Thessaloniki Private Historic Walking Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The White Tower of Thessaloniki (Greek: Λευκός Πύργος Lefkós Pýrgos; Turkish: Beyaz Kule; Ladino: Kuli Blanka) is a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city of Thessaloniki, capital of the region of Macedonia in northern Greece. The present tower replaced an old Byzantine fortification, known to have been mentioned around the 12th century, that the Ottoman Empire reconstructed to fortify the city's harbour sometime after Sultan Murad II captured Thessaloniki in 1430. The tower became a notorious prison and scene of mass executions during the period of Ottoman rule. The White Tower was substantially remodeled and its exterior was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city in 1912. It has been adopted as the symbol of the city.

   30 min

2. The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος), is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki (in Central Macedonia, Greece), dating from a time when it was the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

   1 h

3. Built in 306 A.D. by the romans, Rotunda is one of the oldest religious sites of the city. Going back to the late 3rd century A.D., after a number of long devastating wars, the romans decided to divide the Empire into 4 regions, each with its own provinces , thus leading to the creation of a new form of leadership, the Tetrarchy.

   20 minAdmission included

4. Galerius Arch (kamara) and Rotunda were basic elements of the palatial complex. Original intensions were predicting its use as a mausoleum, although many archaeologists believe it was initially used as a roman temple. The dimensions of the main structure are quite impressive.

   15 min

5. The Roman Forum of Thessaloniki is the ancient Roman-era forum of the city, located at the upper side of Aristotelous Square. It is a large two-terraced forum featuring two-storey stoas, dug up by accident in the 1960s

   30 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 8 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Thessaloniki

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 27 city tours we list in Thessaloniki.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 7 of 27.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, is a Byzantine and Ottoman port on the Aegean, with a waterfront tower, Roman monuments and excellent street food.

Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC and became one of the main cities of the Roman and Byzantine worlds. The White Tower stands on the waterfront promenade, a rounded Ottoman-era tower that is now the city's emblem, and the Rotunda and the Arch of Galerius recall the Roman ruler who made the city his base. The early Christian and Byzantine churches, among them Agios Dimitrios, are listed by UNESCO.

Top-ranked sights in Thessaloniki: White Tower (Lefkos Pyrgos), Aristotelous Square, Church and Crypt of Ayios Dimitrios.

See all 406 experiences in Thessaloniki