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ThessalonikiTravel Guide

Greece5 stories

Greece's soulful second city stacks Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman layers above a long seafront promenade — and feeds you better, many Greeks insist, than anywhere else in the country.

Is Thessaloniki right for you?

When to come

May–June & September–October

Around 32°C by day in July, 9°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

Thessaloniki is inEnough for a long weekendDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 9 degrees by day, 2 at night, 33 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 11 degrees by day, 3 at night, 39 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 15 degrees by day, 6 at night, 38 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 19 degrees by day, 9 at night, 38 millimetres of rain, some rain.
May: around 25 degrees by day, 14 at night, 40 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 30 degrees by day, 19 at night, 28 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
July: around 32 degrees by day, 21 at night, 22 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 32 degrees by day, 21 at night, 22 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 27 degrees by day, 17 at night, 25 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
October: around 21 degrees by day, 13 at night, 44 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 16 degrees by day, 8 at night, 60 millimetres of rain, some rain.
December: around 11 degrees by day, 4 at night, 47 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

May–June & September–October

Average daily highs, recorded at Thessaloniki Airport (Makedonia), 2 m.

Where this comes from

Infoclimat; HNMS (Hellenic National Meteorological Service); NOAA — The article carries three boxes (Aristotle University 32 m, International Fair 29 m, Airport 2 m). The airport station is used as the standard synoptic station; the two urban stations run 1-2 °C warmer at night.

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Sofia, Bulgaria230 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September · a different price level (budget)

  • Corfu280 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September

  • Athens300 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in May, June, September

  • Kotor, Montenegro400 km

    half a day's travel · both good in May, June, September

Plan itWhere to stay in Thessalonikiad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Thessaloniki

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki at dusk from above, the lit city spread along the curve of the Thermaic Gulf under a sky graded from deep teal to burning orange, with distant mountains on the far shore.
01
Stays

Sleeping well in Thessaloniki on every budget

Thessaloniki is compact enough that no address is truly wrong, but each quarter sleeps differently — here is where the money goes furthest, from the seafront grande dames to the guesthouses under the Byzantine walls.

Greece · 12 min
The White Tower of Thessaloniki, the city's landmark Ottoman-era stone tower on the seafront promenade, Greece
02
Itineraries

48 Hours in Thessaloniki: The Perfect Itinerary

Two days in Greece's second city: Byzantine walls at sunset, bougatsa at dawn, and the best eating culture in the country. Here's the hour-by-hour plan.

Greece · 2 min
A food market in Thessaloniki
03
Food

Uphill for Bougatsa, Downhill for Fish: An Eating Map of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki splits cleanly by neighbourhood at the table, from the market ouzeri of Kapani to the meze squares, the Cretan kitchens of Ladadika, the custard pies of the Upper Town and the fish tavernas of Nea Krini that the new metro has finally made easy.

Greece · 10 min
The statue of Alexander the Great on Thessaloniki's waterfront promenade at sunset, with the Thermaic Gulf glowing behind
04
The List

The best day trips from Thessaloniki, ranked

Royal Macedonian tombs, the throne of the gods and Halkidiki's turquoise coves — seven escapes that show why Thessaloniki is northern Greece's perfect base.

Greece · 2 min
The vast brick drum of the Rotunda of Galerius in Thessaloniki beside its surviving Ottoman minaret, cypresses and street lamps below a deep blue sky.
05
Itineraries

Thessaloniki in 24 hours for the time-poor

A Roman imperial capital, a Byzantine treasury and Greece's only UNESCO City of Gastronomy, walked end to end in a single day — with the hours, the costs and the one hill you should not attempt on foot.

Greece · 12 min
In pictures

Thessaloniki, framed

Looking out from the mossy cave mouth behind the Karanos waterfall at Edessa, sunlit spray falling in a bright curtain across the greenery beyond.
Photo: Ayad Hendy / Unsplash
Ano Poli, Thessaloniki
Photo: MERVE SAĞLAM / Unsplash
Ano Poli, Thessaloniki
Photo: Vardan Papikyan / Unsplash
The waterfront and the White Tower, Thessaloniki
Photo: STEFANOS KERAMARIS / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Thessaloniki

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Greece

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Greek; English is widely spoken in Athens, Thessaloniki and across the islands

Power

Type C/F, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

Blue Star, SeaJets and the other ferry lines connect the islands, and city transport is local: in Athens it is the rechargeable Ath.ena ticket or card bought at machines and kiosks, not a contactless bank card.

Tipping

Rounding up or 5–10% in a restaurant is normal; card terminals now prompt for a tip, but there is no obligation to add one.

Tap water

Safe on the mainland including Athens and Thessaloniki, but on Santorini, Mykonos and many islands the supply is desalinated and locals drink bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; a UK or EU photocard licence is accepted, though hire companies often insist on an International Driving Permit.

Emergency

112 (general); 100 police, 166 ambulance, 199 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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