Things to do · Thessaloniki · Greece
17 best things to do in Thessaloniki
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: User:JFKennedy, Public domain
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Quick answer
The essential sights in Thessaloniki are White Tower, Rotunda of Galerius and Arch of Galerius (Kamara). Of the 17 picks below, 11 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 2 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- White Tower
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Rotunda of Galerius
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Tower | White Tower and the eastern seafront | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Rotunda of Galerius | Kamara and Navarinou | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Arch of Galerius (Kamara) | Kamara and Navarinou | 20 minutes | Free |
| Aristotelous Square | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Church of Hagios Demetrios | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 45 minutes | Free |
| Hagia Sophia | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Panagia Chalkeon | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 20 minutes | Free |
| Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki | White Tower and the eastern seafront | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Museum of Byzantine Culture | White Tower and the eastern seafront | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Ano Poli, Heptapyrgion and the city walls | Ano Poli | Half a day | Free |
| Vlatadon Monastery | Ano Poli | 30 minutes | Free |
| Kapani and Modiano markets | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 1 hour | Free |
| Ladadika quarter | Ladadika | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas | White Tower and the eastern seafront | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Roman Forum (Ancient Agora) | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki | City Centre (Aristotelous Square) | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Atatürk Museum | Ano Poli | 30 minutes | Free |
The 17 best things to do
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Landmark · White Tower and the eastern seafront
1.White Tower
The cylindrical Ottoman tower on the waterfront, built in the 15th century and once used as a prison, is the symbol of the city. 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.
Climb it late in the afternoon for the light over the gulf, then walk the promenade towards the Umbrellas for sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- History
- Kids
Historic site · Kamara and Navarinou
2.Rotunda of Galerius
Built around 306 AD as part of Emperor Galerius's palace complex, this massive brick drum later became a church and then a mosque, and its Ottoman minaret still stands beside it. Fragments of 4th-century gold mosaics survive high in the dome, and its walls are over six metres thick.
Combine it with the Arch of Galerius 100 metres down the hill and the palace remains around Navarinou Square.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Kamara and Navarinou
3.Arch of Galerius (Kamara)
The surviving piers of a triumphal arch raised around 300 AD celebrate Galerius's victory over the Persians, with marble reliefs of battles and imperial processions. Locals simply call it Kamara, and it is the city's most popular meeting point, standing on Egnatia Street beside student cafés.
Look closely at the lower friezes on the south-facing pier, where the reliefs are best preserved.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Iconic
- After dark
Landmark · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
4.Aristotelous Square
Designed by the French architect Ernest Hébrard after the 1917 fire, the city's grand square opens from Egnatia Street down to the sea between arcaded buildings full of cafés. It hosts concerts, protests and the Christmas tree, and the Olympion cinema on the square is home to the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
Order a frappé or freddo espresso on one of the arcade terraces and watch the evening volta, the city's promenade.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- After dark
- Architecture
Religious site · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
5.Church of Hagios Demetrios
The city's largest church is dedicated to its patron saint, Demetrius, martyred here in the early 4th century. 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.
Do not miss the crypt, reached by stairs near the apse; it is cool and quiet even on hot afternoons.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Religious site · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
6.Hagia Sophia
This 8th-century church, modelled on the great churches of Constantinople, has a mosaic of the Ascension filling its dome, with Christ seated on a rainbow above the apostles. It stands in a garden square off Ermou Street, a few minutes from Aristotelous Square.
Bring binoculars or use your phone zoom for the dome mosaic, which is hard to read with the naked eye.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Architecture
Religious site · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
7.Panagia Chalkeon
A compact red-brick church from 1028 in the old coppersmiths' quarter, with a cross-in-square plan and 11th-century frescoes. It stands just off Egnatia beside the Ottoman Bey Hamam and the Roman Forum, which makes it an easy stop on a walk through the centre.
Look at the brickwork from the small square outside, which is as interesting as the interior.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · White Tower and the eastern seafront
8.Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
One of the most important museums in Greece for ancient Macedonia, with the bronze Derveni Krater, elaborate gold wreaths and jewellery from royal and aristocratic tombs, and finds from Roman Thessaloniki. It is a 10-minute walk from the White Tower.
