When you’re planning a household metropolis break in Greece, you’re extra possible to have a look at Athens than the nation’s second metropolis – however with loads of nice issues to do in Thessaloniki with children, it’s properly value visiting.
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The start line for a go to to Halkidiki, it’s straightforward to mix a while within the metropolis with a break by the seashores of Halkidiki’s peninsula – the Kassandra peninsula is without doubt one of the best to succeed in, though the second prong, Sithonia has a lot to tempt households as properly.
Smaller than Athens’ usually sprawling centre, it’s straightforward to discover Thessaloniki with children as properly – exterior the most well liked summer time months, it’s very walkable with a beautiful waterfront, shady sq. and the form of chilled-out buzz you’d count on from a college metropolis. Right here’s what to place in your wishlist.
Thessaloniki Waterfront
The waterfront is essentially the most family-friendly space of Thessaloniki and the proper spot for a day stroll with children of all ages.
The vigorous embankment space is lined with loads of cafés, snack bars, and ice cream parlours. Road performers add to the colourful ambiance, whereas little ones can burn off some vitality at one of many many public gardens and playgrounds.
You can too rent a bicycle from the BikeIT stall subsequent to Makedonia Palace Lodge and cycle alongside the lengthy stretch of waterfront. The rental firm has an awesome vary of grownup and kids’s bikes, mini go-karts, child’s scooters, and multi-person buggies accessible to hire by the hour.
Or in case you’re travelling with older children and like a guided expertise, this e-bike tour of Thessaloniki takes you across the metropolis in addition to the waterfront space.
Arabella Cruise (Pirate Ship)
Whereas down on the waterfront, don’t miss the possibility to move out onto the water on Arabella, a standard picket naval ship that runs brief 30 minute cruises across the gulf.
The boat is kitted out like a real-life pirate ship, with skeletons and cranium and crossbones, and is manned by a crew of pleasant costumed pirates. The boat experience is free so long as you purchase a drink from the on-board bar (mushy drinks accessible for youths).
The sooner cruises are higher for households because the night departures can get just a little rowdy – it’s a floating bar in spite of everything!
You’ll discover different boat excursions leaving from the identical space close to the White Tower, whether or not you merely need to try the bizarre boats, or examine the totally different Thessaloniki boat journeys on supply
Hop on hop off bus
When you’re visiting Thessaloniki with youthful children, or trying to keep away from strolling within the warmth of the summer time, a hop-on hop-off bus tour of Thessaloniki is a good possibility, with a few selections to choose from.
Metropolis Sightseeing has one-day tickets, so you may as well use it to get across the metropolis, in addition to taking in among the key sights, together with the White Tower, in addition to a few of its church buildings. The bus additionally stops on the Archaeological Museum plus the Ano Poli fortress, the port and extra.
There’s an audio information and buses run each half-hour (besides through the center of winter), ranging from The White Tower. When you get off at Aristotelous Sq., preserve an eye fixed out for the statue of Aristotle – rubbing his toe will apparently carry you luck in exams!
Or the Thessaloniki Sightseeing bus passes another key websites (additionally beginning on the White Tower) with audio commentary, and 7 extra stops alongside the way in which. Runs each half-hour.
Meals strolling tour of Thessaloniki
Get a style of genuine Greece on a meals strolling tour of Thessaloniki, stopping at native markets in addition to extra unmissable spots by way of town.
See one of many oldest conventional espresso homes in Greece, you possibly can style a standard Greek breakfast of bougatsa (cream-filled pastry sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon) and exploring Louloudadika, plus there’s the possibility to see herbs and spices in addition to meat and cheese on sale.
When you’d love to do extra cooking and consuming than exploring and tasting, attempt a cooking and eating expertise with a Greek household, making tzatziki (easy however all the time much more scrumptious do-it-yourself) and moussaka, in addition to salad and dessert. There’s additionally a dance lesson to study some conventional Greek dance, plus native Greek tapas with wine, or native creations together with ouzo, tsipouro and retsina.
Spend a day at a close-by seaside
Being a coastal metropolis, there are many nice seashores near Thessaloniki the place you possibly can get pleasure from a soothing day of sea, solar, and sand.
