Festive Thessaloniki | Christmas 2024 – New Year 2025 – Epiphany
Thessaloniki the Diamond of Macedonia
Magical Atmosphere: Thessaloniki transforms into a winter wonderland during the festive season. Twinkling lights adorn the streets and public squares, creating a magical ambiance.
Vibrant Christmas Markets: The city hosts lively Christmas markets. Visitors can enjoy local crafts, delicious treats, and warm beverages, perfect for the chilly weather.
Cultural Events: Throughout the holiday season, Thessaloniki offers various cultural events. Concerts, plays, and traditional performances showcase the city’s rich heritage.
Welcoming Community: The locals embrace the festive spirit. Friends and families gather to celebrate, making the atmosphere warm and inviting for visitors.
Unique Traditions: Epiphany features unique rituals, such as the Blessing of the Waters. This event highlights the city’s deep-rooted customs and adds to the festive charm.
Thessaloniki during the holidays is an experience filled with joy, culture, and community spirit.
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Destinations: Thessaloniki, Edessa, Naousa, Paleos Agios Panteleimon
Region: West Macedonia
Accommodation: 4 nights in Thessaloniki
Tour Language: English
Age Range: 1- to 99-year-old
Available: All Year Round
Departures: Daily
Highlights of Festive Thessaloniki | Christmas 2024 – New Year 2025 – Epiphany
- Flexible groups. We avoid our groups to be 40 and 50 people for greater flexibility and enjoyment of the trip.
- Tour of the Upper Town of Thessaloniki.
- Pilgrimage to the Holy Monastery of Ag. John the Theologian, where the remains of Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia and the tomb of Saint Paisios are found.
- Visit to the Modiano Market, otherwise known as the “Central Food Market of Thessaloniki” which is housed in a listed building of the city.
- Stroll through the famous Ladadika with its colorful historic and neoclassical preserved buildings.
- Visit to the picturesque old Ag. Athanasios and Edessa.
- We will travel to Naoussa and Veria.
- Accommodation at the 5* Porto Palace hotel, which is housed in a historic building from 1913 and maintains its industrial architecture, distinguishing itself from any other in Thessaloniki.
- Thessaloniki puts on its festive clothes for us and we travel for five days to the co-capital to enjoy it in one of the best seasons of the year!
- With the Nymfi of Thermaikos as our base and springboard, we carry out a complete program in the most emblematic attractions of Thessaloniki, but also of the wider region!
- We tour the Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki and marvel at the wealth and cultural significance of the Macedonian royal tombs in Vergina.
- We are enchanted by the Old Town and the waterfalls in Edessa, and we wander to the picturesque Paleo Agios Athanasios, the abandoned village some years ago that revived and became a favorite winter (and not only) destination for Greeks and foreign travelers.
- We come to Naoussa and Veria (on the 5-day program), two of the most beautiful cities in Northern Greece with their wonderful parks and beautiful neighborhoods.
- A great Planetourama trip for travelers who want more in every trip!!!
Royal Macedonia!
Early morning departure from Athens and with intermediate stops we will reach Vergina with the important Macedonian Royal tombs, a sign of opulence and culture.
We will take a tour of the old and new museum. Our route will continue to Thessaloniki. Arrival, dinner and overnight stay.
Discover the Beautiful Corners of Macedonia
Rich breakfast and the day invites us to get to know beautiful corners of our Macedonia.
Edessa with its waterfalls and old quarter is our first stop.
Then we will climb to Mount Kaimaktsalan (Voras) to reach one of the most beautiful and touristic villages in Greece, Paleo Ag. Athanasius.
We will have free time to walk the stone-built streets of the village between Macedonian houses and mansions. Return to Thessaloniki, dinner and overnight.
Explore Magical Thessaloniki
Breakfast and we start to get to know the Upper Town of Thessaloniki, where we will see the castle, the heptapyrgio, known from the rebetika songs and as Yendi Koule and we will tour the narrow cobbled and winding streets.
The Upper Town is the only part of Thessaloniki that keeps alive the form, the streetscape and the customs from the first years it was inhabited, back in the 4th and 5th centuries.
