For couples · Thessaloniki · Greece
Romantic things to do in Thessaloniki
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Thessaloniki's romance is low-key: sunsets over the gulf, long dinners in the lanes of Ladadika and views from the walls of Ano Poli. Couples can combine the city with a few days on a Chalkidiki beach. Couples tend to stay in City Centre (Aristotelous Square).
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
- Best months
- May–June and October
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at the Umbrellas
Walk the seafront from the White Tower to the Umbrellas sculpture as the sun drops behind Mount Olympus across the gulf.
2.Trigonion Tower at dusk
Watch the city lights come on from the walls of Ano Poli, then walk down the lanes to a taverna.
3.Meze dinner in Ladadika
Share grilled octopus, mussels and a bottle of tsipouro on the cobbles of the old warehouse quarter.
4.Cocktails on a rooftop
Several hotels and bars around the centre have roof terraces looking over the White Tower and the gulf.
5.Beach escape in Chalkidiki
Add a night or two in Kassandra or Sithonia for pine-backed coves and clear water.
Sights couples love
Neighbourhood · Ano Poli
Ano Poli, Heptapyrgion and the city walls
Take a taxi or bus up to the Heptapyrgion and walk downhill through Ano Poli to the centre.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
- Couples
Neighbourhood · Ladadika
Ladadika quarter
Come for dinner from about 9pm, when locals start arriving; earlier you will mostly see other visitors.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Couples
Waterfront · White Tower and the eastern seafront
Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas
Rent a bike and ride the full length in the early evening, when locals come out for their walk.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Photo spot
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, food lovers and couples
City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
The grid laid out after the great fire of 1917 runs inland from Aristotelous Square, the city's ceremonial plaza opening onto the sea. Tsimiski and Ermou streets hold the main shops, the Kapani and Modiano markets are a few blocks up, and the waterfront, Ladadika and the Roman Forum are all within 10 minutes on foot.
- Good
- Walkable to almost every sight; Wide choice of hotels; Close to the metro on Egnatia
- Watch out
- Traffic noise on Egnatia and Tsimiski; Rooms facing the main streets can be loud
- Nearby
- Aristotelous Square, Modiano Market, Panagia Chalkeon, Roman Forum
Romantic day trips
- Kassandra, Chalkidiki (About 1–1.5 hours by car) — The westernmost of Chalkidiki's three peninsulas has long sandy beaches, pine-backed coves and resort villages such as Kallithea and Pefkochori.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Mussels, Soutzoukakia smyrneika and Patsas. Many tavernas in Ano Poli and Kalamaria are aimed at locals and are better value than those on the main Ladadika lanes.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Thessaloniki romantic?
Thessaloniki's romance is low-key: sunsets over the gulf, long dinners in the lanes of Ladadika and views from the walls of Ano Poli. Couples can combine the city with a few days on a Chalkidiki beach.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Thessaloniki?
Sunset at the Umbrellas: Walk the seafront from the White Tower to the Umbrellas sculpture as the sun drops behind Mount Olympus across the gulf.
+Where should couples stay in Thessaloniki?
City Centre (Aristotelous Square): Hébrard's grand square, Tsimiski shopping street and the markets.