A Family Week in Northern Greece
Greece — Byzantine cities, mountain trails and an island for afters
"This is Greece away from the postcard islands — a week that begins in a Byzantine port city layered with Roman, Ottoman and Greek history, climbs into the pine forests below Mount Olympus, and drifts through a wetland delta before finishing on a lagoon coast where the last swim of the season is still firmly on the table. It's a trip built for families who want history, a proper walk and a bit of wild nature packed into the same easy week — not just sunbeds and a pool."
Thessaloniki — Arrival & the Old City
You land into Thessaloniki and are met at the airport for a straightforward transfer to a family hotel right in the centre of the city — bags dropped, and the rest of the first afternoon is yours. The next morning, a local guide meets you at the hotel for a walking tour that earns its reputation: the White Tower, the Roman Galerian Complex, and — where the new metro line has cut through the ground — glimpses of the city's buried layers, quite literally underfoot. Thessaloniki was founded in 316 BC and has been rebuilt by Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans ever since, and a good guide makes all three empires make sense in a single morning. If your visit coincides with the feast of St Dimitrios, the city's patron saint, you'll find the streets in full, unplanned celebration.
Key Highlights
- ✓Private transfer straight from the airport to a centrally located family hotel
- ✓Guided walking tour past the White Tower and the Roman Galerian Complex
- ✓A city that layers Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history into every street
Into the Foothills — A Morning on Mount Olympus
An early breakfast and a short drive brings you to Litochoro, the village at the foot of Mount Olympus, where a local hiking guide is waiting. The walk itself is gentle and entirely manageable as a family — a two-hour route into the Enipeas Gorge, following the river beneath plane trees and limestone cliffs, with your guide filling in the myths of the home of the Twelve Gods along the way. It ends, as these things should, with a coffee and a view. You're back in Thessaloniki by early afternoon, with the rest of the day free.
Key Highlights
- ✓A gentle two-hour family hike into the Enipeas Gorge
- ✓A local guide sharing the myths and natural history of Mount Olympus
- ✓Back in Thessaloniki by early afternoon, with a free day still ahead
Kavala, the Nestos Delta & the Road Home
If your dates fall over OHI Day, the last Thessaloniki morning is spent watching the parades that mark one of Greece's proudest national holidays, flags out and the whole city on its feet, before a private transfer east to the harbour town of Kavala. The following day is given over to one of the region's best-kept secrets: a tour through the Nestos River's Megalo Dasos forest and the wetlands of Lake Vistonida, past the islet monastery of St Nicolas at Porto Lagos, with a coffee stop and — conditions allowing — a swim looking out towards the island of Thassos. What follows is a free day to explore Kavala itself, or take the short hop across to Thassos, before the drive back to Thessaloniki for the flight home.
Key Highlights
- ✓OHI Day parades through Thessaloniki's streets, if your dates allow
- ✓A boat and river tour through the Nestos wetlands and Lake Vistonida, with a swim stop near Thassos
- ✓A free day to explore Kavala's harbour or hop across to Thassos island
- ✓Return drive to Thessaloniki for the flight home
The full picture
Trip Highlights
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