How To Spend A Perfect Weekend In Thessaloniki
- by XpatAthens
- Tuesday, 27 May 2025
If you’re planning a weekend escape and haven’t considered Thessaloniki yet, you’re seriously missing out. Greece’s second largest city is the kind of place that sneaks up on you. With its sea breeze, layered history, insanely good food, and that laid-back northern Greek vibe, it’s the perfect mix of chill and culture.
Here’s how to do a weekend in Thessaloniki right.
Friday Evening: Ease Into It
You’ll likely arrive in the afternoon, which is ideal. Drop your bags at your hotel or Airbnb (somewhere around Ladadika or Ano Poli is a good call), and hit the streets.
Start your weekend with a stroll along the waterfront. Head towards the White Tower, grab a coffee or a gelato, and just walk. Locals do this every day and call it volta. It’s not just walking; it’s people-watching, flirting, decompressing. Join in.
For dinner, go to Sebriko or Ouzeri Aristotelous. They do modern takes on traditional meze and fresh seafood. Don’t skip the tsipouro or local wine. Thessaloniki does food really well, and you’re just getting started.
If you still have energy, check out Vogatsikou 3 for cocktails or find some live music in the Ladadika district.
@o_thessalonikios
@o_thessalonikios
Saturday: Culture, Coffee, & Crazy Good Eats
Start your day with Greek coffee and bougatsa (sweet custard pastry) at Bantis or To Anoteron. Locals have strong opinions about their bougatsa, so feel free to try a few and choose sides.
Then, dig into Thessaloniki’s rich history. You’ve got options:
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Rotunda and Arch of Galerius (early Christian and Roman architecture right in the city center)
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The Byzantine Walls up in Ano Poli for amazing city views
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Or the Museum of Byzantine Culture, which is way more interesting than it sounds
Hungry? Time for lunch at Diagonios (for maybe the best souvlaki in the city) or head to Ergon Agora, a stylish deli-restaurant hybrid with killer Greek flavors.
Afternoon? You could shop along Tsimiski Street or visit one of the city’s many indie bookshops and record stores. Or, let’s be honest, take a nap. This is Greece, and naps are practically sacred.
Dinner? Mourga is a must for creative, seafood-centric Greek cuisine, or go traditional with Ouzeri Tsapari in Krini. For nightlife, Urania or La Doze are fun picks, and Thessaloniki has a big student population, so things stay lively late.
@triada_kon
@triada_kon
Sunday: Slow & Soulful
Wake up slow. Get a coffee (freddo espresso preferrably) and walk through Modiano or Kapani markets. Smell the spices, watch the chaos, maybe grab a koulouri to munch on.
Then take the bus or a taxi out to Nea Krini or Kalamaria for seaside vibes and lazy Sunday lunch. You’ll find tavernas right on the water where the seafood is fresh and the wine flows freely. Let it be your slow farewell to the city.
If you’ve got time before heading out, circle back to Ano Poli; quiet streets, colorful houses, hidden courtyards, and one last chance to take in those sweeping views over the Thermaic Gulf.
@eleftheriavla_5
@eleftheriavla_5
Final Tips
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Walk everywhere if you can. The city is compact and full of surprises.
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Eat everything! Thessaloniki is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for a reason.
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And don’t rush it. This isn’t a checklist kind of place. It’s a vibe. Soak it in.
You’ll leave feeling like you didn’t “do” Thessaloniki, you felt it. And trust us, you’ll go back again and again.