Macedonia and Thrace

You fly to Thessaloniki during the day. We will meet you at the airport and drive you to your centrally located hotel. If you arrive early, take a stroll into the Greek way of life! Enjoy two nights in a modern hotel in Thessaloniki within walking distance of the seafront.

Today, we will visit Greece’s second-largest city. Thessaloniki is a modern port metropolis and a city that has remained young at heart at the same time. You will enjoy views that will make you fall in love with the city, high up on the citadel and walking all the way back down to the center along the old city wall. We will visit the Rotunda dating back to Roman times and then move on to an atmospheric ceremony in the Saint Demetrios Basilica (UNESCO World Heritage Site). After a visit to the Archaeological Museum, we will go to the White Tower. Tips for the free afternoon and evening: harbor promenade, frappé in the street cafés, local fish specialties, etc.

Today we will start our journey with one of the nicest small towns in the second peninsula of Halkidiki. This small town with its natural beauty and long coastline attracts many domestic and foreign tourists every summer. Nikiti has the best beaches in Halkidiki. On our way, we can stop at Polygyros to visit its rich archeological museum, exhibiting many findings from the Halkidiki region, and we can have a coffee in one of the bars at the central square. After we visit the ancient Olynthos site, we will continue to Nikiti to enjoy the rest of the day, swimming and sunbathing.

For our second day in Nikiti, we will go to the small harbor village of Ormos Panagias and take a day cruise to Diaporoi, where we will devote our day to amazing, wild, and breathtaking beaches and swim in the blue waters. After that, we will visit the Porto Carras vineyard.

After a relaxing day, some wonderful sightseeing is waiting for us today. In the morning, we will drive to Ouranoupolis, where we will take a cruise to visit Mount Athos. For 1000 years, Orthodox Monks have lived here and the only female ever allowed in the area is, of course, Virgin Mary. We will be able t see their monasteries from our boat and our guide will tell us about this special world of men while cruising. After that, we will head to Kavala, stopping to see Ancient Stageira, the birthplace and burial site of the most important Greek philosopher, Aristotle. We can make another stop at Stavros and in the evening we will arrive in Kavala. We will relax at our luxurious hotel.

We will spend our morning visiting the Archeological site of Philippi, the most important one in eastern Macedonia. We will visit the site’s fortified walls, the acropolis, and the Byzantine tower. In the afternoon, we will have a city tour in Kavala. Despite not receiving as much attention in travel books, Kavala is one of Greece’s most lively and beautiful cities. We can visit plenty of monuments, such as the Church of Agios Nikolaos, the castle and the old town, the city walls, the Halil Bey complex, the museum and monument of Mohammed Ali, etc.

Not far from Kavala, behind a series of Byzantine castles lays the Ammolofoi Beach. Beautiful sand beaches and crystal waters constitute a magical landscape that attracts many people every year.
The beauty of the beach and the various beach bars with different kinds of drinks provide you with endless joy while you enjoy the view of the blue Aegean Sea. Why not spend a tranquil day here while taking advantage of the sunshine and the deep blue waters..!!
In the evening, we will have more time to explore Kavala.

Today, we will take a boat and sail to one of the greenest islands in Greece. Thasos is the most northern island of Greece. If you are acquainted with Greek mythology, you may know that Thasos owes its name to Thasus, who was the father of Europa. The legend about Europa and Zeus is one of the most exotic ones in Greek mythology, we can ask our guide to tell us the story. About the beauty of Thasos, it’s enough to say that the variety of landscapes, the multitude of fine beaches, marvelous mountain villages, outstanding antiquities, and superb accommodations make this island particularly beautiful. Once you visit it, you will already be planning your next vacation there.

We will allow ourselves one more day to enjoy the beauty of the island. We can visit different beaches such as Trypiti Beach, Marble Beach, Paradise Beach, the Giola Lagoon, Astris Beach, etc.

Today, we will take the boat and go back to the mainland to continue our journey. Our destination today is Alexandroupoli, but it is worth it to make a stop on our way to Porto Lagos, a small scenic village by Lake Vistonida and on the coast of the Thracian Sea. Porto Lagos is a safe haven for birds, with over 320 bird species to be spotted among the lagoons, the valleys, and by the lake. We can also visit the Monastery of St Nicolas and the Panagia Pantanassa Church.
By noon, we will have arrived in Alexandroupoli. Alexandroupoli is usually omitted in western travel books, but the city is famous among Balkan tourists and Turks. Over time, many events took place in Alexandroupoli. It is interesting to hear about all that happened in this city. Now, it is a modern city, easy to walk through. It has a lighthouse, which is its most important site, as it is one of the tallest in Greece and located right in the center. Maybe the lighthouse is not the most charming one compared to others, but the atmosphere in the square around it is one of a kind. Many cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops and many people, young and old alike, are strolling through these streets. There are some museums in the city that we can visit in case that such an interest is expressed, such as The Historical Museum of Alexandroupoli, The Archeological Museum of Alexandroupoli, The Folklore Museum of the Cappadocian Association of Alexandroupoli, etc. The city has a beautiful coastline and beaches, and we can relax by the sea in the afternoon.

Just a bit of activity today, we are going to hike in the Dadia forest, which offers an unforgettable experience in the nature of Northern Greece. Dadia forest is home to rare European birds of prey, different species of mammals and reptiles, and very rare plants. The unworldly beauty of Dadia consists of hilly landscapes, some streams, rock formations, small or large forests, various species of trees, and traditional farms.
After our hike, we will go to Soufli, a town built in the shape of an amphitheater in the valley of Evros.
The town is famous not only for its silk but also for its wine and tsipouro.
All over the town, we can find silk production units. We will have our meal here paired with local wine and tsipouro, and in the evening we can rest at our hotel.

Today we will drive back to where we started our journey and make our last stop en route in Xanthi. The river running through the city divides it into western and eastern parts. Both parts still preserve their traditional elegance. The old town is an open-air museum. A mixture of local, Ottoman, and Greek Neoclassic architecture together with Byzantine churches and charming squares creates glorious and amazing scenery in the old town. In order to get a deeper understanding of the beauty and the rich history of this area, we can visit the Folk Art Museum and the Natural History Museum.
We will have our lunch in one of the traditional taverns here and then depart for Thessaloniki. The evening will be free to enjoy the delicacies of Greece for the last time during this trip, at one of the cafés on the promenade.

We leave our cozy hotel and head to the airport. See you again Greece!