Thessaloniki Weekend Guide: Best Things to Do, Thessaloniki, Greece

Picture this: you’re just 2.5 hours south of Skopje or on a quick flight from Zagreb, and suddenly you find yourself sipping coffee by the sea. Welcome to Thessaloniki, the perfect launchpad for your Greek weekend and even better, a jump-off to the sunny beaches of Chalkidiki.

I’ll walk you through the perfect way to spend a weekend in Thessaloniki and if you find yourself falling for the Greek sunshine, I’ve got tips for a longer summer escape in beautiful Chalkidiki.

Waking up in Thessaloniki is a whole vibe: cafés slowly filling up, locals chatting over freddo espresso, the smell of bougatsa (a creamy custard-filled pastry dusted with powdered sugar). I recommend grabbing breakfast from a small local bakery and enjoying it on a bench by the seafront. It’s the kind of peaceful moment that makes you forget emails exist.

- Feel the pulse of the city at the White Tower, Thessaloniki’s iconic symbol and the perfect first stop.

- Take a walk along the waterfront and strike a pose at the iconic Umbrellas sculpture; it’s basically begging for an Instagram moment. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).