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Thessaloniki

Byzantine Churches, a Seafront Promenade and Greece's Best Food

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2 daysIdeal stay₹6,920From / night₹2,560Food / day₹640Entry

Greece's second city, on the Thermaic Gulf: the White Tower and the long seafront promenade, the Rotunda and the Arch of Galerius, Byzantine churches on the UNESCO list, the Ano Poli old town under the walls, the Modiano and Kapani markets, and a famous food and nightlife scene. Its airport has flights from across Europe and from Athens; Hellenic Train takes about 4.5 to 5.5 hours from Athens. The gateway to Halkidiki's beaches, to Mount Olympus and Vergina. Some Indian restaurants.

Highlights

  • Seafront walk to the White Tower and the Umbrellas
  • Rotunda, Arch of Galerius and Hagia Sophia
  • Sunset from the walls of Ano Poli
  • Modiano and Kapani markets
  • Bougatsa for breakfast
  • Day trip to the royal tombs at Vergina

Things to do

  • White Tower and the seafront promenadeMorning · 2h 30m
  • Byzantine churches, Rotunda and Arch of GaleriusMorning · 3h
  • Ano Poli old town and the walls at sunsetEvening · 2h 30m
  • Market and street-food walk (Modiano, Kapani)Afternoon · 2h 30m
  • Day trip to the royal tombs at VerginaMorning · 6h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Thessalonikivia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Thessalonikivia Klook

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When to go

Best time: April – June, September – October

Heads up

Summer Heat

July and August bring heatwaves of 35-40 °C and more to the mainland and the big islands. See ancient sites at opening time (they have little shade, and can close at midday in extreme heat), rest in the afternoon, carry water, and book rooms with air-conditioning.

  • Orthodox Easter (Pascha) — Greece's biggest festival: candlelit Good Friday processions, the midnight Resurrection service on Saturday with fireworks and church bells, and lamb roasts on Sunday. Corfu's is the most famous, with clay pots thrown from balconies on Holy Saturday morning. Greeks travel home, so ferries, flights and hotels fill, and shops, museums and sites close or shorten hours from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Book well ahead.
  • Clean Monday and the end of Carnival — The first day of Orthodox Lent and a public holiday: families fly kites (in Athens on Filopappou Hill) and eat a meatless picnic of lagana bread, taramosalata and vegetable dishes, easy for vegetarians. The Carnival (Apokries) parades end the weekend before.
  • Epiphany: the Blessing of the Waters — Priests throw a cross into the sea, a river or the harbour and young men dive to bring it back, at Piraeus, Thessaloniki's seafront and island harbours. A public holiday.
  • St Demetrius and Ochi Day — Thessaloniki celebrates its patron saint on 26 October and holds Greece's main military parade on Ochi Day (28 October), the national holiday for the "No" to Italy's ultimatum in 1940; school parades fill every town. Some museums and shops close on the 28th.
  • Thessaloniki International Film Festival — Ten days of screenings round the port warehouses and the Olympion cinema in November, with public tickets; hotels on the seafront fill.