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Thessaloniki

Greece travel guide

What to see in Thessaloniki

Greece’s second city, a university and food town, with Byzantine walls, a seafront promenade and the White Tower.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Typical food: Bougatsa
Photo: Annatsach · CC BY-SA 4.0

Thessaloniki highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. White Tower

    The symbol of the city.

  2. Seafront promenade

    With Zongolopoulos’s Umbrellas.

  3. Rotunda of Galerius

    Roman and Byzantine.

  4. Church of Saint Demetrius

    A World Heritage Site.

  5. Ano Poli

    The upper town, with its walls.

Day trips from Thessaloniki

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to Thessaloniki

Any time of year is good to travel to Thessaloniki: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

Typical food of Thessaloniki

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Thessaloniki from your kitchen).

Bougatsa
Photo: Konstantinos Stampoulis (Geraki) · CC BY-SA 2.5

Bougatsa

Thessaloniki’s breakfast: crisp filo pastry filled with semolina custard, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. There are savoury versions too, with cheese or meat.

  • Serves 6
  • 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

  • 12 sheets of filo pastry
  • 150 g melted butter
  • 1 l milk
  • 120 g fine semolina
  • 150 g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • Icing sugar and cinnamon

How to make it at home

  1. Heat the milk with the sugar and pour in the semolina in a steady stream, stirring until it thickens.
  2. Off the heat, add the beaten eggs and the vanilla, and leave to cool slightly.
  3. Brush six sheets of filo with butter and lay them in a dish; pour in the custard.
  4. Cover with the other six sheets, also brushed with butter, and cut into portions before baking.
  5. Bake at 180 °C for about 40 minutes, until golden, and serve warm with icing sugar and cinnamon.

The trick: Filo sheets dry out quickly: cover them with a damp cloth while you work.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the taverna. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Greece guide.

Frequently asked questions about Thessaloniki

What to see in Thessaloniki?

White Tower, Seafront promenade, Rotunda of Galerius, Church of Saint Demetrius and Ano Poli.

What to see in Thessaloniki in one day?

Don’t miss White Tower, Seafront promenade, Rotunda of Galerius, Church of Saint Demetrius and Ano Poli. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Thessaloniki?

Any time of year is good to travel to Thessaloniki: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

What day trips can you take from Thessaloniki?

Vergina and Pella.

What is the typical food of Thessaloniki?

Bougatsa. Thessaloniki’s breakfast: crisp filo pastry filled with semolina custard, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. There are savoury versions too, with cheese or meat.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.