Thessaloniki in five days: mosaics, Greek food and cinema without a car

Five days to connect the city's history with life on its streets

You can spend the morning looking at mosaics, have Greek food for lunch in a mansion and end the day in a cinema. Thessaloniki offers this combination without requiring a rental car: you walk around the centre, use transport to start exploring the Upper Town from the top and devote a morning to each of the major museums. This leaves time to notice the details and take a break between visits.

This itinerary covers five full days, excluding arrival and departure. It is designed for exploring Thessaloniki as part of a longer trip; set aside additional days to explore the rest of Greece. If cinema is part of your reason for visiting, there are firm dates to guide your choice: the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival is confirmed for 5–15 November 2026.

Before fitting the visits into your calendar, check the days of the week. The Rotunda and Heptapyrgion close on Tuesdays; the Jewish Museum closes on Saturdays. Schedule these three visits first, then use the mornings at the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Byzantine Culture to adjust the sequence.

From the airport to the centre, with transport to the Upper Town too

On arrival, first check where your accommodation is located. The airport states that routes 1X/1N connect the terminal with the city centre, the railway station and the KTEL Makedonia bus terminal. The boarding stop is in the arrivals area, opposite exit 4 of Terminal 1. If you are staying centrally, start by considering the direct option and check which stop best serves your booked address.

Another possibility is route 2X to Nea Elvetia, where you can transfer to the metro. Compare the journey to your accommodation and check the day's timetables and service conditions. When sightseeing, Sintrivani station on line 1 is the recommended access point for the Rotunda.

Use transport for the itinerary's main climb as well: the official directions to the Heptapyrgion recommend bus 23 to Eptapyrgio. Starting there and walking down through Ano Poli saves you the uphill walk, although the walk back down remains part of the outing.

Aristotelous for getting around; Ladadika for evenings out

For this itinerary, my first suggestion is to look around Aristotelous Square. The square connects the centre with the Thermaic Gulf, and the street of the same name runs towards the Roman Agora. This location works well for journeys between heritage sites, the market and the waterfront; the Olympion also offers the possibility of a film at the end of the day.

Ladadika suits a different preference: it is close to the port and brings together pedestrian streets, historic buildings, restaurants, cafés and bars. It makes sense for anyone who wants to go out at night without turning every dinner into a long journey across the city. Given the concentration of entertainment venues, check room location and soundproofing when comparing accommodation.

Use the accommodation's exact address to check the route to Aristotelous, your arrival stop and the sights that matter most to you. If you plan to attend the festival on several evenings, also consider the venues for your chosen screenings: the film you want to see may be at another cinema.

Day 1: the Jewish Museum, a Greek lunch and the White Tower

Start at the Jewish Museum to learn about a side of the city that its Roman and Byzantine façades do not fully reveal. Photographs, documents, everyday items and religious objects introduce Thessaloniki's Jewish community and the memory of the Holocaust. The museum itself gives its address as 11 Agiou Mina. It opens at 09:00 from Monday to Friday and at 10:00 on Sunday. On these days, it closes at 14:00, with last admission at 13:30.

Next, head to Aristotelous Square and notice how its arcades shape this part of the centre. For lunch, the suggestion is The Rouga at 28 Karypi. The restaurant's website says it occupies a neoclassical mansion and serves Greek cuisine featuring meat, fish, seafood and home-style dishes, with daily service advertised from 12:30. Check the day's menu to choose your meal.

Set aside the early afternoon for the White Tower on Nikis Avenue. Its multimedia exhibition explores Thessaloniki's history through themes such as trade, monuments and culture, providing context for the days ahead. Under the stated winter opening hours, the tower closes at 15:30, with last admission at 15:10. Having lunch when The Rouga starts serving helps preserve time for the visit; avoid arriving at the tower at the last minute.

After the tower, continue along Nikis Avenue beside the gulf and keep this part of the day more flexible. If this date falls on a Saturday, swap it with the Archaeological Museum day. The Jewish Museum's additional Wednesday opening, from 17:00 to 20:00, also allows you to keep Aristotelous and the tower on this day and visit the museum on another afternoon.

Day 2: the Rotunda's mosaics and Kapani's shopping streets

Visit the Rotunda in the morning and take time to study the mosaics preserved in its dome and arches. The building is at 5 Agiou Georgiou Square and pairs naturally with the Arch of Galerius. The Ministry of Culture links these monuments to the Roman palace complex: visiting both helps you recognise this ancient layer of the city amid its present-day streets.

From the arch, walk through the centre towards the Roman Agora. View the site from its perimeter; if you want to enter, check the visiting arrangements beforehand. Continue to Kapani while it is still morning. The market occupies the area between Egnatia, Aristotelous, Ermou and Venizelou, west of Aristotelous Square, with shops selling fruit, spices, olives, fish, meat and sweets.

Kapani is worth visiting for this encounter with everyday trade. Walk through its streets, look at the stalls and let any purchases depend on what you find. If you would rather save lunch at The Rouga for this day, it also fits well after the market: the Greek cuisine advertised by the restaurant continues the exploration of food begun among the stalls.

The Rotunda closes on Tuesdays and, under the stated winter opening hours, welcomes visitors from 08:30 to 15:30, with last admission 20 minutes before closing. If the calendar does not work in your favour, visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture that morning and move the Rotunda to the fifth day. Leave the afternoon free to rest before a festival screening, choosing the venue and time along with the film.

Day 3: start at the fortress and walk down along Ano Poli's walls

Today offers a different perspective on the city. Take bus 23 to Eptapyrgio and start at the Heptapyrgion, also called Yedikule, at the northeastern end of the walls. As well as the fortifications, the visit introduces a place that served as a prison until 1989. Go in the morning: the stated winter opening hours are 08:30 to 15:30, with closure on Tuesdays.

