Level

Fitness Level: 3

  • You have a reasonable level of fitness, exercising at least twice a week for 45 minutes or more, throughout the whole year
  • You can ride for up to 5 hours per day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for 3 consecutive days
  • You are capable of tackling one or two moderate climbs per day, of up to 400m

Skill Level: Intermediate

  • You have been mountain biking regularly for at least one year
  • You have reasonable bike handling skills, and are confident riding in a variety of terrains and conditions including: single track, double track, muddy, wet, dry, loose
  • You are competent at riding undulating trails with moderate climbs and descents, some of which may be slightly technical in nature, but may get off and walk some sections
  • You ride at least three to four times per month

 

Preparation of your Bike

Here is our Bike kit list in order to help you get prepared for your adventure. Please read and check it carefully. The ideal bike for this mtb trip is a high quality full-suspension mountain bike with at least 140mm of travel. Make sure, that your bike has been professionally and authorised serviced, including all suspensions and your equipment is in proper condition.

Accommodation – GBH

The majority of accommodation that we use on this mountain biking adventure, is mainly, family-owned lodges and small hotels. We have researched these areas extensively to select the most comfortable accommodation in the region and we have planned the itinerary accordingly.

Food & Beverages

Here in Greece the food is almost a ritual matter. The areas we will be riding, are famous for their quality traditional Cuisine and Vineyards. Thessaloniki is considered to be a global gastronomy destination, during the last years.
We will arrange dinners at cozy local restaurants and bars, for you.
After all you are in Greece, you have to spend some quality time to try for Mediterranean flavours.

Arrival & Departure Details – Transfers

This tour starts and finishes at Thessaloniki Airport, SKG.

 

Your Guide and/or Driver will meet you at the exit of Arrival department of SKG, holding an Outline Adventures sign.

Since we will be traveling at Meteora at arrival day, make everything you can to arrive before 18:00. Otherwise, please consider the option of travelling the day before to Thessaloniki.

In any case, do not forget to inform us by mail about the details of your flight, at least 7 days before the arrival day, in order to schedule your pick up from SKG on time.

SKG airport is well connected to many international destinations. Please let us know if you require any assistance with your flights.

On your departure date we will drop you off to SKG to catch your homeward flight.

If you wish to arrive sooner or extend your trip to Greece, please contact us.

 

Please Note: All transportations from and to SKG Airport are scheduled to take place from 9am to 9pm at the arrival and departure dates of the trip. If your flight(s) are before or after this range, an extra fee of 25€ per person will be charged.

 

Travel Factors

Terms & Conditions

Please read and accept our Terms & Conditions before you book one of our adventures. It is very important for us, to know that all of our customers have read and agreed to our terms.

Cancellation Policy

We hope that you will never have to cancel your trip. Although, if for any reason you have to cancel, make sure you are aware of our cancellation policy.

Travel Insurance

You are required, as a condition of booking, to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage.

 

 

Please note: We are more than happy to help you understand all of the trip aspects. Feel free to ask any kind of question you may have for this trip.

The duration and dates of this trip are specific. If you want to arrive earlier or expand your trip, feel free to mail us. Also if you book your own group you can tailor the trip in any way you want.
We usually run small groups to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible and there will generally be between 4 to 6 people in each group. The minimum number of people we require for this trip is 4.
We welcome anyone 18+ years old. As long as the riders fulfil the Skill and Fitness level for this trip, age does not really matter.
Our tours are addressed to mountain bikers. Although, if you would like to bring your partner please inform us in order to help you and your partner to have a great time without losing any of our rides.
This is a typical all-mountain bike trip. We will include a range of different types of trails from flow single tracks, to fun downhills (and even to some uphill grinds to keep you honest). We will have daily briefings to let you know what is coming up.
Typically Mediterranean weather. At Mt Olympus because of the high altitude, weather conditions can be a little bit unpredicted but overall we will feel the Mediterranean sun and the pleasant cool of the Aegean.
The trip price is €1420 per person based on two sharing a room. We are more than happy to welcome single travellers. If you wish to have a room by yourself, an additional fee of €190 will be added. Please note: accommodation is limited in some of the areas we’ll be riding, so if you can share with another traveller (of the same sex) it would be appreciated.
We can arrange for you a good quality Scott Genius 950 2019 full suspension bike hire for the duration of the trip. The rental cost for the whole trip is €200. Let us know as soon as possible in order to make arrangements for your request.
Whether you have vegan, gluten free, or any special request regarding your diet preferences, feel free to inform us and we will take care of it. All of our restaurants have menu proposals for any kind of diet preferences.
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