Most seashores within the area are family-friendly, with lengthy stretches of golden sand, calm shallow waters, and loads of facilities.
Perea and Agia Triada are two of the closest seashores to Thessaloniki. Each are properly organised, with no scarcity of sunbeds, eating places, and bars alongside the coast.
Potamos is an even bigger and prettier choice to the south, with a lot of house to unfold out on the large stretch of sand. Or in case you’re prepared to journey just a little additional, Asprovalta Seashore is a picturesque seaside to the east of Thessaloniki that’s good for a seaside day.
You’ll discover buses which run alongside the coast, particularly throughout peak season, or count on to pay round 35 Euros + every method for a taxi.
NOESIS Science Middle and Expertise Museum
Situated within the outer Termi district, NOESIS Science Middle and Expertise Museum makes an awesome day trip in Thessaloniki for households with children who love science.
The thrilling science centre contains a digital planetarium, an enormous 3D cosmotheatre, and movement simulators (children 7+ solely). Wi-fi headphones let you watch their vary of instructional movies in English and Greek.
There’s additionally a unbelievable family-friendly museum with a number of everlasting and short-term exhibitions, together with a complete space devoted to historical Greek expertise.
A spotlight for youths needs to be the museum’s technopark, which has over 40 interactive exhibitions and hands-on science experiments to have interaction youthful minds.
Dino Park Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki’s Dino Park is a big 4-acre instructional park on the outskirts of town the place you possibly can stroll amongst life-sized fashions of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. Excellent for dino-obsessed little ones!
It’s not solely dinosaurs you’ll discover right here although. Youngsters also can uncover extinct mammals from Greece’s historical past, study in regards to the Ice Age on the Mammoths Museum, and even assist excavate a prehistoric cave to uncover the story of human evolution.
Inside the complicated, you’ll additionally discover the bizarre Human Physique Museum, the place you possibly can journey by way of the physique of a pregnant lady (properly, a large mannequin of 1) to study biology and anatomy. You’ll want to purchase a joint ticket to go to each sights.
On high of all of this, the massive park additionally has a restaurant, swimming pool, child’s playground, and botanical gardens to get pleasure from.
Skip this: When you’ve bought children who love animals, you could be tempted to identify some extra fashionable creatures at Thessaloniki Zoo. Nonetheless, it’s develop into very run down over latest years, with the present inhabitants restricted to goats and some birds – positively not value visiting.
Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is without doubt one of the largest museums within the nation, with hundreds of historical artefacts and reveals showcasing the historical past of Northern Greece (beforehand Historic Macedonia).
The exhibitions supply a glimpse into the lives of our historical ancestors, with the whole lot from pottery and mosaics to funerary altars and wonderful 2,000+ yr previous Macedonian tombs.
The museum could also be just a little boring for babies, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable and academic option to spend a few hours with older children and youths.
The shows are translated into English and the knowledge is easy and straightforward to digest. Touchscreen shows, interactive movies, and multimedia video games additionally assist carry historical past to life.
Youngsters’s Museum of Thessaloniki
The Youngsters’s Museum of Thessaloniki is a enjoyable and interactive museum designed particularly for youths between 4-12 years.
The small museum focuses on the subject of childhood all through time. It contains a conventional classroom full of faculty gadgets from the previous, together with previous desks, textbooks, typewriters, and faculty luggage. There’s additionally a group of historic toys, dolls, and board video games.
The reveals encourage children to study by way of play, with hands-on actions, instructional video games, and role-play. The museum additionally runs storytelling classes and kids’s workshops, however sadly, these are solely in Greek.
The White Tower
The image of Thessaloniki, you’ll spot the White Tower looming like a chess piece on the finish of town’s waterfront, so it’s straightforward to mix with a stroll by the water or a cruise aboard the pirate ship.
However the inside of the tower, which has beforehand been a fortress and jail, has now been transformed right into a museum telling the historical past of Thessaloniki, with reveals on every flooring protecting totally different points of town.
There are not any indicators in English however there’s free WiFi and QR codes to entry an audio information as you go – realistically, I’d say it’s higher for older children as we discovered the audio information to be informative however not desperately entertaining. When you take heed to the entire thing, it takes some time to get by way of the go to too.
