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Taste Thessaloniki with a Local

Babis Michailidis
Mar 13, 2017
3 min read

Live Guide: English, Duration: 4 hours

What You'll Do

Wake up with a strong Greek coffee
Eat foods steeped in Byzantine history
Wander through open-air markets
Sip on ouzo in one of the city’s best ouzeris
Soak up the hustle and bustle of Athonos Square
Get a sugar fix while sampling syrupy siropiasta

Overview

Take a morning walking tour to get to know the original tastes of Thessaloniki. Taste Greek coffee and learn all about its history. Sample koulouri and bougatsa with origins from Byzantine times. Visit open-air markets, confectionaries, ouzeris and more!

What to Expect

Take the morning to get to know the original tastes of Thessaloniki on a walking tour through the city. Taste Greek coffee and learn all about its history. Sample koulouri and bougatsa, both of which have their origins in Byzantine times. Visit open-air markets, confectionaries and ouzeris, and be left with no doubt that this city knows how to impress. Itinerary Thessaloniki is not only known for its beauty and impressive number of Byzantine monuments, but also for its great food. Starting from Aristotelous Square, your local guide will take you on a walking tour to discover some of the original tastes of Thessaloniki. Kick-start the tour with a cup of Greek coffee. It doesn’t matter if it’s in its modern (cold) version or if you sample the traditional hot Greek coffee, you’ll still be sipping history as you learn about it. Continue your journey into the busy commercial areas of Thessaloniki, sampling its flavours along the way. Try koulouri and bougatsa. It’s hard to imagine that these small round buns with sesame could be that tasty, and that in Thessaloniki you can find bougatsa filled with almost anything – cream, spinach, cheese, mince and much more! With both buns historically dating back to the Byzantine era, koulouri and bougatsa are undoubtedly interesting foods. Wander on through the two best-known open-air markets, Modiano and Kapani, to continue your exploration of this city’s many flavours. Fascinating paved alleys, hundreds of people, fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, meat, spices, dairy, home made products and so much more – the markets certainly have a unique atmosphere. At Athonos Square, be amazed by beautiful scenery that harmonises with the numerous ouzeris and small taverns in a picture-perfect way. Visit one of the best ouzeris in the city and taste meze accompanied with ouzo or tsipouro. Of course the adventure could not end without a visit to one of the city’s oldest confectioneries for a sample of siropiasta. These syrupy sweets are still made from the original recipes that Greek refugees brought with them during the1920s from Istanbul and Asia Minor. As the tour ends here you can either stay on for further explorations, or accompany your guide back to Aristotle’s Square. Your trip This trip is offered on a "join-in" basis. Maximum group size is 12. Dress Standard In general, there are few dress restrictions in Europe and dress codes are similar to those you are used to at home. Please note though that in many churches modest dress is required; no shorts or skimpy tops are permitted.