2 days in Thessaloniki

Day by day

1. Day 1: White Tower and Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

   White Tower, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Museum of Byzantine Culture and Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas, then Arch of Galerius (Kamara) in the evening.

   1. Morning

      White Tower

      Inside, six floors of displays tell the history of Thessaloniki, and the rooftop gives a 360-degree view of the seafront, the port and, on clear days, Mount Olympus across the gulf.

   2. Late morning

      Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

      It is a 10-minute walk from the White Tower.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bougatsa

      Specialist bougatsa shops across the centre, many open from early morning; order 'me krema' for the sweet custard version.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum of Byzantine Culture

      The building is calm and well laid out, and it complements the city's churches.

   5. Late afternoon

      Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas

      Giorgos Zongolopoulos's Umbrellas sculpture, a cluster of steel umbrellas rising from the waterline, is the favourite sunset photo spot.

   6. Evening

      Arch of Galerius (Kamara)

      Look closely at the lower friezes on the south-facing pier, where the reliefs are best preserved.

2. Day 2: Rotunda of Galerius and Aristotelous Square

   Rotunda of Galerius, Aristotelous Square, Church of Hagios Demetrios and Hagia Sophia, then Ladadika quarter in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Rotunda of Galerius

      Fragments of 4th-century gold mosaics survive high in the dome, and its walls are over six metres thick.

   2. Late morning

      Aristotelous Square

      It hosts concerts, protests and the Christmas tree, and the Olympion cinema on the square is home to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Thessaloniki koulouri

      Street carts near Aristotelous Square, Egnatia and the university, and bakery chains throughout the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Church of Hagios Demetrios

      Rebuilt after the 1917 fire around its surviving mosaics and columns, it sits above a crypt built over Roman baths, where tradition places the saint's martyrdom.

   5. Late afternoon

      Hagia Sophia

      It stands in a garden square off Ermou Street, a few minutes from Aristotelous Square.

   6. Evening

      Ladadika quarter

      Come for dinner from about 9pm, when locals start arriving; earlier you will mostly see other visitors.

If it rains

• Swap in Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki (City Centre (Aristotelous Square)): Allow time to read the panels; the museum is small but changes how you see the rest of the city.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–13 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The centre, Ladadika and the Roman monuments are 10–20 minutes apart on foot, and the seafront is flat.

More or fewer days

• One day in Thessaloniki
• 3 days in Thessaloniki

Questions travellers ask