Licensed private guide · Thessaloniki, Northern Greece

Petros Vassiliadis Private Tour Guide · Northern Greece
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HomeTours & destinations

Explore Northern &
Central Greece.

A comfortable, air-conditioned private vehicle with a driver arranged for the day, and Petros beside you as your licensed guide. Set your own pace, skip the crowds, and hear the stories that make each place come alive. Every journey below can be a single day or the spine of a longer itinerary.

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Map of Northern and Central Greece A hand-plotted map showing Thessaloniki at the head of the Thermaic Gulf, Vergina and Pella inland to the west, Mount Olympus on the coast, the three peninsulas of Halkidiki with Mount Athos on the easternmost, and Delphi and Meteora to the south. AEGEAN SEA THERMAIC GULF Thessaloniki BASE — ALL TOURS START HERE Vergina ROYAL TOMBS Mt Olympus Mount Athos SEEN FROM THE SEA Kassandra Sithonia Delphi CENTRAL GREECE Pella Meteora N
Indicative map of Northern & Central Greece — not to scale. Dashed lines show typical driving routes from Thessaloniki.
The ground we cover

Everything within a day's drive of Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki sits at the head of the Thermaic Gulf with the whole of ancient Macedonia behind it. Vergina is around seventy-five minutes west; Pella, the birthplace of Alexander, forty minutes north-west; Olympus an hour south along the coast. Ouranoupoli, where the boats leave for the Athonite coastline, is two hours east.

Delphi is further — a long, spectacular day through Thessaly and over the slopes of Parnassus, and better still as an overnight with Meteora on the way. You will always be told honestly when something is too far to enjoy in a single day.

  • Vergina · 75 min
  • Pella · 40 min
  • Olympus · 60 min
  • Ouranoupoli · 2 h
  • Delphi · 4 h
Destinations

Choose your destination.

Petros Vassiliadis in a white hat and sunglasses, the White Tower of Thessaloniki behind him.
Photo: Petros in front of the White Tower, Thessaloniki

Destination 01

Thessaloniki

Central Macedonia · Half or full day

Greece's vibrant second city, layered with Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern history along the Thermaic Gulf. We begin in the Roman forum and the palace complex of Galerius, walk through the Rotunda — built as a mausoleum, used as a church, then a mosque, and still standing — and climb to Ano Poli, the upper town the great fire of 1917 never reached, for the view across the gulf to Olympus. Along the way: the Byzantine mosaics of Agios Dimitrios, the Jewish quarter that once made this the “Mother of Israel”, and the Archaeological Museum where the gold of Derveni is kept.

  • White Tower & waterfront
  • UNESCO Byzantine churches
  • Ano Poli & Ottoman quarter
  • Archaeological Museum
  • Cruise-ship friendly
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The gold larnax of Vergina, its lid bearing the Vergina Sun, with a gold wreath displayed above it.
Photo: the royal larnax of Aigai (Vergina)

Destination 02

Vergina — Aigai, the first capital

Imathia · Full day, often paired with Pella

The royal capital of ancient Macedon and home to the spectacular tombs of Philip II — a must for anyone who loves history. In 1977 an undisturbed chamber was opened beneath a mound everyone had assumed was empty; inside stood a gold chest bearing the sixteen-rayed star of the Argead kings. The museum is built inside the tumulus itself, so you descend into the dark and meet the tomb façades where they stand. We usually pair it with Pella, birthplace of Alexander the Great, and its extraordinary pebble mosaics.

  • UNESCO World Heritage
  • Royal Tombs museum
  • Pella, birthplace of Alexander
  • Winery lunch nearby
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Photo: the Athonite coast seen from the sea, Halkidiki

Destination 03

Mount Athos

Halkidiki · Full day, by road & boat

The autonomous monastic republic of Mount Athos, viewed from a boat cruise along its dramatic coastline. Twenty Orthodox monasteries, some more than a thousand years old, stand on a peninsula that has kept its own calendar and its own laws — and the whole western shore can be seen from the water. We drive out through the villages of Halkidiki to Ouranoupoli and sail beneath Simonopetra, Dionysiou and Agiou Pavlou, with the peak itself rising 2,033 metres straight from the sea. Please note that land access is restricted to men holding a special permit — the diamonitirion, issued by the Mount Athos Pilgrims' Bureau under a limited daily quota. Petros can help you prepare and submit the application, but the permit is issued by the Bureau alone and cannot be guaranteed. The boat cruise is open to every guest.

  • Boat cruise for all guests
  • 20 historic monasteries
  • Ouranoupoli departure
  • Permit application help for men
  • Swimming stop optional
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A monastery of Meteora perched on a sheer rock pillar, with the wide Thessalian valley beyond.
Photo: a monastery of Meteora above the Thessalian plain

Destination 04

Delphi & Central Greece

Phocis · Long day or overnight

The sanctuary of the ancient oracle, set dramatically on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The Greeks called it the navel of the world, and standing above the Sacred Way with a sea of olive trees falling away to the Corinthian Gulf, it is easy to see why. We walk the sanctuary of Apollo, the theatre and the stadium above it, then the archaeological museum for the Charioteer — a bronze whose eyes still have their lashes. The drive south crosses Thessaly and passes the cliff-top monasteries of Meteora, which makes a natural overnight stop.

  • UNESCO World Heritage
  • Temple of Apollo & theatre
  • Museum of Delphi
  • Meteora en route
  • Best as two days
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A monastery courtyard garden with planted urns, a small chapel and a cypress tree.
Photo: a monastery courtyard at Meteora

Theme 05

Orthodox Pilgrimage Tour

Thessaloniki · Athos · Meteora · One day or several

A pilgrimage-themed journey to the monasteries of Mount Athos, following in the footsteps of centuries of Orthodox devotion — extendable to Meteora on request for a longer spiritual itinerary. The programme begins at the tomb of Saint Demetrios beneath his basilica in Thessaloniki, takes in Agia Sophia and the relics of Saint Gregory Palamas, and continues by boat along the Holy Mountain coastline past its historic monasteries. The pace is kept calm, liturgical hours are respected, and visits are arranged so that services are attended rather than interrupted. Guiding and commentary throughout in Greek, Bulgarian or Russian.

  • Relics of St Demetrios
  • Boat pilgrimage along Athos
  • Meteora extension on request
  • Guiding in Russian & Bulgarian
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Build your itinerary

Tell us which of these you want.

Most guests combine two or three destinations over a few days. Send your dates and Petros will propose an order that works — including how far is sensible to drive.

Entrance fees, meals and overnight stays are quoted honestly and separately, so there are no surprises at the end of the day.

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Talk to Petros directly