When we move to the old city, we see that its streetscape has nothing to do with the rest of the center, and this is because it was not destroyed by the fire of 1917 that completely burned Thessaloniki.
Then we will travel to the village of Souroti, where we will visit the Holy Monastery of Ag. John the Theologian, where the remains of Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia and the tomb of Saint Paisios are found.
Our day continues with a tour of the city of Thessaloniki where, among other things, we will see the Kamara, the Rotunda, the White Tower and Aristotelous Square. We will visit the Modiano market and walk in Ladadika. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Note
- Women wearing pants, short skirts, sleeveless and backless dresses are not allowed to enter the monastery. Women should wear wide and long skirts, below the knee.
- The monastery does not provide skirts, headscarves or anything else.
- Men wearing Bermuda shorts, short pants and sleeveless shirts are also not allowed to enter. The same goes for children.
Magical West Macedonia
Breakfast and departure from Thessaloniki to Paleo Panteleimonas, Pieria. One of the most beautiful villages in Greece that has even been characterized as a traditional settlement, as it is one of the best examples of traditional Macedonian architecture.
Full of beautiful images we will take the road back to Athens with intermediate stops.
Magical West Macedonia
After breakfast we will visit two very beautiful cities near the co-capital.
We will start from Veroia where we will see the step of the Apostle Paul, the Jewish quarter of Barbutas and the Christianiki of Kyriotissa, with its sachnisia, floors with strong projections, superimposed windows and skylights, wooden walls and heavy doors
We will have free time for coffee (individual expenses), or to enjoy a Ravani for which the city is famous.
Our next stop is the city of Naoussa. It is crossed by the Arapitsa River, which creates wonderful images within the city. We will tour the traditional districts of Batania and Alonia with the beautiful mansions of Macedonian architecture. We will walk the grove of Agios Nikolaos among the wonderful nature created by centuries-old trees and lakes with wooden bridges.
We will have free time for walking or eating (individual expenses). Return to Thessaloniki. Dinner and overnight stay.
Considerations
- During wintertime, there will be adjustments to the itinerary since archaeological sites close earlier, usually at 3 pm, compared to the extended hours of 5-7 pm in the summer.
- These changes might affect the timing of visits and require planning ahead to ensure all sites are explored within the limited daylight hours.
- In case of bad weather (rain, snow, ice or other dangerous phenomena), visiting some places may not be accessible. In any case the visits will be replaced with alternatives.
- Due to the weather conditions, we recommend that you bring a small split umbrella and suitable rain/snow shoes in case of rain/snow.
- During wintertime, there will be adjustments to the itinerary since archaeological sites close earlier, usually at 3 pm, compared to the extended hours of 5-7 pm in the summer.
- These changes might affect the timing of visits and require planning ahead to ensure all sites are explored within the limited daylight hours.
Included
- Transfers/transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Four (4) nights at the luxurious Porto Palace 5* hotel, in Thessaloniki
- Half board ( 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners).
- Guided tours, transfers, tours, as mentioned in the program.
- Certified tour guide in the museums of Vergina.
- Experienced leader/guide
- Liability insurance.
Not included
- With your reservation, please tell your travel advisor if you want a double bed or two singles so that it can be requested from the hotel (we request it from the hotel, it is entered as a priority and given upon availability). The office bears no responsibility. You also inform us if there is any allergy or dietary habit or anything else we need to know for the best execution of the program, for example a mobility problem, etc. In case of special dietary requests, eg lactose-free, gluten-free, etc., it is not certain that the hotel can provide it.
- Limited number of single & triple rooms, please contact your travel advisor first.
- The flow of the program may change even during your stay, if necessary.
- Entrances to caves, archaeological sites, museums, etc. are not included. Because in Greece there are special discounts according to age etc. they are paid individually locally and you must bring your ID or proof with which you can get a discount.
- For the Christmas or New Year’s gala, you register and pay in Athens. The cost of €70 & €95 respectively per person is in addition to the half board package. For those who do not choose it, they will have the normal dinner in another lace of the hotel and at an earlier time than the gala.
