Things to do in Thessaloniki, Meteora & Delphi

In Thessaloniki, the 15th-century White Tower of Thessaloniki on the seafront holds a multimedia exhibition on the city's history, with views from the top, and the Rotunda of Galerius glitters with early Byzantine mosaics in gold and colour. The Museum of Byzantine Culture and the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki stand next to each other, pairing Byzantine artefacts from Thessaloniki and Macedonia with classical Greek masterpieces and finds from ancient Macedonia. Outside the city, the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina) museum lies inside the burial mound of the royal tombs linked to Philip II, showing the golden larnax and a gold wreath, and the Archaeological Park of Dion spreads at the foot of Mount Olympus with a Hellenistic theatre framed by the mountain. Further south, climb past the Treasury of the Athenians to the Temple of Apollo at the Delphi Sanctuary & Museum, and see the six Meteora Monasteries perched on giant rock pillars, a UNESCO mixed World Heritage Site.

Good to knowEach of the Meteora Monasteries has its own closing days (in winter Great Meteoron closes Tuesday to Thursday), so plan over two days; shoulders must be covered and long trousers or long skirts worn, with wraps lent at the entrances. Delphi opens 8:30–15:30 daily in winter, so arrive early, and one ticket covers the site and museum. In winter the Rotunda of Galerius and the Royal Tombs of Aigai close on Tuesdays and Dion on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki opens every day 9:00–17:00.