Then walk downhill, following sections of the walls and the streets of Ano Poli. Include the exterior of Trigonion Tower along the way. To go inside, plan ahead: interior visits are advertised for Fridays only, by appointment on +30 2313 310400-401. Even without entering the tower, you can continue exploring the fortifications.

Continue towards Agios Dimitrios, north of the Roman Forum. The Ministry of Culture highlights the church's mosaics and the archaeological exhibition in the crypt; confirm opening hours before planning to go inside. For anyone wanting to explore mosaics further while still in Ano Poli, Hosios David has an apse mosaic documented by the same source. Check the church's opening hours and include this stop before continuing to Agios Dimitrios.

Take breaks along the descent. If uphill and downhill walking does not suit you, replace this day with the Museum of Byzantine Culture, which lists ramps, lifts and other accessibility features. In the evening, walk around Ladadika: its pedestrian streets, historic buildings and bars offer a change of scene after the route along the walls.

Day 4: Macedonian gold, ancient history and time on the waterfront

At the Archaeological Museum, at 6 Manoli Andronikou, ancient history takes shape through objects, materials and details that complement your walks among the monuments. The permanent exhibitions cover Macedonian prehistory, the formation of cities and the history of Thessaloniki. For a starting point, my suggestion is to combine the galleries about the city with The Gold of Macedon, dedicated to goldwork.

Set aside the morning for this visit and add other galleries according to your interests. The museum also offers outdoor routes relating to houses, burials and stone monuments, which can complement the collection if you want to continue and conditions that day allow. The official page lists daily opening from 09:00 to 17:00, with holiday exceptions.

After lunch and a rest, return to the waterfront and walk along Nikis Avenue towards Aristotelous. Use this less scheduled afternoon to enjoy views of the gulf and arrive at the cinema feeling refreshed. If you choose a screening at the Olympion, the square is already on your route; check your ticket and the screening time before extending your walk.

Day 5: Byzantine life, Ladadika and an evening at the cinema

After seeing mosaics, churches and walls around the city, visit the Museum of Byzantine Culture to connect those visits with everyday life. Its 11 permanent galleries cover worship, burial customs, architecture, art and commercial activities. Start with the themes of daily life and trade, then move on to the galleries that relate to whatever most caught your attention at the Rotunda and in Ano Poli.

The museum is at 2 Stratou Avenue. For November, the official page lists daily opening from 08:30 to 15:30, making the morning a good fit. The visitor facilities listed include ramps, lifts, platforms, a wheelchair, accessible facilities, tactile resources and audio guides; check the resources you need before your visit.

After a break, return to Ladadika to walk along its pedestrian streets and look at the historic buildings. This is an opportunity to explore the neighbourhood at a more leisurely pace before the cinema. If there is a screening that interests you that evening, plan your departure from Ladadika around your chosen festival venue.

If you have already visited the Museum of Byzantine Culture because of rain or a Tuesday closure, use this morning to catch up on the Rotunda or the Heptapyrgion, depending on the swap you made. Remember that both close on Tuesdays when adjusting your schedule.

How to fit in the festival from 5 to 15 November 2026

The 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival takes place from 5 to 15 November 2026, with in-person and online activities confirmed by the organiser. For this trip, the appeal lies in attending an in-person screening after exploring the city during the day. The Greek cinema selection and the tribute to Nikos Grammatikos offer two starting points for choosing what to watch and connecting your visit with the country's filmmaking.

The official guide brings together the catalogue, venues and programme, including cinemas such as Olympion, Pavlos Zannas, Frida Liappa and John Cassavetes. The Olympion works particularly well with an afternoon ending at Aristotelous. Choose the film together with the venue, date, time, language and subtitles; check which languages will be available, without counting on Portuguese subtitles.

Set aside one evening for the festival and leave a second as a possibility if the programme appeals to you. Once you have chosen a screening and secured your ticket, adjust the afternoon's sightseeing so you can arrive without rushing. The Kapani and Archaeological Museum days have freer afternoons, leaving room for this.

If you travel outside 5–15 November 2026, keep the daytime sightseeing and end the evening with a walk around Ladadika or Aristotelous Square. To add cinema at another time of year, check the programme for the dates of your stay.

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Before you go

• Allow five full days in Thessaloniki and set aside arrival and departure days separately. If you want to include cinema, make your stay overlap with part of the period from 5 to 15 November 2026.
• Check opening hours again before setting out: the White Tower lists 08:30–15:30 in winter, with last admission 20 minutes before closing; the Rotunda follows the same hours and closes on Tuesdays.
• The Heptapyrgion lists winter opening hours of 08:30 to 15:30, except on Tuesdays. Visits inside Trigonion Tower are advertised for Fridays only, by appointment.
• At the Jewish Museum, allow for last admission 30 minutes before closing. The operator states that suitcases and large bags are not permitted.
• Confirm opening hours for Agios Dimitrios and Hosios David before counting on visits inside.
• To leave the airport, check routes 1X/1N or the combination of 2X and the metro, depending on your accommodation. The stated boarding point is in arrivals, opposite exit 4 of Terminal 1.
• Before booking accommodation in Ladadika, ask about room location and soundproofing, given the concentration of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.
• The Rouga advertises daily service from 12:30. Confirm service for the day and check the available menu before choosing what to eat.
• For the festival, check the date, venue, language, subtitles and ticket conditions for your chosen screening. Secure your ticket before organising the rest of the evening around the film.
• Use Mala Inteligente to turn your walking days, museum visits and cinema evenings into a checklist, adjusting clothing and rain protection to the forecast closer to your trip.
• Use the calculator to put together an estimate in Brazilian reais with figures you enter from your own research. The figures are illustrative and editable; the tool does not provide exchange rates or international price quotes.

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