Cheap Flights to Thessaloniki

Fly to Thessaloniki, Greece for

Thessaloniki’s history started in the 4th century BC when King Cassander of Macedon united dozens of villages under the city that he named after his wife, Thessalonike, daughter of King Philip II and half-sister of Alexander the Great. By the 2nd century BC it had grown into a bustling, fortified metropolis of strategic importance to the Romans. It later became the second largest and wealthiest city of the Byzantine Empire, before submitting to almost five centuries of Ottoman rule. What’s astonishing is that under all these years of foreign occupation, the only thing Thessaloniki really surrendered was its independence, but none of its identity, continuous growth or immense cultural wealth. By the time Greece liberated it in 1912, Thessaloniki was a melting pot of Greek Othodox, Muslim and Jewish residents, and a living scrapbook of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish heritage.

The first Greek, the oldest book and the latest films

Visit to the city’s symbol, the 15th-century White Tower. Overlooking Thessaloniki’s harbour, the robust structure served as a major line of defence for its coastline and also as a notorious prison under Ottoman rule. Of course, it’s all too easy to forget the tower’s gloomy days while enjoying the breathtaking view of the Thermaic Gulf and Saloniki from the top. Walk in the Romans’ footsteps at the Roman Forum, located at the upper side of Aristotelous Square. Follow the Roman trail in the imperial throne room of Emperor Galerius at Navarinou Square and marvel at the Arch of Galerius, aka Kamara, erected to celebrate his victory over the Sassanid Persians.

Platters with a view

Start your culinary exploration with the city’s trademark pastry: Trigona Panoramatos. Most locals will tell you that nothing will ever come even close to Trigona Elenidi, the trigonas made by the baker who originally invented the genre. Or head to Panagias Faneromenis and give in to temptation at Bantis, a family-run affair where bougatsa is more of an art than pastry. As far as main dishes go, Soutzoukakia Smyrneika, aka ground pork and beef meatballs cooked in tomato-wine sauce, is a must-try, along with tigianá, locals’ favourite pan-fried pork. Also, make sure to grab a gyros at least once.

Mount Olympus and other divine escapades

No trip to Thessaloniki (or to Greece for that matter) is complete without a visit to Mount Olympus (Ólymbos), the cloud-shrouded abode of the gods. Its highest peak, Mytikas, towers above the Aegean Sea at 2,918 metres, and is visible from Thessaloniki on a clear day. If you’re planning to climb right up to the top, the full trek usually takes two to three days, with several refuges along the way for overnight stays. Just a word of advice: it’s quite a strenuous hike, so plan an early start. Plus, clouds often descend on the peaks around midday and you wouldn’t want to miss the views!

Thessaloniki airport

Thessaloniki is served by the Macedonia International Airport, located 15 kilometres southeast of the city. Bus no. X1 and bus no. N1 (night bus) leave every 30 minutes from the airport to the central railway station of Thessaloniki and to the Macedonia InterCity Bus Terminal. Taxis and car rental options are also available.

Thessaloniki weather

Thessaloniki's climate, just like the city itself, is quite complex. It’s humid subtropical with Mediterranean accents, windy, frosty winters and hot, humid summers. In winter months, fog is quite common, snowfall is rather sporadic and temperatures average at 6°C even in the coldest month, January. Summer temperatures usually flirt with 30°C, with July being the hottest month with occasional heatwaves.