Best Tours in Thessaloniki: Food, Byzantine Sites & Olympus

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second city — less-visited than Athens, more immediate in its pleasures, and genuinely excellent for food. The city sits at the head of the Thermaic Gulf, its waterfront promenade running from the White Tower to the old port. Behind the promenade, the upper city holds the best concentration of Byzantine monuments in Greece — 15 UNESCO-listed sites, most still functioning churches. An hour and a half to the southwest, Mount Olympus rises to 2,917m above sea level. Here’s how to spend your time, with operators, prices, and honest assessments. All prices are approximate as of 2026.

Thessaloniki Food Tours

Thessaloniki’s food identity is a product of the 1922 Lausanne Convention, which expelled approximately 1.2 million Greeks from Asia Minor and sent them to Greece — and particularly to Thessaloniki. The refugees brought a cooking tradition shaped by the spice routes of the eastern Mediterranean: cumin in the meatballs, cinnamon in the beef stews, sesame in everything. The result is a cuisine distinct from anywhere else in Greece.

Macedonian Food Tours runs a 3.5-hour morning food walk from EUR 75 per person (max 10). The route starts at the Modiano Market (a covered market hall from 1922, rebuilt in the 1930s), takes in the wholesale cheese and olive dealers along Komninon Street, a tsoureki bakery (the traditional sweet bread, braided and scented with mahlab and mastic), a pastry shop for bougatsa (custard or cheese-filled pastry), and finishes at a mezedhopoleio for ouzo and a tasting plate. 10–12 food stops.

Eat & Walk Thessaloniki runs an evening market tour (6–9pm) from EUR 65 per person. Covers the Kapani Market (the older of the two central markets), a raki bar, a souvlaki stand that’s been open since 1960, and a natural wine shop. The evening format works better in summer when the morning heat makes walking and eating in sequence harder.

Thessaloniki Gourmet Tours offers a 5-hour deep-dive tour from EUR 110 per person, including a cooking demonstration at a private kitchen (moussaka and tiropita) and a 4-course lunch. Better for travellers who want to learn techniques, not just taste.

Duration: 3–5 hours
Difficulty: Easy
What’s included: All food and drink tastings included; private cooking class (premium tours)
Best time: Morning for markets (8–11am activity); evening for the neighbourhood bar and restaurant strip
Best season: Year-round — Thessaloniki doesn’t close for winter

Byzantine Churches and Monuments Tour

Thessaloniki was one of the most important cities in the Byzantine Empire — second only to Constantinople itself. Fifteen of its Early Christian and Byzantine monuments are collectively UNESCO-listed. A guided tour connects them into a coherent narrative rather than a random sequence of old buildings.

Thessaloniki Byzantine Tour by local operators runs a 3-hour walking tour from EUR 35 per person, covering the Rotunda (a 4th-century mausoleum converted to a church then a mosque, with the best surviving early Christian mosaics in Greece), the Hagios Demetrios basilica (the largest church in Greece, built over the crypt of the city’s patron saint), and the Hagia Sophia (a 7th-century church modelled on the Constantinople original). Entry fees are included in most tour prices.

Greek Orthodox Pilgrimage Tours runs a half-day guided tour of 6 Byzantine sites from EUR 55 per person, with a guide who specialises in ecclesiastical history. Covers Hosios David, the Hagios Nikolaos Orfanos (with intact 14th-century frescoes), and the Vlatadon Monastery, which has views over the lower city and the gulf.

Self-Guided Byzantine Walk: All major sites are free or EUR 3–8 entry. The White Tower Museum (entry EUR 4) at the waterfront provides a useful historical overview before walking the upper city. Allow a full day for comprehensive coverage.

The Roman Forum (entry EUR 4) is worth adding — Thessaloniki was a major Roman city (the Via Egnatia ran through it) and the forum’s odeon and stoas are well-preserved for a provincial Roman site.

