Thessaloniki 7-day itinerary

Start at the White Tower (€4) for panoramic views and city history. Then visit the Archaeological Museum (€8) — Macedonian gold, the Derveni Krater, and prehistoric finds from northern Greece. Walk the Nea Paralia promenade — a beautifully redesigned 5km waterfront with sculptural umbrellas and views across the Thermaic Gulf to Mount Olympus on clear days.

Explore the renovated Modiano Market — traditional food stalls alongside trendy eateries. Try bougatsa at Bougatsa Bantis (since 1969), browse Kapani Market for spices, olives, and Macedonian cured meats. Lunch at Dore Zythos in Ladadika for meze (plates €6–12). Then walk to Aristotelous Square — the city's grand central plaza with views straight to the sea.

The Ladadika district at night is magical — cobblestoned streets with tavernas, wine bars, and live music. Dinner at Ouzou Melathron for classic meze with ouzo — order pikilia, grilled octopus, and flambéed saganaki. Walk the waterfront to the White Tower illuminated at night. Nightcap at Thermaikos Bar with views over the harbour.

Thessaloniki's UNESCO-listed Byzantine monuments. Start at the Rotunda (€3) with its 4th-century mosaics. Walk to Agios Dimitrios (free) — the patron saint's church with an explorable crypt. See the Arch of Galerius (free) — a 305 AD triumphal arch. Then Agia Sofia church with its dome mosaic of the Ascension. These buildings span the golden age of Byzantium.

Walk uphill to Ano Poli — the Ottoman quarter that survived the 1917 fire. Narrow lanes, wooden houses with overhanging balconies, tiny churches, and neighbourhood cats. Walk the Byzantine Walls for views. Lunch at Tsinari for Macedonian food in a garden (mains €8–12). Visit the Atatürk Museum (free) — birthplace of Turkey's founder. The contrast with the modern lower city is striking.

Dinner at Sempriko for modern Greek small plates. Then Valaoritou Street — the nightlife epicentre. Craft beer at Gorilla or Beerθoven, cocktails at The Gin Joint, late-night dancing at Cocktail Bar. Beer is €4–5, cocktails €7–10. Thessaloniki nights run late — nothing starts before 10pm. For live rebetika music (Greek blues), try Mylos complex or check local listings.

The Museum of Byzantine Culture (€4) is one of Europe's finest — mosaics, icons, frescoes, and jewellery spanning 1,000 years. The museum won the Council of Europe Prize for its excellent design. Then walk to MOMus — the city's contemporary art museums clustered together. The Museum of Modern Art and the Photography Museum are highlights.

Thessaloniki has one of Europe's best street art scenes. Walk through the Bit Bazaar area, Valaoritou, and the streets around Syngrou for murals by local and international artists. Then settle into Thessaloniki's legendary coffee culture — Greeks drink more coffee per capita than almost any nationality. Try a freddo espresso at Ergon Agora or Choureal for speciality coffee (€2.50–4).

Dinner at Myrsini on the waterfront for excellent seafood — fried calamari, grilled sardines, and seafood risotto (mains €10–16). The harbour at sunset is beautiful with the White Tower and city silhouetted. Walk to the Warehouse district (Apothikes) for bars and live music venues. Check what's on at Mylos — a converted flour mill now housing a club, theatre, and gallery complex.

KTEL bus to Veria (1 hour, €9) then local bus to Vergina (20 min). The Royal Tombs of Aigai (€12) are one of Greece's most important archaeological sites — the underground museum houses the unlooted tomb of Philip II (Alexander the Great's father) with its extraordinary gold larnax (chest), wreath, armour, and grave goods. The museum is built inside the burial mound itself.

Return to Veria and explore the old Jewish quarter (Barbouta) and the Ottoman-era neighbourhood with its stream running through the centre. Veria has 48 Byzantine churches in a small area — more per capita than almost anywhere in Greece. Lunch at a traditional taverna for Macedonian specialities — giouvetsi (lamb baked with orzo), peppers stuffed with cheese, and local wine (mains €8–12).

Evening bus back to Thessaloniki. Dinner at Full tou Meze — the kind of place where the waiter tells you what's good and brings a spread of 6–8 plates for €15 per person. Meze culture is at its finest here: small plates of grilled halloumi, stuffed peppers, meatballs in sauce, and taramosalata with warm bread. End with ouzo on Aristotelous Square watching the promenade.

KTEL bus to Halkidiki (1–2 hours depending on destination). The three "fingers" of Halkidiki have some of Greece's most beautiful beaches. Kassandra is more developed with beach bars; Sithonia is wilder with pine-fringed coves. Vourvourou and Kavourotrypes on Sithonia have Caribbean-clear turquoise water. Buses run to main towns — a rental car opens up the secluded beaches.

Spend the afternoon on Halkidiki's beaches — the water is warm (24–26°C in summer) and astonishingly clear. Kavourotrypes has white sand and turquoise water rivalling any Greek island. Karidi Beach in Vourvourou is sheltered and perfect for snorkelling. Bring food and water — the best beaches have minimal facilities. The pine forests backing the beaches provide natural shade.

Dinner at a seaside taverna in Vourvourou or Neos Marmaras — grilled whole fish, Greek salad, and chilled local wine with the sea lapping below (mains €10–16). Catch the evening bus back to Thessaloniki (check last departure — usually 7–8pm). Back in the city, a quiet drink at Choureal coffee bar or Paparouna for wine and cheese.

Thessaloniki was once known as "Jerusalem of the Balkans" — home to the largest Sephardic Jewish community in the world. Visit the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki (€6) to understand this rich history, from the community's arrival after the 1492 Spanish expulsion through to its near-total destruction in the Holocaust. Walk to the Holocaust Memorial on Plateia Eleftherias where deportations began.

Explore MOMus — the city's cluster of contemporary art museums. The Museum of Modern Art and Photography Museum have rotating exhibitions of international quality. Walk through the university quarter for student cafés and independent bookshops. Lunch at Ergon Agora — a food hall combining high-quality Greek products with casual dining (plates €6–12). Browse the deli for souvenirs.

Seek out a rebetika night — rebetiko is the Greek blues, born in the early 20th century from the suffering of refugees and workers. Thessaloniki has a living rebetika scene. Check listings for performances at Mylos, or ask locals about smaller venues. Dinner at Orexi in Ladadika for a proper Greek spread — it's all about sharing plates, pouring ouzo, and letting the evening unfold naturally.

Last morning at Bougatsa Bantis for one final custard-filled pastry. Stroll through Modiano and Kapani markets for souvenir shopping — Macedonian saffron (krokos kozanis), local halva, olive oil, and herbs. Walk through the Ladadika district one last time — the cobblestones and converted warehouses are most atmospheric in the quiet morning light.

Take bus 72 to Peraia (30 min) for a last swim at this suburban beach town on the Thermaic Gulf. The water is calm and the views of the city from the water are beautiful. Or stay in town for a final walk — Aristotelous Square to the White Tower, along the waterfront, past the Alexander statue, and up to the Ano Poli walls. Lunch at a favourite spot from the week.

Farewell dinner at Zythos Dore for a final meze feast — the kind of Thessaloniki evening where dishes keep arriving, ouzo flows, and conversations stretch until midnight. Or Kitchen Bar on the waterfront for cocktails with harbour views. One last walk along the Nea Paralia at night — the city lights reflected in the gulf, Olympus barely visible on the horizon.