Some shows are fairly self-explanatory although, and there are some nice views (and welcome breeze!) from the highest stage of the tower, with just a little cafe as properly. Entry prices 6 Euros for adults, free for youths who’re EU residents and half-price for youngsters from nations exterior the EU.
Waterland
When you’re visiting Thessaloniki through the sizzling summer time months and wish someplace for the entire household to chill down, be certain that to take a look at Waterland, the most important waterpark in Greece.
Situated near Thessaloniki airport, the massive aquapark has an awesome vary of swimming pools, slides, and enjoyable water actions for all ages.
Toddlers and babies will love the devoted kids’s pool and enjoyable Pirates Island, whereas these looking for one thing extra adventurous can cruise alongside the Loopy River, attain dizzying speeds on the Simvoli Slides, and tackle Europe’s largest wave pool.
If you’re able to calm down, you’ll discover loads of solar loungers scattered all through the park, good for absorbing the solar. A number of eating places and cafes supply meals and snacks to maintain you sustained all through the day.
Magic Park
One other enjoyable place to go to in Thessaloniki with children is the Magic Park, a family-friendly amusement park within the south of town.
The park has loads of enjoyable fairground rides, together with carousels, bumper automobiles, a log flume, a ghost practice, and a 25-meter-tall Ferris Wheel. There’s a devoted play space for infants and toddlers, whereas teenagers can get pleasure from a extra adrenaline-pumping expertise on the large curler coaster or 4G swing.
With traditional amusement video games like hook the duck, ring toss, and horse races too, there’s one thing for the whole household.
To go to the park, you’ll want to purchase a day ticket which incorporates limitless rides on all sights (apart from the ability video games).
Ziogas Western Metropolis
Situated round a 40 minute drive from town centre, Ziogas Western Metropolis makes an awesome household day trip from Thessaloniki. The bizarre attraction contains a makeshift Wild West city the place children can study to be cowboys for the day.
The ranch’s fundamental exercise is horse driving, with choices starting from a brief 10-20 minute experience across the city to an all-day trek by way of the realm’s beautuful countryside (earlier driving expertise required for this). Smaller ponies can be found for youthful kids.
Within the city itself, you may as well get pleasure from a small petting zoo, archery and capturing ranges, a number of scenic climbing routes, and an genuine western-style saloon.
For extra recommendations on household journeys to Greece, try my information to Greece with children
Selfie Museum
The Thessaloniki Selfie Museum payments itself as the primary Selfie Funhouse in Greece, and it’s an awesome place to spend a enjoyable hour and are available away with some hilarious photograph souvenirs.
There are 30 totally different installations, together with the possibility to dive right into a ball pit with 5,000 white balls, lose your self in an infinity mirror museum, dance underneath a disco ball and get a digital new hair salon, in addition to enjoying round with an entire string of props, all captured for posterity (and social media).
Tickets entitle you to 60 minutes inside. Purchase tickets with free cancellation right here.
Museum of Illusions
Whether or not you’re searching for someplace to flee the warmth (or a uncommon wet day in Thessaloniki with children), or simply fancy one thing a bit enjoyable to interrupt up the sightseeting, town’s Museum of Illusions is nice enjoyable for households.
With 40 separate visible and interactive illusions, you possibly can defy the legal guidelines of gravity, shrink or trick your eyes as you wander spherical – plus there are many alternatives for some nice household pictures.
Proper by the port, it’s very easy to get to and equally straightforward to kill an hour. Purchase tickets with free cancellation right here.
Set proper on the waterfront, Dali: Cybernetics is a good place to go to in Thessaloniki with teenagers. 3D screens stretch throughout the 400m sq exhibition house, together with digital actuality to assist customer step into the thoughts of the Spanish surrealist painter.
You may browse documentaries and pictures, or experiment on the interactive flooring, in addition to unleashing your individual creativity. Presently working to September.
Day journeys from Thessaloniki with children
Whereas there’s a lot to maintain you entertained within the metropolis, it’s straightforward to plan in just a few days out when you’re staying in Thessaloniki with children.
Go to Vergina
The royal capital of Macedonia, Vergina is an enchanting place for a day journey from Thessaloniki in case you have children who love historical past.