Duration: 3–5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate — the upper city involves some uphill walking
What’s included: Guide, entry fees (on most organised tours)
Best time: Morning, before the midday heat; Byzantine churches are cool inside
Best season: Year-round. Thessaloniki’s Byzantine heritage is a year-round attraction unlike beach tourism.

Mount Olympus Day Trip

Mount Olympus (Olympos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,917m and the mythological home of the twelve Olympian gods. It sits 90km southwest of Thessaloniki, above the coastal town of Litochoro.

A full summit attempt takes 2 days — overnight at Spilios Agapitos Refuge (Refuge A, at 2,100m, EUR 35 per person per night including breakfast). The summit plateau (Mytikas, Skolio, Stefani peaks) is reached from the refuge in 3–4 hours on day 2. The route requires no technical climbing but is a serious mountain hike — proper footwear, weather awareness, and layers are essential.

For a day trip from Thessaloniki, the Enipeas Gorge walk from Litochoro is the right format. The gorge trail follows a river through old-growth forest to the Prionia trailhead (13km round trip, 4–5 hours, elevation gain 600m). No guide needed — the path is well-marked.

Drive to Litochoro: KTEL bus from Thessaloniki (1.5 hours, EUR 8 return). Taxi from the town centre to the Prionia trailhead (14km, EUR 15). Or drive — the road is straightforward.

Guided Mount Olympus Trekking: Trekking Hellas based in Thessaloniki runs guided gorge hikes from EUR 65 per person (transport from Thessaloniki, guide, gear list provided). Their 2-day summit expedition is EUR 195 per person (minimum 4), including refuge accommodation and food.

Robinson Expeditions offers private guided ascents from EUR 250 for 2 people (day rate, guide only). Good for those with mountain experience who want local navigation expertise rather than a group format.

Duration: Day trip (gorge walk) = 6–8 hours. Summit expedition = 2 days.
Difficulty: Gorge walk — moderate. Summit — challenging (requires fitness and proper gear).
What’s included: Guide (on organised tours), refuge booking assistance
Best season: June–September for summit attempts (snow above 2,000m in other months). May–October for the gorge walk.

Thessaloniki Day Trips

Beyond Mount Olympus, several smaller day trips are worth considering for those staying 3 or more nights.

Vergina (Aigai) — 72km west of Thessaloniki, the site of the ancient Macedonian capital and the tomb of Philip II (Alexander the Great’s father). The underground museum holds the original royal tombs, the gold larnax burial chest, and the gold oak wreath crown in extraordinary condition. Entry EUR 12. KTEL bus from Thessaloniki 1 hour each way.

Pella — 40km west, the archaeological site of Alexander the Great’s birthplace and the Macedonian court. The famous Pella mosaics (hunting scenes in black and white river pebbles) are in the site museum. Entry EUR 8.

Halkidiki Beaches — the three-pronged peninsula south of Thessaloniki (Kassandra, Sithonia, Athos) has the best beaches in northern Greece. Sithonia’s coastline (90 minutes by car or KTEL bus) has clear water and a more local character than the heavily developed Kassandra.

Duration: Half day to full day
Difficulty: Easy (Vergina, Pella); Easy–moderate (beach day)
Best season: Year-round for Vergina and Pella; May–September for beach trips

Booking Tips

Food tours should be booked 2–4 days ahead — the best operators cap groups at 8–10 and fill quickly in summer. Byzantine walking tours can often be arranged same-day except in peak summer. Mount Olympus guided trips should be booked at least a week ahead (trekking companies coordinate logistics including refuge reservations). For Vergina and Pella, no advance booking needed — just show up.

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See Also

• Thessaloniki Travel Guide — full city guide with neighbourhoods and transport
• Best Restaurants in Thessaloniki — where to eat in Greece’s food capital
• Things to Do in Thessaloniki — Byzantine churches, the waterfront, and markets
• Day Trips from Thessaloniki — Vergina, Pella, and Halkidiki options
• Athens vs Thessaloniki — comparing the two main Greek cities
• Greece Hiking Guide — Mount Olympus in depth for serious hikers