Head first for the gold of Macedon rooms and the Derveni Krater, then visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture across the road.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · White Tower and the eastern seafront
1.Museum of Byzantine Culture
Award-winning galleries trace Byzantine life from early Christian tombs and mosaics to icons, textiles and everyday objects, using material found largely in and around Thessaloniki. The building is calm and well laid out, and it complements the city's churches.
Visit before touring the churches; the museum explains the iconography you will see in them.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Ano Poli
2.Ano Poli, Heptapyrgion and the city walls
The Upper Town's lanes climb to the Heptapyrgion (Yedi Kule), a Byzantine and Ottoman fortress that served as a prison until 1989, and to stretches of the city walls. The Trigonion Tower next to the walls is the classic sunset viewpoint over the whole city and the gulf.
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
Religious site · Ano Poli
3.Vlatadon Monastery
A working monastery founded in the 14th century beside the walls of Ano Poli, with a frescoed church, peacocks in the courtyard and a terrace overlooking the city. It is one of the few Byzantine monasteries in the city still in use.
Dress modestly and keep your voice low; this is an active monastery, not a museum.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Off the beaten path
Market · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
4.Kapani and Modiano markets
The Kapani (Vlali) market is a grid of lanes selling fish, olives, herbs, spices, cheese and loukoumi, and it has been the city's food market since Ottoman times. The covered Modiano Market next door, built in the 1920s, has been restored and now mixes food stalls with places to eat.
Go in the morning on a weekday, when the fishmongers are in full voice, and buy olives and spices to take home.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Ladadika
5.Ladadika quarter
Low 19th-century warehouses that once stored olive oil now hold ouzeri, tavernas and bars on pedestrian lanes near the port. In the evening the tables spill across the cobbles, and it is the classic place to try meze with tsipouro or ouzo.
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
6.Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas
The redesigned promenade east of the White Tower runs for several kilometres past 13 themed gardens, playgrounds and cycle lanes to the Concert Hall. Giorgos Zongolopoulos's Umbrellas sculpture, a cluster of steel umbrellas rising from the waterline, is the favourite sunset photo spot.
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
Historic site · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
7.Roman Forum (Ancient Agora)
Excavated in the 1960s when the site was cleared for a courthouse, the forum includes a small theatre-odeon, colonnades and an underground cryptoporticus. It sits a short walk up from Aristotelous Square, and you can look over much of it from the surrounding streets.
Walk round the railings first for the overview, then go down if you want to see the cryptoporticus and small museum.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
Museum · City Centre (Aristotelous Square)
8.Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki was for centuries a majority-Jewish, Ladino-speaking city after Sephardic Jews settled here from the late 15th century. This museum on Agiou Mina Street tells that story through tombstones from the destroyed Jewish cemetery, everyday objects and the deportations of 1943, in which most of the community was murdered.
Allow time to read the panels; the museum is small but changes how you see the rest of the city.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Ano Poli
9.Atatürk Museum
The pink three-storey house where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881 stands next to the Turkish Consulate on Apostolou Pavlou Street. It is furnished in period style with photographs and personal items, and is a reminder of the city's long Ottoman era.
Bring your passport or ID, which is usually requested at the consulate entrance.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Hagia Sophia, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Museum of Byzantine Culture and Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki |
| History | White Tower, Rotunda of Galerius, Arch of Galerius (Kamara) and Church of Hagios Demetrios |
| Views | White Tower, Ano Poli, Heptapyrgion and the city walls and Vlatadon Monastery |
| Outdoors and nature | Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas and Roman Forum (Ancient Agora) |
| Food and markets | Kapani and Modiano markets and Ladadika quarter |
| After dark | Arch of Galerius (Kamara), Aristotelous Square and Ladadika quarter |
| With children | White Tower and Nea Paralia seafront and the Umbrellas |
| On a rainy day | Rotunda of Galerius, Church of Hagios Demetrios, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and Museum of Byzantine Culture |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Thessaloniki?
White Tower. The cylindrical Ottoman tower on the waterfront, built in the 15th century and once used as a prison, is the symbol of the city.
+What can you do for free in Thessaloniki?
Arch of Galerius (Kamara), Aristotelous Square, Church of Hagios Demetrios, Hagia Sophia and Panagia Chalkeon. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Thessaloniki when it rains?
Head indoors to Rotunda of Galerius, Church of Hagios Demetrios, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and Museum of Byzantine Culture.
+What is there to do in Thessaloniki at night?
Arch of Galerius (Kamara), Aristotelous Square and Ladadika quarter are best after dark.