Thessaloniki is a city in Macedonia, Greece, on the Thermaic Gulf; the Greek National Tourism Organisation describes it as inhabited since prehistoric times, with archaeological sites, Byzantine churches and Ottoman monuments, and the White Tower on its waterfront. XTOUR maps the Roman and Byzantine monuments, churches and museums in the city itself, and keeps places elsewhere in Central Macedonia, such as Pella and Aigai at Vergina, apart from it.
Country
Greece
Type
City
Understand the place
Not only where to go, but what to eat, what things cost, what visitors get wrong, how accessible Thessaloniki is, which scams to recognize and what is genuinely worth your time.
The complete guide
Start with the parts of Thessaloniki that matter most to your trip, then move into the practical details.
Experiences & attractions
Attractions, experiences and places actually worth your time.
Eat like you understand the place
Signature dishes, local drinks, markets and eating well.
Where to stay & explore
Where to stay, wander and choose the right area for your trip.
Beyond the destination
Nearby places worth a day out from here.
Bring home the right things
What is genuinely worth buying and where to look.
After dark
What the evenings are like, and where to spend them.
Family travel
Family logistics, strollers, transport and practical planning.
When to go
When to visit and what the seasons really feel like.
Know before it happens
Common tourist traps and how to avoid them.
Money & budgeting
Budgets, payments and everyday prices.
Transport
Public transport, taxis, walking and common pitfalls.
Travel for more people
Mobility, transport and sensory accessibility.
Understand before you arrive
Local expectations, religion and visitor etiquette.
The details that matter
Connectivity, health, photography and useful local details.
Find your fit
Solo, women alone, older visitors, LGBTQ+, pets, remote work, budget and luxury.
Travel that holds up
Tourism pressure, supporting local people and animal welfare.
Traveler experiences
Traveler reviews will appear here after moderation.
Worth the drive
Distances are straight-line, not driving time — mountain roads in this region are often twice as long as the map suggests.
Church · Central Macedonia
The Church of Saint Demetrius (Hagios Demetrios) is a five-aisled basilica in Thessaloniki dedicated to the city's patron saint, a working Orthodox church with a crypt beneath its sanctuary.
Church · Central Macedonia
The Church of the Acheiropoietos is a mid-5th-century three-aisled basilica on Agias Sofias Street in central Thessaloniki, north of the church of Hagia Sophia.
Church · Central Macedonia
Hagia Sophia is a Byzantine domed church of the late 7th century in central Thessaloniki, today the cathedral church of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki.
Monument · Central Macedonia
The Arch of Galerius, known locally as Kamara, is the surviving part of a Roman triumphal arch on Egnatia Street in central Thessaloniki, dated to 305 AD.
Historic site · Central Macedonia
The Rotunda is a circular Roman building of around 306 AD in central Thessaloniki, built under Galerius and later used as a church and as a mosque.
Fortress · Central Macedonia
The White Tower is a 15th-century circular tower on the Thessaloniki seafront, the former eastern end of the city's sea wall, which now houses an exhibition on the history of Thessaloniki.
Explore deeper
4 guides
Aigai, the first capital of the Macedonian kingdom, is visited at Vergina as one museum spread over several places: the Museum of the Royal Tombs, the Central Museum Building, the Palace, the theatre and the royal necropolis. This guide explains how the parts fit together, what the official pages say about the ticket, where they disagree, and what XTOUR does not know.
XTOUR plans Greece around towns and islands rather than regions: Athens, Thessaloniki, Kalambaka, Delphi, Nafplio, Ioannina, Heraklion, Chania, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Corfu Town. This guide says what each base is for, which sites are reached from a base rather than inside it, and which XTOUR guide takes over for each of them.
Greek road and street signs are written in the Greek alphabet, with a Latin-letter line where appropriate, and the official romanization is the Greek standard ELOT 743. This article shows how the letters convert, why one town can appear as Kalambaka, Kalampaka or Kalabaka and one city as Heraklion, Iraklion or Irakleio, and where the official sources disagree.
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