You could find royal tombs in addition to a museum with artefacts from the time of Alexander the Nice, together with an urn with the cremated stays of Phillip II, Alexander’s father.
Whereas it’s straightforward to go to independently, together with buses working from Thessaloniki, you’ll additionally discover loads of excursions to Vergina, that are a straightforward option to probe for households. This day journey to Vergina features a cease on the archaeological museum of Pella (lunch and entry tickets not included), or this comparable personal tour to Pella and the Aigai royal tombs is an efficient possibility with children.
Alternatively, this half-day tour to Vergina additionally stops at Veria, which has hyperlinks to Biblical historical past, together with associations with St Paul.
Canyoning in Mount Olympus Nationwide Park
For a day journey from Thessaloniki with a distinction, head to Mount Olympus Nationwide Park for an opportunity to attempt your hand at canyoning in an journey that wants no earlier expertise.
Appropriate for age 10+, there’s a brief hike to the canyon entrance, earlier than you get some recommendations on leaping, sliding and abseiling, earlier than spending the day testing out your new expertise among the many mountain waterfalls, together with an opportunity to swim in among the swimming pools.
Halkidiki Blue Lagoon Cruise
The Halkidiki peninsulas are solely round an hour’s drive from Thessaloniki, with some beautiful boat journeys out into the clear blue waters of the Aegean.
This full-day boat tour contains bus transfers from town, in addition to the eight-hour boat cruise, together with lunch. Cruising by way of the Gulf of Mount Athos, you’ll see Ammouliani Island on the boat journey (and dolphins in case you’re fortunate) earlier than making a quick cease to discover on land.
There’s additionally a cease at Banana Seashore for lunch and time to calm down, earlier than heading to the Halkidiki Blue Lagoon to admire the calm turquoise waters there.
Appropriate for all ages (though when you issue within the journey, it’s an 11-hour day, so higher with barely older children than toddlers and infants!).
Discover Halkidiki
From the beautiful villages to the beautiful seashores, someday in Halkidiki isn’t actually sufficient – however in case you’ve solely bought time for a style, take advantage of it on a day journey from Thessaloniki.
This eight-hour personal tour of Kassandra (the primary peninsula) takes you to Hanioti seaside, in addition to time to discover picturesque Afytos and Nea Fokea (plus you possibly can tailor your itinerary as lengthy it’s nonetheless the identical size, if you wish to spend kind of time in a specific space).
Or in case you’d reasonably discover the second prong of the trident, this small group day journey to Sithonia takes just a little longer however contains stops at Karydi Seashore and Fava Seashore, plus Kavourotrypes Seashore (or Kalamitsi Seashore), plus time to discover Sarti, Porto Koufo and Neos Marmaras.
The place to remain in Thessaloniki with children
You received’t be wanting locations to remain in Thessaloniki with children, with an entire string of motels within the centre of town.
When you’re visiting with older children and youths, our base on the trendy MonAsty resort (the place we had been invited to remain for evaluate for my day job) was good. It’s solely round quarter-hour from the White Tower, lower than 10 minutes to Aristotelous sq. in addition to to the waterfront.
There are an entire string of cafes, bars and eating places (plus locations to get an ice cream) inside strolling distance, in addition to the resort’s personal eating places. Take a look at the little rooftop pool, open from round 11am to 6pm, with rooftop bar Ennea subsequent to it – an awesome place for a cocktail/mocktail because the solar units, in addition to snacks served till late (attempt the bao buns!)
Add in just a little balcony off the rooms, enormous beds, beautiful Phytomer toiletries within the lavatory and Nespresso machines, and it’s an awesome style of luxurious to return to between exploring. Preserve an eye fixed out for the artworks impressed by silks traded alongside the Silk Route in centuries passed by.
Ebook rooms at MonAsty resort with free cancellation on reserving.com
When you’re travelling with youthful children and trying to self-cater, there are some nice family-friendly flats in Thessaloniki. Plum Information vets all of the properties listed on their website, in addition to outlining the professionals and cons, and whether or not they’re appropriate for infants in addition to older children.
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Primary picture/Aristotle/White Tower inside + views/MonAsty Lodge copyright MummyTravels, all different pictures courtesy of Depositphotos
